“SWAMP FOX NEWS”

News Letter #3

                                                                                                                              July, 2002

(By Bob)

http:// www.ussfrancismarion.com

Next reunion: October 16,17,18,19,2003 – Norfolk, VA!!

 

President /Treasurer:                      Vice President:                         Committee:

Bob Martin                                        Wayne Rogers                            Curtis Stone

16 Staples St.                                     53 Fernandez Cir.                      Tom Clossey

Melrose, MA 02176                          Randolph, MA 02368                 Dick Gagnon

(781) 665-9222                                 (781) 986-6603                         Steven Forgeron

tinman61@juno.com                         wayrog@aol.com                         Robert Wright

                                                                                                            Lin Warren

 

“Our Reunion October, 2003”

 

On April 14th, the committee meeting was held at my house in Melrose, Ma.  Those who attended were: Bob & Linda Martin, Wayne Rogers, Dick & Claire Gagnon, and Robert Wright.  As usual the girls were a great addition and a lot of help!

 

15 hotels in the Norfolk, VA area replied to our request for information, and after numerous phone calls and e-mails, the committee narrowed the list to consider to five.  All information was carefully reviewed and the committee narrowed the choice to two hotels. They decided I should travel to Norfolk for an on-site inspection of the two hotels. I will report on their presentations, and my recommendations at our next committee meeting in July. The hotels require a signed contract by August 1st.2002, after which the hotels will not guarantee their proposals & rates.

 

I went to Norfolk in June, met with the hotel officials, stayed one day and night at each (On their dime!) and will detail my visit at our July meeting. It has been a long time since I had been in the Norfolk area and remembering it in the 60’s I can’t believe my eyes at the changes today. 

 

I have a lot of information to be reviewed in July plus more that the hotels are to furnish me. A decision will likely be made, at that meeting, and the October 2003 reunion should be all set up by August 1st. with no problem.

 

 

“E-mail Campaign”

We have close to 155 members for whom we have e-mail addresses.  Recently, I sent out emails with Newsletter #2 attached to only those members who have not paid their dues. In all, I sent out 125 emails….25 came back with the following: “User Unknown”.  That’s not bad, but unfortunately some crewmembers have changed their email address and didn’t inform me.

 

I have mailing labels that I print out for the newsletters.  Currently I have two lists: one list contains the names of those who have paid their dues (and receive 4 letters/yr.), and the other list contains the names of all members.   The 2nd list is used once a year.   Not everyone has an email address to email the newsletter…so this means a third list for those members who do not have e-mail but whose dues are paid.  Additionally, a forth list was created for those who haven’t paid their dues.  CONFUSING, RIGHT??!!

 

Mass mailing by email address is an inexpensive way of sending the newsletters.  As you can see, I cannot email everyone.  At least 2 or 3 lists have to be maintained and the newsletter will still have to be sent via US Mail to some. (For now I am staying with the US Mail for the newsletters.)

 

“Dues”

Since this newsletter also goes to those who have inquired about our next reunion, I have to talk about dues payments in all the newsletters.  If your dues are paid up, please disregard this notice.

 

To receive four newsletters per year there is dues of $10/year.  That is pretty cheap when you think about it!!!!!  If you do not pay dues, you will only receive one newsletter per year and you could be missing out on the reunion information.  So, won’t don’t hesitate…keep in touch with your fellow crewmembers!!!

 

Please make your check out to Robert Martin:

Mail to:

USS Francis Marion APA-LPA 249

c/o Bob Martin

16 Staples St.

Melrose, MA 02176

 

 “E-mail Journal”

I got an idea from another ship, a Destroyer in WWII.  This ship sends out 2 pages of stories from crewmembers every month.  I decided to start a monthly email journal that includes stories sent to me by all crewmembers. To date, I have sent out 2 journals.  There has been a lot of positive feedback, so I will continue to send them.   Any, and I mean any, story you would like to share while onboard the ship from 1961 to 1979 would greatly be appreciated by all!  As you read them, you will begin to think of things that happened to you OR your view of the story may be different!   So, come on, get those stories written and sent to me!!