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HISTORY OF SEA SCOUTING
The Full Story
Sea Scouts had its beginning at a campfire in England when Lord Baden-Powell voiced the hope that older Scouts would be interested in learning about boat management and seamanship. He stressed the need for young men to prepare themselves for service on their country’s ships. He followed up on this discussion by publishing a pamphlet, Sea Scouting for Boys, in 1911.
Soon thereafter, Baden-Powell’s older brother, Warington, a famous explorer and canoeing expert, wrote a book called Sea Scouting and Seamanship for Boys. It was enthusiastically received by the young men of Britain, and soon found its way to the United States.
Sea Scouts came to the United States in 1912. That year, Arthur A. Carey of Waltham, Massachusetts, had Sea Scouts using the schooner Pioneer. That same summer, Charles T. Longstreth organized a Sea Scout patrol on his yacht in Philadelphia. Both of these men prepared pamphlets on Sea Scouts, and Carey’s Cruising for Sea Scouts was the first literature in America related to Sea Scouts. The following year, Arthur Carey was appointed chairman of the National Committee on Sea Scouts.
The first Sea Scout manual, Handbook on Nautical Scouting, was written by the chairman of the National Committee on Nautical Scouting, Charles Longstreth, and was published in 1915. This 25-cent publication provided the first written support to the new program. Since its beginning, the Boy Scouts of America had been aware of the need for an older-boy program.
In addition, G. V. L. Meyer, secretary of the Navy, in February 1913 encouraged the development of Sea Scouts and extended the cooperation of the Navy. This was the beginning of a fruitful period of cooperation for Sea Scouts with the nation’s armed services.
Sea Scouts received an important boost in October 1917 when James Austin (“Kimo”) Wilder (a veteran sailor, global traveler, artist, and devoted Boy Scout volunteer) was secured as “Chief Sea Scout” (director) of the Department of Sea Scouting of the Boy Scouts of America. For several years, as a volunteer, Wilder worked full-time for the Sea Scouts. He organized the scattered Sea Scout units into a national organization that generated the initial widespread interest in Sea Scouts. Gathering all of the experience and scattered bits of literature used in the program, Wilder supervised the preparation of the first true Sea Scout Manual in 1919.
In the early years, Sea Scouts followed a pattern of action that was very similar to that of a Boy Scout troop. For example: boys wore khaki uniforms. In order to register, they had to subscribe to the Scout Oath and Law and pass the Tenderfoot requirements. Membership required that a boy be 15 years of age and weigh at least 112 pounds.
For many years, the Sea Scout program was aimed at older boys who had graduated from Boy Scout troops. Sea Scout units began to be called ships, though early terminology for leaders included “Seascoutmaster” and “Portmasters.”
On July 15, 1920, the well-illustrated fourth edition of the Sea Scout Manual was printed and sold in large quantities. Then came a period of two or three years in which Sea Scouts struggled to be recognized and understood. Although membership declined, the program proved healthy enough to withstand this period of adjustment. Finally, it began to grow again as more councils gave it enthusiastic support.
Over the years, the individual most responsible for the development of Sea Scouts was Commodore Thomas J. Keane. Between 1922 and 1925, he completely revised Sea Scouts. He wrote the new requirements for advancement and changed the Boy Scout nature of Sea Scout uniforms into the seagoing uniform that Sea Scouts still wear today. As a result of his fine leadership, the Sea Scout Manual was completely revised and published in 1924.
Keane served as acting director of the Sea Scout department in the national office from 1923 until January 15, 1927. His annual report of 1925 indicates that there were 85 registered Sea Scout ships. A similar report in 1926 revealed an increase of 38 ships, for a total of 123 ships.
In 1927, Keane was appointed the national director of Sea Scouts, its first full-time professional director. In the years that followed, there was a marked increase in the number of units and boys registered in Sea Scouts. By 1930, the membership had reached 8,043 young men. In the 1930s, with the cooperation of other departments in the national office of the Boy Scouts of America, he developed training courses for leaders, new registration procedures, and more acceptable Sea Scout equipment and uniforms.
