I attended a very productive mid-term board of directors meeting in Nashville in August. My hat is off to Harriett Howard and the members of the Volunteer WAVES Unit #94 for their outstanding hospitality and generosity to the board 
members. Thank you, ladies!

I salute Gateway WAVES member Edna “Frankie” 
Dummerth who, prior to becoming a WAVE was a member of the All American Girls Professional Baseball League as a catcher. (See more in this issue on “Frankie”.)

I was advised of the recent death of Laura Borsten, age 91. In the e-mail that I received from her family, it stated that she was “the last of the Navy’s first cadre of women officers.” I have since learned that Laura was NOT the last of that group of women officers, and that there are other women officers from that same class among our members today. I humbly apologize to any and all for any misunderstanding. Thank you, Helen Strauss for setting me straight! I also want to apologize to Iowa State Director, Myrna Van 
Meter and members of the Mississippi Valley Unit 105 for listing them under the state of Illinois in the August WC. They should be listed with Iowa. 
WAVES National has a new Ship’s Store Officer. Kathy Hall, NW FL WAVES Unit 52 has taken the reins of the Ship’s Store (SS). Please note her address on page 2 and on the order form. I take this opportunity to thank Barb Peltier for the outstanding job she did as our former Ship’s Store 
Officer. BZ Barb, and thank you for your hard work! If you have an idea for a new item to sell in our Ship’s Store, please submit it to me and I’ll look into it. 

The WAVES National logo or official emblem, as 
described in our bylaws (page 18) states that it “shall be the three-blade propeller with the fouled anchor superimposed on it enclosed in two circles with the words “WAVES National” printed inside the two circles.” Further, “the official emblem shall be imprinted on all unit charters, official stationary and documents, including the official convention 
program cover. Other specific uses shall be authorized by the Executive Committee.” On page 5 of our bylaws it states, “a local unit may use an approved modification of the official emblem for specific identification of a local unit.” Your unit cannot use the official emblem for any type of fund raiser 

You may order stationary, note cards and many logo items from the SS. If your unit is in violation of this please change the item to reflect your unit emblem immediately. The Nominating Committee has received four consent forms for national office. The deadline is just around the corner. Please consider running for a national office and mail your consent form to Jo Adamson, along with a 300 word bio, as soon as possible. DEADLINE is February 1st! I’d like to see at least two WN members run for each office. 

I am searching for a Scholarship Chairman, a Historian, a Stained Glass Window Chairman and a Parliamentarian.  Please contact me if you are interested. 

Have you logged on to the WAVES National web site lately? It has a new look. Bob Maillette, web master, has added an Events Calendar and the White Caps to the web site. He also changed the look of the WAVES USA page. The Ship’s Store will be added soon, but you will have to download the form and mail it in with your check. The SS page will have a photo of each item that is offered for sale. If you can see it first, you may order it. I hope that each unit is recruiting new members. Our current membership is hovering around 5,400 and we need to get our numbers up. It is not an easy task, but it can be done. With my first year in office completed, I take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you for your continued support. Please continue to keep me informed. God bless our troops and God bless America! Happy 228th birthday, Navy. 
 

Always Navy, , Barb
 

Thought for the day: “An organization succeeds, not because it is long established, but because there are people in it who live it, sleep it, dream it and build future plans for it”  Veterans of the Vietnam War, Inc.