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Lake Pontchartrain
Sail & Power Squadron |
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WHAT WE ARE ABOUT The mission of the United States Power Squadrons is to promote recreational boating safety through education and civic activities while providing fellowship for our members. We at Lake Pontchartrain Sail & Power Squadron take this matter to heart. You will see that as a squadron we are very active in all areas from boater education to civic service to FUN. During the year you will find our squadron’s Certified Vessel Examiners providing FREE Vessel Safety Inspections at various marina and launch locations throughout St. Tammany Parish. The program allows you to call and make an appointment to have your vessel examined at your dock or other location. In the fall, you will find us working at the Madisonville Wooden Boat Festival which is only one of the civic duties that the Squadron participates in with a large number of volunteers. You will find us at the gate on Highway 22 as you cross the Tchefuncte River and at the Lake Pontchartrain Sail & Power Squadron booth located in front of town hall where we offer free literature regarding safe boating operations and enlist students for one of our safe boating classes or for membership. Our educational courses cover a multitude of topics that will make you a better sailor and we can guarantee that there is something in these courses for everyone. Whether you boat for an afternoon or plan to cruise for six months or more. Whether you are a Captain or First Mate and need to confidently participate in a boating experience. See us for membership requirements and member classes. Take time to read our information. You can go to our national web site http://www.usps.org or search this web site for more information about the United States Power Squadrons or Lake Pontchartrain Sail & Power Squadron. Classes of Membership Individual members enjoy all the benefits and privileges of USPS. They may hold elective or appointed offices, have voice and vote at membership meetings and attend socials. They may take all educations courses, advanced and elective, offered by USPS, fly the ensign, earn merit marks and participate in membership enhancements. Family members are members who all reside in the same household and meet the requirements for USPS membership. Family members enjoy all the benefits and privileges as an Individual member.
New Membership
Dues Schedule
SQUADRON MEETINGS General Membership Meetings (GMM) are held the second Thursday of each month, except July and August. At this time, we are meeting at the Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum. As always, this is subject to change LPBMM Social Hour 6:00 PM Meet and greet your friends and boating companions. You may want to bring something to drink. Adult beverages are permissible, as well as soft drinks. Ice is available. MEAL 7:00 PM Most often “Pot Luck” covered dish events, but occasionally may be a catered meal. Advanced reservations are required when catered. Sometimes meetings are held in various local restaurants. You are responsible for meal charges if you make a reservation and fail to appear. Meeting Starts Around 7:30 or right after the meal. We try to have informative speakers on subjects of interest to members and their guest. Click here to access a membership application. Print it from your computer and return your Membership Application & Check to:
Or contact Helen at 985-792-1335 for more information. 1. Continued Boating Education
2. Boating Activities: FUN cruises and rendezvous to various places, many of which are local and can be reached by boat or car. Some are day trips, long weekends, or longer at marinas located on the Gulf Coast. 3. Civic Service: Madisonville Wooden Boat Festival, Maritime Museum Children’s Activities, Boat Shows, Cooperative Charting, Public Boating Classes, and Vessel Safety Checks (VSC). 4. Membership meetings: 10 Monthly Membership Meetings with an interesting speaker on relevant topics. Potluck or catered dinners. 5. Monthly newsletter:12 Issues of Lake Pontchartrain Sail & Power Squadron newsletter “UNDER the BRIDGE” which lists up-coming events and newsworthy, informative items. 6. Nationwide Discount Program: Click here to link to the USPS Discount program webpage 7. LPSPS and United States Power Squadrons are non-profit (501c3) organizations. Expenses may be deductible. 8. Two National Meetings and two District 15 meetings every year. All members are encouraged to attend. A member has also provided her views on the subject: For all who do not know, Paul and I recently moved to Louisiana from Chicago, Illinois. For about the past 15 years, we would visit New Orleans one to two times a year. During that time we were considering what we would do for our retirement. We had 3 basic criteria that had to be met: the weather had to be warm (we had enough of the cold, snowy Chicago winters); we had to live on the water on or near the ICW; and we had to buy a boat that we could moor behind our home. This past year we realized our retirement dream. However, the move was not easy. We left our family and friends to live in a location where we knew practically no one. For the first two months we kept busy getting our home in order, and then we started attending boat shows looking for our boat. We met individuals from the Power Squadron who introduced us to boat safety. One day in January we read the Lake Pontchartrain Squadron was holding a Safe Boating Seminar so both Paul and I signed up for the course. We hadn’t even taken ownership of our boat yet, but that did not stop us. During this seminar the instructors gave us information about becoming members of LPSPS and the added opportunity to take more boating courses. We took the information home, read it and decided the best way to meet people with the same interests as ourselves was to join the Lake Pontchartrain Sail and Power Squadron. So in February we attended our first Squadron meeting and started down the road to meeting wonderful people. Right from the start, everyone was welcoming and made us feel comfortable. At this very first meeting we attended there was a discussion about an upcoming rendezvous that was taking place the following weekend. Due to the welcoming effect of these people and their contagious enthusiasm, we decided to join them for our first ever rendezvous. We had a wonderful time and met even more people than were at the monthly meeting. We had just taken ownership of our boat and we found ourselves on a trip to Sandestin, Florida! We joined three other couples who over the year have become truly good friends. It was a wonderful trip. We have attended planned and impromptu rendezvous via car and boat. Our latest rendezvous was to Biloxi MS where we went with people from not only Lake Pontchartrain Squadron, but the New Orleans Squadron as well. All these people could not have been better. We participated in working the Squadron gate at the Wooden Boat Festival and had a lot of fun. We also attended our first District 15 Conference held in Covington. There was a great dinner dance on Saturday at the Courtyard Marriott and a wonderful breakfast with continued great companionship on Sunday at the home of District 15 Commander. These were just a few of many great weekends. I am sure we will not miss any future rendezvous. We could not have made better friends, and hope others will join the group for fun and camaraderie. |