Sea Scouts were much in evidence at the first national Scout jamboree, held in Washington, D.C., in 1937. A separate subcamp for Sea Scouts was built with contingent ships from all 12 BSA regions. Highlight events included a visit to the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, and sailing on the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay.
A major revision of the manual was made in 1939 by the national committee. The new version was written by Carl D. Lane, an outstanding Skipper and author of many books and articles about small ships and the sea.
With a membership of more than 27,000, Sea Scouts served the country well in World War II. Keane was recalled to active service in the Navy and resigned his position as national director of Senior Scouting. At the outset of the war, the secretary of the Navy, Frank Knox, issued an appeal for all Sea Scout leaders to join the service as commissioned officers. Thousands did, so many that entire ships ceased to exist for the duration of the war. Sea Scouts made a tremendous impression on Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, who sincerely believed that Sea Scouts were better-trained and better-equipped to help the Navy win out over the enemy and the elements.
Throughout the rest of the 1940s, Sea Scouts continued to serve the boys of America who were interested in the lore of the sea. Sea Scouts all over the nation participated in flood relief and community service. Sea Scout ships across the country held competitive and social events known as rendezvous and regattas.
Based on the written report of ship activities—the ship log—from 1929 to 1947, the national committee selected the ship with the most outstanding record to be the national flagship. Quite surprisingly, one year this honor was achieved by a Sea Scout ship located in the Plains state of Kansas. Its Skipper was Dr. William C. Menninger, one of the early greats in Sea Scouts. Menninger co-wrote The Kansan’s Skipper’s Aide in 1932, which was used in 1934 as the basis for the first Handbook for Skippers.
In May 1949, the National Executive Board made sweeping changes in the older-boy program as a result of a study made by the BSA Research Service. This revision of Senior Scouting recognized as Explorers all young men who were 14 years of age or older and registered with the Boy Scouts of America. So, on September 1, 1949, the Sea Scouts officially became Sea Explorers. This was primarily a change in terminology, as the old Sea Scout program continued much the same as it had in the past.
In 1954, the National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America authorized the University of Michigan Research Institute for Social Service to conduct a study of adolescent boys. This survey revealed the needs, desires, and concerns of 14- to 16-year-old boys across the nation. This resulted in a new Explorer program focused principally on vocational exploration, and was put into effect in 1959. This did not, however, immediately change Sea Exploring, where changes were postponed until there had been sufficient time to observe it alongside the new vocational Explorer program.
After five years, the decision was made to revise Sea Exploring, especially in the advancement requirements. The object was to incorporate some of the new vocational Exploring elements into Sea Exploring, while preserving the integrity of traditional Sea Exploring. After extensive field testing, the Exploring Division put the revised Sea Exploring program into effect in May 1966 with a new edition of the Sea Exploring Manual, written by Arthur N. Lindgren.
In 1968 the national Exploring Division placed new emphasis on Sea Exploring by naming William J. Lidderdale as the first full-time director of the program since 1935. A new National Sea Exploring Committee, chaired by Morgan F. Fitch Jr., was formed to give new national volunteer emphasis to the promotion and support of Sea Exploring. A new Handbook for Skippers was written by Lindgren and published in 1971 for Skippers, mates, ship committee members, and other adult leaders.
Sea Exploring leaders across America were saddened by the death of Thomas Keane in 1984. His pioneering efforts on behalf of Sea Scouting extended for more than 60 years. The rich tradition and long tenure of many Sea Scout ships are a tribute to his career.
In 1998, the Exploring program was reorganized to bring back its traditional, Scouting- oriented programs, and Sea Exploring returned to its traditional name of Sea Scouts.
SEA SCOUTS • THE CHRONOLOGY
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1910 - Lord Baden-Powell’s older brother, Warington, wrote a book called Sea Scouting and Seamanship for Boys. It was enthusiastically received by the young men of Britain and soon found its way to the United States.
