NTRAIN 2008

Friday Morning Meetings

Article and photos by Mel Borofsky, Editor SITREP

Auxiliarist Linda Merriman facilitating NADCO-MS meeting

St. Louis, January 25. Friday morning of NTRAIN is usually set aside for the National Area Commodores (ARCO) to preside over meetings with their respective District Commodores and their staff.

Running concurrent to the Area meetings are the National Directorate Commodores meetings with their respective Department Chiefs.

With a unique twist of the agenda, the Atlantics East and West Areas opened their meeting in joint session. There were items of common interest that required discussion and planning and since the subject matter pertained to both Areas this session took place. ARCO-Atlantic East Peter Fernandez and ARCO-Atlantic West Jim Vass presided over the joint meeting.

Following their discussions with joint interest, the joint meeting recessed. Each of these Areas then conducted the balance of their planning session separately.

The Pacific Area meeting, presided over by ARCO-Pacific Lois Conrado conducted their discussion and planning as scheduled. Matters pertaining to their respective Districts were brought to the floor and discussed.

Meetings such as this, called NAPMs, National Area Planning Meetings, are held periodically throughout the year. These meetings afford the District Commodores and their staffs an opportunity to discuss future plans and resolve common problems.

Following an agenda similar to the Area meetings, the Directorate meetings also provide a platform for problem solving and presentation of future plans and programs. The attendees at these meetings are the Directorate’s Department Chiefs. The attendees, by the nature of their Department’s activities, usually have common issues to discuss and resolve. The respective NADCOs, Fred Gates (MS), Ed Sweeney (RBS) and David Hand (O) preside over their individual meetings.