Program Launch, Camp Tuckahoe, Dillsburg, PA - 4 June 2002
Each year the York-Adams Area Council, #544, to which Ship 25 belongs, holds a Program Launch event at the council's summer camp, Camp Tuckahoe. The purpose of the event is to acquaint Scouters from the Cubbing, Boy Scouting, and Venturing Divisions with all the program opportunities available to members of the BSA. This year, Ship 25 decided to go all-out to publicize "the BSA's best kept secret", namely Sea Scouting. We calculate there are roughly 7,000 Sea Scouts and 3 million Boy Scouts nation-wide in the BSA. That means that Sea Scouting constitutes only 2 tenths of one percent (.0023333) of the national BSA population. Yet in our York-Adams Area Council, the number of registered Sea Scouts has increased by 25% over the same time a year ago. Of course, we are the only active Sea Scout unit in our entire Council, so when we grow from 12 to 15 Sea Scouts, it makes quite a dramatic effect on the monthly membership growth charts. Nevertheless, considering that this year for our Council as of 30 April, traditional land Scouting is up only 5.7%, Cubbing is down 3.4%, and land Venturers are down 12.4%, our Sea Scout growth of 25% is something we are quite proud of. Small but mighty! That's us!
Ship 25's Medic, Amanda Marie, wonders just what she's gotten herself into by signing up to come to Program Launch.
Committee Chair Wes Garrod shows off the Sea Scouter winter working blue uniform to admiring fans.
Incoming Ship 25 Yeoman, Amanda Rose, appears to be quite shaken up by requests from traditional Scouters at the Ship 25 welcome table to know "Why Sea Scouts have more fun!"
Program Launch over, Amanda Marie lets out with her trademark laugh while being tickled by person or persons unknown onboard the Ark en route back to the Sea Base.
Amanda Rose politely declines the photographer's request for an action photo.