​
1912- Sea Scouting in America was founded when Arthur A. Carey of Waltham, Massachusetts, had Sea Scouts using the schooner Pioneer and was appointed Chairman of the National Council Committee on Sea Scouting. That summer, Charles T. Longstreth organized a Sea Scout patrol on his yacht in Philadelphia. Both of these men prepared pamphlets on Sea Scouting and Carey’s Cruising for Sea Scouts was the first literature related to Sea Scouting.
​
February 1913 - G. V. L. Meyer, Secretary of the Navy, encouraged the development of Sea Scouting and extended the cooperation of the Navy Department. This was the beginning of a fruitful period of cooperation for Sea Scouting with the nation’s armed services.
​
1915 - A booklet that preceded the first Sea Scout manual was published. It gave some direction to Sea Scouting. It was entitled, Nautical Scouting, and was compiled by Charles Longstreth. In a report to the National Executive Board, Mr. Carey recommended that Sea Scouting be recognized as a special department of the Boy Scouts of America. He suggested that the pamphlet Cruising for Sea Scouts be accepted as a supplement to the Handbook for Boys until a more complete Sea Scout manual could be written.
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October 1917 - James Austin Wilder, a veteran sailor, global traveler, artist, and devoted Boy Scout volunteer, was secured as Director of the Department of Sea Scouting of the Boy Scouts of America. For several years, as a volunteer, Mr. Wilder worked full time for Sea Scouting with the title of Chief Sea Scout.
​
1919 - Mr. Wilder supervised the preparation of the first Sea Scout Manual. In those days, Sea Scouting followed a pattern of action that was very similar to that of a Boy Scout troop; for example: boys wore khaki uniforms. In order to register, they had to subscribe to the Scout Oath and law and pass the Tenderfoot requirements. Membership required that a boy be 15 years of age and weigh at least 112 pounds.
​
July 15, 1920 - The well-illustrated fourth edition of the Sea Scout Manual was printed and sold in large quantities. Then came a period of 2 or 3 years in which Sea Scouting struggled to be recognized and understood. Although membership fell off, the program proved healthy enough to withstand this period of adjustment. Finally it began to grow as more councils gave it enthusiastic support.
​
1922 - Commander Thomas J. Keane revised the Sea Scout program. He wrote the new requirements for advancement and changed the Boy Scout nature of Sea Scout uniforms into the seagoing uniform and as a result of Commander Thomas J. Keane's fine leadership,
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1924 - The Sea Scout Manual was finally published under his direction of Commander Thomas J Keane.
1927- Commander Keane was appointed the national director of Sea Scouting, and became its first full-time professional director. One of T.J. Keane’s earliest project was organizing the first Antarctic expedition to include a Scout.
1928/1929 - Eagle Scout and Able Sea Scout Paul Siple of Erie Pennsylvania participated in Admiral Robert Byrd’s expedition.
1930 - Membership had reached 8,043 young men. In the 1930’s, with the cooperation of other departments in the national office of the Boy Scouts of America, Keane developed training courses for leaders, new registration procedures, and more acceptable Sea Scout equipment and uniforms.
​
1939 - A major revision of the manual was made by the national committee. The new version was written by Carl D. Lane, an outstanding skipper and author of many books and articles about small ships and the sea.
​
1940’s – With a membership of more than 27,000, Sea Scouting served the country well in World War II. Commander Keane was recalled to active service in the Navy and resigned as national director of Sea Scouting.
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Thousands upon thousands of former and active Sea Scouts joined the Navy and made a tremendous impression on Admiral Chester Nimitz, who sincerely believed that Sea Scouts were better trained and better equipped to help the Navy win out over the enemy and the elements.
​
September 1, 1949 - Sea Scouts officially became Sea Explorers. This was primarily a change in terminology since the old Sea Scout program continued much the same is it had in the past.
