CAROLINA PIEDMONT BASE MEETING MINUTES
Meeting Date: July 25, 2026
CALL MEETING TO ORDER
• Base Commander Mike Hubbell called our meeting to order at 1345 hrs. at VFW Post #9138 located in Fort Mill, SC.
• The meeting followed our potluck meal including some fabulous homemade dishes and desserts all brought in by our base families.
INVOCATION
• Base Chaplain Raymond Fritz started off our base meeting with an invocation.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
• All joined in saying our nation’s Pledge of Allegiance, led by Base Commander Mike Hubbell.
USSVI CREED
• The USSVI Creed was read today by Chris Walker.
TOLLING OF THE BOATS
• Tolling for the 3 boats, which were lost during July months past, was presented by Ray Fritz and the bell was rung by Bill Strand.
MEMBER INTRODUCTIONS
• 17 base members plus 6 ladies were present at today’s meeting.
SPECIAL EVENTS
• None this meeting
REVIEW OF LAST BASE MEETING MINUTES
• Members are reminded that minutes for each previous month’s base meeting are posted on our Carolina Piedmont website at carolinapiedmont.org for their review. Members are encouraged to read the previous month’s meeting minutes prior to attending our next base meeting.
No comments or corrections were received on our last meeting minutes.
READING OF THE TREASURER’S REPORT
• Base Treasurer Bill Strand read our latest treasurer’s report. Combined monies in all base accounts stand at $12,276.51 as of 07/25/2026.
• Bill reported, based on information received last month from Dave Violette, that he is making arrangements to transfer our Kaps-4-Kids funds from our local bank account to the National USSVCF K4K account in order to allow our funds to draw interest.
• In addition, we learned if members donate to the National USSVCF K4K fund they can designate their monies be held for the sole use of our Carolina Piedmont base, and they can also receive a
501(c)(3) receipt to be used towards a tax deduction when filing next years taxes.
BASE STOREKEEPER REPORT
• Jeff Nieberding, our base storekeeper, is our contact for ordering patches, vests, challenge coins, calendars, parking signs, and other USSVI items.
OLD BUSINESS
• None:
NEW BUSINESS
• None:
GOOD OF THE ORDER
• Kaps-4-Kids Report – Dave Violette
Dave reported we had another successful K4K visit on Wednesday July 8th to the Jeff Gordon Children’s Center in Concord. Dave, along with Joel Tuchfeld, were actually able to visit children in their rooms on this visit, and one of the relatives of a child turned out to be a former Navy Fire Control Technician who actually was responsible for firing the big guns on the battleship USS Iowa (BB-61) back in the early 80’s before it was decommissioned.
Next scheduled visit for Dave is for Tuesday August 11 at Levine Children Hospital. Dave will be joined by Bill Strand and Steven Rodgers.
*7 Wednesday, July 15, 2026 11:00am-Noon - DONE Jeff Gordon Children's Center
8 Tuesday, August 11, 2026 1:00-2:00pm - DONE Levine Children's Hospital
*9 Wednesday, September 23, 2026 5:30pm-7:00pm Ronald McDonald House
To our members, please respond to Dave if you are available and willing to attend any of these arranged visits, which will be made on a first response basis. You can also call Dave on his cell: 704-651-6320 if you have any questions.
We continue to appreciate Dave Violette for his dedication to our bases’ Kaps-4-Kids program!
• Fall Picnic at the Catawba Nuclear Station Picnic Pavilion – Tom Kelly
Tom reported that the Catawba Nuclear Station picnic area, AND RESTROOMS, have been refurbished since our last picnic, The pavilion sits on a point which allows visitors to see up the Catawba River towards Lake Wylie.
Tom stated there’s a new barbeque place in Newport SC, which is just a few miles from the plant, and this company (called City Barbeque) served an excellent BBQ meal to over 400 people at a safety celebration recently at the plant. Tom will be bringing menus from this new restaurant to next month’s meeting to allow him to make arrangements for ordering chicken, brisket, pork or whatever we want to bring to the fall picnic.
The picnic will be held rain or shine on the 4th Saturday in September (9/26) and the park gates will be open starting at Noon.
