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Tom Collier announced at the Florida State Rally that we have a new website for the Blue Beret magazine. The link to the website is www.blueberetonline.com
We have added this new website under “Links” so everyone has quick access to the new online version of the Blue Beret.
It was also announced at the Florida State Rally that anyone wishing to opt out of receiving a hard copy of the Blue Beret will be given this option in the future.
Like everything new it will take a bit of time getting comfortable with an online version. If you “hover” over the “layout” icon below the website header you will have a choice as to how you want to view the magazine. I found that choosing “page view” was the easiest for me. When the magazine first loads it will take a few seconds for it to focus. This is dependant on your internet connection speed. Once it is open you can choose a percentage for the size of each page. The best seems to be in the range of 100% to 175%. This is the future for magazines and newspapers and it is great to see WBCCI embracing the growing use of electronic media.
So why not give this new media a try and consider saving a tree in the future !!
February 22 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments »
Richard Nix, a new member of the Florida Springs Unit, took these pictures as the latest group of young Whooping cranes passed over the Dunnellon airport. The cranes were headed to the Chassahowitzka National Wildlife Refuge, on the Citrus-Hernando county border. They arrived there on the 89th day of this year’s 1,285-mile migration.
When the cranes are about 5 or 6 months old, they will follow the tiny ultralight planes on their first migration — a long, risky journey to the flock’s wintering grounds in Florida.
Each year, new crane chicks are raised in captivity, trained to migrate with the ultralights, and added to the growing eastern flock. This year’s new flock members are called the "Hatch Year 2009" birds, or the Class of 2009 — and it began as the largest in the reintroduction’s 9-year history. A total of 20 chicks made the journey from Wisconsin to Florida.
In spring all the young cranes will return to Wisconsin without any help. They’ll do this for the rest of their lives, 
joining other members of the growing new Eastern flock!
The Eastern migratory flock began in 2001 from 11 chicks bred in captivity. With no wild parents to teach the way, the young are taught the route by following ultralight aircraft flown by volunteers on their first journey south. Also in autumn, a few additional costumed-raised chicks are also released to follow older cranes south.
The goal of this effort is 25 breeding pairs from 125 birds in the Eastern Migratory Flyway by 2020, This is a slow process, and the oldest birds have not been very successful at nesting and raising their own chicks to grow the flock.
February 05 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments »
The 37th Annual Florida State Rally will soon be here. The rally dates are February 16 –21, 2010 and 
the theme is “Pirate Invasion.”
As always, the Florida Springs Unit will be very involved with making this a great experience for all attendees. A number of key chairpersons are volunteers 
from our unit.
Although the rally starts on Tuesday evening, we plan to caravan to the rally site on Monday. The caravan meeting point is the I-75 Rest Stop shown on the m
ap at left. Anyone planning to travel in the group must be at this location before the 9 am departure time.
For those who have never been to this rally it is a great place for fun and fellowship as well as many learning opportunities at the seminars and discussion groups. The evening activities include entertainment , door prizes and ice cream.
There are many things to see and do in the greater Sarasota area, so don’t miss out on this rally.
January 09 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments »
