My Wife Says I Will Take Any Job, As Long As It Doesn't Pay Money

Back to work in the Law, now, and all the charitiable organizations that were getting my free labor are out of luck, because I no longer have the spare time. For a while, I was acting as Hurricane Chairman for the Church, putting up shutters and helping members secure their private property when heavy weather threatened. I was also a communicator for the RED CROSS, which occasionally was a conflict. I totally gave up on the Civil Air Patrol—It is a good concept, but entirely too vulnerable to misuse by ambitious wannabees and syncophants. My only charitable vice now is the Coast Guard Auxiliary, where I have qualified in about five specialties and am active in four of them.

I really enjoy teaching boating safety classes, and have taught more than fifty of them in the last year (2002). With no time for hobbies, though, I am having to cut back radically. Fortunately my Flotilla is picking up the slack.

Going hand in hand with the safety classes, I am doing Vessel Safety Checks. Here in Florida, the state regulations and the Federal regulations for required equipment are pretty much the same. Those boaters who are concerned with safety and obeying the regulations are proud to display the Auxiliary Shield. Of course, you can get one from the U.S. Power Squadron, too. In my capacity as an Auxiliary Master Instructor, I helped plant that seed by training the local Squadron Commander and two alternates. Now they train and qualify their own.

And of course, there are always "on the water" patrols. The Coast Guard has us doing all kind of jobs, up to and including transportation for Law Enforcement Officers. Mostly though, it's just another set of eyes out on the water, with a capability to help if it is necessary.