Ward Succeeds Smith as NSCC National
Chairman
Learson Elected as NSCC's New National President
Five New Board Members; Eleven Scholarship Winners; "Most Outstanding" Awards
to Causing, Reliford, Peck
By MEGAN MITCHELL
The Naval Sea Cadet Corps (NSCC) Board of Directors also met in Reno
during the third week of June to elect the organization's 2001-2002 national
officers, announce the 2001 winners of the NSCC scholarships, present
a number of special recognition awards, and set up a recruiting strategy
for the upcoming year. James R. Ward of the National Capital Council
was elected the NSCC's new national chairman, succeeding Bruce B. Smith;
Ward also was elected by the Navy League's new Board of Directors as
one of the League's new national vice presidents, and has been designated
by NLUS National President Timothy O. Fanning to be the Navy League's
national vice president for youth.
Harold W. Learson of the Massachusetts Bay Council was elected as NSCC
national president, succeeding Ward. Three members of the NSCC Board
of Directors--W. Lamon Crouch, Stanley E. Ellexson, and Larry P. Lynott--were
elected, or re-elected, as NSCC national vice presidents. Paul H. Engel,
Gene Sizemore, Randy W. Hollstein, Andrew Paretti, and R. Orton Rudd
were elected as new members of the NSCC Board of Directors.
Outgoing Navy League National President John R. Fisher, one of several
high-level speakers who addressed the Board during the NSCC sessions,
thanked Smith for his "many years of outstanding service on behalf
of the Naval Sea Cadet Corps, the Navy League Cadet Corps [NLCC], and
the Navy League." Fisher said that the Navy League's youth programs "are
our finest product." Through the NSCC and NLCC and other youth programs,
Fisher said, the Navy League "is serving the nation not only today
but tomorrow as well, and far into the future." He expressed particular
pleasure at the increased number of Sea Cadets who have won appointments
to the Naval Academy, the Coast Guard Academy, the Merchant Marine Academy, "and
to the NROTC and other ROTC scholarship programs." Many other former
Sea Cadets have enlisted "in all branches of the armed services
and are rapidly moving into positions of leadership," Fisher pointed
out, "and after finishing their service careers will be community
leaders wherever they go."
Upon assuming the NSCC chairmanship position, Ward emphasized the importance
of "putting the Cadets first in this vital youth program," and
said his personal mantra is, and will continue to be, that whatever decisions
are made and whatever actions are taken must be "for the Cadets!"
Ward also addressed what he described as the "number one problem" facing
the Sea Cadet program--the need for more adult leaders. "We have
a desperate need to provide [additional] responsible adult leadership
if we are to effectively serve our youth, and our communities, today
and build the foundation for an even more effective organization to meet
the challenges we will be facing tomorrow," he said.
Ward also stressed the impact that the financial burden places on parents
who enroll their children in the Sea Cadets. He explained that any government
funds received by the NSCC must be used: (a) to reduce messing and berthing
costs for Sea Cadet summer training; and (b) for security checks of adult
volunteers to ensure the safety and well being of the Cadets under their
supervision. Ward also emphasized that the local support provided by
Navy League councils is critical to "the NSCC, and NLUS, goal of
helping to reduce the financial stresses on volunteers, who far too often
have to spend their own money to help the Sea Cadets."
Ward also further expressed concern over the military closures and cutbacks
that have been mandated by Congress and the White House in recent years,
pointing out that the reduced number of bases, and of Navy ships and
Coast Guard cutters, "translates inevitably into fewer training
opportunities available" for the NSCC and NLCC programs. Because
of the base closures and other cutbacks, he added, "Sea Cadets and
their parents have been forced to absorb higher transportation costs
when the only summer training sites available are at considerable distances
from the Cadets' home communities." He also said that he appreciates "the
tremendous efforts of the Navy and Coast Guard--and the nation's other
armed services, including the Guard and Reserve components--to help provide
training for Cadets, not just in summer but throughout the school year
as well."
Ward also extended appreciation to the Navy League councils that work
with and in many cases provide financial support for NSCC units in their
home communities. He said he hopes to "help persuade as many other
councils as possible to sponsor NSCC and NLCC units," and said he "plans
to work very closely with [NLUS] President Fanning to achieve this goal." He
pointed out that Fanning "has been a staunch supporter of the Sea
Cadet program throughout his entire Navy League career. Tim is a past
national president of the NSCC, and a past national chairman, and is
already on record that one of his top priorities as president of the
Navy League will be to increase NLUS support for youth programs across
the board."
Rear Adm. George E. Voelker, commander of the Navy Recruiting Command,
who also addressed the NSCC's Board of Directors, discussed the need
for an increase in military recruits from the nation's younger population.
He pointed out that, although the number of young people eligible for
naval or military service is increasing each year, "about 50 to
70 percent" of them will be "going to college" rather
than into military service, "and the interest of this age group
in joining the military has dropped from 13 to 9 percent."
