I know everyone is busy this time of year with their vocations or avocations, if not both. We see increased activities during the boating season as volunteers in the Coast Guard Auxiliary. Likewise, important activities must occur within the Association to plan for and meet its responsibilities in supporting the Auxiliary’s programs. The fiscal committee is scheduled to meet in July to review the budget for the current fiscal year as well as plan the budget for the coming fiscal year. Auxiliary Departments and Directorates have been busy looking at their requirements for fiscal year 2009 and submitting them to the Treasurer for presentation to the Fiscal Committee.

We all have experienced increases in our costs as a result of the current economy and the impact that the ever increasing oil prices have made in our daily lives. The fiscal committee will be challenged to balance the needs of the organization with the projected income. As an Association, we will continue to seek sources of income to support the needs of the Auxiliary programs.

As we draw closer to the Association’s annual meeting scheduled for October 27^th and 28^th we are preparing for the elections for the Director’s terms of office that will be completed this year. Our By-Laws provide for two-year terms of office for our Directors with half of the terms staggered for election on any one particular year. The Operating Committee of the Association, which is made of the District Commodores, President of the National Association of Commodores, Area Commodores, National Vice Commodore, Immediate Past National Commodore and the National Commodore, will elect the new Directors for the Association. That election will take place during the National Auxiliary Conference in Orlando, FL in August. The terms of office for the Directors elected will then commence on November 1^st. The election will be for two Auxiliary members and two outside members as specified in the By-Laws. The Chairman and Chief Executive Officer is accepting nominations through July 15th for those board positions as he must present those nominations to the Operating Committee 30 days prior to the election.

The Association is proud to support the Auxiliary’s National Conference in Orlando and we encourage you to attend. Information is available online at www.cgauxa.org/nacon2008 to assist those desiring to attend. You may register online or print the registration form and submit it as indicated on the form. You may also make your hotel reservations through the links on the site as well as obtain other information surrounding the conference. This year’s conference includes the election of the Auxiliary’s three National Area Commodores as well as the National Vice Commodore and the National Commodore. Do not miss out on this important event along with meetings, festivities, training sessions are scheduled on Friday and Saturday August 22nd & 23rd and the Commodore’s Banquet on Saturday evening with its anticipated key note speaker, the eloquent Admiral Thad Allen, Commandant of the U. S. Coast Guard.