Broward Council Members and Friends

Welcome back from our Summer Break. Even though we had no formal meetings, we stayed busy, including welcoming a number of new members that have signed on to the Council and look forward to seeing them at future events. As I noted in the last newsletter, summer transfer season is now over and our adopted units have a number of new crewmembers. Our Membership Chair Rich Fournier represented us at the Open House held by the NAS Richmond Sea Cadet Division at the Miami-Dade Military Museum. While they are a much smaller Sea Cadet unit than the USS Fort Lauderdale unit, they are growing and their cadets spoke about their summer training program experiences. We will be working with the unit to set up a visit for Council members.

I was unable to attend since I had the privilege of serving as a Guardian for a former Navy Vietnam Era Veteran during the South Florida Honor Flight trip to Washington, DC that same day. It was my third time serving as a Guardian, and another rewarding experience as volunteers from South Florida Honor Flight #39 escorted 65 veterans from the Korean War, Cold War, and Vietnam War era to visit the memorials in Washington DC and Northern Virginia. For many of the vets it was their first time visiting DC.

On September 20th, we joined forces with the Fort Lauderdale Council and had a great member turnout for the annual joint dinner meeting to hear from some of the Sea Cadets from the USS Fort Lauderdale Division as they spoke about their summer training programs. It's always amazing to hear the reports on the life-changing experiences of the Sea Cadets that take their summer vacation time to attend one or more training programs. Whether they decide to join the military or pursue other career paths, these are the country's future leaders, and the training they receive as sea cadets better prepares them for whatever path they choose.

I also represented the Council at the community kick-off meeting for Fleet Week Fort Lauderdale 2027. The Navy has confirmed their intent to return to Port Everglades from April 20th to April 27, 2027, for what is shaping up to be a great series of events. While always subject to change due to operational constraints, we expect four US Navy ships, led by an amphibious assault ship, cruiser, destroyer, and submarine, and a Coast Guard cutter. J.W. and the Broward Navy Days Team is planning a number of new events along with the favorites we have enjoyed over the last 30+ years. Our Council will once again host the Junior Officer party at the Quarterdeck on Wednesday, April 21st, and will also be setting up our tables to sell soda, water, and snacks to the guests coming for ship tours; we'll be looking for volunteers for both as the dates gets closer. The first planning meeting with the Navy is scheduled for the morning of December 8th at the Port Everglades Administration Building, so please add that to your calendars.

For upcoming events, we will be holding our Oktoberfest gathering at Old Heidelberg in Fort Lauderdale on October 28th at 6 PM. For those that have never attended, this is not a formal meeting, but just a time for our members to get together to enjoy fellowship and great German food. On Veterans Day (November 11th), we expect to be out at the Mission Barbeque on Commercial Blvd. in Fort Lauderdale with our table set up to recruit new members. Carey and her team at Mission Barbecue put together a great event honoring veterans (and the free lunch is nice too). While I am still working on a speaker, our next dinner meeting will be November 12th at Tropical Acres. On Friday, December 4th from 6-9 PM we will host our annual Coast Guard Holiday Party at the Quarterdeck on 17th Street in Fort Lauderdale. Both the Fort Lauderdale Council and Broward Navy Days will join us in what is always a fun event. Finally, we will once again join the Fort Lauderdale Council for a joint meeting on Tuesday, December 15th at the Lauderdale Yacht Club for the annual US Marine Corps Toys for Tots event.

As we get closer to the end of the year, it will be time to put the Board for 2027 in place. While all of the officers from 2026 have agreed to stay on for another year, we are looking for members willing to join the Board and assist with our many events. This is your Council, so please do let me know if you are ready to step forward or have any questions, comments, or ideas on what we should focus on.

Best regards,

Glenn A. Wiltshire
Capt. USCG retired
Council President