Director’s Log

2Oral History Project

3Conference on Safety

4Small Hats

5

Intern’s Encounter

6Mountain Challenge

7“Why I Give”

8

Founded in 1834, the

Institute is a voluntary,

ecumenical agency

affiliated with the

Episcopal Church that

provides pastoral care,

maritime education, and

legal and advocacy

services for mariners.

In this issue

The Seamen’s Church Institute seamenschurch.org

I

FaLL 2013 VOLUME 105/NUMBER 3

• SCI is a self-governing 501c(3) not-for-profit organization. Although affiliated with the Episcopal Church, SCI is not an integrated auxiliary of the church nor does it operate a church of its own.

• Many of the major programs SCI offers consist of professional development opportunities and advocacy for mariners, and SCI offers all of its programs to mariners regardless of a person’s creed, background, religion or ethnicity.

• A copy of SCI’s Annual Report detailing financials is available online ( http://www.seamenschurch.org/ar-newsletters ).

Corporate gift matching can double the difference in the life of a mariner served by SCI. Help mariners even more by asking your employer about this opportunity today.

For more information about matching gifts, contact Jennifer Koenig, SCI’s Director of Development at jkoenig@seamenschurch.org or 212-349-9090.

2012

2012

annuaLrePorT

C934_2013_SCI_AR_10pr.indd 1 5/15/13 3:26 PM

A significant portion of the money corporations give away to good causes each year comes through gift-matching programs. With as many as one out of every ten gifts eligible for a match, you many wonder if your donation to SCI meets the criteria for inclusion.

If you work for a corporation that matches charitable gifts, you can increase the help you give mariners without adding a penny to your personal contribution. Many corporations match donor gifts dollar-for-dollar. Some go even further.

Start by finding out if your employer has a matching gift program in place. If so, your company can tell you (usually via the Human Resources department) the steps to take to get your gifts matched. Those steps may involve completing forms and submitting information about the recipient organization.

When making your gift to SCI, indicate that your company intends to match it by checking the box on the SCI donation form in print or online. SCI can coordinate with your employer and answer further questions they might have. Letting us know also ensures SCI counts the matching portion of your gift as part of your giving total in our Annual Report.

Companies not familiar with the Institute may need clarification of some crucial facts about the nature of SCI’s work and the ways in which SCI uses donations. Oftentimes, matching gift schemes exclude religious organizations; however, a corporation may consider matching a gift if given further information about a nonprofit. With them, you might find it helpful to share the following:

Matching Gifts to SCI

Looking for some help? Even those who know a lot about SCI may find it difficult to share with other people everything we do for mariners. Find some great sources of information on SCI’s website. The section “I am …” (http://seamenschurch.org/iam) introduces four mariners who make our modern way of life possible, and the resource we have developed this year, “Take a Closer Look,” (http://seamenschurch.org/tacl) presents a short video explaining the mission of the Institute.

2 • The Seamen’s Church Institute The Lookout Fall 2013

© Fall 2013 Volume 105, Number 3

Published byThe Seamen’s Church Institute

seamenschurch.org

212-349-9090fax: 212-349-8342sci@seamenschurch.org

Richard T. du MoulinChairman, Board of Trustees

The Rev. David M. RiderPresident and Executive Director

Editor, Oliver BrewerAssistant Editor, Susannah Skiver BartonDesign & Production, Bliss Design

The Lookout is printed on recycled paper.

SCI SUSTAINING SPONSORS

Executive Director’s LogDear Friends,

The invitation to “take a closer look” at the work of the Institute presents a fantastic journey for those unfamiliar with SCI. Most people are surprised at all we do for mariners. And for those who have never before even considered the global system of maritime commerce, a “closer look” opens up a new world. Often the information people learn when exploring SCI’s work contradicts a whole host of presuppositions about who we are and whom we serve, and it opens wide the doors of knowledge.

We run into more difficulty when we confront those who already think they know about SCI and the people we serve. For some people, the terms “mariners’ service” or “mariners’ welfare” conjure up a model of mission from a long time ago. People who have heard about us through the grapevine or perhaps know about other religious-based mariner assistance organizations may not realize that times have changed, and SCI has changed with them.

