Boating always has been one of America's favorite pastimes and entered the
sport arena in the early nineteenth century. Rowing and yachting races were
among the most popular spectator sports through the 1930s. The wealth
generated in post Civil War America, along with the growth of railroads,
spurred the development of resorts, country homes, and the suburbs -- all
places to go boating. The federal government began to construct large dams,
reservoirs, and lake systems during the Depression, adding to waterways. With
the development of the single-operator motorboat and the outboard engine at
the turn of this century, the number of recreational boaters skyrocketed. In
1939, the Coast Guard reported that there were more than 300,000 boats
operating in federal waters. In the previous year it had received 14,000 calls
for assistance and had responded to 8,600 "in peril" cases -- a record number.
Boaters needed to be better trained in seamanship and federal law. At the same
time, civilian yachtsmen were pressing the Coast Guard to establish a
volunteer arm of the service.
As a result of these demands, on June 23, 1939, the Congress passed
legislation which established the Coast Guard Reserve, its volunteer civilian
component, to promote boating safety and to facilitate the operations of the
Coast Guard. Groups of boat owners were organized into flotillas and these
into divisions within Coast Guard Districts around the country. Members
initially conducted safety and security patrols and helped enforce the
provisions of the 1940 Federal Boating and Espionage Acts. Then in February
1941, a military reserve was created and the Reserve was renamed the
U.S.
Coast Guard Auxiliary.
The hurricane KATRINA official government website for public
information on finding loved ones, what to do if you are a victim, how
to help victims, or disaster cleanup and agency resources, visit:
http://www.firstgov.gov/Citizen/Topics/PublicSafety/Hurricane_Katrina_Recovery.shtml
