The History of Sea Scouting in the United States
Sea Scouting had its beginning at a camp fire in England
when Lord Baden-Powell voiced the hope that older
Scouts would be interested in learning about boat
management and seamanship. He stressed the need for
young men to prepare themselves for service on their
country's ships. (See also
A Short History of Sea Scouting in the United Kingdom and
the Early History of Sea Scouting.)
Following the campfire, there was activity in England that
resulted in Lord Baden-Powell's older brother, Warington,
writing a book called Sea Scouting and Seamanship for
Boys. It was enthusiastically received by the young men
of Britain and soon found its way to the United States.
Sea Scouting in America was founded in 1912. That year,
Arthur A. Carey of Waltham, Massachusetts, had Sea
Scouts using the schooner Pioneer and was appointed
Chairman of the National Council Committee on Sea
Scouting. That summer, Charles T. Longstreth organized
a Sea Scout patrol on his yacht in Philadelphia. Both of
these men prepared pamphlets on Sea Scouting and
Carey's Cruising for Sea Scouts was the first literature
related to Sea Scouting.
A booklet that preceded the first Sea Scout manual published in 1915 gave some direction to Sea Scouting. It was entitled Nautical Scouting and was compiled by Charles Longstreth.
Since its beginning, the Boy Scouts of America had been
aware of the need for an older-boy program. Mr. Carey
made the first real effort to satisfy that need when he
helped promote Sea Scouting with his pamphlet.
In a report to the National Executive Board, Mr. Carey
recommended that Sea Scouting be recognized as a
special department of the Boy Scouts of America. He
suggested that the pamphlet Cruising for Sea Scouts be
accepted as a supplement to the Handbook for Boys until
a more complete Sea Scout manual could be written.
From 1912 to 1917, Sea Scouting struggled through a difficult period. And yet, with little or no national guidance, it managed to grow.
In addition, G. V. L. Meyer, Secretary of the Navy, in
February 1913, encouraged the development of Sea
Scouting and extended the cooperation of the Navy
Department. This was the beginning of a fruitful period of
cooperation for Sea Scouting with the nation's armed
services.
Sea Scouting received a real boost in October 1917, when James Austin Wilder (a veteran sailor, global traveler, artist, and devoted Boy Scout volunteer) was secured as Director of the Department of Sea Scouting of the Boy Scouts of America. For several years, as a volunteer, Mr. Wilder worked full time for Sea Scouting with the title of Chief Sea Scout.
He organized the scattered Sea Scout units info a national
organization that generated the first wide-spread interest
in Sea Scouting. Gathering all of the experience and
scattered bits of literature used in the program, Mr. Wilder
supervised the preparation of the first Sea Scout Manual
in 1919. In those days, Sea Scouting followed a pattern
of action that was very similar to that of a Boy Scout
troop; for example: boys wore khaki uniforms. In order to
register, they had to subscribe to the Scout Oath and law
and pass the Tenderfoot requirements. Membership
required that a boy be 15 years of age and weigh at least
112 pounds.
For many years the Sea Scout program was aimed at
older boys who had graduated from Boy Scout troops.
Sea Scout units began to be called ships. The age-old
organization of skippers, mates, boatswains, coxswains
and crews began to be used.
On July 15, 1920, the well-illustrated fourth edition of the Sea Scout Manual was printed and sold in large quantities. Then came a period of 2 or 3 years in which Sea Scouting struggled to be recognized and understood. Although membership fell off, the program proved healthy enough to withstand this period of adjustment. Finally it began to grow as more councils gave it enthusiastic support.
Over the years, one of the persons most responsible for the development of Sea Scouting was Commander Thomas J. Keane. Between 1922 and 1925, he completely revised the Sea Scout program. He wrote the new requirements for advancement and changed the Boy Scout nature of Sea Scout uniforms into the seagoing uniform that Sea Scouts still wear today. As a result of his fine leadership, the Sea Scout Manual was almost completely revised. Under his direction, it was published in 1924.
Commander Keane served as acting director of the Sea Scout department in the national office from 1923 until January 15, 1927. His annual report of 1925 indicates that there were 85 registered Sea Scout ships. A similar report in 1926 revealed an increase of 38 ships for a total of 123 ships
With a membership of more than 27,000, Sea Scouting
served its country well in World War II. Commander Keane
was recalled to active service in the Navy and resigned
his position is national director of Sea Scouting.
Thousands upon thousands of former and active Sea
Scouts joined the Navy and made a tremendous
impression on Admiral Chester Nimitz who sincerely
believed that Sea Scouts were better trained and better
equipped to help the Navy win out over the enemy and
the elements.
Based on the written report of ship activities-the ship log
- a national committee selected the ship with the most
outstanding record to be the national flagship. Quite
surprisingly, two years this honor was achieved by a Sea
Scout ship located in the rather arid state of Kansas. Its
Skipper was Dr. William C. Menninger, one of the early
greats in Sea Scouting.
In May 1949, the National Executive Board made
sweeping changes in the older-boy program, as a result of
a study made by the Research Service of the Boy Scouts
of America. This revision of Senior Scouting recognized as
Explorers all young men who were 14 years of age or
older and registered with the Boy Scouts of America.
