Letter from the President

NAVY LEAGUE OF THE UNITED STATES Serving the Sea Services since 1902
April 1, 2008 Dear Members and Friends of the Navy League: I was elected your President in December to succeed a long line of very effective leaders of the Cincinnati Council. It is an honor to have been so selected. Last year, we received two significant awards from National. Our council website was selected as the winner of the inaugural Donald M. Macke Award for council websites in the medium sized council category. Past President Jim Streicher is our 'webmaster.' We also received recognition as an Honorable Mention Council for 2006. National Director Emeritus and Council Vice President for Special Events Bob Saul represented us at the awards presentation ceremony for both awards to be held at the 2007 National Convention. In addition, Immediate Past President Tony Gadaleta was honored as an outstanding Navy Leaguer by National. We are all very proud of Tony and his three-year tenure as our President. On a personal note, I want to thank Tony for the turnover, which was outstanding. His records are so well-organized it made it easy for me. I hope to follow his example when my tour is over. "Citizens in Support of the Sea Services" is the motto of our organization. Although we live many hundreds of miles from salt water, it is important to note that our council has been fulfilling that motto, supporting Sailors from our region who have been serving our country on the front lines. A recognition that the United States is a maritime nation is at the center of our educational and support missions. As many of you know, our council has the honor to sponsor one of the finest Sea Cadet units in the country. The unit's enrollment ranges in age from 11 to 17. The Cadets drill locally throughout the year and perform many civic duties. During the summer Sea Cadets complete a variety of challenging courses at the Sea Cadets Combined Training Command (CTC) located at Camp Perry, Ohio or at other locations. If you know a young man or woman who might enjoy the challenge and adventure of being a Sea Cadet, encourage him or her to visit the unit web site, www.cincyseacadets.org. Navy League members might also want to visit this website and learn more about the outstanding unit you are supporting. My stepson Jeremy Brothers was a Sea Cadet and now is proudly serving aboard USS Kaufmann, a fast frigate home-ported in Norfolk. The skills and discipline he acquired helped him succeed at boot camp and throughout his time in the Navy. I look forward to a successful 2008. With your continued enthusiastic support, our council will flourish. Respectfully, Wm. Eric Minamyer, CAPT, JAGC, USN (Retired) President, Greater Cincinnati Council, Navy League of the United States