SCI does not only provide exceptional pastoral care, as many might assume. Around the world, no seamen’s club or other mariners’ service organization comes close to matching the comprehensive set of services SCI provides. With first-rate maritime education and the world’s only free legal aid service for merchant mariners, SCI breaks the mold.

We have to make sure that when we mention the words “SCI” or “Seamen’s Church,” we don’t presume that folks know the full story about the Institute. We must start every conversation with vigor to tell our story afresh, because I believe that awe—the same awe that grabs people when they first visit a container port or watch a 20-barge tow move upriver—waits for those who hear with fresh ears and see with newly opened eyes all that SCI does for mariners.

SCI isn’t your father’s mariners’ service agency. In fact, it isn’t like any other organization in the world. Join with me to celebrate our uniqueness and spread the word.

Yours faithfully,

The Rev. David M. Rider President & Executive Director

Upcoming Special EventsChristmas at Sea Gala

December 5, 2013 The Maritime Hotel 88 Ninth Avenue New York, NY 6:00 – 8:30 pm

The 14th Annual River Bell Awards Luncheon December 12, 2013 The Paducah McCracken County Convention and Expo Center 415 Park Avenue Paducah, KY 12:00 pm – 2:00 pm

2013

seamenschurch.org The Lookout Fall 2013 • 3

AGrant Expands Oral History ProjectNew funding helps broaden SCI’s American Merchant Marine veteran oral history projectA grant received from the Bay and Paul Foundations helps give voice to thousands of United States Merchant Marine veterans, whose service to their country—in times of peace and war—has contributed significantly to the security and prosperity of the nation. The new funding allows SCI’s Archives Department to reach out to veterans across the US to create a robust online repository of stories of the sea as part of the American Merchant Marine Veterans Oral History Project.

Last year, SCI announced the launch of an oral history project seeking to capture narratives of merchant marine veterans in audio-recorded interviews. The project salutes thousands of men and women who frequently go unremembered—both in their service to their country and in their service to the world in international trade. To date, SCI’s oral history project has recorded interviews with seventeen mariners and port workers, including twelve veterans of World War II—a war in which, as a civilian organization, the merchant marine suffered a higher casualty rate than any branch of the armed services.

Johnathan Thayer, SCI Archivist and leader of the project, has interviewed veteran mariners in the Port of New York and New Jersey. “Their remarkable tales represent largely overlooked perspectives within American history,” he says. Johnathan recounts the story of John Ludwick, also known as “Kansas,” who, although he survived the crossing of dangerous WWII

North Atlantic waters in a convoy that lost 17 of 33 ships, found himself mistakenly imprisoned in a camp at Leningrad. He tells the story of his escape, stealing a Russian snowmobile and riding it hundreds of miles through arctic tundra back to his ship.

Toiling on board ships often months at a time, merchant mariners work out of the public eye, but SCI—since its very

beginnings—has endeavored to bring their labors to light. Through its American

Merchant Marine Veterans Oral History Project, SCI helps mariners

gain recognition and dignity in the historic record through their own words and voices.

SCI welcomes partner institutions or individuals interested in recording interviews or donating digital photographs and other artifacts to

the project’s digital repository. If you

are interested or know a

mariner who would

make for a good

interview, please contact

SCI Archivist Johnathan Thayer at

jthayer@seamenschurch.org or +1 917-864-1993.

4 • The Seamen’s Church Institute The Lookout Fall 2013

SCI Hosts Industry Conference on SafetyThis November, SCI invites leaders from maritime transportation companies, the petrochemical industry and government agencies to its Center for Maritime Education in Houston, TX for a one-day professional forum on marine safety management.

On November 12, 2013, SCI and SafeMARINER™, LLC host “Zero Incidents through Training, Competency & Continual

Improvement,” an industry conference for key players in inland American maritime transportation. The forum at SCI’s training center in Houston, TX invites mariners, industry executives and regulators to the table to discuss critical issues surrounding safe transportation on the water.

“Various individuals operating from different angles in transportation possess valuable knowledge unique to their roles,” says Captain Stephen Polk, Director of SCI’s Center for Maritime Education. “SCI’s industry conference brings perspectives from many areas together to tackle some of the big topics facing our industry today.”

