WELCOME ABOARD THE CYC SEA SCOUT SHIP 5870 “PRIVATEER” After a couple of years of COVID shut down and tribulations, the ship is afloat and up and running. Didn’t know CYC had a Sea Scout program, or didn’t know what Sea Scouts are? You are not alone.
A LITTLE HISTORY OF THE SCOUTS When an American newspaperman and entrepreneur, W.D. Boyce, was in London in 1910 he was helped across the street to his hotel by an unknown Scout, who refused a tip afterwards, saying he was a Scout and that’s what a Scout does. The Scout gave Boyce the address of the Scout headquarters where Boyce picked up information about the group started by General Robert Baden-Powell. Boyce brought back the information to the U.S., where he and several other businessmen started a Scouting program. The Scouting program started in the U.S. in 1911 as the Boy Scouts of America, offering activities and life lessons while
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Blinker ✶ Spring 2022
in an outdoor environment. The Sea Scout program started in 1912 following the same model but with a nautical twist. The maritime industry of the day was a natural fit for the Sea Scouts. Initially, the Sea Scouts outnumbered the Boy Scouts. The program grew to its largest numbers, in the hundreds of thousands, up until World War II when most of the Scouts joined the armed services. The program never recovered after the war with numbers dropping off steadily until recently, when in the last few years it is growing again! However, it still remains one of the smallest and most unknown programs in the Boy Scouts of America.
CELEBRATING 100 YEARS IN 2025 The Chicago Yacht Club started its Sea Scout Ship’s charter in 1925 and is currently the oldest active charter in the nation, celebrating 100 years in 2025! CYC has had hundreds of Scouts come through the program with
