Executive Director's Report:
2006 Tailhook Reunion
by CAPT J.R. Davis, USN(Ret)
by CAPT J.R. Davis, USN(Ret)
To those who attended this year's Tailhook reunion, thanks for making our 50th year anniversary such a great success. The corporate displays, professional symposium speakers, reunion hospitality suites and the interesting flag and general officer panels drew 3,350 total attendees. Our banquet speakers, ADM Robert Willard and Senator John McCain captivated the audience. If you haven't attended a reunion in the recent past, make a commitment to attend in 2007. At the reunion you will see many old friends and learn about current and future U.S. Navy and Marine Corps programs. Start planning for 6-9 September 2007 at John Ascuaga's Nugget in Reno/Sparks Nevada.
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 hotel and an additional 450 rooms in the Silver Club and Quality Inn. We have another 1,400 rooms reserved for Tailhookers next year, so make your reservations early.
As a result of Steve Millikin's continuing illness and retirement from the Tailhook Association, we have hired LCDR Rex Schildhouse, USN(Ret) to edit The Hook magazine. This issue is the first for Rex. He is a longtime life member of the Tailhook Association and a former E-2/C-1/C-2 pilot with more than 500 carrier arrested landings. Rex has an extensive background in aviation writing and editing and will make a great addition to the Tailhook staff.
We conducted membership drives during September and October at the reunion and at the last activities of both the S-3 and F-14 communities. We also have provided financial support for golf tournaments, sold Tailhook logo merchandise and attended aircraft type symposia. As a result of these efforts, we have drawn in new and returning members and collected donations for the foundation in excess of $10,000. The largest single donation was a check for $10,000 from Lockheed Martin.
Our Tailhook Strike Force has been active with events at NAS Oceana and NAS Whidbey Island bringing in 22 new members, and our Top Hooker for 2006 brought in 77 new members between reunions. The Top Hooker receives a lifetime membership for successful efforts at bringing in new members. As a 2006/07 initiative to bring in more members, we are offering a cool Tailhook logo T-shirt for joining as a new member or bringing in a new member.
Future initiatives include Tailhook Association presence at military air shows and aviation-related civilian events. We had our Tailhook Association and Educational Foundation materials at the MCAS Miramar air show and the Copper State EAA fly-in. In early November we also will show the Tailhook flag at the AOPA convention in Palm Springs, Calif.
Many of you have seen the upgrades to the Association's Web site and ship's store. We have received more than 50,000 visits in the last year and continually update Web capabilities. You can update your address or rank, join or renew your membership or read the current monthly newsletter. You also may register to receive the newsletter by providing your e-mail address. The application for a 2007-2008 Tailhook Educational Foundation scholarship will be available on the Web site 15 December 2006. Scholarship applications are due back at headquarters by 15 March 2007.
Hook 2006 Reunion Coordinator (Marc Ostertag): (800) 322-4665
Tailhook Educational Foundation (CFC #2965): (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