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USS Scorpion SS-278 Base
July 13, 2013 Base meeting minutes

The meeting was held at Al & Lorna Small’s farm site.
After a delicious meal was served we held our Base meeting.
First things first…..always take a picture of the group before the meal!
And a big THANK YOU to Al and Lorna for hosting!

The meeting was opened with the reading of the creed and pledge of allegiance. Invocation was given and members introduced followed by the Tolling of the Bell
for Jul/Aug losses.
Members attending:
Mike Neuroth, Dan Anderson, Tim Madden, Jim Farquhar, Kent Winter, Nick Wetzel, Francis Rabaey, Brian Schnurr, Warren Armbruster,
Bruce Williams, Gerold Davey, Al Small and Mike Pirmantgen.
Secretary/Treasurers reports were given. Kaps4Kids and the USS South Dakota caps have put the base over $3,000 in the black.
Committee reports:
Eagle Scout program, Dan Anderson & Francis Rabaey; Gerold had a candidate for our Eagle Scout program and presented his badge in Watertown.
Kaps4Kids program, still looking for new Committee Chairman to replace Al
Storekeeper, Gerold Davey; new polo shirts are online
Yankton Memorial Planning committee, Dan Anderson & Brian Schnurr

Old/Unfinished business:

Base Officers met with Sec of State Veterans Affairs who will keep us updated with timetables, schedules, ceremonies for the new USS South Dakota SSN 790.
Reports indicates keel laying ceremony in fall 2015, christening in late 2016, commissioning in Oct 2017 with delivery date June 2018.

Our Kaps4Kids program held 3 presentations at a Ronald McDonald house, Behavior Center for Kids and a Children’s Hospital.

We have sold USS South Dakota caps
that have put the Base in the black. We inducted our first young man into the USSVI Eagle Scout program and are searching for more.

We invited our western SD Polaris Base brothers to bring their submarine float to Riverboat Day in Yankton SD in August. We will be honoring our states
WWII submarine veterans and the USS Scorpion SS-278 on its 69th anniversary of its sinking.
We are planning a big event with City of Yankton for 2014 and the 70th anniversary.

We held a memorial service in May at the USS Scorpion SS-278 memorial with local VFW honor guard and the Lt. Gov. as our guest speaker.
A bouquet ceremony was held on the bridge and we dropped them into the Missouri river. Then we inducted Tim Madden, and our WWII sub vets Jim Black and Bob Hanson
into the Holland Club.

Base members voted to sponsor a crewmember of the USS Scorpion SSN 589.

We voted sponsorship money on a hand built race car that local member and his son built for USSVI logo front and center. Dan gave a report on the race car
and thanked us for our sponsorship.

We are ordering light weight summer shirts with Base markings as an alternative to the vests.

New Business:

USS Scorpion SS-278, lost January 5th, will mark its 69th Anniversary this year! We are planning a big event with City of Yankton for 2014 and the 70th anniversary.
Are there more parades we want to get in? Sioux Falls has a 4th of July parade but after discussion it was determined that not enough people would be available
to support the effort.

Storekeeper indicated new cap sleeves, (garrison caps), like the VFW/AmLegion wear are now available, as are ball caps and polo shirts.

Agenda for the Base was discussed. As with many Bases across the USA getting the participation of membership is the utmost importance. Keeping the meeting relevant,
valuable, informative, education and fun keep members coming back!

Discussed the Holland Club request for funding and will determine how much to support them.

Short range plans are to continue to work with the City of Yankton in honoring the memory of the USS Scorpion SS-278 and the memorial.

Long range plans are to meet with local Veterans Memorial Park for a memorial plague to submarine veterans and with the recently unveiled National memorial plague
in DC we feel it could be duplicated and used for our local memorial plague.

Scorpion Base’s long, long range plans has the state acquiring the sail and rudder of the USS South Dakota SSN-790 after 40+ years and putting them next to the
battleship for the next generation of South Dakotans.

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