Question about Bake Sales on Base

[USNwifey03]

I wasn't sure where to put this but here goes. I am the secretary for the Enlisted Spouses Club on our base here in Albany, GA. We recently hosted a bake sale on base. My question is, for those who have done a bake sale on base, did you have to fill out a form because you were selling food on base with the clinic or whomever is in charge of the health/food inspections on base? I ask because our President was told that we had to fill out this form, one sided and takes all of 5 minutes to fill out, and she flipped out saying that we shouldn't have to do this and she went on a total rave. If it helps, we are on a Marine base and our health inspections go through the clinic which is Navy, and my DH is the one who manages this program. I just wanted some feed back on what your bases do for bake sales. Please help or give suggestions on how to deal with this issue in the future. Also, if you need more details on the situation, I am willing to share.

[eelo]

Originally Posted by USNwifey03 I wasn't sure where to put this but here goes. I am the secretary for the Enlisted Spouses Club on our base here in Albany, GA. We recently hosted a bake sale on base. My question is, for those who have done a bake sale on base, did you have to fill out a form because you were selling food on base with the clinic or whomever is in charge of the health/food inspections on base? I ask because our President was told that we had to fill out this form, one sided and takes all of 5 minutes to fill out, and she flipped out saying that we shouldn't have to do this and she went on a total rave. If it helps, we are on a Marine base and our health inspections go through the clinic which is Navy, and my DH is the one who manages this program. I just wanted some feed back on what your bases do for bake sales. Please help or give suggestions on how to deal with this issue in the future. Also, if you need more details on the situation, I am willing to share.

If that's what your base requires, then that's what you have to do. I don't see the problem here; if she want to look foolish, that's her prerogative (grin).

My husband was Preventive medicine and he always made sure that the bases we were on had active Bake Sale procedures. It's a good program.

[USNwifey03]

Originally Posted by eelo If that's what your base requires, then that's what you have to do. I don't see the problem here; if she want to look foolish, that's her prerogative (grin). My husband was Preventive medicine and he always made sure that the bases we were on had active Bake Sale procedures. It's a good program.

Thanks! Our president has basically stated that since she can't find anything in the base order that requires us to do this then it shouldn't apply to us. But I have been told that the Navy requirements supercede (sorry for spelling) the base order. Also, pres. is a former marine herself and stated that she knows how the military works, and knows that some people were trained wrong, and that it is her job to figure out how they are supposed to do their job and let them know. However, she has been given a copy of the Navy order that requires the club to filll out this paperwork and is still having issues. She has such an issue that she has taken it to the Sgt. Major of the base. My answer to that was "what can he do he is marine not navy." I don't like when people question what is right in front of them in black and white and then continue to go on and insult people from there. If you have any other advice for me or my DH on the situation it would be great. I mention DH because Sgt. Major has asked DH if he can just let it slide for us. DH told him no, but then Sgt. Major went on leave and said they would discuss it more when he gets back. I suggested that DH get a formal letter written from his higher up in Jacksonville, FL (we are a branch of them) stating that that is the policy no if, ands, or buts. Thanks so far and I look forward to more advice if you have any.

[eelo]

If your husband works for Preventive Medicine, my guess is that there IS a base policy that he can find, but it's also in the P-5010, Chapter 1, giving Preventive Medicine the authority to set that rule. If your husband can't find an actual base policy, the P-5010 is the PrevMed bible, and that stuff applies to bases all over.

If a different base decided not to follow that regulation, that's on them. It's not hard. We've been retired over 10 years and the policy was applicable even back then.

Think of it this way: what if something goes wrong? What is food is stored improperly and someone gets sick? Is your FRG going to be liable? you betcha. Is the base going to be liable? Not if they follow the policy, which they do (according to what you said in the initial post).

Jeez- it's not that big a deal. Tell your FRG president that she needs to get with the times. Do NOT ask your husband to go against policy as a favor; I seriously doubt the SGM would really ask him to do that and if he does, your husband may need to involve his chain of command. PMTs should NEVER bend policy as a favor; those policies are there for very good reason. I suspect the SGM might think it's a policy specific to that base, but it's not, it's a Navywide policy.

[Elizabeth]

We have to have food handlers permits and follow strict rules here!

[USNwifey03]

Originally Posted by eelo If your husband works for Preventive Medicine, my guess is that there IS a base policy that he can find, but it's also in the P-5010, Chapter 1, giving Preventive Medicine the authority to set that rule. If your husband can't find an actual base policy, the P-5010 is the PrevMed bible, and that stuff applies to bases all over. If a different base decided not to follow that regulation, that's on them. It's not hard. We've been retired over 10 years and the policy was applicable even back then. Think of it this way: what if something goes wrong? What is food is stored improperly and someone gets sick? Is your FRG going to be liable? you betcha. Is the base going to be liable? Not if they follow the policy, which they do (according to what you said in the initial post). Jeez- it's not that big a deal. Tell your FRG president that she needs to get with the times. Do NOT ask your husband to go against policy as a favor; I seriously doubt the SGM would really ask him to do that and if he does, your husband may need to involve his chain of command. PMTs should NEVER bend policy as a favor; those policies are there for very good reason. I suspect the SGM might think it's a policy specific to that base, but it's not, it's a Navywide policy.

