Document OzxZXyX1ZpKOoXRnKer8wMaaw

TWP 1JW H /PD C ITV n c r n v Here's How To Annual Report To Employees Get Mail To Ships Quickly Roundup Shows 1974 Year Of Progress For Marine Each working day, the staff in the Company mail room in the basement of the Exxon Building sorts, dates, and for wards hundreds of pieces of mail to seagoing employees, among others--and they do the job on the same day that the mail is received. But in order to avert slowdowns or possible delays in getting mail to ships, the mail room staff needs the help of wives, relasjx ps, and others ashore who ^bte to seamen. Here's what is needed: a Be sure the seaman's name (including middle initial) and ship are writ ten clearly on the enve lope or package. Then add the following address: Exxon Company, U.S.A. Marine Department, P.O. Box 1512, Houston, Texas 77001 It is usually best not to send mail from home directly to outports where the ship is scheduled to call. Sometimes the ship is diverted and does not call at the port as origi nally planned, or the seaman may have suddenly been transferred to another ship. Once your letter is received in the Houston Office, the mail room checks to see if the addressee is still on the (gt)ip indicated. If not, a com^^er-produced label shows ms new ship and is used to forward mail to the ship at the first port of call. If the em ployee is on paid leave or (See POST OFFICE, page 3) Safety continued to receive major attention during 1974 and a number of steps were taken to reduce disabling in juries and other types of ac cidents. The restructured Port Safety Committee provided direction and guidance for improving safety performance in both the ocean and inland fleets and for units ashore. Several new safety programs were initiated, one of the first being a safety-shoe promo tion in which the Marine De partment subsidized 50 per cent of the cost of the first pair of shoes each employee purchased. Safety scoreboards were put aboard ships, a new casualty reporting manual was provided to each vessel, better injury follow-up procedures were initiated, and new em phasis was placed on the im portance of holding regularlyscheduled, well-attended safety meetings aboard ves- Boruch Has Longest Service asiiiBIS .iiiii! til =- ri i : 11-i Hr : i& The only man in the ocean fleet with 40 years' service is William B. Boruch, center, who was honored recently at an awards presentation ceremony in the Marine Department Hous ton Office. Operations Manager Ames Smith commended Mr. Boruch for his long, faith- -----------------------------------------ful service and presented Chief Engineer Richard L. him with a diamond-studded Argenbright accompanied Mr. money clip on behalf of the Boruch to the Houston Office company. Mr. Boruch is pump to participate in the awards man in the Exxon Baltimore ceremony. Port Engineer T. J. and when his ship was in port McTaggart, right, recalled that earlier this month, Captain Mr. Boruch is one of the few Roland E. Parkhurst, left, and men left in the fleet who has sels. These efforts, and others, began to show results and employees ended the year with a total of 24 disabling injuries, about 50 per cent fewer than in 1973. Seven ships had no personnel dis abling injuries in 1974, and the Boston Branch inland water ways fleet completed its third consecutive year with zero disabling injuries. Last year, personnel aboard (See ANNUAL REPORT, page 2) had the distinction of sailing in ships with Scotch boilers and reciprocating steam engines. Mr. Boruch joined the fleet in October, 1933, as messboy aboard the 12,477 DWT Chester O. Swain. "She was considered a mighty big ship in those days," he said. Dur ing the next 3Vz years, he sailed in the Swain and the W. C. Teagle, advancing to wiper, fireman, and oiler dur ing this period aboard the Teagle. Mr. Boruch was as signed to the port relief crew from September, 1941, to Au gust, 1947, when he partici pated in the company's pump man training program and returned to sea as pumpman in the Esso New Haven. He has not lost a day of work due to illness or injury since 1965. "Many men helped train me and helped me in my job over the years," he said. "I'm deeply indebted to them and greatly appreciate their ef forts." Mr. Boruch and his wife live in Staten Island. 