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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 3202
Location: Alexandria, Virginia | Subject: Holland Club Question
Here's my question. Let's say you qualified in February of 1960...meaning that your qualification longevity odometer will turn over at the Holland Club qualification point in February of next year....but your induction ceremony and dinner is held in November of 2010. You are mauled and eaten by a grizzly bear in April of 2010. At the time the bear ate you were you a member of the Holland Club, since you were never inducted? If the East Podunk base holds an induction in March of 2010, could you attend their induction and become a legitiment member of the Holland Club, then attend the one held by your base and receive your patch and certificate? I guess it's like being born and waiting to be baptised and dying before your scheduled baptism. Do the rules, regulations and pertinant by-laws address that? When you get up in age where you qualify for being taken into the Holland Club the chances are far greater that you will get orders to the "big silver pier in the sky" than a twenty six year old...your packing is shot, seals and "o" rings are worn out and you might possibly missing twenty feet of your original induction piping. If it isn't already addressed, I think when you break the finishline tape on the date you qualified on, plus 50 years, you should be free to consider yourself a member of the Holland Club and receive your "Welcome Aboard" credentials at your Base's annual Holland Club fish-fry and group handshake. If somebody knows about this, please let me know. Thanks DEX |
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 3202
Location: Alexandria, Virginia | Subject: RE: Holland Club Question
Yes, You're damn right...I can't wait to put on my eagle feather headdress, beads and bird bone vest...drink out of the sacred buffalo skull...pee in the fire and smoke the great pipe of wisdom and physiological endurance...fondle the breasts of the goddess of the main induction and rub shoulders with the old sharks of yesteryear. No boatsailor ever looked forward to becoming "papered and blessed" for being allowed in the inner circle. Like little kids who want to "hurry up" Christmas, want the county fair to start six weeks earlier and want to see Margaret Kinston pull her panties down...waiting is a burning hell. And, nobody ever looked forward to his WELCOME ABOARD handshake, patch and certificate. Immaturity....unfettered anticipation....and knowing that the wait is about over and my date is rapidly becoming a short putt. I was never worth a damn at waiting and watching the millstones forever waiting for them to "grind my corn". Won't be long....hopefully. DEX |
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 6180
Location: Summerville, SC | Subject: RE: Holland Club Question
Good question, Dex. I don't know the answer because I don't qualify until 2012 but I just have this thought. What difference would it make? You would know in your mind that you made it and that is what really counts. You can't take a certificate, pin, patch or whatever with you when you go and I really don't think St. Peter will give you credit for it if you could.  
Edited by Ralph Luther 2009-08-27 5:43 PM
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 602
Location: Visalia, Ca. | Subject: RE: Holland Club Question
As it has been explained to me, if you meet the USSVI membership requirements, you become eligible for membership in the Holland Club on 1 January of the 50th year after you initially Qualified in Submarines.
If you Qualified in February 1960, you are eligible on 1 Jan 2010, and become a Member of the Holland Club as soon after your Primary Base submits your name as the Holland Club Commander verifies your eligibility. If your USSVI Base Commander and Secretary are on the ball, that could be as early as the end of January 2010. I believe the Holland Club Commander reviews the Member-At-Large roll himself.
Once you are verified eligible, the Holland Club Commander enrolls you, and you are a member (probably retro-active to 1 January). If the bear eats you before you are formally inducted, that's a shame, but you are still a Holland Club Member. Hope the bear recognizes how special that meal was.
Dex, aren't you about due to join the Club?
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 557
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The Member-at- Large list is reviewed by the National Office. The rules for becoming a Holland Club member are posted on the USSVI.org website. You don't have to go through a "formal" induction ceremony to be a Holland Club member. Once your name is submitted to the National Office and Fred verifies your eligibility, your record is annotated as "HC" immediately. Some Bases have a "formal" induction ceremony like Groton Base and other Bases just hand out the HC Awards at a regular meeting. Some members such as MAL's have their award mailed to them.
Gil Shaddock
Holland Club Vice Chairman |
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 3670
Location: Kansas City Missouri | Subject: RE: Holland Club Question
Not to worry Dex, I called the head honcho householder (3H) collect, his highness declares "Whatever Gil says, goes". Please accept this gift from 3H.