My DH isn't bending the rules for us. I told him that just because I am a part of this club does not mean that he treats us any differently from JoeShmo on base. He knows the rules and is doing his job by the book and I have tried to help also, by supporting him. I told the pres. that if our request was denied, and she still held the bake sale, I would be unable to support it in any way because that would affect my husband's job and get her and the club into trouble. As for the Sgt. Major, that is what he said to DH, and DH is not backing down. I read what P-5010 says in regards to our club and it clearly states that we have to follow this certain procedure and that procedure has been explained to Sgt. Major, but he is still the one that says rules can be bent. Again, he is a Marine and it would not be his head on the chopping block if something happened. Basically, a ton of bull**** has been risen by our President, so much that because of her stance on my husband's job, I am considering washing my hands of this club so that I am not associated with her mistakes. I support educated answers and suggestions but when said Pres. has the facts in front of her and still has issues, then she seems very uneducated and is unable to sway my mind to thinkt the way she does. I'm sorry is this has turned into a vent session, but I have a lot of anger tied up in this issue and I don't want people to think that it is my DH who is trying to bend the rules, because he isn't. Thanks for your help and I'll pass the info. along.

[eelo]

Originally Posted by USNwifey03 My DH isn't bending the rules for us. I told him that just because I am a part of this club does not mean that he treats us any differently from JoeShmo on base. He knows the rules and is doing his job by the book and I have tried to help also, by supporting him. I told the pres. that if our request was denied, and she still held the bake sale, I would be unable to support it in any way because that would affect my husband's job and get her and the club into trouble. As for the Sgt. Major, that is what he said to DH, and DH is not backing down. I read what P-5010 says in regards to our club and it clearly states that we have to follow this certain procedure and that procedure has been explained to Sgt. Major, but he is still the one that says rules can be bent. Again, he is a Marine and it would not be his head on the chopping block if something happened. Basically, a ton of bull**** has been risen by our President, so much that because of her stance on my husband's job, I am considering washing my hands of this club so that I am not associated with her mistakes. I support educated answers and suggestions but when said Pres. has the facts in front of her and still has issues, then she seems very uneducated and is unable to sway my mind to thinkt the way she does. I'm sorry is this has turned into a vent session, but I have a lot of anger tied up in this issue and I don't want people to think that it is my DH who is trying to bend the rules, because he isn't. Thanks for your help and I'll pass the info. along.

Tell your husband that if the SGM is going to try to ask for a special favor, he (hubby) may need to involve his chain of command, specifically his CMC. Now, your husband shouldn't go straight to the CMC, he should go through his chief at his office, but this is one for the elephants to dance around.

I don't question your husband at all. I know the kind of work he does (we were dual AD, both corpsmen, hubby was PMT and I was lab) and I know what rules he's expected to follow, so I'm with you (and him) all the way on this.

Still- at some point, your husband may need to involve the hougher-ups, especially if your husband feels they're exerting unnecessary pressure on you or on him.

Keep on truckin;'- you know you're right.

[USNwifey03]

Originally Posted by eelo Tell your husband that if the SGM is going to try to ask for a special favor, he (hubby) may need to involve his chain of command, specifically his CMC. Now, your husband shouldn't go straight to the CMC, he should go through his chief at his office, but this is one for the elephants to dance around. I don't question your husband at all. I know the kind of work he does (we were dual AD, both corpsmen, hubby was PMT and I was lab) and I know what rules he's expected to follow, so I'm with you (and him) all the way on this. Still- at some point, your husband may need to involve the hougher-ups, especially if your husband feels they're exerting unnecessary pressure on you or on him. Keep on truckin;'- you know you're right.

Thanks so much for the support! I will let DH know what you said.

[eelo]

Originally Posted by USNwifey03 Thanks so much for the support! I will let DH know what you said.

LOL! My husband was "...the Chief at the office." He was REAL good at handing people their jockstraps when they tried to pull crap like this, especially when they tried to use their rank to push around one of his PMTs. The cooles tthing about it was, the XO had been MY OIC at a previous command, and was an instructor at PMT school when my husband was going through. Between my husband, the PrevMed department head, and the XO, nobody got away with any crap on that base......... and the base population was safe.

[USNwifey03]

Originally Posted by eelo LOL! My husband was "...the Chief at the office." He was REAL good at handing people their jockstraps when they tried to pull crap like this, especially when they tried to use their rank to push around one of his PMTs. The cooles tthing about it was, the XO had been MY OIC at a previous command, and was an instructor at PMT school when my husband was going through. Between my husband, the PrevMed department head, and the XO, nobody got away with any crap on that base......... and the base population was safe.

Cool! You have a lot of knowledge to give and I thank you!