NATIONAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP COURSES WHICH ONE IS FOR YOU

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1 Volume 17, No.4 The Voice of Sea Scouts in the Northeast Region Fall 2013_ NATIONAL YOUTH LEADERSHIP COURSES WHICH ONE IS FOR YOU By Sam Goodman, Liberty Flotilla Boatswain and Ships Boatswain 441-Vigilant, NY Sea Scout Training is centered on the Sea Experience Advanced Leadership (SEAL) training curriculum. In recent years, the Boy Scouts of America has also opened the rest of the national training curriculum to Sea Scouting, providing ample opportunity to Sea Scouts to improve their leadership skills. Each course has its own strength, but together they provide a complete and total training opportunity. The first and most basic of the courses is National Youth Leadership Training, referred to as NYLT. It provides an introduction to general readership skills, including team development, defining a vision, and planning goals. Designed as second-level leadership training after Quarterdeck, Venturing Officers, and Patrol Leader's Council training provided by the home unit, it puts one's position and responsibilities in perspective. As a six day course, it is designed so the first four days simulate unit meetings and the last two simulate a campout. While not Sea Scout specific, it provides a great introduction to leadership skills that National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience (NAYLE) and Sea Experience Advanced Leadership expand on. National Advanced Youth Leadership Experience is a Philmont-based program where participants do not learn any new leadership skills but instead practice the skills they learned at NYLT. A search-andrescue based curriculum encourages participants to form a team and work towards a common goal: finding a "missing family" played by the NAYLE staff. While also in a camp setting, many of the lessons learned at NAYLE translate into Sea Scouting and provide a good supplement to the NYLT curriculum. Undoubtedly the most challenging of the three is SEAL. In addition to being the only scored leadership course, it is also the only one that does not take place on scout property in a controlled environment; it is on the water where participants are surrounded by other boaters and real hazards. It is imperative that scouts be extremely capable when it comes to seamanship and navigation. Yet this does not mean that SEAL is not as fun as the other courses. There are plenty of times during SEAL where having fun is necessary to stay involved in the curriculum. Because it simulates a weeklong cruise on your home ship, SEAL allows participants to understand how to properly plan an event and to practice what will need to be done. 1

Each of the three courses provides a different environment, scenario, and plan to tech leadership. Each course has its merits related to the division it serves.

NYLT provides an excellent base of leadership skills, NAYLE shows how a team comes together, and SEAL demonstrates what it means to lead when a leader does not have control over their environment.

Editor s Note: After reading this article, perhaps you have decided that SEAL is for you.

2 Each of the three courses provides a different environment, scenario, and plan to tech leadership. Each course has its merits related to the division it serves. Together they provide a very well-rounded core that, combined with a participant's own experience, prepares them to lead teams both in and out of scouting. NYLT provides an excellent base of leadership skills, NAYLE shows how a team comes together, and SEAL demonstrates what it means to lead when a leader does not have control over their environment. Like a team, each course is strong individually but they become something more when the lessons learned are combined into one pool of experience for a scout to draw from. Editor s Note: After reading this article, perhaps you have decided that SEAL is for you... In the coming year, SEAL-NY (Long Island Sound) is set for July 12-19, 2014 and SEAL-MD (Chesapeake Bay) is set for June 21-29, Northeast Region Contacts: SEAL / New York - Skipper Noel E. Guzman - sss441vigilant@nyc.rr.com SEAL / Maryland - Skipper Douglas E. Yeckley - douglas.yeckley@comcast.net If you wish to take on the SEAL challenge, begin your preparations now; applications are due March 1, The current application can be found on the NER Website: The pessimist complains about the wind, the optimist expects it to change, and the realist adjusts the sails. - William Arthur Ward

