Watanabe, 18, excelled as a Sea Scout and recently was awarded the Quartermaster ribbon, the highest rank a Sea Scout can achieve. It is the Sea Scout equivalent of the Eagle Scout in Boy Scouts, according to Sea Scouts, and Monique is the first woman in the Greater Yosemite Council to receive this honor.
She also is only the second person to receive the award in the council in the past 25 years, District Executive Ron Schell said.
Watanabe, a Lodi resident, also was recognized recently in a three-way tie as the State Scout of the Year from the Veterans of Foreign Wars. The award honors top participants in Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and Sea Scouts.
Watanabe was exposed to Sea Scouting for the first time eight years ago, when she was only 10. Some of her friends were involved with the program.
Although she wasn't old enough to be an official Sea Scout, she could participate in the group, or "ship," if her mother, Jackie Watanabe, was with her. Her mother soon became leader of the ship, or the "skipper."
Watanabe began spending a lot of her free time at the Stockton Sea Scout Base and unofficially advanced in rank, even though she couldn't officially do so until she turned 14.
"I just fell in love with it," she said. "It's a blast."
In 1999, Watanabe helped to get a charter for the Siren Song Ship, an all-girls Sea Scout ship out of Stockton.
Jackie Watanabe says her daughter's hard work and discipline contributed to her success.
"I watched her step up to the plate that you won't see a lot of young girls — even boys — do," Jackie Watanabe said.
She said her daughter even pushes her and corrects her when she doesn't think she's handling the ship right.
Monique Watanabe's boyfriend, John Manov, whom she met through Sea Scouts, calls her a "perfectionist." She spent 58 hours during the past year working on her Quartermaster requirements alone.
To get her Quartermaster ribbon, Watanabe fulfilled a variety of requirements, including meeting standards for Red Cross lifesaving, learning to read a barometer, thermometer, anemometer, psychrometer and weather vane, and being able to command a vessel for at least 48 hours, including two consecutive nights.
In addition to the requirements, she had to complete a rigorous board of review that questioned her about everything she's learned in the past eight years. Manov said he had to relearn things he had forgotten when helping Watanabe study.
"I'd go to his (Manov's) house every night and go, 'Quiz me!'" Watanabe said.
She had to not only learn various skills for the Quartermaster award but be able to teach them to others.
Other Sea Scouts in Siren Song have learned a lot from Watanabe and attribute their good experience with Sea Scouts largely to her influence.
"She's the reason I stuck around," said Leanne Nelson, 15, who has been involved with the Sea Scouts for four years.
Another girl in the ship, Christina Pritchard, 14, was struggling with her grades and thought about quitting. Watanabe helped her get her grades up so she could stay involved.
"She never lets us give up," Nelson said.
Watanabe's favorite part of Sea Scouts has been the cruises, which can be short trips down the San Joaquin River or longer outings. The Scouts normally have a weeklong cruise in the summer, where they cruise around the Delta.
Watanabe also enjoys regattas, which are competitions among different ships.
Watanabe graduated from Lodi High School in June, and in the fall she will attend California Maritime Academy in Vallejo, where she'll study marine transportation.
Bee staff writer Anna Scianna can be reached at 578-2382 or ascianna@modbee.com.
WHAT ARE THE SEA SCOUTS?
History: Founded in 1912 by Arthur Carey as a branch of the Boy Scouts of America
Purpose: To teach young men and women about the sea, while also teaching them important principles such as leadership and responsibility
What they do: Learn about boat handling for sailboats and power boats, ship navigation and weather reading, as well participate in competitions and activities with other Sea Scouts
Who can participate: Sea Scouts are open to boys and girls, ages 14-21; children under 14 can participate if their parents accompany them.
Want to get involved? Contact the Boy Scouts of America, Greater Yosemite Council, for information at 545-6320.