In addition, Voelker said, the number of American adults who have ever
served in any branch of the armed services "is decreasing every
year," both in absolute numbers and on a per-capita basis, and that
reduces the number of role models available who might influence young
people to at least consider a military career. Today, he commented, many
young people "are not familiar with what the military does, and
some of them don't even care."
Rear Adm. Kevin Eldridge, the Coast Guard's assistant commandant for
Congressional and Public Affairs, also commented on "the importance
of the Sea Cadets as an organization" and reaffirmed the positive
impact of the NSCC program on young Americans. "There is something
special about going out to sea with a purpose," Eldridge said, "especially
when that purpose is to save someone's life or protect your nation's
resources, and that's what I hope Sea Cadets learn from the time they
spend with the Coast Guard."
He also discussed the training the Coast Guard provides young people, "which
gives them an opportunity to learn skills that have real and important
uses." He stressed the particular importance of the hand-in-hand
work between the Coast Guard and the Sea Cadets, not only in the two-week
advanced training periods during the summer but also in the weekend training
sessions throughout the school year. "The Cadets receive excellent
training and real experience with the Coast Guard, and the Coast Guard
gets enthusiastic, well-motivated, willing workers who serve as part
of the crew, and are not just tourists," he said.
Following the NSCC Board of Directors meeting, the NSCC's Awards Committees
announced that the following units had been selected as winners of the
awards indicated for the 2000 training year:
John J. Bergen Trophy: Outstanding Sea Cadet Unit, The Sullivans Division,
Lt. Cdr. Bruce Bruni, NSCC, commanding officer;
Morgan L. Fitch Trophy: Outstanding Navy League Cadet Unit, Training
Ship Midway, Lt. Cdr. Stephen Adams, NSCC, commanding officer;
George S. Halas Trophy: Outstanding Combined Sea Cadet/League Cadet
Units, Hancock Squadron/Training Ship Midway, Lt. Cdr. Robert Ewell,
NSCC/Lt. Cdr. Stephen Adams, NSCC, commanding officers;
Navy League of Canada Challenge Trophy: Most Improved Unit, Pyro Division,
Lt. Cdr. Steve Nash, NSCC, commanding officer; and
Anthony H. Murray Sr. Seaman Award: Most Advancements to Seaman during
the year, Trident Battalion, Lt. Cdr. Marshall Muros, NSCC, commanding
officer.
Among the many other awards and honors announced during the NSCC meeting
are the following:
The Chairman's Award for Recruiting and Retention is given annually
to those NSCC units who achieve excellence in recruiting and retention
during the training year. This year's top winners are: America Division,
Lexington Division, Paul Revere Division, Rochester Division, Modesto
Division, Hancock Squadron, Trident Battalion, Princeton Division, and
Pyro Division.
The winner of the Commodore Thomas J. Lupo Foundation Award for outstanding
Naval Sea Cadet Unit of the year was awarded to The Sullivans Division,
Lt. Cdr. Bruce Bruni, NSCC, commanding officer.
The NSCC College Scholarship Committee also announced the names of the
2001 winners of the annual competition for the NSCC's 11 scholarships:
Stockholm Scholarship ($2,000)
CPO Ryan J. Hart, Ben Moreel Battalion,
Calif.
San Diego Gas and Electric
Scholarship ($1,000)
PO2 Raino Taitano, Gunfighter Squadron, Calif.
Kingsley Scholarships ($1,000)
CPO Nathan Curtis, Harlan Dickson Division,
N.H.
CPO Matthew Fong, Hancock Squadron, Calif.
CPO Matthew McCue, Gunfighter
Squadron, Calif.
PO3 Jessica Phillips, Lehigh Valley Division, Pa.
CPO Max Tubbesing, Thomas
Jefferson Division, Mo.
NSCC Scholarships ($1,000)
PO1 Robert LeClerc, Ben Moreel Battalion,
Calif.
CPO Rachael Lukasiewicz, Akron Division, Ohio
Ens. Andrew Munoz, Pasadena
Division, Calif.
CPO Ambra Virban, Sherman Division, Mich. *
Fanning Urges "Vigorous" NLUS
Support for NSCC and Other Youth Programs
Timothy O. Fanning, the Navy League's new national president, has made
increased support for the Naval Sea Cadet Corps and other youth programs
one of his top priorities. "We are now seeing the benefits of our
[previous] investment in the ... Naval Sea Cadet Corps," he told
the NLUS Board of Directors. "... [Many] Sea Cadet graduates have
been selected for leadership positions in the sea services or the corporate
community. ... [Because of] the dramatic reduction in the Navy's capability
to support the Sea Cadets, it is important that the Navy League continues
to increase its financial support to this unique youth program. Part
of the increased support can be accomplished ... by supporting Sea Cadet
donations to the [Navy League] Centennial Campaign ... [and] by supporting
vigorously the inclusion of federal funds for the Sea Cadets in the Navy
budget before Congress."
The Navy League should encourage the sea services "to continue
to provide Cadet training," Fanning said. He also said that the
Navy League "should continue to support the other federally funded
sea-service youth programs," including but not limited to the NROTC
and NJROTC programs, the Naval Academy, and the Coast Guard Academy.