3 A VIEW FROM THE FO'C'S'LE Eugene DeNezza Regional Boatswain s Mate Northeast Region Hey everyone, I m Eugene DeNezza and am senior in High School. In school I m the Cross Country team Captain and have been a member of Student Council since eighth grade. I started Sea Scouting when I was fourteen, after learning about it from my Boy Scout Troop. I loved Boy Scouts because of the great youth and adult leadership, and the opportunity to do outdoor activities that I would never have had the opportunity to do anywhere else. Over time I began to lead and strived to put the mistakes and successes I saw in other scout leaders to work in my leadership positions. Early on I learned that you need to respect others, be kind, and to put those you are leading above yourself. If you do this then you will be a successful leader. When I started Sea Scouting I said to myself that I would give it a chance. My plan was to go sailing with them once; and if I liked it I would stay, I didn t I would leave. I loved it! The truth is that I didn t really want to be active in leadership or rank in Sea Scouts like I was in Boy Scouts. I just wanted to sail. So, for a year I didn t work on any requirements, I just sailed. Finally, my Skipper talked with me and convinced me that since I am already completing all the requirements; why not get a rank for them. I took his advice. After a few years I earned my Quartermaster. Once I started being an active participant in the Sea Scout program, I wanted to make myself a better leader. I wanted to build on what I had learned in Boy Scouts, Sports, and at School. So I started small, at the Ship level. I always strived to be a servant leader and to do everything with excellence. I believe that is the best way to lead. After a few leadership positions in my Ship, my Skipper asked me if I wanted to try out for Flotilla Boatswain. I decided that Flotilla Boatswain sounded like fun, a challenge, and a great opportunity. It was a fantastic experience and I learned so much. Eventually I applied to be the Regional Boatswain s Mate and have had the honor to serve in that position. In the future I hope to serve our country as an Officer in our Air Force. I believe that everything I have learned in Scouting will translate well into a military career. My goals for the next year are to attend as many events as I can and to do everything I can with excellence. I hope to serve as an example and to encourage any Scout to continue and strive to push themselves in whatever they choose to do. I never would have imagined four years ago that I would have ended up here. I thank everyone who has helped me along my journey. So, my message to anyone out there reading this is: Start small! Just take baby steps with little goals along the way. When you reach a goal make another one. You just might be surprised where you end up. 3

Sea Scout Ship 6 Tackles Block Island Race Week Courtesy WINDCHECK MAGAZINE / August 2013 Editor s note: The crew of Sea Scout Ship 6 from Norwalk, CT had a strong visual presence at the Storm

Most of the eight teenage sailors showed their Ship 6 pride with bright red racing stripes dyed into their hair to match the hull of their Tripp 37 Celebration II.

Sea Scout Ship 6 competed in the10-boat PHRF Cruising Non-Spinnaker class at Block Island Race Week XXV. Allen Clark/PhotoBoat.

The Sea Scouts planned all aspects of the trip including menus, provisioning, duty rosters, delivery watches, vessel maintenance, costs planning, safety equipment, navigation, currents, departure

4 Sea Scout Ship 6 Tackles Block Island Race Week Courtesy WINDCHECK MAGAZINE / August 2013 Editor s note: The crew of Sea Scout Ship 6 from Norwalk, CT had a strong visual presence at the Storm Trysail Club s Block Island Race Week XXV. Most of the eight teenage sailors showed their Ship 6 pride with bright red racing stripes dyed into their hair to match the hull of their Tripp 37 Celebration II. The Sea Scouts also had the best crew shirts at the regatta, featuring a No Whining Babies logo and the Ship 6 motto: Sail Tough or Stay Home! Sea Scout Ship 6 competed in the10-boat PHRF Cruising Non-Spinnaker class at Block Island Race Week XXV. Allen Clark/PhotoBoat.com Celebration II heads out of the Great Salt Pond on the first day of racing. norwalkship6.org This adventure was the most ambitious that Sea Scout Ship 6 had attempted in recent years. The Sea Scouts planned all aspects of the trip including menus, provisioning, duty rosters, delivery watches, vessel maintenance, costs planning, safety equipment, navigation, currents, departure time and much more, including parental permission to miss the last day of school. These young men and women sailed late into the season last year, logging 45 training days. They sailed at night and in rough weather, both racing and cruising. They wet-sanded the hull of their boat in the cold of March, and started sailing early this season to get extra training under their belts. They even built their own mainsail after school, under the expert supervision of John Savage at Hathaway, Reiser & Raymond in Stamford, CT. The youth did all the navigation and managing of the boat on the delivery to Block Island. The weather was perfect, with a beautiful starry sky guiding our way. There was a tense moment approaching the Race in the dead of night with a large tug and barge coming the other way, but they handled it with maturity, making Skipper Kai Horan (who has been at the helm of Ship 6 since 2006) very proud. The Ship 6 crew played Apples to Apples during the all-too-frequent postponements at a very foggy Race Week. norwalkship6.org Homeward bound through the Race. Although Skipper Kai Horan and other adults were aboard, the Sea Scouts did all of the sailing and navigating. norwalkship6.org For more details and personal quotes from each Sea Scout who sailed, check out the full article at 4

