USSVI Charitable Foundation
A guest post from "Trim Pump" about the United States Submarine Veterans, Inc. Charitable Foundation:
USSVI has a Charitable Foundation (501(3)c) and if you give a donation and make it payable to USSV Charitable Foundation you can take a tax write-off. The Foundation is made up of: Scholarship, Memorial (help fund memorial projects), Brotherhood (help submariners in harms way), Library (support USSVI National Library at No. Little Rock), and Building Funds. The Building Fund was established at San Diego Convention from a motion by Senior Vice Commander and unanimously approved. It hopefully would become a fund that would draw some large donors and the hope or plan is to finance the building of or to buy a building to house our Library and a museum and possibly the National Office which is currently located in Silverdale, WA. The fund contains a paltry $450. Not something seen as been supported by the E-Board obviously. Yet a "poll" was taken on the National USSVI Web site (USSVI.org) and people seem to be in favor of a National Submarine Memorial in Washington, D.C. This, in spite of, a National Memorial on both coasts and 20+ Memorial/Museum submarines on display around the country. Yet no movement on the Building Fund.[Links added by Bubblehead] I normally don't write much about USSVI, but they do some good work and are a great organization. I note that the Charitable Foundation also has web pages for General Fund and Museum (Boat) Fund, but they don't have a web page for Building Funds. What do you think about the issues raised by Trim Pump?
posted by Bubblehead at 1:21 AM
7 Comments:
I live in Silverdale, a retired submariner and work with submarines as a civilian and this is the first time I heard the national office was located here.
Anyway, the submarine community is so small (USSV only has 13,500 members) that they are statistically insignificant. USSV needs to get out the word to the general public if they expect to see any big money.
And what's up with the "Inc." on USSV? Everytime I hear that it reminds of some scam like AMWAY.
8/18/2010 7:12 PM
I don't mean to sound like a jerk, but couldn't your guest poster have provided his actual name? Am I really supposed to take seriously an article written by someone called "Trim Pump"? What is this, HAM radio? Were "Reduction Gears" and "Low Pressure Blower" not available for comment?
8/21/2010 9:24 PM
The name is not important, only the content. Find something wrong or in error and I'll retract it. I have served on many National Committees and still do!
8/22/2010 4:51 PM
I am tempted to remain anonymous just to piss Travis off, but then he wouldn't have the opportunity to read my blog so I will post as myself.
Simple perhaps question.
What is the USSVI?
No having demostrated that I am punished, can Travis administer my punishment. I know it will be really vindictive and silly.
8/22/2010 6:28 PM
Trim Pump responds:
USSVI is U.S. Submarine Veterans, Inc founded in 1964. It is a non-profit and some of what it does is "charitable." It was set up to recognize submariners of all eras and not just those of WWII as is SubVetsWWII (SVWWII). Currently it has 13,600 members in 157 Bases (Chapters) obviously most of which are on the coasts but they are everywhere except Alaska and West Virginia. There are even two "Internet" type Bases to handle those who can't make it to actual meetings because of distance, handicaps, etc. One of the Internet type bases is the 9th largest in the organization.
Dues are $30/year/usually with $20 to National and $10 to the Base. Most of National dues go to the National magazine, a quarterly called American Submariner. Full color and 48-52 pages. Dues also pay for a National Office which contains the only paid person in the organization.
Each Base does it's own thing. National does not dictate projects.
More on what some of the projects are later.
8/23/2010 7:56 PM
Not pissed off and no offense or "punishment" was intended. Anon @4:51, thanks for all your service. Let me try to clarify the point I was trying to make, albeit in a slightly smug way. I disagree with you just a little. I think the name is somewhat important. When someone uses a blog to advocate on behalf of an organization and in particular uses it to solicit contributions from the readers, I think leaving their name and position within the organization is a reasonable expectation. It gives an air of credibility to their posting. So when Bubblehead(Joel) writes, "What do you think about the issues raised by Trim Pump?" I had to laugh because my answer was "I'd think a lot more of them if I knew who wrote this and what connection he has to USSVI." For example, their was a recent guest post on military housing, written by an author from a VA benefits blog who identified himself by name. That was my only point. It was nothing more than a good natured ribbing. I hope no one took my original posting as any sort of personal attack or insult.
8/24/2010 9:51 AM
By Trim Pump
I am giving facts! If anyone determines that my posts are solicitation attempts you'll never know how incorrect you are! The only "Funds" I think has merit is the Building Fund and the Library Fund.
I am not the happiest camper with present administration but I know the individual bases/chapters do many good things.
Do I recommend you join? Yes! But if anyone is looking for what they can get out of it or what it will do for you, forget it! But if you like giving caps to kids with cancer, or distributing Girl Scout Cookies to troops, or building and maintaining our memorials, or raising money for scholarships for (SS) Grandchildren, or selling Wounded Warror buttons, or supporting Navy Relief or giving funds to needy boat sailors during the Christmas Holdiay, and hundreds of other things that facilitate the Creed of USSVI which reads in part, "to perpetuate the memory of our shipmates"..., then you should join.
You will, as long as Joel tolerates me, hear many negatives also. Just remember the good things and the rest is school of the boat.
Joel and I go back to his first job on the SSN22 I believe. That was pre '98.
8/24/2010 8:29 PM
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