RE: Skippers Skills/Qualities
jcrabtre (jmcrabt@erols.com)
Thu Jun 11 16:10:52 1998
Thomas,
Chris' thoughts on the skipper of a Ship are right on from my own
experience as a skipper for 10 years of my 13 years in Sea Exploring. The
amount of time a skipper would spend on Sea Exploring in general and his/her
Ship in particular will vary depending on the number and quality of the
Ship's Mates and the strength of the Ship Committee. The skipper can
delegate many things but must participate in almost all the Ship's
activities if he/she is to be effective with the youth of the Ship. I
probably averaged from 40 to 60 hours a week in the 10 years I was skipper.
This includes: telephone calls from parents, Sea Explorers and others in
regards to the Ship; ship meetings and their preparation ( I only missed
five meetings in those 10 years and we met every Monday evening);
Quarterdeck meetings once a month; Squadron meetings once a month at Scout
Headquarters; Weekend activities from boating/cruising to regattas, ski
trips, etc.; fund raising activities; boatwork; Ship Officer leadership
seminars; and long cruises. Having said that I would add that not all Ships
are as active as we are on a weekly basis, nor as large as we were (anywhere
from 30 to 50 youth). We had an activity of some sort almost every weekend.
I began my Sea Exploring Skipper days barely knowing the pointy end of
the boat from the aft end, so I spent a lot of time trying to keep one step
ahead in the early years of what our youth were learning. I used the Coast
Guard Auxiliary as instructors both for the youth and myself. They were a
tremendous help. And yes, I agree with Chris that nautical knowledge is
important but other qualities and skills in personal relations, counseling,
public relations and organization are even more critical. I know of at
least one ship where the First Mate is the nautical skill expert in the Ship
and the Skipper's skills are as an organizer, working with the youth and
parents, and as a motivator of youth. The Ship flourishes with him as
skipper.
I would also tell you that it was worth every minute of my time. Watching
young people grow and knowing that you contributed to that growth is a
tremendous experience and reward I recommend for anyone. Having so many
young men and women pass through you is an exhilarating experience and not
unlike discovering the fountain of youth.
Jeremiah M. Crabtree
Past Skipper SES SEA DEVIL
Bowie, Maryland
> -----Original Message-----
> From: seascout-net@scouter.com [mailto:seascout-net@scouter.com]On
> Behalf Of Christopher H. Fox
> Sent: Thursday, June 11, 1998 3:37 PM
> To: Multiple recipients of list
> Subject: Re:Skippers Skills/Qualities
>
>
> At 10:12 AM 6/9/98 CDT, you wrote:
> >On a practical, rather than a theoretical
> >side, what does the job of Skipper involve? How much of the work on the
> >ship (a brand new unit, with a completely raw crew) would a Skipper
> >probably be doing?
> >
> > -------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Thomas W. Strong Jr. strong@dementia.org
> > ----------------- http://www.dementia.org/~strong ------
>
> Greetings, Thomas!
> In a word (or two):A LOT! My experience with Sea Scouts (17
> years) tells
> me that any unit is a direct reflection of that unit's Skipper. He/She is
> the sail/engine and the rudder. The ship he leads runs on her/his energy
> and is guided by his/her leadership. It is the personality of the Skipper
> that sets the tone for the functioning of the unit. I think that it helps
> enormously if the Skipper has a real depth of nautical know-how, but the
> Skipper's personal skills of human relations, politics, and
> management will
> determine whether the Ship floats or fails.
> A Ship is first and foremost a social unit. Whatever its
> activities or its
> hardware complement, it will exist and flourish only if its people want to
> be there. That begins with the Skipper and that Skipper's personality and
> people skills. He/she must be able to attract and organize other adults
> that can provide competent help. They may be the ones who provide the
> "technical" know-how, their skills complementing what the Skipper
> may lack.
> These comments are not meant in ANY way to neglect the
> important role of
> Mates and Committee Members; a Skipper cannot do it alone! I do think,
> though, that a Ship's successful existence hinges on the Skipper's... call
> it CHARISMA ? ( What an embarrassing word! :) )
> Your's etc.
> Chris
> Christopher Fox, XO
> SSS 936, MARINER
> Dana Point, CA
> <http://home.fea.net/~tofer>
>
>
>
>
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