Commodores may want to establish an Auxiliary history committee in each District to coordinate projects and submissions.

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Public Affairs

Again, simply: today's news is tomorrow's history. Each District Historian also holds the office of Assistant District Staff Officer for Public Affairs. The two programs should operate in tandem. At each level of the Auxiliary, Public Affairs officers should:

• become generally knowledgeable about Auxiliary history with particular emphasis on local history; maintain a liaison with the District Historian to be informed of their actions

• work with the District Historians to: develop press coverage for the Auxiliary based on historical personages and incidents, identify possible sources and repositories of Auxiliary history, identify local groups that have contributed to past Auxiliary history such as yacht clubs, ambulance groups, youth organizations

• write stories on Auxiliary historical events and members for Auxiliary, Coast Guard, and public outlets

A copy of a press kit of each District that includes: current biographies of the District Commodore and Vice Commodore and listing of District Staff Officers; a District profile that includes statistics on membership and activities; a short dateline of important District historical events; significant current and past press clippings of District activities, should be sent to the National Historian and Auxiliary archives, as updated.

Public Affairs officers also should ensure that press coverage of local and regional events is provided to District Historians and to the National History Staff if a regional event or one worthy of national news coverage has occurred. District websites should feature District history.

In carrying out the above activities, District Historians and other PA staff must obtain prior approvals for release of information or planning of activities; locally published articles need to be approved by the District Director of Auxiliary; national articles need to be approved by the Chief Director.

Official district records comprise important sources of Auxiliary history. The most important are:

• the District newsletter

• District directories

• District board meeting minutes

• documentation on District awards (i.e., awards unique to the District: requirements, history, listing of awardees)

• District awards (citations), opening and closing of flotillas and divisions

• deaths/injuries of members and/or property damage while on missions

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Administration

The District Administrative Aides, Secretary, and Publications Officers should facilitate the work of the District Historians by ensuring that copies of these documents are sent to them or to the Auxiliary archives at East Carolina University directly. This is also true for exceptional awards given as a result of disaster or other work.

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District Historian

A description of the duties of the District Historian is found on the homepage, and in the historian's guide, also available on the homepage.  The District Historian is the lynch pin of the history program in each District.  They should be familiar with general Auxiliary history and establish an expertise in District history; they should maintain reference files, particularly that pertaining to national, regional, and/or District-wide events (it is understood that every Auxiliary activity cannot be documented).  They should help collect artifacts for the Auxiliary collection held at the Coast Guard Exhibit Center in Maryland and help engage members in the Coast Guard Art Program.  They are a resource for public affairs officers, members, and members of the public.

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Member History

All Auxiliary members should be participating members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary history program. District Historians cannot cover whole Districts by themselves, in terms of researching and collecting local information, events, and people. General members and officers can assist by:

• donating uniforms, flags, signboards, and other memorabilia to the Coast Guard Exhibit Center

• assisting older members in sorting and donating papers and artifacts; adding to local historical knowledge that relates to Auxiliary history, such as local boat races

• conducting oral interviews of local members

• writing articles on Auxiliary history for Auxiliary, Coast Guard, and public outlets

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Local History

1. Lighthouse History

   Many Districts now have programs running whereby local Auxiliarists assist with public affairs activities at local lighthouses. Local lighthouses comprise important features of local regional and state history. Approximately 25 percent of requests made to the Coast Guard Historian’s office in Washington pertain to lighthouses.

2. History of Small Boat Stations

   Large numbers of Divisions work with Coast Guard small boat stations and some small boat stations are largely run and maintained by Auxiliarists. Many of the most daring rescues are conducted by crews operating out of small boat stations.

   Collecting historical material and news articles on these facilities should constitute an important part of each District’s history program. These activities can and should be coordinated with local Coast Guard Public Affairs staffs. Each District is encouraged to develop its own local history program relating to these facilities and others if possible.

January 24, 2003