CARL KIEKE

Kids Are All Right: Sea Scouts coming to Abilene

Carl D Kieke
Abilene

There is a new adventure available for boys or girls age 14 or older. If you like water activities, that is.

Sea Scout Ship 486 is in the formative stages and already has had one meeting. Teen-agers from Abilene and surrounding towns are taking leadership and getting things going.

Sea Scouts in west Texas? It’s been done before, albeit briefly. Contrary to popular belief, we do have some significant water features, and that’s the first thing a Sea Scout group needs.

The seed for this group came from the sailing merit badge class at Camp Tonkawa in June. Members of the class wanted to do more, and the idea to form Ship 486 grew from that.

Sea Scouts, as the name implies, is a program of Boy Scouts of America that is open to both boys and girls from ages 14 to 21. No previous Scouting is required; you can jump right in at this level. If you are already a member of a Boy Scouts troop, you also can join the ship, provided you can work out the logistics.

Learning about sailing will be one of the first projects the group will tackle, but any water-related activities could be on the schedule in the future. Abilene Sailing Association is the ship’s sponsor, and members will be helping along the way.

Two boats have been donated for use by ship members, with a third possible. Some work is required to get them seaworthy, and ship members will get hands-on experience learning to maintain their vessels. They are 22- to 25-foot boats of varying styles.

This endeavor is highly dependent on the weather, which soon will be turning colder with occasional blustery winds, neither of which is conducive to being out on the water. When that happens, other elements of the program will be presented, including but not limited to maintenance of the watercraft.

Looking further into the future, the group could plan trips to the Gulf Coast, or even to the Boy Scout Sea Base in Florida.

The next meeting is an excellent opportunity to check things out, at no expense or with no requirement to register. It will be an open house at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 20 at 198 Arrowhead Point on the east side of Lake Fort Phantom Hill (the Abilene Sailing Association facility). To get there, turn off of East Lake Road onto Dixon (either intersection; Dixon is a loop) and find Arrowhead Point.

If you are curious but not thinking of joining, come visit anyway and take a sail around the lake – weather permitting, of course. Don’t forget to wear something you won’t mind getting wet. Life vests and all safety equipment will be provided.

For information, call Philip Ridley, 325-690-0204; or Mark Conrad, 325-677-2688 (voice only).

UPCOMING EVENTS

  • Cub Scout/Boy Scout leaders’ roundtable, 7 p.m. Thursday, Camp Tonkawa. 325-677-2688.
  • Boy Scout/Girl Scout recruiting and information, 5-7 p.m. Friday, Gatti’s Pizza, 2665 Buffalo Gap Road, Abilene. 325-673-3552 (Boy Scout questions); 325-670-0432 (Girl Scout).
  • Hooked on Scouting Bass Tournament, Sept. 16, Hubbard Creek Lake (Bob Clark Landing). $160 for team of two; sponsorships with extra privileges also available. Check in begins at 5 a.m., fishing at 6 a.m. or safe light. Deadline: Wednesday. www.texastrailsbsa.com or 325-677-2688. 
  • Girl Scout recruiting and information, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Mall of Abilene. 325-670-0432.
  • “Pop-up Make ‘n’ Take, each Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. (come and go activity), The Grace Museum, 102 Cypress St., Abilene. Standard admission prices apply. 325-673-4587.
  • Webelos Woods, Sept. 22-24, Camp Tonkawa. Boy Scout troops arrive Friday, Webelos Saturday morning. Webelos must contact a Boy Scout troop to stay with and determine cost. 325-690-0204 or 325-660-4928.
  • Girl Scout Super Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sept. 23, Brownwood Service Center, 901 Avenue B. Information, Girl Scout shop, new adult orientation, events for girls, volunteer opportunities for older Girl Scouts. 1-800-733-0011.

Contact Carl Kieke at 325-673-3552; kiekec@suddenlink.net. Deadline is Tuesday for publication the following Monday.