3u U! E EXX-MOR-007915 ANNUAL REPORT.................................. continued from page 1 owned seagoing and inland waterways vessels moved an average of 728,000 barrels of crude and product daily, with 6 per cent fewer spills than in 1973. Eleven ships entered ship yards for major inspection and repair work during the year and eight made one or more foreign voyages. Nine Officers Retire Nine officers, 2 stewards, and 30 unlicensed employees retired from the ocean fleet, as did 5 licensed and 4 un licensed men in the inland fleet. Hired in 1974 were 44 licensed personnel, and 41 unlicensed personnel were transferred to regular status. In addition, 24 women ac cepted initial assignments aboard our ships. Four active employees and 32 annuitants died in 1974. Marine Department man agement negotiated settle ments of new contracts or reopeners with 13 different Marine Department repre sented groups during the year. This included three ocean groups and 10 inland water ways groups. Five of these agreements extended into 1977 with various built-in ad justments or reopeners during the interim period. Another six agreements extended into 1976. All represented groups en joyed significant improvements in compensation and benefits in 1974. Two major improve ments were made in the Exxon Annuity Plan. One of these was the announcement that Annuity Plan calculations would now be based on comp ensation during the highest 3 years (instead of the highest 5 years) in the last 10 years before retirement. Another improvement was that em ployees will be able to retire as early as age 60 with un discounted Annuity. Discounts were reduced for those who retired before 60. 1974 Calendar Of Events January: The Marine Depart ment announced that training programs for Oilers, Pump men, and Able Seamen would be held to qualify entry and other ratings to meet future manpower needs. February: Oceangoing and in land waterways vessels were awarded the government's highest sanitation award (for the 16th consecutive year) for outstanding sanitation stan dards maintained by the two fleets in 1973. An increase in fuel costs brought the first orders to slowdown vessels. March: The first TV-videocas sette equipment was installed in the Exxon Bangor as an experiment to determine if shipboard personnel would find it useful in viewing safety films, other instructional pro grams, and general entertain ment. Similar equipment was later put aboard the Exxon Baltimore and Exxon Philadel phia. In March, the first of three two-week training courses was held to give Ordinary Seamen an opportunity to upgrade their ratings to AB. A total of 32 employees completed the course (held aboard the Texas Maritime Academy's training ship, the Texas Clipper, at Galveston), and passed the Coast Guard examination to receive AB endorsements. In response to requests from seagoing employees for improved reading material, paperback libraries containing fiction, nonfiction, and other categories were put aboard ships, with new paperbacks delivered monthly. April: A contract was awarded for construction of a new twin-screw towboat (later named the Exxon Brownsville) for service in the Baytown Branch inland waterways fleet. A first-place towing industry award was presented to the Mid-Atlantic inland fleet (Balti more, Paulsboro, and Norfolk) for a safety record set in 1973 when employees worked some 254,000 manhours without a disabling injury. This was more than three times the manhours recorded by the nearest of 19 competitors in Division 2 of the contest (con sisting of tugs, pull-towing, or towing alongside). Employees in the Boston Branch inland fleet were also recognized by the towing industry for their zero disabling injury record in 1973 in the Division 3 cate gory (towboat, push-towing, and barge tows). There were 17 contestants in this cate gory. May: During the week of May 13, the Marine Department held its first five-day orienta tion course in the Houston Office for 11 newly-hired Deck and Engine officers (academy and maritime college grad uates). Two additional orien tation programs were held later. Attendance at the three sessions totaled 44. Classes were conducted by Marine personnel who described the department's operations and answered questions to help the new officers prepare for seagoing duty in the Exxon fleet. An A/Oiler shipboard train ing program was started. June: Five ships received Jones F. Devlin awards, pre sented during the annual Ship Safety Awards luncheon in New York on June 4. These awards recognized personnel who worked two and/or four consecutive years without a disabling injury. Two-year awards went to the Exxon Philadelphia, Exxon New Orleans, Exxon Gettysburg, and Exxon Jamestown. The Exxon Boston received