It was over one hundred years ago that Sea Scouts was brought to life as a Scouting program to teach youth life skills through on the water activities. The program has survived through many generations and it’s had many names, but the traditions and values have always been constant. While Scouters joke that Sea Scouts is the “red headed stepchild” of Scouting, the organization has made much progress in the last year to expand beyond “the hidden program” and step into the forefront of Scouting, in order to share those historical traditions and values. With Sea Scouts new position as a standalone program, there have been organizational shifts. One such shift is to create an alumni affinity group to better foster relations between current and former Sea Scouters – adult and youth.
The Sea Scout National Committee, in conjunction with Scouting Alumni Association, has been working to create this alumni affinity group, and so the National Organization of Sea Scout Alumni (NOSSA) was born. The mission of NOSSA is serve those previously involved in Sea Scouts, who still believe in the program, and provide ways for them to stay informed and involved.
So what does this mean for the rest of the Sea Scouts out there that are interested in participating? Does your ship have a yearly alumni sail? Let NOSSA know! Other ships may want to do
the same and want some advice on how to start. Let’s face it, reinventing the wheel is something everyone would like to avoid! Does your ship have an open position that can be filled by an interested alum or a relocated Sea Scouter? Post it on the job board! Are you that interested alum or relocated Sea Scouter who wants to fill an open position? Check out the job board! Has Sea Scouts impacted your life for the better? Tell NOSSA your story – who knows, it may inspire someone!
There are many ideas floating around about what the committee should do – but this is a committee for alumni – so if you have ideas, then let the committee know. NOSSA is here to serve. You can contact the board by going to the ‘About’ section of the NOSSA page here – www.seascout.org/alumni. If you just want to stay informed, join the Scouting Alumni Network 1.0 by clicking the link on the right-hand side of the page.
Let’s continue to keep the traditions and values alive in Sea Scouts. Let’s continue to honor those alumni who have taken the skills they learned through Sea Scouting (as either an adult or as a youth) and applied it in their daily lives. Let’s continue to foster youth, and help them achieve success through alumni support. Let’s continue the journey to make Sea Scouts one of the best known programs of the Boy Scouts of America.