SEAL Training
Mark Ritter (RitterME@stny.lrun.com)
Sat, 30 Jan 1999 07:41:12 -0500
To the National Commodore, Regional Commodores, the SEAL course
development team, the SEAL course directors, and the rest of the
SEASCOUT-NET list -
I, too, have seen nothing more in the way of description of the SEAL
course than a few short sentences. In a prior life as a Scoutmaster I
have served on staff for our council's Junior Leader Development,
Brownsea Double-II, and subsequent Junior Leader Training programs, and
had several successful experiences at sending our SPL to them at troop
expense. (The cost was about the same as a week of regular scout summer
camp.) Based in large measure on my presumption that the SEAL course
would be a LEADERSHIP course of similar quality and my resulting
recommendation, our Ship voted to send our Boatswain last year, at Ship
expense (for the course fee, his family paid his air fare). On return,
he said he thought it was a very worthwhile course, but so far I haven't
been able to get any significant information from him.
I've made at least three requests for copies of the staff guide, and two
for the student hand-outs, with no reply from either of the course
directors I've contacted or our regional commodore (sorry folks). As
always in this type of case, I've offered to pay for photocopying and
postage thereof. In my opinion, our Boatswain's Mate is qualified to
attend this year, and I'd like to see her do so. But it's difficult for
me to recommend that this be at Ship expense when I can't get any idea
what benefit the Ship is getting for its money. IMO, this information
needs to be made available somehow or other.
To Michael and the rest of the list -
At present, I think it would be rather difficult to send an entire
ship's quarterdeck. Each course is limited to a handfull of
participants. The one our Boatswain attended last year had 6, plus 2
staff. If the course is what I think and hope it is, you should
nominate your current Boatswain or Boatswain's Mate, or whichever sea
scout is the person you think is most likely to become Boatswain at the
election following the SEAL course. Then hope that your nominee is
chosen by the selection team from among those applications submitted.
I don't think a cost of $165 is particularly outrageous. The cost of a
week at our local council's scout camps is $140-$150, plus extra for
taking the SCUBA training option. I'm not sure, but I think the week
long council JLT is about the same.
Take a look at the budget. Food is probably half that cost. (Ship 90
regularly does a week on the Delaware River for a cost of approximately
$50-$60 per person, no high-priced freeze-dried backpackers specialty
stuff, all off-the-shelf at the corner grocery store. Figure times 8
devided by 6 for SEAL.) That leaves just about $10/person/day, or less
than $1/waking-hour to pay for the use of a 35'-65' boat, dockage, staff
salaries (probably $0 for volunteers), gas and other consumables,
allowance for wear and tear or breakage or loss of equipment, staff
guides, student handouts, specialty training props (maybe $0 if
everything is already on hand, just a few $$$ as allowance for w/t/b/l),
etc. I'm surprized this can be done for such a reasonable price. I
wouldn't be surprized to find that the instructors are volunteers, who
pay for their own food, staff guides, and pay for the training props
too. But it's not fair to expect them to do so, and if they are doing
so it should be greatly appreciated. (Let's see: $1 per waking-hour
per participant, times 6 participants, divided by two staff = $3/hour,
less than minimum wage, with nothing left over for anything else at all
... yup ... they are volunteers. And we are getting a bargain!)
So, I don't have a concern with the cost of the course, just with who
should pay for it. If it's basically a week's vacation at sea for the
particpants, the participant should pay for it. If it's an advanced
SEAMANSHIP course that's primarily of value to the particpants own
advancement, contributing to the participants future career or hobby
prospects, etc., then again I think the participant should pay for most
of it. But if it's an advanced LEADERSHIP course that benefits the
Ship, then I'm willing for the Ship to pay a significant share of it.
And right now, I'm not at all comfortable with the lack of information
on which to base my recommendations.
Mark Ritter - RitterME@stny.lrun.com - Committee Member
Sea Scout Ship 90 - The S.S.S. North Star - New Milford PA
http://www.seascout.net/ship90 -OR-
http://www.geocities.com/yosemite/trails/3990
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