5 WANTED: SHIP REC'S No man is much good unless he believes in God and obeys his laws. So every Scout should have a religion. Robert Baden-Powell, Scouting for Boys, 1908 Are you active in a faith community? Are you passionate about Duty to God? Then the Religious Emblems Coordinator (REC) may be a perfect fit for you. BSA has created new REC positions at the Council, District, and Unit/Ship levels. Why? Because of the impact that religious emblems can have: Involvement in religious emblems makes a positive difference in the lives of Scouts and their families Religious Emblems reinforce Scouting values Religious emblems can improve relationships with Religious Chartered Partners and others Religious emblems can help establish relationships with potential Religious Chartered Partners and others A Scout is Reverent toward God. He is faithful in his religious duties. He respects the beliefs of others. The responsibilities of the Unit Religious Emblems Coordinator are to: 1. Serve as a member of the unit committee. 2. Acquaint all youth with the religious emblems programs and the emblems available from their faith group. 3. Provide Scout families and clergy with an orientation to the religious emblems program and encourage their involvement. 4. Urge all youth in the unit to earn the religious emblem(s) of their faith. 5. Disseminate information to the unit's Scouts and Scouters about any district or council religious emblems activities, retreats, camps, etc. 6. Promote religious emblems usage like BSA promotes other youth advancement. 7. Coordinate the establishment of goals and track the number of religious emblems completed every year. 8. Serve as the unit's liaison to the District Religious Emblems Coordinator. Religious Emblems Coordinators play a vital role in enhancing the Scouting experience for youth, increasing advancement, supporting retention and growth, and strengthening relationships throughout the community. For further information and resources, contact NER s REC Ben Feril at bengmferil@msn.com or visit online 5

of Honor and Sea Scout Ball on Saturday, March 29, 2014.

The theme this year is: "Traditions of the Past, Seamanship for the

We will be giving out a coffee mug and a tote bag to all participants.

6 MARK YOUR CALENDAR!!! We want your Ship to attend the 32 nd Northeast Region, BSA, Bridge of Honor and Sea Scout Ball on Saturday, March 29, We will rendezvous at the Holiday Inn Select in Bridgeport, New Jersey. The theme this year is: "Traditions of the Past, Seamanship for the Future". We will be giving out a coffee mug and a tote bag to all participants. Prices are $50 for banquet, $90 for room. Check out the Boarding Manual posted on our new NER Website at Questions? Contact Beth Parks, RBOH Registrar, at elizabeth.parks@stryker.com. 6

SSS Makai Honoured as 2013 National Sea Scout Flagship Sea Scout Ship 700, SSS Makai of San Leandro, California, San Francisco Bay Area Council has been selected as the 2013 National Flagship by the

