Don't let the snow and ice get you down. Our crew trainees will be ready to get underway by the beginning of the patrol season. The view through the glass wall of the Training Room at Station Jones Beach was a constant reminder of the time of year.

Snow on the ground, and ice in the boat basin made it a perfect time to be indoors, preparing to become crew qualified. Learning the shore side lessons in crew training now will have our trainees ready for their "on water" exercises, just as the patrol season begins.

This year, Division 13 decided to present its Crew training on a repeating schedule. The training began on a Sunday with "Marlinspike and Line Handling" as it's first class. This class was then repeated in its entirety the following Saturday. This made the training available to a larger group of crew qualified hopefuls who normally would not be able to adhere to a fixed Saturday or Sunday only format.

With this duplication of the class on alternate weekend days, work, religious observances, or family special occasions do not eliminate a member from completing the course. It also presents an opportunity to double the effort towards a subject that may be exceptionally difficult for an individual student.

In an effort not to overload the weekend with two classes, the second subject, "First Aid and Physical Requirements" was scheduled for the following Sunday and Saturday.

The response from the class has been very positive. They realize that they are given the opportunity to choose the day convenient to their own schedule, do not have to attend more than one class per weekend, can alternate their regular day to work around special situations, and can attend a class twice if they feel they need to give more attention to a particular subject.