The HPRA Newsletter is now published 3 times a year, as of July 2024, and sent to all "ACTIVE" and HONORARY" members of the organization. The costs for printing and sending are paid by your dues. Newsletters are available electronically by email or paper by USPS. It is requested you to use the email method, as the cost of actual printing and mailing has increased quite a bit. Especially postage. Also, the email version will have color when available.

The newsletter publication is now Late-March or Early-April (containing the reunion schedule of events and registration),  Late-July or Early-August (reunion recap version) and Mid-December. The December issue will contain the information of the upcoming reunion.

The email version is sent on the same day the paper version goes to the post office.

A directory of all known DD709 shipmates, enlisted and officers, is maintained by the HPRA. The directory contains ACTIVE and HONORARY members plus known DECEASED personnel, whether he is a member or not. It also contains a list showing those UNINTERESTED in the HPRA and a group of UNKNOWN's. If a person comes to our attention that is not in the directory, he will be added in one of the categories. This most often occurs when the person in question has passed away. The directory is updated at least monthly.

Two other categories are INACTIVE and MISSING. Inactive is for those that fall behind 3 years in their dues. MISSING is just that. They are Active members that we have lost contact with. Emails returned, postal items returned as undeliverable etc. The Missing are posted in the newsletters, so you can help out here.

The directory is available to all ACTIVE and HONORARY members and contains the name, address, phone number and email address if we have it.  A few elect to not be listed or not to have phone numbers or email listed. The electronic copy is available, in "PDF" format via a special web link available from the HPRA President or the HPRA Webmaster. The contact link at the bottom of the page can be used for this.

One major addition to the directory was made in 2016. This contains all of the crew and officers on board at the time the ship was commissioned. Steve Singlar came up with that list. The original "Muster" list is on the website.

A paper copy can be provided if needed. This is quite costly to print up. The paper copy would only be updated once a year. Please use the electronic version when possible.

There are several other documents that are proprietary to the HPRA. These include "Business Meeting Minutes", the "HPRA BY-LAWS" and the "HPRA Privacy Policy" (the policy link is on the home page hughpurvis.com). These, along with the newsletters and directories are considered private to the HPRA and should not be distributed to anyone who is not a "member in good standing." The are available via a special internet link provided by the HPRA president on request. The By-Laws were recently updated at the 2016 meeting in Memphis, TN.

You can check your membership status by looking at the mailing label of your paper version of the newsletter or in the email of any HPRA initiated email. To the right of your name on the mailing label is the last year you paid dues or if you are a "LIFETIME" or "HONORARY" member. For email, the status on the salutation line in the message body.

Reunions locations are generally decided upon by the members attending the "Annual Business Meeting" that takes place during a reunion. This is spelled out in our By-Laws thus all decisions are made by those actually attending a reunion. If you have an idea for a reunion, and wish to present the idea at the meeting, you need to do a bit or research about the location. Things to look for are..

• Location (obvious)
• Potential tour sites (at least one needed for each of two tour days)
• Anything dealing with veterans for the memorial service
• Local restaurants, hotels etcetera (does the hotel include breakfast)
• Local sites for non-tour days

Put your information together for presentation at the meeting. If you will not be there, send that information to the HPRA vice-president for potential inclusion in the meeting. Reunions can be held on any four consecutive days of the week. In ecent years, reunions have been from Sunday to to Wedensday or Monday to Thursday.

Many navy ships have a plaque on display at the Navy Memorial in Washington D.C. When we were there in 2011, we wondered why the Hugh Purvis did not. The answer is, they are there because someone or some organization decided to sponsor one for their ship. One of our members, Howard Ferrell, decided to look in to how it can be accomplished. Howard presented it to the members attending the 2012 reunion in Newport. A proposal was made and approved. This has project been completed. The plaque is on display at the Navy Memorial in Washington D.C. If you are planning on a trip to "D. C." consider adding a stop at the "Navy Memorial" and have a look.

The HPRA is operated by a group called the board. This consists of the President, Vice President (AKA VP Reunions), Secretary-Treasurer, the Chaplain and the Webmaster. All but the chaplain and webmaster are elected officers, each serving 2-year terms. The chaplain and webmaster are appointed to the position. Term limits on the president have been removed.