7 SSS Makai Honoured as 2013 National Sea Scout Flagship Sea Scout Ship 700, SSS Makai of San Leandro, California, San Francisco Bay Area Council has been selected as the 2013 National Flagship by the National Seas Scout Support Committee of the Boy Scouts of America is the beginning of the second century of the Sea Scout program, which provides nautical programs to more than 6,500 Sea Scouts throughout the U.S. BoatUS and Sea Scouts, BSA recognizes the Makai is chartered by Bigham-Taylor Roofing Company. The award was created by BoatUS in 2002 to mark the 90th anniversary of Sea Scouts. It is presented in recognition of excellence in program quality, youth achievement, and adult commitment; attributes reflected by the Makai in its exemplary programs of seamanship and youth development. The Makai was part of the 2012 National Flagship Fleet. The Ship s quarterdeck and Skipper completed a full application and provided support through written summary of their accomplishments and activities they participated in during this past year. The Ship s Boatswain Nick Rojos comments, Makai is much more than a Sea Scout Ship, we re a group of determined young men who want to work hard for regattas and enjoy our cruises to the fullest I am proud to lead these young men and I m even more proud of the Makai that I call my second family. The crew works hard and plays hard learning to maintain their boat, learning new skills, and competing in a wide array of events. A heartfelt congratulation goes to Ship Boatswain Nick Rojos, Skipper Robert Karn, Executive Officer Mr. Kevin Trujillo, and the dedicated SSS Makai crew and adult volunteers. The Makai s name will be inscribed on a perpetual trophy now on display at the National Scouting Museum in Irving, Texas. An identical trophy will be presented to the ship s leadership. Join us in saluting Ship 700, SSS Makai for their outstanding efforts. We wish them well in continuing to promote water safety and provide a quality Sea Scout program to the youth in their area. Editor s Note: if you are interested in getting much deserved recognition for your ship, but may not yet qualify for the National Flagship Award, you should investigate the Regional Commodore s Award of Excellence. Application can be found in the 2014 Regional Bridge of Honor Boarding Manual, on the NER Website at 7

8 A YEAR END THOUGHT FROM THE EDITOR Peace on Earth. Best wishes for a wonderful holiday season, and a new year filled with peace, health, happiness, prosperity, and fun! 8

National Geographic s Are You Tougher than a Boy Scout? Series videos: http://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?

9 National Geographic s Are You Tougher than a Boy Scout? Series videos: yhs-shopathome_001 Without your help... Sending in articles from your Flotilla or Ship... This space will remain blank in the Future! It is the objective of The Telegraph to be a publication of activities across the Northeast Region, to recognize contributions of Ships, Skippers and Scouts, to push exposure in all Flotillas, to include input from our regional youth officers, and to promote nautical subjects and concerns, while having fun and increasing readership. We hope the success and positive feedback on the past issues will encourage you to send in regular submissions for the newsletter. ((Be sure to include credits for any photographs too.)) Please send s to: deidre57@verizon.net 9

Just for Fun... Build a chain of words by adding one or two letters at each level to the word before. Courtesy of http://www.merriam-webster.

com Brian Gray Reg l Staff Advisor brian.gray@scouting.

10 Just for Fun... Build a chain of words by adding one or two letters at each level to the word before. Courtesy of From the Staff of THE TELEGRAPH Deidre Buchner Editor deidre57@verizon.net Noel E. Guzman Reg l Commodore Commodore-NER@nyc.rr.com Brian Gray Reg l Staff Advisor brian.gray@scouting.org Contributing Journalists & Reporters Staff Photographers YOU - Ships of the Northeast Region Member Ships of the NER Flotillas Watch for our next issue: Winter 2014, Vol.18 No.1, to be released in the first quarter of the New Year! Thank you for your ongoing support of our great Sea Scout e-newsletter! 10

SEA SCOUTING AND THE COMMISSIONER DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS AND ITS HISTORY IN THE SCOUTING PROGRAM?

SEA SCOUTING AND THE COMMISSIONER DO YOU KNOW WHAT IT IS AND ITS HISTORY IN THE SCOUTING PROGRAM? Salvatore P. Ciampo Theodore Roosevelt Council SPCiampo@aol.com November 14, 2015 2 Thesis Review Committee