Council Newsletters

Greater Charleston Council
Navy League of the United States
FALL 2023 Newsletter

Greetings, fellow Navy Leaguers. The Board of Directors continues to work hard to renew the Council following COVID disruption. We are proud of our ability to pull off three major ship commissions in the past four years: USCGC Stone (WMSL-758), USS Charleston (LCS-18), and USS Petersen (DDG- 121). These were large, complicated, events in view of COVID challenges. Please review the accomplishments of 2023. We need more involvement to grow our programs so please consider running to become a board member. Members elect the board of directors, and the board elects the officers.

During 2023 we have made some real progress, thanks in no small measure to the foundation set in 2022 through the leadership of our former President, Jim Ramsey who passed away in December 2022. He worked tirelessly for the Council. We honor him and are grateful for his service.
As current President, I am proud of the Board’s achievements in 2023. We have scheduled and are hosting monthly luncheons or networking events again. We are doing fundraising activities to support the Navy Ball in October. For Council awards, Jim Lyons continues in- person recognition of exemplary student performance in Charleston area Navy submarine and nuclear power schools, and The Citadel, with Navy League certificates and awards. He has engaged with senior flag officers for the Columbia SSBN program and Australian Navy officers who are ramping up the AUKUS nuclear submarine collaboration program right here in Charleston. Tom Brown has stepped up to be Lead for Council support of Sea Cadets. He is bringing to this task Council resources and personal experience in motivating and training youth concerning sea service. We are reaching out for monthly Council meeting speakers and other connections with Coast Guard, to include Council participation in a November welcome home to Charleston the USCG Calhoun. This National Security Cutter is coming to its new home port from a pre-commissioning deployment to the Caribbean.

In 2024 we expect to pick up speed on all these activities and more. In expectation that Charleston will be designated an official Coast Guard City late in 2023, the Council is working with VADM USCG RET Michael McAllister to have a ceremony. We are planning for further engagement with community and Coast Guard as it expands local presence, infrastructure, and homeporting. We also have plans to connect further with port and commercial maritime industry partners in Charleston to expand Council activity. My email address is [email protected]. Please share with me your ideas and concerns about forward planning and/or any issues that need attention by the Council. I will answer all your email comments.

As we hold elections for 2024, the actual Ballot Package, will be emailed to you in early October, I am asking, in addition for your vote on the BOD slate, if you will attend the annual members meeting to be held Wednesday 01 November 2023 at the Airport Hilton Garden Inn, 5265 International Boulevard, North Charleston, SC, 29418. This meeting will have some formalities to get through. Its real aim is to get us all together for some networking, review of Council activities in 2023, and plans for 2024. Most of all, I want to expand engagement of membership in the life and activities of this longstanding and successful Navy League Council.

The growing vigor of, and outreach by, the Board is generating a new core of ‘can do’ members as it conducts its search for new BOD candidates and Mission Area Leads. We have some exciting plans we are working on for 2024. Please join us as we move forward. Let’s make 2024 a better year for the Greater Charleston Council, Navy League of the United States.

Very respectfully,
Jim Offutt
Jim Offutt, President
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