| "The Ancient Mariners
Yacht Club " by Bill Britt Initial posting date for this report is 1 January 2001 Greetings Shipmates; This column is a new addition to the USSV website. A fellow shipmate, Ron Durling, made inquiries as to the possible addition of a Holland Club page to our website. Ron sent his request to Sid Harrison our web master and he being the gracious person he is, suggested that Bill Britt, the Holland Club Commander, might be the logical person to write the report. Thank you Ron and Sid. Remind me I owe you a drink or something when next we meet. But seriously I think it's a great idea and perhaps a chance to bolster the prestige of the Holland Club and to increase the camaraderie of the members. As all the Members of USSV should be aware the Members of Holland Club consists of those members who have been qualified in Submarines for 50 or more years. The requirement's for membership in the Holland Club is determined by Section 5 of the USSVI Constitution. Basically a member must be qualified 50 or more years, and is either, a life member and a member in good standing for one year, or an annual member in good standing for 5 consecutive years. Each member must request membership in Holland Club. To do this simply apply through your Base Commander, he in turn will verify your eligibility and forward your request to the National Junior Vice Commander for action.. Each member will be issued a distinctive Holland Club membership Card, a Holland Club Patch and a certificate of membership. (So as you can see we are the Senior Citizens of the Submarine Service expect all you newcomers to treat us with the greatest respect and reverence, especially you Nukes.)
At the present, due to the time factor only, all of our members by necessity are old Diesel Boat sailors, many of our group are Submarine Veterans of WWII, yet a number of our members have served on both Diesel boats and Nuclear boats. We are all dedicated to honor those who have served before, as stated in our USSVI Creed. We are part of the group that bridge's the different era's of the Submarine Force and help make the connection between the generations of Submarine veterans. From fossil fuel to Nuclear power, all are proud members of USSV and all are proud to have the title "Submariners." We have been part of the changing of the watch and we take pride in helping to make the connection from the past to the present in the Submarine Force. We are pleased to honor the Submariners of the past, present and of the future. At the present time we have 736 Holland Club Members but the number changes constantly as more and more members become eligible. A roster is available to those who are interested but due to new members constantly joining is always incomplete. In future reports I will present a brief history of the origins and purpose of the Holland Club. Perhaps provide more detailed information on present members and also report on those members who have departed on final patrol. At the current time the Holland Club gathers but once a year for a Holland Club breakfast meeting at our National Convention. Information of interest to the members is shared; officers are nominated and elected, old friendships and acquaintances renewed. The Holland Club breakfast is more a social rather then a business meeting. Pride Runs Deep Bill Britt |