​
1954 - The National Executive Board of the Boy Scouts of America authorized the Research Institute for Social Service of the University of Michigan to make a national study of adolescent boys. This survey revealed the needs, desires, and concerns of 14 to 16 year old boys across the nation.
January 1, 1959 - As a result of the findings of the University of Michigan study, a completely new Explorer program was developed and put into effect .
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May 1964 - The Exploring Division put the revised Sea Exploring program into effect with a new edition titled, Sea Exploring Manual, written by Arthur N. Lindgren.
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1968 - A new Exploring Division was organized and established under the direction of John M. Claerhout, who placed an emphasis on Sea Exploring, named William J. Lidderdale as the director of Sea Scouting.
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A new National Sea Exploring Committee was formed with Morgan F. Fitch, Jr., as Chair, maintaining the new national volunteer focus of promoting and supporting Sea Exploring.
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1971- The new Handbook for Skipper, written by Arthur Lindgren, was published for Skippers, mates, ship committee members, and other related adult leaders.
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1972 -Sea Exploring (along with all other phases of Exploring) officially became coed.
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1974 - The U.S. Navy assigned a liaison officer to work in the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) national office.
1974-1983 - A series of officers served as liason officers to the BSA. Their work further enriched and expanded Sea Exploring.
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1984 - Sea Scouts across America were saddened by the death of Commander Thomas J. Keane. His pioneering efforts on behalf of Sea Scouting extended over sixty years. The rich tradition and long tenure of many Sea Scout Ships are a tribute to his career.
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1980’s - Seamanship experienced ongoing technological advancements, marked by significant enhancements in navigational aids, and program improvements. This evolution created the need for a new Sea Exploring Manual. Long-time Sea Exploring leader, Bill Minto of Houston, Texas, were responsible for most of the text revision with the help of Don Callenius and Bob Maxfield, former national directors of Exploring, and Mike Strain of San Francisco. A number of BSA Skippers, U.S. Coast Guard personnel, and maritime experts contributed to this revision.
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1998 - The Boy Scouts of America reorganized the Exploring program into the Learning for Life Exploring program and the new Venturing Division. Sea Exploring was placed in the Venturing Division and was renamed Sea Scouts.
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2000 - The 10th edition of the Sea Scout Manual was released. Bruce Johnson and Jimmie Homburg collaborated on editing this edition, leading to a comprehensive revision of the handbook's content. This involved a meticulous reorganization and an updated evolution of uniform standards.
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2002 - The Sea Scout Support Committee reinitiated the national Sea Scout sailing championships, now known as the William I. Koch International Sea Scout Cup, pays tribute to William Koch, a renowned yachtsman and National Committee member. The competition owes its existence to his generous support.
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2010 -The 11th edition of the Sea Scout Manual was published, which marked a significant overhaul, encompassing extensive revisions to both content and organizational structure, alongside updates to advancement standards
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2012- Sea Scouting celebrated 100 years of seamanship, scouting, service, and social engagements–hosting over 40 events throughout the United States.
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2017 - The Sea Scout Leadership Award was established to recognize exemplary leaders at the Council, Area, Regional, and National levels within Sea Scouting.
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May 2018 - Keith Christopher, who served as the National Sea Scout Director since 2008, retired. Christopher set a new course for Sea Scouting in its second century. He oversaw three editions of the Sea Scout Manual, a new uniform, the creation of Sea Scouts as a full program, and brought Sea Scouting to the forefront of the maritime industry in the United States.
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August 2018 - Sea Scouting is named the official youth program of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary.
2012- The National Sea Scout Committee introduced the New Century Uniform, now known as the Official Sea Scout Uniform. This was the first major change to the Sea Scout uniform since Thomas Keane standardized them in the 1920’s.
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February 2016 - The National Executive Board of the BSA established Sea Scouting as a full-fledged program of the BSA just like Cub Scouting, Boy Scouting, and Venturing.
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2016 - The 12th edition of the Sea Scout Manual, featuring a major overhaul in advancement requirements was released. A paddlesports program was added and the format that Scouts attain elective requirements changed.