a fo year award. Later in the month, Marine Department safety award plaques were presented to personnel in the inland water ways fleet at Baltimore who completed one year without a disabling injury, and to those at Boston who com pleted their second consecu tive year without a disabling injury. July: Reports for the first half of 1974 showed that the ocean fleet had saved more than 53,000 barrels of fuel--nearly half the 125,000 targeted for the year. The cross-Gulf tow Exxon Sunshine State/Exxon Port Everglades made the longest voyage since entering service in 1970. The voyage was from Baytown to Tampa and Port Everglades to discharge part cargoes of gasoline and diesel fuel at each location then up the coast to Wilmi^ ton, North Carolina, to dTP' charge the balance of the cargo. The three-port dis charge utilized the full capac ity of the barge. ,OS : i2 b P S \Z y August: The new Oiler Central Operating System (COS) rat ing was implemented on board the Exxon Baton Rouge. This training program was designed to increase skills of A/Oiler candidates for whom this rating was established in 75 MDWT vessels. The pumpman shipboard training program, announced in January, was started. September: The installation of videocassette equipment was begun on all ships calling at Baytown. Special arrange ments were planned for in stalling equipment aboard ships calling at other ports. October: The towboat Exxj*^ Brownsville was christened October 9 and put into service in the Baytown Branch. This expanded operation permitted Page 2 Exxon Fleet Mews EXX-MOR-007916 COPIFI.) FliOM THE CCJl.LBTIONS IN THE CENTERFOR*AMERICAN THF. 1IN IV F irtslTV IhC T nv AC AT a j ic t im promotion of personnel al ready in the IWW fleet. A contract was awarded for the construction of six petro- barges, five of them !00-barrel capacity and one a 9,000-barrel vessel. The barges, scheduled for delivery late in 1975 and early 1976, will be used in transporting heavy fuel oil from Baytown to Exxon and customer term inals primarily in the Gulf Coast area. November: The Marine Depart ment began an experimental program to determine if ships could realize significant fuel savings if they could make better use of the Gulf Stream. The National Oceanic and At mospheric Administration be gan providing data necessary for ships' officers to plot courses enabling them to make the most effective use of the Gulf Stream when sail ing north and for staying clear of it when moving south. The experiment was scheduled for six months. November 14, employees ifT'all 17 ships in the ocean fleet completed 1,000,000 man hours without a disabling in jury, qualifying them for indi vidual safety awards. They last reached this mark on De cember 23, 1970. December: Energy conserva tion in the ocean fleet saved over 132,000 barrels of fuel for the year. Of this amount, 105,000 barrels were saved as the result of reduced speeds. Graham, Merritt To Holland Captains Donald E. Graham and Roy J. Merritt are sched uled to take a five-day ship handling course at the TNO Technical Institute in Delft, Holland, beginning on Feb ruary 10. They are the 15th and 16th officers in the ocean fleet to participate in the ~lise as part of the Marine fartment's policy of pro viding its navigation officers with the best up-to-date train ing available. We re On TV: USCG Uses 'Seeing Eye' Cameras For Better Ship Traffic Control In Channel Exxon ships and others us ing the Houston Ship Channel are voluntarily participating in a new U.S. Coast Guard ves sel traffic system designed to improve ship transit safety in the ship channel from Galves ton entrance to the Houston Cadets Thank Sea Personnel For Training Help Twelve cadets from various maritime institutions, who gained sea experience by working aboard tankers in the ocean fleet during winter se mester breaks, are now back in their respective schools. For the most part, cadets ex pressed their appreciation for the opportunity to gain sea experience to the master of each ship they served aboard. In addition Cadet Kenneth Greig, who is attending the State University Of New York Maritime College, wrote the following letter to Paul J. McEwan, fleet manning super visor: Dear Mr. McEwan; I would like to say thank you to both you personally and to Exxon Company, U.S.A., for allowing cadets such as myself the experi ence of shipping with Exxon during our vacation periods. It was truly a good experi ence, as not only did I learn about the operation of an Exxon ship, but had fun in doing it. The