The Story of Great South Bay

Great South Bay Power Squadron received its charter on May 16, 1941, marking the birth of a new division. The first meeting was held at Cooper’s Hotel in Bay Shore, where G. Rowe Whitcomb, JN, was sworn in as Commander. In that first year, the Squadron counted 46 members, drawing from Amityville to Patchogue, spanning four townships and over twenty-five miles of South Shore waterfront.

The inaugural issue of The Great South Spray captured the optimism of those early days. In 1942, our second Commander, Joseph J. Carlin, wrote:

“Great things cast their shadows before them. The Great South Bay Power Squadron is a coming ‘great thing,’ and this its first publication fore-shadows its future. It is my sincere hope that this youthful shadow cast by a crew of ‘jolly hood fellows,’ pulling together with a spirit of work and play, may lengthen to that of a well-established and venerable institution.”

Carlin’s words proved prophetic. The Spray has remained in publication since inception.

Our Burgee

Great South Bay holds the distinction of being the first Squadron authorized by the USPS National Governing Board to carry its own burgee. The original design, created in 1936 by Aaron Jacobsen and Benjamin Bromberg for the South Shore Division, featured the Fire Island Lighthouse inside a red circle with a blue border—a patriotic reflection of the American flag. When GSB was chartered in 1941, the burgee was adopted as its permanent emblem.

Milestones in its evolution mark our heritage: a gold border added in 1991 for the Squadron’s 50th anniversary, and in 2016, platinum trim to honor the 75th. More about our burgee can be found on page 13.

Leadership in District 3

Since its founding, Great South Bay has proudly belonged to District 3, which spans Long Island from Brooklyn to Montauk and was established on December 13, 1938. Our Squadron has produced five District Commanders—V. Aldric Beere (1954), Angelo Giovanniello (2004), Lawrence Postel (2012), and Thomas Pilek (2019), John Pergola (2024-2025) as well as three District Educational Officers: Peter Richichi (1999–2002), Lawrence Postel (2008–2011), and Luann Kazanecki (2017–2020).

Opening Membership

In the early 1980s, USPS as a whole faced defining moments. In 1981, members earning 50 merit marks were recognized with Governing Board emeritus status, granting lifetime voting privileges. The following year, a special meeting abolished the male-only membership rule. While women had long held “women’s certificates” that allowed them to enroll in courses, they were finally welcomed as full members. Family memberships soon followed, reflecting the reality of boating as a shared activity.

Great South Bay welcomed its first female active members at the 1983 Change of Watch. In 1995, Barbara Hesketh became the Squadron’s first female Educational Officer. Soon after, Marie DeVito broke further ground, becoming Administrative Officer in 1996 and, in 1999, our first female Commander. Since then, five more women have held the Commander’s post, with Suzanne R. Mora making history again as the first to serve two consecutive terms (2015–2016).

Innovation and Service

In September 2016, the Squadron Board authorized the creation of the Squadron Emergency Response Assistance Team (SERAT), under the leadership of James M. Milton. On August 7, 2017, the USPS National Squadron Activities Committee formally approved the unit, designating us as SERAT 08. Great South Bay thus became only the second Squadron in District 3, and the eighth in the nation, to receive this distinction.

That same year, under Commander Arthur Wallach, we embraced a new identity: America’s Boating Club of Great South Bay. This fresh brand reflected not only what we do, but who we are, a welcoming community of boaters dedicated to education, fellowship, and service.