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Resources and also a tenured faculty member at CCSF
and in March 2017 created the Semper Paratus Club
of CCSF. The first semester that it was operational,
he had about fifty students. Today, in just its second
semester, it has more than seventy students.
Robert Clark is an accomplished and tenured faculty
member at City College of San Francisco. In addition
to being members of the Auxiliary, both Robert
and his wife Felita, club co-advisor, are active duty
members of the California State Military Reserve.
Robert is “Semper Paratus” (always ready). He is also
“Semper Gumby” (always flexible), which often is the
unofficial motto of the Coast Guard Auxiliary.
The club adheres to all regulations and rules of
CCSF and has various officers who represent the
club at required functions. Clark oversees activities
and fulfills the role as the club’s faculty supervisor.
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 additional benefit of the Club has been
to increase the diversity within the flotillas of Div. 12.
capacity due to their present challenges. Most club
officers have perfect 4.0 grade point averages, and
over 90% of club members have 3.0 or better grade
point averages.
The Semper Paratus Club of CCSF plans to offer
and promote 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 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 and community involvement in
Coast Guard activities.
Clark hopes that the success of the Semper Paratus
Club of CCSF may serve as a template for other San
Francisco 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.
Bravo Zulu to Robert Clark, his wife Felita and all of
their students in the Semper Paratus Club!
Since its inception, approximately twenty club
members are currently in the process of becoming
Auxiliarists and one is pursuing active duty with
the U.S. Coast Guard. Once club members become
Auxiliarists, they will also be recommended to apply
for the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary University
Program (AUP). Additionally, during the Spring 2017
semester, four club members successfully completed
the About Boating Safety class, sponsored by Flotilla
12-01, and are looking forward to more training
opportunities. This past summer, nine members
completed the required FEMA on-line classes for the
Auxiliary.
The Semper Paratus Club members represent 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
OR express
USCG Aux Photo
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