men of the Exxon Washington were very helpful educationally and gave me a new and ex citing outlook on the career that I wish to follow. I think it is very com mendable that you employ men of such high caliber as these. They were always pleasant to me. I will always remember this when I see the Exxon symbol. Signed: Cadet Kenneth Greig. Turning Basin. Outbound traf fic is also being monitored. The Coast Guard is under taking the voluntary vessel traffic reporting system under the authority of the Ports and Waterways Act of 1972. The heart of the system is a VHFFM communication network and a closed circuit TV sys tem that is manned continu ously by personnel in the Coast Guard vessel traffic center in Houston. Two came ras have been installed at each of four separate sites along the channel. These are mounted at two different heights to identify and show maneuvering of vessels in the upper channel turns and at other more critical areas. The center processes in formation received from Exxon and other commercial vessels Leola Williams Obtains Regular Employee Status Leola Williams is the first woman in the ocean fleet to obtain regular employee sta tus. After grad uating from high school at Baytown, Tex as, she joined the Stewards Department i n the Exxon Gettysburg on December 19, 1973. Since then, she has been in two assignments in the Gettysburg and is cur rently on her second assign ment in the Exxon Jamestown. Her regular employee status became effective on January 11, 1975. _______ New York Sets Record New York Branch em ployees lightered 1.5 million barrels of crude during Jan uary--a record high. Their previous record was in July, 1974, when they lightered 1.4 million barrels. and disseminates this informa tion to participating vessels operating in the vessel traffic system area. This alerts pilots and shipmasters well in ad vance what the traffic in their area is, including the speed of a vessel in the channel, its size, and type of cargo being carried. The movements of tugs and barges will also be monitored by the system. A U.S. Coast Guard spokes man said that the Coast Guard expects to handle several thousand vessels a year in the system. This is the third such major ship traffic safety sys tem in the U.S., the spokes man said. The others are lo cated in San Francisco and Puget Sound. However, the $1.5 million Houston system is the first to use TV cameras in addition to radio reports. POST OFFICE, Irom page 1 sick leave, the computer label shows his home address and his mail is sent there. Also, should a tanker be diverted after its mail has been dis patched, the mail room will telephone or telegraph the company agent at the original port and have the mail re directed to the new port, if it can reach the new location in time, otherwise, it is im mediately returned to the mail room in Houston for rerouting. All of these steps are taken to help you get your mail to the seaman it is intended for in the shortest possible time. Any possible delay will be practically eliminated if you address your mail clearly and properly. Oh, yes, sometimes packages are received par tially torn open. The mail room crew makes the necessary re pairs, but time can be saved if you make sure your pack ages are carefully wrapped. EXXON FLEET NEWS is published every other Monday for active and retired employees of the Marine De partment, Exxon Company, U.S.A. (a division of Exxon Corporation): O. R. Menton, General Manager. GENE LEGLER.................................. Editor February 17, 1975 Page 3 I'V: EXX-MOR-007917 CtWIRI) FROM THE COLLECTIONS IN THE CENTER FOR AMERICAN HISTOK Two Exxon Ships And Their Masters Claimed By 5th, 6th Grade Students For nearly 25 years, ship masters in Exxon vessels have been participating in the Pro peller Club's Adopt-A-Ship program. Purpose of the pro gram is to teach youngsters, our citizens of tomorrow, the necessity for maintaining an adequate American Merchant Marine and provide them an interesting and exciting way to learn about history, world ports, and sea transportation. Currently, two Exxon ships and their masters have been adopted by youngsters. Cap tain Roland E. Parkhurst and the Exxon Baltimore "belong" to the 5th and 6th grades in Mascotte (Florida) Elementary School, and Captain Howard G. McCartney and the Exxon Chester have been adopted by youngsters at Cook Elemen tary School in Goshen, Ohio. "It's fun to answer their questions and encourage them in their studies," Captain Park hurst said. "I recall one girl who