The following script is a template for a Quartermaster Ceremony open for any Sea Scouts to use and adapt, a downloadable pdf file can be found here.
Quartermaster Bridge of Honor Ceremony Script
Quartermaster Bridge of Honor
Information about the ceremony:
This script provides a suggested, in-depth quartermaster bridge of honor script that may be used for a Quartermaster rank advancement recognition ceremony. It has been designed to be modified to fit the ship’s needs and can be part of a landship or simply a separate ceremony.
Master of Ceremonies:
Good afternoon. My name is [Insert name here]. I will be serving as Master of Ceremonies for this Quartermaster Bridge of Honor.
It is a privilege to recognize the accomplishments of the Quartermaster Award recipient(s) [Names of Quartermasters being honored]
OPENING FLAG CEREMONY
Flag to front
Pledge, Oath and Law, Sea Promise
MC:
You may not know that Sea Scouts BSA was the first high adventure program for older Scouts in the Boy Scouts of America program. It was established in 1912, only a few years after Boy Scouts, and has been in continuous operation ever since. It is therefore proper to ask a representative of the Boy Scouts of America to open our ceremonies today. While a few of us know of the Eagle Scout, fewer know of Sea Scouts BSA’s Quartermaster Award. I would like to ask Skipper [Quartermaster’s skipper’s name here] to outline the requirements for the rank of Quartermaster.
Skipper:
Like all programs in Scouting, the Quartermaster award requires learning new skills, developing as a leader and performing community service.
The first category of requirements is in “Ship organization and leadership”. Examples include:
- activity chair for scout trips
- hold leadership offices
- recruiting youth and running meetings.
- Teaching scouts valuable nautical skills
The next category is “seamanship and boating safety”. This includes:
- Knots and splicing
- engine maintenance
- piloting, navigation
- weather
- radio communications
- boat handling skills and on-board emergencies.
[Insert name here] was specifically active in [Here list specific focus of quartermaster being honored] they devoted their time and energy to …
To achieve the rank of Quartermaster ____ has had to progress through the ranks of Apprentice, Ordinary, and Able
Each rank embodies a different value of scouting, Apprentice is to Live and Learn, Ordinary is to Be and Know, Able is to Advance and Understand, and Quartermaster is to Teach and Lead
MC:
The Quartermaster Award is the only high-level award in Sea Scouts BSA’s program that requires the applicant to identify, plan, lead, and evaluate a community service project. Thus, completion of the Quartermaster Award signifies the application of the Scout Slogan of doing a Good Turn. In the case of the Quartermaster project, the recipient of this good turn must be the community.
[Briefly explain the quartermaster’s service project].
Presentation of Award
MC:
Will the quartermasters and their presenter [parents or other important person invited to present award] please lay aft
Quartermaster Pledge
Will all Quartermaster Sea Scouts please rise?
please raise your right hand in the Scout sign and repeat after me:
I affirm my allegiance
to the three promises
of the Scout Oath
and the four promises
of the Sea Promise.
I thoughtfully recognize
and take upon myself
the obligations and responsibilities
of the rank of Quartermaster.
On my honor
I will do my best
to make my training an example,
to use my rank and my influence strongly
for better Scouting
and for better citizenship
in my Ship
in my community
and in my country
To this I pledge my Honor.
You may lower the Scout sign. The Quartermaster Sea Scouts in the audience may now be seated.
The Quartermaster Award Medal is rich in symbolism, and as in all Scouting, Silver is the standard of the highest achievements.
(Pass the medal to QM Candidate/Skipper to begin pinning it on.)
- The Double Carrick Bend is used to join hawsers without slipping and symbolizes the scout’s purpose to resolution throughout life.
- The blue-ribbon stands for loyalty to the country.
- The compass suggests the importance of a carefully chosen direction in life.
- The ship’s wheel reminds us that we are the guides of our own future.
- The scout badge represents a purposeful brotherhood, with Sea Scouting a part of that tradition.
- The anchor reminds us that a truly worthy life must be anchored in the duty to God.
“The Quartermaster Award, which stands for excellence, goes to the young adult who attains the highest rank in Sea Scouts. The award is a reminder that as a ship needs a rudder, a compass, and a moving force to reach its destination, so an individual must be physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight to achieve worthwhile goals in life.”
—Commander Thomas J. Keane, First National Director of Sea Scouting
(Skipper the National Quartermaster Certificate to present)
I am proud to present the Quartermaster award to __________ in honor of all they have accomplished.
No one will ever know the many hours and unnumbered acts of self-sacrifice from the parent(s) of this Quartermaster which have led us to this day of honor. Let us take a moment to remember that this voyage could not be done without the help of our parents.
It is my honor to present to you _________ Council’s newest Sea Scout Quartermaster, ______________
Parents and Skipper you may be seated.
At this point in the Bridge of Honor, the new Quartermaster would like to make a few rebuttal remarks of his own.
(All those forward return to their seats and ________ remains at the podium _______ speaks of those who helped with their voyage to Quartermaster.)
Skipper’s/ Commodore’s turn to say a few words about their experience and thoughts with _________.
MC:
We are nearing the end of today’s voyage into a celebrated harbor. On behalf of the National Bridge of Honor of the Boy Scouts of America, I challenge each of you to make your personal log books a delight for future readers. Your logbook pages should have spilled ink, and miss-spellings, along with calculated destinations for adventures. The pages should tell of friendships made in ports-of-call, taking departure on different tacks, but always bound by the traditions of the sea and the values of Scouting.
May we all berth in a safe port when the winds require such a maneuver, but bend sails and beam reach when the weather is fair and winds favorable.
I now declare this Quartermaster Bridge of Honor closed.
Skipper:
On behalf of _______ and Ship _____, I’d like to thank all those who contributed to this ceremony today.
Please join us for the reception after we disembark. We will now be turning the deck back over to the Boatswain’s Mate.