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Executive Report for BOD
Submitted by Larry Meddock
March 2011
Commitment
In January of 2011, I resigned from my position as Office Administrator for an Orlandobasedlaw firm. This allowed me to focus all my attention on the matters of the WSIA. Thisis been a welcome change in my life as my passion always has been and will remain theWSIA.
WSIA Strategic Plan
The plan is to help us better understand the needs of the WSIA. During my visit to DC inNovember, I had the opportunity to meet with John Adey. John is the VP of Standards for theABYC. John is a respected player in the marine industry and works with many of our towboat companies. John is working on his Masters Degree and volunteered to write the plan. Hewill do this at no charge as he is going to use it as part of his thesis. The Board will see adraft of this plan as well as a SWOT analysis.
Coast Guard Strategic PlanWe reported in Sept. the importance of the Strategic Plan and how the WSIA is playing amajor role in its intended execution. The USCG is looking for a non-profit to develop aNational Outreach Program that would promote safety and change the behavior ofrecreational boating participants relative to life jacket wear, BUI, and Navigational Rules.The WSIA has responded to this request.
USCG Grant Status
On January 28, the WSIA submitted a significant grant request to the USCG for a 16-monthtime period. The USCG is looking for significant change within the boating public and inorder to do that the USCG is going to have to spend significant dollars. We selected Bonnieras our contractor in this grant. Jim Emmons was hired as the grant writer. The process waslabor intensive, but we were able to submit on-time and now are in the waiting queue. Allgrants will be scored by a panel of USCG personnel and we will be notified of our statussome time in April. Copies of the narrative are available to board members upon request.
Water Sports Alert Network
The first installments of the WSAN were released in Jan. 2011. A PDF of an issue happeningin Oregon was sent to all manufacturers. Those manufacturers, in turn, sent this documentonto their dealers and put all dealers on alert as to what was happening in the Oregon marketregarding the Holegate canal. This information also went out via Facebook and all our socialnetworks.
The next phase of the WSAN is a video tutorial that will broadcast only to Law Enforcement.A sample of the first installment was played for the BOD at the February meeting in ParkCity. The WSIA hopes to produce and release four of these videos per year. We now havethe support of NASBLA and the FFWC in this effort. We will move toward either a wakesurfor wakeboard video next.
Carbon Monoxide
In November 2010, I traveled to Washington DC to meet with the USCG on Parasail issues,as well as trying to get a better understanding of this elusive gas called CO. I attended ameeting with the ABYC and the U.S. Dept. of Health and Human Services (USDHHS). Itwas discovered during this meeting that the standards for establishing acceptable levels ofCO were conducted in a closed room environment in 1969. We, along with the USCG askedthe USDHHS to help us establish an outdoor standard for CO. The USCG was then able toofficially request support from the USDHHS for establishing protocol and at this time thisrequest is still moving forward.
Surf Expo
For the first time ever, the WSIA was able to participate in the January Surf Expo show.Having never produced a parasail show, it was unknown as to how many folks would attend.Our best estimates were 25 to 50. We had well over 175 show up and some say it topped 200.We have since been told this was the best showing of the Parasail Industry ever. We werepleased to present speakers from the USCG, the FAA, Florida Fish and Wildlife, NOAA,Chubb and Belter Insurance. We also expect to receive a commission check from Surf Expofor approximately $3,500. We had a total exhibit expense of approximately $200.
WSIA Funding
This topic remains of utmost importance to the success and vitality of WSIA. The Board hastwo proposals in front of them at this time. Both revenue suggestions were the result ofongoing dialogue for over one year. The work of the WSIA can only move forward if we canoperate on a National basis with its Executive Director actively engaging with its members.Since my resignation from the law firm, the WSIA has already landed two key manufacturersthat have not been with the association for years. Current memberships are ahead of last yearthanks to concentrated efforts regarding the parasail industry as well as manufacturers. Wenow meet with our web master every Tuesday morning to review the week before, as well asdiscuss the issues ahead of us. This time has already proven invaluable regarding thetimeliness of our web site and social network data.
Mandatory Life Jacket Wear
I have reported before that the USCG is pushing for mandatory life jacket wear for allboaters, in all vessels 26 feet and under, at all times. During the Jan. 2011 NBSAC meeting, aspecial “working group”, of which I am a member, met to discuss this issue. The firstproposal from the USCG was to have all occupants in any boat 26 feet or less, be in a USCGapproved life jacket, regardless of the activity. This working group met to discuss thefeasibility of this. After five hours of debate, the group agreed and recommended that alloccupants of boats 18 feet or under, plus all occupants of canoes and kayaks (regardless oflength) would be required to wear life jackets. The April NBSAC meeting in DC will discussnothing but the issues of mandatory life jacket wear for the entire full two days. Again, thisunderscores the commitment to this cause by the USCG. I would strongly suggest that arepresentative from Kent attend the meetings in April in order to present more diverseopinions on this matter.
