Sea Scout award marks 90th anniversary - Boat US Reports

Boat/US Magazine, Sept, 2002

What do you call a Sea Scout unit that puts its kids on the water more days a year than the average adult boater spends afloat? One that challenges its youth to advance through the Sea Scout ranks like a flood tide on the full moon?

Well, if you're the nation's largest organization of recreational boaters, you call it the best Sea Scout unit in the country -- and you recognize those accomplishments with the first BoatU.S. Sea Scout National Flagship trophy.

Sea Scout Ship 502, Invincible, of Houston, TX, rose to the top in a nationwide competition and its adult leader or Skipper, Mike Walker, accepted the BoatUS. award along with the Ship's Boatswain, James Houghton, in New Orleans June 7, at the Boy Scouts of America National Annual Meeting.

The award recognizes excellence in program quality, youth achievement and adult commitment, and it revives a Sea Scout tradition of honoring top performing Ships that ceased shortly after World War II. BoatU.S. created the award to honor the 90th anniversary of the nation's oldest youth boating program.

"Today's Sea Scouts will likely be tomorrow's leaders in recreational boating and we are delighted to recognize Ship 502 for its outstanding program achievements, both on the water and in the community," said BoatU.S. Chairman and Founder, Richard Schwartz. This award recognizes the dedicated adult boaters who support Ship 502 as much as it honors the Sea Scouts themselves," he noted.

Ship 502, which is sponsored by Foundry United Methodist Church of Houston, has about 20 active youth members at any given time and more than a dozen committed adult advisors.

While that trophy is a keeper" for Ship 502, Schwartz announced that a perpetual BoatU.S. Sea Scout Flagship Award will go on display at the new Boy Scouts of America Museum scheduled to open next to BSA headquarters in Houston in October. Every year the name of the winning ship will be added to that trophy.

Sea Scouting is a co-ed program for youth age 14-20 that uses boats, seamanship and nautical skills to develop character and leadership qualities in young people. One of the fastest growing areas of scouting, last year the program experienced a 17% growth in youth enrollment. Nearly 7,000 youth participate as members of 550 Ships nationwide. For more information contact SeaScouts@BoatUS.com.