No Burning Bush -My vision for the new Sea Scout Ship.

[Eamonn]

A couple of weeks back Barry (Eagledad) asked me what my vision for the Sea Scout Ship was/is?

I had just about finished imparting my wise words when a storm came through and knocked out the power. So every thing was lost.

"Nothing happens unless first a dream" - Carl Sandburg.

Boy do I miss hearing that.

 

The Troop that I spent most of my time in as both a Scout, a Venture Scout and later as a Scout Leader was the 17th Fulham (Pioneers) about 3 miles from BP-House.

I'm not exactly sure when the Troop came into being. It was one of the early Boy Scout Troops in London, but had in the early years before 1920 merged with another Troop.

One day when I'm a lot older I would like to find out more about the history of Fulham Troops, I believe that the 3rd Fulham is one of the real early Troops.

It seems that the 17th had moved around a lot in the years after WWI.

When WW II came along, the Cubmaster Charlie Reed was a hospital Administrator and he wasn't drafted. Most of the Scouts from the 17th were. Charlie somehow managed to put out a news letter to all the Scouts who were in the service. Keeping them updated about what the Troop and pack was up to, which wasn't very much as many of the Lads had been moved away from London to the country to avoid the blitz.

Still keeping contact with everyone was no small task.

After the war all the Scouts came home except one. Bill Thompson had died in a Japanese prisoner of war camp.

The old Scouts got together and thought about a memorial for Bill. They came up with the idea of our own Scout HQ.

Of course I wasn't around but they had a dream and they stuck to it.

The Scout HQ had it's official grand opening in 1963. The group that had been active raising money had become a close knit group so once the goal was reached they didn't want to stop, they just kept on raising money. It was a lot easier with a hall of their own.

When I was a Scout in the 17th we were the biggest and best Troop in the area and had the best equipment.

Sadly there was a problem with the man who had been my SM. This was about six years after I'd left the Troop and had been through Venturing. I was happy as an Assistant Cub Master in the pack that was part of my church (The 35th Fulham)

I was asked to return.

I did return and I enjoyed every minute of being the Scout Leader of the 17th.

I don't see any reason why I can't do the same sort of thing here as the group that came back from the second world war did there.

I dream about the Ship having a meeting place and boat shed that it owns. I can almost picture the 40 foot + Sail boat waiting for the Scouts to board.

I have the land for the HQ and the boat house. I need to find the funding, but I'm sure I can get that. It's going to take a little time.

Mean while I want the Ship to establish a Sea Scouting presence in our area.

We are the only Ship in our Council. The big Metro Council next door has two Ships. One is a paper unit and the other one isn't doing much. The Council on the other side of us doesn't have any Sea Scout units.

The program is a good one. Already our Ship is seen by our Council as offering the best program for Venturing age youth in the Council.

People in the community are really impressed when they see our Scouts in uniform and everyone seems a little taken back that we have female Sea Scouts.

"It is my unique responsibility as the leader to shine a spotlight on the future and marshal the support of my countrymen to create that future"

Maggie Thatcher.

Eamonn.

[Eagledad]

>>I had just about finished imparting my wise words when a storm came through and knocked out the power. So every thing was lost.

[Eamonn]

The other question was about youth leadership.

We just had our elections.

Last year our Boatswain an older Lad who turned 18 on New Years Eve. Had a lot of problems at home. He comes from a family where his parents had divorced. Mom had remarried and his youngest sister was 2 the other was 4.

The poor Lad knew he was going to graduate, but wasn't sure what would happen after that. He doesn't drive. Dad wouldn't allow him on his car insurance, Mom said that it was up to Dad!!

The Lad became very mixed up and try as I might I wasn't doing much good. He ended up leaving the Ship, but is now back again. He is attending the local community college and seems to be a lot happier.

When he left our Boatswain's Mate, took his place. A truly super Lad, 16 years old, who had been a Tiger when I was Cubmaster. His Mom was a participant in the WB course I directed.

Sadly he belonged to a Troop which on the back of their ball-cap has "Where Eagles Fly" embroidered, a real Eagle mill which doesn't do anything right. He had no idea about what leadership was. He did give it his best shot, but things were complicated by the fact that he was dating the other Boatswain's Mate! (A female Sea Scout)and they had a falling out.

The new Boatswain is that rare find a great Lad who has more brains than he knows what to do with. An Eagle Scout, who has been SPL at both JLTC and the new NYLT course. He is very out going and two weeks back beat OJ in the OA election for Lodge Chief. (The Ship is only a year old and so far we have had 3 Scouts who have served as Lodge Chief )

His Mom is a Cub Scouter and he has a little brother who will be joining the Ship soon.

He is the sort of person who doesn't seem to have to work at doing anything it just seems to come natural.

I feel sure that he is able to run any meeting and it makes little difference if I'm around or not.

He has a good team.One Boatswain's Mate, is a Lad I took to the Jamboree. He is a very big strong Lad, but I don't think I have ever met a Lad as kind. When people seem to get a little hot and bothered, he has a way of calming things down, not because he is big and strong, but because he is so kind. The other Boatswain's Mate is a very smart girl who wants to work for NASA. She tends to flap a bit and can engage tongue before brain at times with a nasty streak of sarcasm.She is very goal oriented and has her eyes on the prize. (Both Mate's have been invited back to serve on Staff at the camp we went to last summer.) OJ is the purser if anyone enjoys money he does!! Our Yeoman is a Lad who is 16, but has a learning disability and ADD,at times he has a real hard time making friends and once he does he has a hard time keeping them!! The Scouts for the most part understand his problem and when he starts to get on their nerves will tell him that he is starting to be annoying, when he is on his meds he isn't that hard to get along with. Our Storekeeper is a 15 year old, who really is and likes to play the clown, a bright Lad who once he starts to settle down will one day make a fine Boatswain.

The great thing about working with this age group is that they seem to avoid the pettiness you find in younger Scouts.

The dating thing and the break up were new to me!!

But the Quarterdeck we have now is a really good one. I really enjoy our meetings and I'm sure the year ahead will be great.

Eamonn.