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President's Message –
February, 2003
Suddenly it’s February once again and everyone by now is well into the New
Year with much enthusiasm, gusto and momentum as we seek to fulfill our
intended resolutions. As we rapidly approach the spring and summer
outdoor water recreation activity season, our winter hiatus will shortly
be a distant memory.
An
excellent way to shake of the winter doldrums and begin preparation for
the upcoming boating and water recreation season of 2003, is by planning
to attend the 8th Annual International Boating and Water Safety
Summit (IBWSS), scheduled for April 13 to 16, at the Alexis Park Hotel, in
Las Vegas, Nevada.
The
Summit once again promises to be the premier boating and water safety
training program of the season. The program will surely have something
for everyone. Our Summit Advisory Committee has been hard at work putting
together a “Summit” that will feature general sessions over the three days
and 5 breakout track sessions.
Several very interesting speakers, kicking off the program on Monday April
13, will provide some uplifting motivational messages on recreation
boating safety. Karen Steely and Monica Key will discuss Personal
Watercraft operation in context with sharing the water with other
Powerboat users, Dr. Robert Conn will present his “SmartRisk” program,
and Phyllis Kopytko will present her personal story and detail “How the
U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary saved her life” on the open waterways.
Five
breakout track sessions will be the focus on Tuesday and Wednesday April
14 and 15. The track session titles will deal with Education and
Outreach, Water Safety Education, Risk Management and Liability,
Paddlesport Safety, and Law Enforcement. There are four presentations in
each track for both days, providing you a total of 40 outstanding speakers
and papers to choose from. There is definitely something for everyone; I
can pretty much guarantee that.
On
Tuesday afternoon (April 14) there will be two outside water activities.
One is a Paddlesport demonstration and the other is a raft trip below
Hoover Dam at Lake Mead. Be sure to participate!
On Wednesday afternoon (April 13) we finish up
with several General Sessions that promise to provide additional training
and some “light hearted” entertainment pitting the Boards of the NWSC and
the NSBC in a family feud game of matching wits on boating safety topics.
Our dinner and awards banquet that evening will wind up the day’s events.
In
addition to all the above activities, many other boating organizations and
government agencies will also have ongoing planning meetings throughout
the days and into the evenings. The NWSC, USCG, USACE, USBI, ACA, NBF,
NWSC, NASBLA, FERC, NSBC, International groups and others all have
scheduled meeting space to discuss their organizations activities for the
upcoming year. Please “click” on the agenda button on the first page of
this web site for further detailed information about the Summit Program
and related activities.
Finally, the NWSC has scheduled for the first time a “Marina Safety
Training Course.” This additional training will be a one-day event and
will take place on April 16th, the day after the Summit general
program is over. The Marina Safety Course will consist of a four-hour
classroom training session at the Alexis Park Hotel, with a following
afternoon field trip to a local marina for an inspection. The course is
intended for individuals who design, operate, maintain, oversee, inspect
or have safety responsibilities for patrons and their equipment at public
or private marinas. The cost per student will be $100 and the classroom
size is recommended to be no more than 35. Please check out the
course outline and the instructors’ bio’s.
See
you all in Las Vegas!
Ron
Riberich, President
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