From South Sound Composite Squadron's Commander:

As the summer comes to a close and school is about to start, we reflect on the first half of 2009 and take stock in how far we have come in reaching this year's goals.

Civil Air Patrol offers many opportunities for our members. Sometimes the choices are so many that it is difficult to target in on what we want to accomplish as individuals, or as a squadron. As the head of this ship, airship of course, I am working on organizational changes and improving communication within the squadron. On the cadet side, Cadet Commander C/2Lt Patrick Stack is also working to organize the cadet staff and improve communication within the cadet ranks. I am fortunate to have a wonderfully talented cadre of volunteers who have stepped up to take on the various jobs necessary to run the squadron efficiently. This is a huge task that is never finished.

On the organizational side, the majority of squadron jobs are currently filled by our hard working members. If you are new to your job, please ask for guidance and we will point you in the right direction to find the help you need. As volunteers, you are among some of the most dedicated, helpful group of people I have ever seen. If you are a parent of a cadet and you would like to find out how you can help the squadron, as a member or not, we would like to invite you to attend the promotion ceremonies that occur monthly on the third Thursday of each month. We enjoy working with all the cadets and would like to set aside a few minutes after promotions to connect with their parents. We can use this time to update you on upcoming activities and answer any questions you may have. It is always important to have some face to face time with the adults in your child's life.

We encourage everyone to visit the Squadron website regularly. The New PAO Team is working hard to improve the lines of communication within the squadron. If you have suggestions for additional improvements, please feel free to share them.

And finally fundraising, we ask that each family support one fundraiser a year to help the squadron provide training scholarships for the cadets. Please bring your fundraising ideas to me at any meeting.

Thank you for sharing in this journey,

Lt Ellie Heston, Squadron Commander, SSCS