Edited by GaryKC 2009-08-27 8:21 PM
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Plankowner
Posts: 9165
Location: Upper lefthand corner of the map. | Subject: RE: Holland Club Question
Geesh... I've know Pat for years and he's never given me one of those.... |
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 618
Location: Issaquah WA, USA | Subject: RE: Holland Club Question
If I had one of them things, you can bet your sweet ass I'd not be sharing it...  |
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Master and Commander
Posts: 1455
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Because the photo is severely cropped you don't know what you're getting. It could be a blow up doll which would suit you fine. You'd not have to suffer the stress of meaningless conversation, flowers, dinner dates, etc to reach your karma. |
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Plankowner
Posts: 9165
Location: Upper lefthand corner of the map. | Subject: RE: Holland Club Question
Ahhhh,.... my kinda a girl..... cheap to date!!! |
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 3202
Location: Alexandria, Virginia | Subject: I accepted and had to jumpstart my heart
Hey as lonely as living alone I'd settle for the inflatable doll, with a blowout kit and a book on ventriloquist techniques. Yes, it is me...I don't know what day but I got Dolphins pinned on a wet shirt in February 1960 and I know I go in with Prince John (John Wynn) but I have to wait until the Northern Virginia Base has their official laying on of hands, fish fry in November. I get married in January of 2010 but have to wait until November to have my wedding night. Damn, whoever thought that concept up should be set on fire and put out with a coal shovel. DEX |
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Senior Crew
Posts: 157
Location: Clarinda, IA | Subject: RE: Holland Club Question
So the catch here is the words once your name is submitted. Some bases are not eager at all about searching their lists and since it is not a stipulated base function, not much one can do except as some of us have done when we have taken lists of those still not having been sent to Fred and sent them to him. So it could be possible for you to have passed Jan 1 or anyother date, pass on and not be listed as a HC member in the records. I take my membership list in Dec, go through for all those who are eligible for the next year; also send notes to those who have 50 years in but aren't USSVI LIFE or have 5 consectutive years in, and explain to them the option of becoming USSVI LIFE so that they too can be eligible, then I send in the List, copied to Frank and Fred and have that done by the first of Jan. Also if you passed on before a formal induction service was held or before Frank was notified to make out your packet, your surviving family would probably not get that packet either. Also for some who might join up in the middle of the year, if you have 50 years in, as soon as you become LIFE, even if that is done as you are joining, you then are eligible for the HC. Otherwise the 5 years consectutive membership rule comes in and we have had some who let their membership go past the deadline and had to start all over again. So depending on how important all of this is to anyone, bug your BC to make out the list in Dec and send it off to Fred and Frank, then try to arrange to have the ceremonies held earlier in the year, and work a pact with the Devil to keep you alive that long. LOL Viejo
Edited by viejo 2009-08-28 7:17 PM
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 6180
Location: Summerville, SC | Subject: RE: Holland Club Question
Viejo, I don't think Dex will have any problem making a pack with the devil. If he isn't at the head of the line with us, he's close to it. Thanks for the information. USSVI Charleston Base rides herd on keeping us here aware of most everything. Budda runs a tight ship. |
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 3202
Location: Alexandria, Virginia | Subject: RE: Holland Club Question
To be serious for a moment. During my wife's last months, the shipmates of the USSVI wrapped their arms around her and embraced her as one of their own. She was sustained by cards, letters, books...phone calls and visits. The veterans of the USS SIRAGO, a boat I never served on sent loads of cards that she lovingly placed on a table where they could be seen from her bed. Olgoat Stone, Bill Kreyher, Bruce Miller, Chief Joe and Arthur Gaines Smith showed up regularly at her beside....At her memorial service John Wynn led a contingent that drove here from New London and Ron "Warshot" Smith flew here from Texas...and in the chapel at Fort Myer (the same location that several years later, we would gather to say goodbye to Warshot) there were many people wearing SubVets vests. SubVets have been my lifeling and link to the embrace of friendship. I can never repay what they did for my little frail blue-eyed Norwegian. They are my remaining family...Jon Krup maintains the closest contact any man could ask for. Solveig and I used to joke about checking off the years until I became elgible to be taken into the HOLLAND CLUB. Here in Washington DC, HOLLAND CLUB induction is a big deal...a formal dinner at the Army-Navy Club, with flag rank speakers and a ceremonial confirmation of your status and personal history. Solveig and I were going to plan a small vacation to return to DesSub piers and revisit the day Cdr. Ed Frothingham pinned my Dolphins on a sopping wet shirt, aft of the conning tower fairwater in February of 60...I hear comments about bases that do little or nothing to recognize and honor their Holland Club qualified. That's a shame...truly is. I would ask them to revisit the issue and recognize the value of the contribution these men have made and that after all these years the rascals have chosen to continue to be members of that elite community known as American Boatsailors. Late in life most folks have exhausted the list of things they look forward to with childlike anticipation. We've seen most of our elephants and finished out our dance cards dancing with the Devil's wife....but those of us who rode the boats have sewing on a HOLLAND CLUB patch as probably our last trip to the merry-go-round....Our 50th Anniversary celebration of marriage to the Goddess of the Main Induction. I'm like a kid waiting for Santy to bring me a red wagon. So, forgive me for acting like a five year old about it. "Solveig Darling...Remember to put down that go-dam harp, get gussied up and be there right next to me." And if I'm not eaten by that bear, me 'n John Wynn are going to get tossed over the side together. Thanks to all of you who posted that deeply appreciated series of explanations. DEX |
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Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 602
Location: Visalia, Ca. | Subject: RE: Holland Club Question
After the first couple of years of Gil pinging on us to get our list submitted, Wahoo Base has been pretty good about getting our HC list submitted in January.
We usually have a presentation at the first regular meeting after we get the paperwork back, or as soon thereafter as the recipient can be notified and shows up to claim it. This year we got most of them at the Submarine Birthday luncheon in April, and they all helped cut the cake.
As for Dex making a pact with the Devil to stay alive until the presentation, I don't think that will be a problem. From what I've read on this and other boards, Dex is more than the Devil can handle, he ain't welcome down there! |
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 2561
Location: Rapid City, SD | Subject: Maybe he should make a pact...
...with God!
That might work better.
Cora |
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COMSUBBBS
Posts: 3202
Location: Alexandria, Virginia | Subject: RE: Holland Club Question
Corabelle, All boatsailors...well, maybe "most boatsailors" danced the Devil's fandango once or twice riding smokeboats. It was just part of what we did and what we were....a long time ago. Once God issues you a cane and makes your legs do weird things you have to sit out a lot of dances with the Debbils Bride...Devil dancing is for the young...before your brain hardens and you forget what it was like to be young, forty feet tall and bulletproof. DEX |
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Holland Club Question
