Executive Director’s Report:
2007 Tailhook Reunion Total Attendance — 3,350
by CAPT J.R. Davis, USN(Ret)
by CAPT J.R. Davis, USN(Ret)
Our 51st Tailhook Association reunion was a great event. Thanks to those who attended this year’s Tailhook reunion. It was a success because of you. We had a full pavilion of professional corporate displays, interesting symposium speakers, reunion hospitality suites and motivating flag and general officer panels. Visit the Home Page to view selected video presentations from the symposium. CAPT Gene Cernan, USN(Ret), captivated the banquet audience with tales of his Navy career and his exploits in space. Selected photographs from his career are also posted on our Web site.
If you haven’t attended a reunion recently, make a commitment to attend in 2008. You will see many friends and learn about current and future U.S. Navy and Marine Corps programs. Start planning for 4–7 September 2008 at John Ascuaga’s Nugget in Reno/Sparks, Nev.
If you are part of a reunion group, please consider the advantages of staging your reunion activities at Tailhook. Many reunion organizations have done so in the past and report that it’s “the only way to go.”
This year we filled the 1,357 rooms in the hotel and an additional 450 rooms in the Silver Club and Quality Inn. Tailhookers must make reservations early to stay in the convention hotel.
CAPT Denny Irelan, USN(Ret), has accepted the position of editor and takes the lead in producing The Hook. Denny retired from the Navy in 1997 following a distinguished career as a light-attack pilot, test pilot, squadron CO, carrier air wing commander and aircraft carrier CO. Flight data includes 5,125 flight hours and 1,054 carrier arrested landings primarily in A-4, A-7, F/A-18, F-14 and A-6 aircraft. Denny’s extensive background in Naval Aviation, including combat missions in the Vietnam War, makes a great addition to the Tailhook staff.
Shortly after the beginning of the year we hired the firm of MacNeill & Wolski, CPAs to complete an audit of the Tailhook Association. The 2006 calendar year is complete and the financial summary is displayed at right. You will see positive cash flow and growth of our investment portfolio. In 2006, 121 members signed up for the Life membership program bringing the total in the new Life member program to 485. We add their payments to the Life Member Endowment so that we can ?support their memberships for life. The “Net Change in Assets” figure represents payments to the Life Member Endowment and growth in all investments.
It is never too early to start your Christmas shopping. Please consider giving a gift membership to one or two of your friends or sending a squadron logo shirt to one of your old squadronmates. A gift membership includes a special Christmas greeting, the membership card and four issues of The Hook magazine in the following year.
Many of you have seen the upgrades to the Association’s Web site, ship’s store and the new web log. We have received more than 65,000 visits in the last year and continually update Web capabilities. You can update your address or rank, join or renew, or read the most recent newsletter. You also can register to receive the newsletter by providing your e-mail address.
This year the application for a 2008–2009 Tailhook Educational Foundation scholarship will be available on the Web site on 15 December 2007. Scholarship applications are due back in headquarters by 15 March 2008.
Hook ’08 Reunion Coordinator (Marc Ostertag): (800) 322-4665
Tailhook Educational Foundation (CFC #10251): (800) 269-8267
The Tailhook Ship's Store: (800) 322-4665
Tailhook Web site: http://www.tailhook.org or http://www.tailhook.net
e-mail: thookassn@aol.com