A map with directions will be sent out with the picnic announcement for those folks who have not been to the Catawba Nuclear Station picnic area previously.
GOOD OF THE ORDER (cont.)
• USSVI National Elections – Mike Hubbell
Mike reminded us that voting for the USSVI National Elections has started and will conclude on September 4th. It is noted that all National officer positions, which are up for election/re-election, are uncontested candidates. In addition, there is voting for Regional Director candidates as well as a proposed-amendment change to our National Bylaws which, if approved, would allow Associate Members to obtain USSVI Life Memberships.
Our latest 2nd Quarter 2026 issue of the American Submariner magazine has a page devoted to the elections this year; and that voting information can be found on page 21 of this issue.
Paper ballots must be received as instructed by National Election Master Michael Bost no later than Sept. 4th, 2026 (see address published in the magazine).
Voting can also be done online, and an email should have been received by now in your Inbox from what’s called “Election Buddy” providing instructions and a link directly to the online voting page.
• USSVI National Convention Sept 6th through 11th – Michael Hubbell
Mike reminded us regarding attending the USSVI National Convention this year which is being held in Corpus Christi, Texas. Mike Hubbell, Rick Petitt and their spouses will be attending the convention this year.
• Kings Bay WWII Submarine Celebration – November 4th - 7th – Mike Hubbell
Mike also reminded us about the Kings Bay fall celebration at the Kings Bay Submarine Base and to be thinking about getting registered for that, if interested in going. Mike said there is a good possibility to be able to tour a Fleet Ballistic Missile submarine as part of this event.
Contact will need to be made to register for this event at the St. Mary’s Submarine Museum and hotel accommodations will be available at the SureStay Best Western Hotel which is near the base.
Local van transportation will be provided by the base to and from the hotel and other events.
• High School Submarine Presentation Visits – Bill Strand
Bill informed us with the start of a new school year, he will begin to make contacts/arrangements for our school submarine visitation program to visit local South Carolina high schools.
Mike Hubbell reminded us there’s a new high school building opening this fall in Lake Wylie, and Dave Violette also stated there might be possibilities for visits at a Mooresville high school and possibly the South Iredell High School in Iredell County.
Bill said he can provide a USB thumb drive with the program video loaded to anyone who is interested in arranging a visit to high schools in North Carolina.
Bill Strand is our submarine school presentation coordinator, and Bill will be interested in any members willing to join him to tell students about life aboard today’s submarines.
• Dues for 2027 – Bill Strand/Mike Hubbell
Looking ahead, we will be reminding members that base and National dues will be collected for 2027 and our goal is to have all members dues paid by our November Thanksgiving base meeting.
Members are reminded that base dues are due for all members and National dues can be paid at that time also for persons who are not presently USSVI lifetime National members.
NEXT BASE MEETING
• Our next base meeting will be held on the fourth Saturday in August, August 22, at 1300 at the Fort Mill VFW. Doors open at 1230; the meal will be between 1300 to 1400 with the meeting starting around 1400.
MOTION TO ADJOURN
• A motion to adjourn the meeting was made at 1420 hours. Motion passed.
BENEDICTION
• Chaplain Raymond Fritz closed our meeting with a benediction.
RAFFLE RESULTS
• Bill Strand won today’s meeting raffle, and Bill graciously donated his winnings to our bases’
Kaps-4-Kids fund. Thank you Bill!
Today’s meeting attendees are listed below:
July 25, 2026, Meeting Attendees:
• Steve Bell
• Bob Bunney – Kathy
• Greg Crystal
• Raymond Fritz
• Jim Harris
• Mike Hubbell - Glenna
• Dan Johnson (Welcome Back Dan!)
• Tom Kelly
• Lowell Kemp
• Jeff Nieberding – Michele
• Calvin Reese
• Zeke Rybczyk
• Bill Strand
• Joel Tuchfeld – Anna
• Dave Violette
• Chris Walker – Melinda
• Raymond Zieverink – Linda
Minutes Respectfully Submitted by:
Tom Kelly
Base Secretary