Sea Scouts to embark on leadership cruise

Submitted by Jane Bayer

Each year, a select group of Sea Scouts are gathered in a few areas across the nation to participate in the SEAL (Sea Scout Advanced Leadership) training program. SEAL is an intense, nine day venture designed to educate young adults in becoming skilled leaders of their crews. Five scouts from places such as Virginia and Texas flew into Newport, California, and sailed off on Windward Spirit, a 41’ Formosa ketch, cruising the California coast and Catalina Island. While on the journey, these Sea Scouts were engaged in decisions that broadened their horizons and were taught leadership techniques that would positively affect them for the rest of their lives. They learned how to be effective leaders and were involved in operations that they never expected, and were successful with them.

Every scout who participated in the Newport, California SEAL program had their own reason for initially applying and then following up on the many requirements to become one of the selected few. Some wanted to bring the leadership training back to their own scout ships, while others wanted to bring back the esteem that comes with being a SEAL graduate. For Claire Ryberg, the motivation to make the six hour plane flight from D.C. came from one conversation with a scout in her ship who passed SEAL the year before. In Claire’s words, “When Cynthia came back from SEAL, she just glowed as she told me about her boatswain day; how she was actually in command and found she could handle leadership and sailing a lot better than she had ever thought. I wanted to prove that to myself too; I wanted to glow like that.” It has been said more than once that SEAL graduates come back more confident and mature, changed for the better.

But what really is SEAL? And what sets SEAL graduates apart from every other Sea Scout? SEAL challenges the students to extensive tests and outlines even before setting forth to sail in sunny southern California. If the students can pass their seamanship, navigation, and knot tests, along with an array of drills, and can run the boat for 24 hours as boatswain, they will be successful. With an average failing rate of 20%, these five Sea Scouts beat the odds; and all passed with flying colors. Until they can next be rocked to sleep by the undulating Pacific, these scouts look to the sea.

With a fail rate of 20%, one out of five SEAL candidates should fail, right? Wrong. Through hard work and cramped quarters these five teens demonstrated their knowledge, persistence, and skill, and it was not easy. Countless emergency drills were put into action, hours were spent fine tuning each scout’s own ship operations plan, and each scout had to step up and prove their navigation skills and leadership ability by planning and thinking ahead. But through it all they had nobody else to thank except their skipper and adult leaders. The outcome is five expertly trained leaders leaving with the coveted dolphin pins on their uniforms and a sense of pride in their accomplishments.

All in all the scouts who attended SEAL can attest they have become better and stronger leaders as a result of their experiences during that week. They have demonstrated their practical knowledge on which they were evaluated all week, and each candidate will bring back their unique experiences to their own Sea Scout Ships, and extend their enhanced leadership knowledge to their peers. These scouts are appreciative for opportunity to have experienced this venture, and are ready to make an influencing difference in the lives of others. Just watch how far their ships will go.