Archived Dinner Meetings
Double click on "EVENTS" on above Menu to view information on the next Dinner Meeting.
We invite speakers knowledgeable on their topics to our monthly dinner meetings. We talk business the first half hour and present certificates to those who have completed our education courses, enjoy a catered dinner, then invite our guest speaker to take the floor.
We have listed speakers here so that you may see that our speakers are as eclectic as their topics. If any wish to speak with them further, they would be happy to talk with you.
April 2018 - Change of Watch. District 16 Commander Mahmoud Abdel-Monem (known as simply Monem, joined us to usher away our Bridge of 2017/2018 and welcome in our new Bridge of 2018/2019. Our new Bridge - Commander Ray Mahalick, Executive Officer Robert Stem, and Administrative Officer Nila Madsen, Education Officer Duane Webb, Secretary Randy Soderstram and Treasurer Jan Jones.
March 2018 - Speaker Doug Miller Topic: AIS
Doug Miller spoke to us regarding his difficulties finding the AIS system he wanted and how that led to his starting his own successful business out of Port Orchard. He spoke to us on the latest technologies becoming available and the safety benefits of installing AIS
February 2018 - Special Talent Showcase Evening
For the month of February we decided in lieu of a guest speaker we would host a Showcase of the talents, collections and demonstrations by our members. It turned out to be a very successful evening with 29 displays by our members. It was a great way to get to know each other better and some time to socialize.
January 2018 - Speaker "Tom Satre" Alaskan Cruise Charter
Topic -"In-The-Water Near Death Experience and Boat Safety"
Tom Satre spoke to us regarding on the water safety and his near death experience as a result of not wearing a PDF and a few other events that led up to his falling overboard from his dinghy in a remote part of Alaska. Being hit and severely injured by the abandoned dinghy, his fortunate rescue and lessons learned. While always safety conscious and professional when chartering his boat - this incident was when out on a hunting fishing expedition with buddies and was a bit too casual. He was born and raised in Juneau and is a third generation Alaskan. His credentials include ten years as port manager in the marine transportation industry, past commodore of the Juneau Yacht Club, a 100-ton master’s license, TWIC and facility security credentials, CPR and first aid certifications and 40 plus years of boating experience. He loves sharing Alaska with people from all over the world. http://
December 2017 - Our local "Sequim HIgh School Choir
We thoroughly enjoyed this year's Sequim High School Choir as our entertainment at our Christmas Dinner Meeting. What a wonderful group of young men and women. They sang their hearts out with Christmas and Patriotic songs.They obviously subscribed to the old adage "always leave them wanting more". And wanting more we did. Also, a noteworthy mention, our NOSPS group donated $300 to the Choir to help them raise the funds to go to Carnegie Hall this year.
November 2017 - Speaker "Torben Blitchfield"
Topic: "Adventures as a Merchant Mariner"
Torben, a longtime member of NOSPS was invited to speak regarding his years as a Merchant Marine. His stories were vivid and captured the interest of all guests that evening. His photos of the ships he served on and captained brought his recollections to life. You could hear a pin drop in the room when he shared photos and recounted when his ship took on several thousand refugees for a number of days. Very interesting evening. Thank you for sharing your story Torben. If you would like to contact Torben, click here.
October 2017 - Speaker "Kaci Cronkhite"
Topic: "Finding Pax"
As Staci unfolded her journey of finding the history of "Pax", her wooden boat, you were caught up into her travels of highs and lows along the way. She read excerpts from her book "Finding Pax" as she summarized the story. This journey took her to several countries numerous times and weaved through the owners, their families and those who helped her find the beginnings of Pax. An interesting tale of how one boat can affect many lives over decades! "Finding Pax - the Unexpected Journey of a Little Wooden Boat"
May 2017 Dinner Meeting. In May, we had celebrities of Gilligans Island briefly attend. They were promoting our annual District 16 Poulsbo Rendezvous encouraging members to come dressed in attire of the Gilligan's Island Castaways to support the theme "Cruisin' to your Nautical Tunes". Members came and they were in Gilligan attire. Check the Poulsbo Rendezvous Event to see the fun photos!
click on photos to enlarge and captions
May 2017 - Speaker "Thomas O'Laughlin"
Topic: "Orkneys and Archaeological sites"
A captivating presentation on Tom's annual summer travel to the Orkney Islands and the archaeological volunteer work he does there. Tom used a slide show of his photos to educate us on the beauty, history and people of these islands he so loves. Not a travelogue but a first hand account of perks and quirks of the peoples and the landscape both today and for hundreds of years ago. Contact Tom
April 2017 - Change of Watch. District 16 Commander Matt Lombardi and his wife joined us to usher away our Bridge of 2016/2017 and welcome in our new Bridge of 2017/2018. Our new Bridge - Commander Ray Madsen, Executive Officer Ray Mahalick, and Administrative Officer Robert Stem, Education Officer Ray Thomas, Secretary Randy Soderstram and Treasurer Jan Jones.
March 2017 - Speaker "Roy Carter" Brief Summary
Topic: Personal Recount of Pearl Harbor attack & life story. At age 97, he still spoke with energy & easy recall, vividly describing the day Pearl Harbor was attacked, his opinions and his life history. Should we have such recall at his age! He lives alone and drives himself around. Contact Roy
February 2017 - Speaker " Judy Stipes"
Topic: History of Sequim & John Wayne Marina
Judy was a fun and animated speaker with interesting information about the controversy and building of the John Wayne Marina recalling from her younger years as a local Sequimite and her meeting John Wayne. Contact Judy
January 2017 - Speaker " Rich Johnson"
Topic: Survival / Situational Awareness
Expert advice on staying safe in the outdoors from one of America’s best-known survival writers The best way to survive an extreme situation in the wilderness is to avoid it in the first place, says Rich. He stressed the term "Situational Awareness" many times during the evening as it applies to boating as much as anything else. Contact Rich.
