The Semper Paratus Club of CCSF
In March 2017, Robert Clark, then the FSO-DV of Flotilla 12-01 and a tenured faculty member at City College of San Francisco, had an idea to diversify both his flotilla and the flotillas in the greater San Francisco Bay Area, recruiting students from his and local Bay Area colleges. Initially, Robert wanted to establish an Auxiliary University Program (AUP) at City College of San Francisco to help spread the news about the Auxiliary, as well as encourage students to volunteer and help out in their community. He knew it would also be a great recruiting tool and add diversity to the Auxiliary ranks. Unfortunately, the AUP is not structured for community colleges and did not exactly reflect what Robert had in mind; so, he brainstormed with his wife, Dr. Felita Clark (also a Flotilla 12-01 member and CCSF tenured faculty member), and created the "Semper Paratus" Club of CCSF, the FIRST college-based club of its kind in the nation. The first semester that it was operational, he had about fifty students sign-up; today, the Club now has over 125 students on the Club roster. Since its inception, eleven Club members have become Auxiliarists within Flotilla 21-01, and approximately ten more are currently in the process of becoming Auxiliarists; additionally, one is pursuing active duty with the U.S. Coast Guard. Moreover, in addition to receiving training within the Auxiliary (i.e., online courses, "About Boating Safely" classes, etc.), many of the Club members have also completed trainings with FEMA and the CSMR.
The stated Mission of the "Semper Paratus" Club of CCSF is to provide community service and volunteer opportunities for CCSF students throughout the San Francisco Bay Area in collaboration with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and the U.S. Coast Guard. Therefore, even students who are not currently considering membership in the Auxiliary or the U.S. Coast Guard can become more familiar with the opportunities offered by both organizations and decide at a later time if they wish to become more involved. An ancillary result of the Club has been to increase the diversity within the flotillas of Division 12 as "Semper Paratus" Club members become Auxiliarists and join local flotillas. The "Semper Paratus" Club represents a wide range of ages, cultures and ethnicities, including members of the disabled community, who never thought they could assist the U.S. military in any capacity due to their present challenges. Many of the Club officers have perfect 4.0 ("A) grade point averages, and over 80% of Club members have 3.0 ('B'), or better grade point averages.
The "Semper Paratus" Club of CCSF plans to continue offering and promoting workshops and trainings on the City College of San Francisco campus and in nearby Bay Area communities during the academic year. These events will be in collaboration with FEMA, the CSMR, the American Red Cross, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, the USCG Auxiliary and USCG, focusing on topics such as water safety, disaster preparedness, first aid, public education, search & rescue and community involvement in Coast Guard activities. In addition to being members of the Auxiliary, both Robert and his wife, Dr. Felita Clark (Club co-advisor and SO-Human Resources), are active duty members (Staff Sergeants) in the California State Military Reserve (CSMR)/CalGuard and have coordinated trainings with the Auxiliary, CSMR and FEMA/TEEX.
Due to the success of the CCSF "Semper Paratus" Club, two graduates of CCSF, Ms. Winnie Zhou (FSO-PR) and Mr. Steven Hilt (FSO-DV), transferred to San Francisco State University (SFSU) and established the "Semper Paratus" Club of SFSU in the Fall 2018 semester, the FIRST of its kind at a 4-year institution. Robert hopes that the success of the "Semper Paratus" clubs at CCSF and SFSU may serve as a template for other Bay Area colleges, as well as colleges outside the Bay Area, to increase the diversity pool of potential Auxiliary and/or U.S. Coast Guard members/candidates. Undoubtedly, the "Semper Paratus" clubs are meeting their goals of recruiting, developing and empowering the future leaders of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary!
For those interested in possibly starting a "Semper Paratus" Club at a local college, feel free to contact DSO-DV Clark at 510-459-3476 and/or rclark.uscgaux@gmail.com
By: Robert Clark DSO-DV