Idea Exchange: Not only do we stress the need for each of our Public Boating students to have a VSC, we made it easy by giving them our phone numbers and making a date at the local yacht club to perform them...

Submitted by: Wayne Spivak, ADSO-IS/CS from USCG Auxiliary

Idea Exchange: I have 18 Marine Dealers which I service. I arranged them in circular order so that I can visit them similar to a Salesman's route and it makes for maximum efficiency. If I find another Marine Dealer that spoils my route I pass it on to a fellow member. If it's within my route I add it and service it.

You are serving the program, not your ego well done.

Submitted by: Denis Sparks FC, SO PA, FSO PA from Flotilla 11-1, District 7

Idea Exchange: VEs, A CLOSE KNIT GROUP IN MY FLOTILLA

William Kramar, of Fl 73, 5SR, writes, by e-mail, that the VEs in his flotilla are a close-knit group, always striving to do quality work, continuously discussing their experiences/resolving grey areas, etc. and we are well trained/keep abreast of changes (whether informed by the written word or from confronting difficulties/unique situations in the field.)

He has been concerned with examiners from other units that will accept boats that he has not awarded a decal because of bad numbering or some other deficiency, only to see the boat a few weeks later with a CME decal and the same obvious deficiencies.

William joins many of us who wish that all Flotillas had good training programs and worked for perfection, rather than to see how many decals they can award without the proper examination or boater education.

Don Smutz, DC-V

Excellence in our execution is always the goal. Lives depend on it.

Submitted by: Don Smutz, from DC-V

Idea Exchange: Received a telephone call from a gentleman who wanted information on what was necessary in the way of safety equipment on board to be "legal." After our conversation he asked if I would visit the marina where he worked and sign them up on our MDV program. He felt the information supplied to him was very helpful and would be of interest to his customers.

After signing him up on the program, he related to us that he was President of the Lake of the Ozarks Marine Dealer's Association. He asked us to send a representative to their next meeting to relate the information we had given him to the others, which we did. The result was that we signed up all present to the MDV program and created what we feel was a good inroad to the association by suggesting they give Federal and State guideline booklets to all their customers and thus created a market for their safety equipment, as well as to educate the new boaters on the "rules of the water."

Great way to attract interest and possible members.

Submitted by: Jack Merriman, FSO-MDV from 5, 30, 8WR

Idea Exchange: My husband and I work as a team. At the present time we service some 55 businesses that are on our MDV program, which we increase almost weekly. We have taken extra time to acquaint Boat Dealers with what safety equipment is required on board a boat to be legal and have suggested to them that they put it together as a "package deal," which would include boat/ PWC, trailer and equipment. It accomplishes three things. It increases sales for the dealer, the boat owner has all the required safety equipment aboard to be legal and he could fulfill the necessary requirements to be awarded a CME decal and sticker. This is also a great opportunity to suggest a boating safety class.

Most dealers already bundle safety packs at thier point of contact. It is a great sales and safety aid.

Submitted by: Jack & Sally Merriman, MDVs from 30-5, Div 30, 8WR