December 2016 - "Sequim High School Choir"
Director John Lorentzen
Annual Musical Presentation by local Sequim High School Choir. We have had the choir entertain us for the past few years and we offer a small monetary gift in return to help support them. Contact John
November 2016 - Speaker "Skip Kratzer"
Topic: John Wayne & Wild Goose visiting Sequim Bay
Skip was a colorful speaker recounting his days of being "First Mate" on the Wild Goose.. While working as a salesman for Newport Marine Supply he came into contact with John Wayne. Skip was a good friend of the Captain of the Goose and had the privilege to act as 1st mate on one of the journeys aboard the Goose. Skip has stories of John Wayne and his family aboard the Goose which he will share with us at our November Dinner meeting. Recently, on a trip to California, Ray Madsen spotted the "Goose" docked at a marina in Newport Beach and took this photo. Contact Skip
October 2016 - Speaker "Dan Orr"
Topic: Cascadia Rising - What we have learned, what we are doing & what we as a community need to do to prepare.
Daniel J. Orr is a certified State Fire Marshal. He was Captain, Battalion and Fire Chief in Pismo Beach, California and also Operations Chief, Fire Chief and Battalion Chief in and San Maria, California; He is currently the Clallam County Fire Protection District, Assistant Chief Community Risk Reduction/Long Range Planning.
Dan described preparations that are being made by the
government and things we should do ourselves to improve our chances of survival when the Cascadia fault slips - Stats show that it will happen any time within the next 50 years according to their findings. Everyone had lots of questions with Dan being able to answer them. Very interesting speaker. Contact Dan
September 2016 - Annual Outdoor/Indoor Picnic
First get-together after the Summer Cruising
Our first Dinner Meeting for the 2016-2017 Season is by tradition a picnic We practice tossing life rings, shooting flare guns and lighting flares. We have a silent auction of nautical items donated by members which is usually fun and entertaining. And we have scrumptious picnic foods. The Sadron provides the entre, rolls, etc and members potluck the salads and desserts. It's really a great time to reunite with each other after the summer break.
May 2016 - Speaker "Vicki Carroll"
Topic: Tribal Canoe Journey
Vicki is This is an annual celebrated event for the Indigenous peoples of the Pacific Northwest Coast. Nations from the coast of Alaska, British Columbia, and Washington state participate every year in these Tribal Canoe Journeys. These are a sequence of canoe journeys taken up by canoe families, nations, and groups who travel in ocean-going canoes, either authentic replicas of traditional canoes, made out of solid cedar logs or various replicas using more modern techniques and materials. Contact Vicki Jamestown - House of Seven Generations (photo credit)
March 2016 - Speakers " Burt Jones & Maurine Shimlock"
Topic: Diving Indonesia’s Bird’s Head Seascape / Sea Visions
Photos used with permission by
Jones/Shimlock/Secret Sea Visions Copyrighted.
Burt Jones and Maurine Shimlock, are award-winning photo journalists. In 2002 they began working to educate the world about Indonesia’s reefs and the urgent need to conserve them. Their photography has been featured on the covers of more than a dozen of the world’s most prestigious publications including BBC Wildlife, Smithsonian, and Natural History. In 2012 Maurine was inducted into the Women’s Diving Hall of Fame and honored for her photojournalism and conservation
Burt & Maurine shared stunning photos of their diving adventures, mostly of the coast of Indonesia in a rarely photographed or explored area. Recently Maurine has even had a newly discovered fish species named after her for her diligent and aggressive conservation of the area they spoke about. Contact Burt & Maurine
September - Speaker - Retired Biologist "David Rugh"
Topic: Identifying Marine Mammals & their Eco Systems
David served 34+ years with NOAA’s National Marine Mammal Lab. He has made more than 100 research trips to
sites in California, Oregon, Washington, and around Alaska. David talked about marine mammals including: whales, porpoise, dolphins, seals and otters. We learned how
to identify these elusive creatures, their basic biology, distribution, and population sizes based on the most recent reports from the National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA. Contact David
January - Speakers "Nicole O'Hara & Kim Clark"
Topic: What is Being Done to Restore the Salmon Coalition
Nicole & Kim (project manager), of the North Olympic Salmon Coalition presentation emphasized the importance of the 3 Crabs and Morse Creek restoration projects. She will also talk about the NOSC and its work with salmon habitats that include the Dungeness and Elwha rivers. Contact Kim
**Special Mention - Great Speaker and Demo
October 2015 - Speaker Aviation Survival Technician Class Two " Andrew Johnston"
Topic: Role of the Coast Guard & Rescue / Port Angeles Station
Who could forget images of Commander Thomas “suited up” and bundled into the helicopter rescue basket when Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer Andrew Johnston spoke to our group. Johnson talked about his training, relayed stories of personal search and rescue cases, and the role of the Coast Guard. He will also brought along some gear for us to examine and he had no problem answering the many questions posed by squadron members. he was a very engaging and well liked speaker. Contact Andrew Johnston
Check our EVENTS page to see when our next Dinner Meeting is Scheduled. Come join us and bring a friend if you wish. You do not have to be a member to attend.
CONTACT US if you know an interesting Guest Speaker our Squadron may like to hear at one of our dinner meetings. Our Administration Officer usually have a great lineup of speakers but in case of cancellations or just for new they would appreciate your input.