wrote several years ago saying that she'd like to be come a lady Captain. I wish I could write her now and tell her that we recently had our first lady deck cadet aboard the ship." When Captain Park hurst went on paid leave re cently, Captain Walter Brelsford carried on correspond ence with the school. In addition to asking ques tions, youngsters volunteer in formation by describing them selves, their families, pets, teachers, and so forth. They send drawings, as shown here, and sometimes even gifts. Captain McCartney re calls when one group of 6th graders took up a collection and sent him the money to buy anything he wanted. "These kids can make you laugh one minute and cry the next," he said. The Propeller Club has a list of over 30 classes for whom no ships are available. Masters in the Exxon fleet who wish to participate on a vol untary basis should contact the Port Captain's office. -dScLtxjp' O^ioL MMt &<yt~_^ZZ2?C &L6d3T~ BsnoL -ytyU- 0-inp- rZozrzjLtx-' JjTO- `yj'il- JLaMJDo -^r (X pf&viOa ctfj -Z^- Cnd_XclAl- -<l^cy3e dsdtfrTr) ^Jhpr\ csuz&y- die ^cjLp Ca~J\ jpe*. <s4> t ^O-SSL 'CkLAp `TOjLxi: ?(^f ppyU Cadc-lp Q/Ul Jy&i ? )& jjQif d& -O^-IaA ppj-sda- CAjh**- XX- OOo ppV- -AHa -Ajpy -'/LcuM pAduux. ~rt-yx jAAvl xxv-Xo- ? Youngsters Use Imagination In Depicting Various Vessels EXX-MOR-007918 COPIED FROM THE COLLECTIONS IN THE CENTER FOR AMERICAN RETIREMENTS Shipmates Sign Poem For Vierra This is to our friend we know as Jimmy Getting along in years to shake and shimmy, Let's hope in later years he can shimmy and Seattle Especially when he remembers the old Seattle, He's started here many years be fore He's been through the bull and heard lots more, Ashore he'll talk of me and you About guys and ships he sailed with on the Ocean Blue, No more the seas will Jimmy roam Wiis poem, signed by of ficers and crew in the Exxon Seattle, will be long treasured by James Vierra who was chief steward in the vessel when he retired on January 1. His shipmates also pre sented him with a cash dona tion. Mr. Vierra is shown just to the right of Captain Jack H. Morrell (in dark glasses) who presented the money to him on behalf of the crew. Mr. Vierra entered the fleet in 1940 as chief cook aboard the Fred W. Weller. In the early days of World War II, he sailed aboard the F. H. Bedford, Jr. Shortly there after, while serving in the John D. Archbold, in 1943, he became steward. He has been chief steward in many fleet vessels during the past 31 years. Mr. Vierra was serv ing a second term as a mem ber of the Executive Commit- lee of the Exxon Stewards "ganization at the time of his retirement. He lives in East Providence, Rhode Is land. It's his last trip he is going home, But with our sentiment good and true The crew of the Seattle wishes the best to you, May you enjoy life in all good grace Depart this ship with a happy face, Live your life with all its fun Enjoy the leisure you have won, Retirement is not such an ugly word We say farewell instead, to a good old `Bird'. ,Rex B. Williams Who Joined Fleet In 1943/ Retires Rex B. Williams, who also retired January 1, joined the fleet in March, 1943, as messman in the G. Harrison Smith. After sailing in several other Esso vessels, he was assigned to the F. H. Bedford, Jr. in Panama Transport Company as wiper. He advanced to FWT and pumpman while in this service, returning to the Esso fleet in July, 1944, as pumpman in the Esso Man hattan. He continued to sail as pumpman until he re signed in July, 1963. Mr. Wil liams returned to the fleet in February of the following year as MM2P. He continued to sail as MM2P for the remain der of his career. Mr. Williams lives in Houston. Nygaard, Katros Make Final Voyages When Sivert S. Nygaard, above, made his final voyage on the Exxon Jamestown be fore retiring January 1, he left the ship with a billfold full of cash donated by his ship mates. "I really appreciate the cash donation and wish everyone well in this out standing fleet," he said. "I enjoyed my sailing career and the friendship of many fine men, both in the fleet and on the shore staff." Mr. Ny gaard began his company career in October, 1950, in the Esso Bolivar, a Panama Transport Company vessel. The following year he trans ferred to the Esso fleet as AB in the Esso Greenville, the rating he held at retirement. "One of the first things that William Katros, above, plans to do upon retirement is to tour Europe for about a month. "Then I intend to live in Reno, Nevada, where the air is clear, clean, and dry. I hope