In 1954, the National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts
of America authorized the Research Institute for Social
Service of the University of Michigan to make a national
study of adolescent boys. This survey revealed the needs,
desires, and concerns of 14- to 16- year old boys
across the nation. As a result, a completely new Explorer
program was developed and put into effect on January 1,
1959. However, this did not bring about a change in Sea
Exploring. It was decided that changes should be
postponed until there had been sufficient time to observe
Sea Exploring in operation alongside the new Explorer
program. After 5 years, in which there was ample time to
make such observations, the decision was made to revise
the program.
After extensive field testing, the Exploring Division put the
revised Sea Exploring program into effect. This was done
in May 1966 with a new edition titled Sea Exploring
Manual, written by Arthur N. Lindgren.
In 1968, a new Exploring Division, BSA was organized
and established under the direction of John M. Claerhout,
who placed a new emphasis on Sea Exploring by naming
William J. Lidderdale as the first time director of Sea
Scouting since 1935.
In 1974, the U.S. Navy assigned a liaison officer to work
in the BSA national office. A series of officers served in
this capacity through 1983. Their work further enriched
and expanded Sea Exploring.
In 1927, Commander Keane was appointed the national
director of Sea Scouting, its first full-time professional
director. One of T.J. Keane's earliest project was organizing the first Antarctic expedition to include
a Scout. The Scout, Eagle Scout and Able Sea Scout Paul Siple of Erie Pennsylvania, ably
participated in Admiral Robert Byrd's expedition of 1928-29. In the years the followed,
Siple built a career on Antarctic exploration and extreme cold weather climatology. (See also
Eagle Scout Siple with Admiral Byrd in the Antarctic.)
In the years that followed, there was a marked
increase in the number of units and boys registered in Sea
Scouting. By 1930 the membership had reached 8,043
young men. In the 1930's, with the cooperation of other
departments in the national office of the Boy Scouts of
America, he developed training courses for leaders, new
registration procedures, and more acceptable Sea Scout
equipment and uniforms. He also developed a National Sea
Scout flagship competition in 1928 which has been in use in
varying forms up to today. Click here
to view a historical listing of National and Regional flagships.
A major revision of the manual was made in 1939 by the
national committee. The new version was written by Carl
D. Lane, an outstanding skipper and author of many books
and articles about small ships and the sea.
Throughout the rest of the 1940's, Sea Scouting
continued to serve the boys of America who were
interested in the lore of the sea. Sea Scouts all over the
nation participated in flood relief and community service.
They were in evidence at national jamborees. Sea Scout
ships across the country held competitive and events
known is rendezvous and regattas.
So, on September 1, 1949, the Sea Scouts officially
became Sea Explorers. This was primarily a change in
terminology since the old Sea Scout program continued
much the same is it had in the past.
The national committee on Exploring worked closely with
the Exploring Division in making recommendations for this
revision. Groups of experienced volunteers also assisted-
especially in the revision of advancement requirements.
The object was to make available to Sea Exploring some
of the elements of the new Explorer program that had
been found effective, while preserving the integrity of Sea
Scouting with its traditions.
After a new National Sea Exploring Committee was formed
with Morgan F. Fitch, Jr., as Chair, to give new
national volunteer emphasis to the promotion and support
of Sea Exploring. In response to field reaction, the new
Handbook for Skippers was written by Arthur Lindgren
and published in 1971 for Skippers, mates, ship
committee members, and other related adult leaders. The following
year, Sea Exploring (along with all other phases of Exploring)
officially became coed.
Sea Scouts across America were saddened by
the death of Commander Thomas J. Keane in 1984. His
pioneering efforts on behalf of Sea Scouting extended
over sixty years. The rich tradition and long tenure of
many Sea Scout Ships are a tribute to his career.
Technological improvements in seamanship, extensive
changes in aids to navigation, and program improvements
created the need for a new Sea Exploring Manual in the
early 1980's. Long-time Sea Exploring leader, Bill Minto of
Houston, Texas, did most of the text revision with the
help of Don Callenius and Bob Maxfield, former national
directors of Exploring, and Mike Strain of San Francisco.
A number of BSA Skippers, U.S. Coast Guard personnel,
and maritime experts contributed to this revision.
In 1998, the Boy Scouts of America reorganized the Exploring program into the Learning for Life Exploring program and the new Venturing Division. Sea Exploring was placed in the Venturing Division and was renamed Sea Scouts.
A new edition of the Sea Scout Manual, edited by Bruce Johnson and Jimmie Homburg, was published in 2000, which extensively revised the content and organization of the handbook, as well as updating advancement and uniforming standards.
In 2002, the National Sea Scouting Committee re-initiated the national Sea Scout sailing championships. The new competition, called the William I. Koch International Sea Scout Cup, is named for William Koch, famous yachtsman and National Committee member, whose generous support has made the competition possible. The Koch Cup competition includes Sea Scout competitors from all over the United States, as well as international Sea Scout participants. The initial running of the Koch Cup is scheduled to run in August of 2002 at the Columbia Yacht Club in Chicago, Illinois.
A Chronology of Sea Scouting in the United States
Historic Sea Scout photos
A history of Sea Scout flags
Covers of Sea Scout publications
Historic Sea Scout insignia
Aquatic merit badges
Sea Scout Recipients of the Silver Buffalo Award
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