Sea Scouts - Order of the Golden Dragon

[Kahuna]

This seems to be an OA type of entity intended to be of service in Sea Scouting, since boys can't wear OA flaps and girls can't be OA. It offers a rather classy insignia http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.356692921025698.96690.353763341318656&type=3. Some councils have adopted this and approved it for Sea Scout wear in the council. I have heard it is being presented as an "award" at some regional regattas.

 

If any SS people are familiar with Golden Dragon, what do you know about it and what is your take on it as a benefit to Sea Scouting?

 

I'm not with the uniform police, just curious as to whether this is something I should promote in my contacts with Skippers.

[Eagle92]

Kahuna,

 

It's a SR7 "Cardinal Wardroom" creation.

 

http://sasserrc.tripod.com/cardinalwardroom/index.htm

 

Specific to the Order of the Golden Dragons

 

http://sasserrc.tripod.com/cardinalwardroom/id37.htm

 

Hope it helps.

[Oak Tree]

Our Sea Scouts seem to like it.

[Kahuna]

Thanks Eagle92. I notice they refer to it as an "award," but it's supposed to be a service order like OA. I'm still a bit confused. I'm so far inclined to support it and I guess it will get refined as it goes along. OA started in the same way, of course. One council adopted it and then more.

[sailingpj]

Huh, that looks interesting. I've never seen that before.

[Eagle92]

Sailing,

 

Again it's a SR-7 thing. Only awarded once a year at their annual training weekend in VA.

 

Hopefully when Oldest is of age, he will be a Sea Scout, and the OotGD will still be around.

[Kahuna]

Not JUST SR-7 any more. It's all over Florida now. They are presenting them at regattas regularly. Our council has approved it for units here. We have a set of instructions on how to get it and who approves it, etc.

[HawkUH60]

Youth are inducted in OGD for comepleting the first rank of seascouting, adults simply have to be involved with the youth in some way. When I got mine is 2009 adults simply had to have a pulse. They may have tighten up the adult requirements. if you can ever get to Porthsmouth VA (USCG base) for the training weekend its pretty cool. You get to sleep in the gym, eat in the chow hall and partispiate with your youth in the training. I took my venturing crew 2 years in a row (the only crew to ever go) and my youth loved it. I cant say enough about it. Sea Socuting gets even less love from BSA then Venturing.

[Eagle92]

Hawk,

 

 

Did you go this weekend? I wanted to, but the pack was camping.

[HawkUH60]

No, I am deployed to Afghanistan right now. I hope to move back to Bragg and be able to go next year.

[EagleScout721]

I'm not active in Sea Scouts, however I am a United States Naval Officer and I just had to say, that is a really great looking award. I hope it becomes part of the national program.

[HawkUH60]

As a venturer/ dirt scout I am most proud of my sea badge and OGD badge. I dont think BSA (the paid guys) will ever care about such a small group of sea scouts and there badge.

[sailingpj]

We weren't always such a small group. In the late 60s AMR had 3000+ participants. There were 10s of thousands of Sea Scouts. Just a couple years ago there was less than 6000 Sea Scouts in the country. We are now over 7000 and growing. We are making a comeback. It will take time, but it is happening. Be prepared to see some pretty awesome stuff from us over the next few years, and it is all starting right here in the western region.

[HawkUH60]

way to go. I would love to be a commissioner (my primary job) for a SS ship. I hope to go to seabadge underway when i redeploy.

[Eagle92]

Here are my opinions and observations as to why Sea Scouts is the best kept secret.

 

1) Sea Scouts have kept alot of the traditions and customs dating back to the 1920's. Yes I know Sea Scouts is 100 years old this year, but CDR. Keane really created the traditions and customs that are evident today in traditional ships.

 

2)The old Sea Exploring program that divided ships into catagories, traditional and non-traditional, kinda screwed it up IMHO. I know that when I was looking for a ship to join, I had the expectations of one of the ASMs in my troop, as well as the Sea Explorer manual I was reading. But my ship was a non-traditional one, and I left after about 18 months.

 

3)Running ships is expensive, more so than scout troops. Constant maintence, insurance, finding qualified leaders with the KSAs or willing to go through outside training via USCGA and Power Squadron, etc.

 

4) Does not get the support from the pros as it should. Grant you, some can say that about Venturing as a whole, but you do see pros actively creating crews and wearing the Venturing uniform. I can count on one hand how many pros I've seen in a Sea Scout uniform, not including when I was a DE and assigend to a ship.