to work 2 or 3 days each week, but no more," he said. Mr. Katros was hired on December 15, 1941, as a wiper in the F. W. Abrams. He sailed in various vessels as wiper, fireman, oiler, and storekeeper. When the FWT category was phased out in 1968, he elected to transfer to the Stewards Department. His last ship upon retirement on January 1 was the Exxon Newark. He currently lives in Dorchester, Massachusetts. Walter Lunt Presented Gift Of Cash Walter S. Lunt retired on January 1 as AB in the Exxon Gettysburg. He lives in South Portland, Maine. After several brief periods of broken service, Mr. Lunt rejoined the Marine Department as AB in the Esso Baltimore in October, 1946, and remained in the fleet permanently, sailing in various ves sels as AB until his retirement. On his final voyage, officers and crew members in the Exxon Gettysburg presented him with a cash gift and wished him a long and happy retirement. In the photo, Mr. Lunt, center, holds envelope containing cash. Retirements continued on page 6 February 17, 1975 Page 5 i L CORFU FIIOM THE COl.LEtTIONS IN THE CENTER FOR AMERICAN HISTOR RETIREMENTS........................................continued from page 5 Robert Smith Enjoyed Years In Fleet Robert W. Smith, holding a bag of money donated by his shipmates in the Exxon San Francisco, retired on January 1 as AB in the vessel. "I enjoyed my years with the fleet and I'm looking forward to a happy retirement," he said. Mr. Smith was hired as deck maintenanceman in April, 1957, serving for the first time in the Esso Bethlehem. He sailed as mainte nanceman for several years until he became an AB, sailing in that capacity in various vessels until retirement. He lives in Kemah, Texas. Special Cake Baked For John M. Oest Following the evening meal on December 22, 1974, the crew of the Exxon Gettysburg presented John M. Oest with a cash donation and wished him many happy years of re tirement. Then the whole group enjoyed a large cake baked by 2nd Cook Isaac D. Jones who, along with others in the Stewards Department, decorated the cake to fit the occasion. Mr. Oest is shown here, on the left, being con gratulated by Chief Engineer Tom W. Williams, right, and Herman J. Raby, 3rd assistant engineer. After working for several years in the old Hum ble Oil & Refining Company Ingleside (Texas) Refinery, Mr. Oest joined the Esso An napolis in January, 1948, as wiper. He sailed in various vessels as wiper, OS, elec trician, fireman, storekeeper, oiler, and machinist before obtaining a 3rd assistant en gineer's license in June, 1963, the rank he held at re tirement. Mr. Oest lives in Simsboro, Louisiana. Three Honored By New York Branch ? *>,~s y-j A.- - i.r- U ; 11 r--= Three retired personnel were honored by New York Branch employees at a luncheon recently are, from the left, John Schaeffer, who was tubgoat deckhand with nearly 39 years service; Louis P. Raeder, 2nd assistant engineer in the deepsea fleet, 24 years service; and Ismail Muluk, utilityman in the deepsea fleet who retired with 31 years service. >3 ? / r Boteler, Simpson Plan Fishing Trips Robert H. Boteler, AB, writes that he is spending some of his time at home doing many jobs that he has wanted to do but neglected in the past. "My wife and I also plan to travel over this big beautiful coun try, but as we live on a beauti ful lake in the northern vaca tion area of New Jersey (Branchville), we expect to spend a lot of time here. The lake has many 9 and 10 pound bass and trout and these are the little ones. They're just waiting for me to catch them," he said. Mr. Boteler joined the Esso Man hattan as AB in December, 1948. He later resigned and on March 30, 1955, he re joined the fleet as AB in the Esso Bermuda, sailing in vari ous vessels in this capacity until his retirement. George Simpson, above, who retired from the New York Branch inland waterways fleet on November 1, plans to put his house and lawn in tip-top condition and then maybe he and his wife will travel for a while. He also participates in senior citizen activities in Plainfield, New Jersey, where he lives. "I like to fish and plan to do that, too," he said. After a period of deepsea service with the company, Mr. Simpson joined the inland fleet as fireman aboard tug boats. He became permanent assistant engineer in Septem ber, 1951, and served in that capacity and as relieving chief engineer until July 1971, when he became cnR| engineer on the Exxon Mary land, his last vessel at retire ment. u Page 6 Exxon Fleet News EXX-MOR-007920