New Clubs

In 1956, the New Orleans Club was organized and held its first meeting, featuring the local district commander, RADM J. A. Kerrins, as guest speaker. Across the country, Club meetings served as important gathering points for warrant officers. These events were typically structured as social dinners and often included prominent civic leaders, military officials, and public figures.

That same year, the Boston Club hosted a particularly notable dinner. Entertainment was provided by Rudy Vallee, and speakers included the Governor of Massachusetts, Mr. Herter, Mr. Hynes, the Mayor of Boston, and then–Senator John F. Kennedy, who would later become President of the United States.
Club activity continued nationwide. In the eastern United States, members gathered at:
• The Groton–New London Club at the U.S. Coast Guard Training Station in Groton, Connecticut
• The New York District Club at U.S. Coast Guard Base St. George on Staten Island, New York
• The Norfolk Club in Norfolk, Virginia
• The Boston District Club at U.S. Coast Guard Base Boston, Massachusetts
In the Midwest, members met through the Great Lakes Club, usually in Cleveland, Ohio. In the South, warrant officers assembled at the New Orleans Club. Members of the Cape May Club, later renamed the Cape Island Club, met at the U.S. Coast Guard Receiving Center in Cape May, New Jersey.
Out West, activity included the Mid-Pacific Club in Honolulu, Hawaii, and the Golden Gate Club at U.S. Coast Guard Air Station South San Francisco, California. At a March 1, 1957 meeting of the Golden Gate Club, the original 28-year-old charter—missing for several years—was rediscovered. Dated September 1, 1929, it bore the signatures of R. N. Gillis as president and J. J. Hinton as secretary-treasurer, and had been issued from CWOA headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1958, the club’s name was officially changed to the Golden Gate Warrant Officers Club.
Growth and Member Services
In Washington, D.C., the Association operated from offices at 13th and Pennsylvania Avenue in what was then known as the Pennsylvania Building. Attorney Dan Ring continued serving as counsel and developed “Survivors Benefit Kits,” which contained legal forms and guidance for widows of Association members. He also continued to monitor and interpret legislative developments on Capitol Hill, keeping members informed of issues under consideration in congressional subcommittees.
In 1957, the death gratuity benefit for members with more than 16 years of membership was increased from $300 to $500. Members who paid full dues for 200 months became eligible for reduced, half-dues status.
That same year, an official Association pin—proposed by CHMACH H. J. Harris—was adopted and distributed to all members at no cost.
Most significantly, in 1957, Coast Guard chief warrant and warrant officers became eligible to retire at the highest commissioned grade previously held. This change corrected an unintended inequity in the Warrant Officer Act of 1954, which had initially excluded Coast Guard WOs and CWOs from that benefit.
These developments reflected both the expanding reach of the Association and its continued effectiveness in strengthening professional status and member benefits nationwide.