Text and midi file courtesy of The Cardinal Wardroom website 

at http://members.tripod.com/sasserrc/id30.htm 

A Sea Scout Chantey

by James A. Wilder, Chief Sea Scout


A ship is wood and metal,
Is metal, rigging and sail;
She's but an iron kettle,
When hearts aboard of her fail.
    
Chorus:
To my way, aye, and yea, aye,
We're bound away for many a day;
A Sea Scout is a good Scout,
So give us our sea-way.
    
The heart of ships is red blood,
Is red blood, never a doubt!
And wood and iron are useless,
Without the heart of a Scout.

Our ship is what we make her,
We make her, saucy and smart;
No blust'ring wind shall break her,
While we are all of one heart.

Information about James Austin "Kimo" Wilder from the National Sea Scout website at http://www.seascout.org/about/history.html

Sea Scouting received a real boost in October 1917, when 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.

 He organized the scattered Sea Scout units info a national organization that generated the first wide-spread interest in Sea Scouting. Gathering all of the experience and scattered bits of literature used in the program, Mr. Wilder supervised the preparation of the first Sea Scout Manual in 1919. 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.

 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. The age-old organization of skippers, mates, boatswains, coxswains and crews began to be used.