As North America’s largest mariners’ service agency, SCI hosts forums like this one to address concerns facing men and women who work in the industry. New regulations and improvements in the twenty-first century present complex issues. Over its 179-year history, SCI has positioned itself as a respected mediator, cultivating strong relationships with numerous constituencies in the industry—government, corporate executives and professional mariners.

SCI employs a multidisciplinary approach to address concerns from stakeholders who work together for the safety of mariners on the water. Experts from several maritime companies help lead the forum discussion along with participants from the Federal Aviation

Administration, the National Transportation Safety Board and the United States Coast Guard. Input from various perspectives contributes to the breadth and accuracy of problem solving.

“It’s not often that all of these folks are in the same room,” says Polk. “We view collaboration and networking as a vital, distinctive component to this event.” The November forum provides participants with the chance to share feedback and ask questions of some of the industry’s important decision makers and enforcers.

Topics at the event include Tanker Management and Self Assessment (TMSA2); the use of simulators in training and assessment; addressing issues of human error; safety management systems; and the potential for cross-industry interactive multi-sector simulator training.

President of SafeMARINER™, LLC Rick Dunn, an expert in marine safety management, TMSA and continual improvement, moderates this industry-first event.

For more information and to register for this event, contact Janice Broussard at

jbroussard@seamenschurch.org or telephone +1 713-674-1236.

Menke appointed to NaVSaCThe United States’ principal maritime safety advisory board, the Navigation Safety advisory Council (NaVSaC), has appointed Captain Greg Menke, Director of SCI’s Center for Maritime Education in Paducah, KY, to offer input and advice relating to the prevention of accidents on american waterways. Menke serves as a NaVSaC advisor concurrent with responsibilities as Director of SCI’s Paducah Center, synchronizing real-world knowledge with classroom experiences.

seamenschurch.org The Lookout Fall 2013 • 5

z

The Number 1 Questionby the Rev. Kempton D. Baldridge, Chaplain, Ministry on the Rivers and Gulf – Ohio River Region

Some people are surprised to discover that SCI river chaplains regularly get underway on towboats—that is, pull up

anchor and join a voyage with a vessel—to provide pastoral support to crews. As a river chaplain, I often travel hundreds of miles in a single trip.

Experience dictates that the chaplain go forth with no fixed agenda except for the crew’s own. Once I get on board, I ask the captain or the mate to help spread the word of my presence and availability to the crew for whatever they need: prayer, counsel, Bible study, etc. Sometimes I act as theologian-in-residence, but many times my function tends toward parenting educator, marriage/family counselor, career counselor, guidance counselor, Emergency Action Plan specialist, social worker or labor ombudsman. As time goes by and rapport builds, the various ways I can meet or serve a need start to emerge.

Listening ranks as by far the most essential skill needed for “deckplate ministry” (if also the hardest to learn). Being “fully present” to hear someone’s personal story and recognize the underlying emotions lies at the heart of good pastoral ministry.

#WaTCHthisCaP:

Small Hats Making a BIG DifferenceKnit, Tag, Drop Off and Share Online: the instructions for SCI’s campaign to awaken the nation to the contributions of mariners.Between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day, SCI asks knitters to help increase awareness of mariners’ contributions by making—and hiding in plain sight—mini mariners’ watchcaps. The hats draw attention to the fact that mariners, whose work is often hidden in plain sight, deliver more than 90% of all imported goods.

SCI makes available a pattern for a miniature mariners’ watchcap (along with an informational tag to attach) as part of a nationwide activity called #WATCHthisCAP. Knitters and their friends place completed knits in conspicuous places to educate the public about the world’s maritime workforce. SCI’s #WATCHthisCAP movement hopes these handknit creations will reveal a fact few realize: much of what shoppers purchase on a day-to-day basis comes courtesy of the men and women of maritime commerce.

The hats fit bottle tops—from olive oil to wine—but also can garnish other things like gas pumps or bicycles. People can track the placement of the mini hats and monitor their impact on Twitter and Facebook using the hashtag #WATCHthisCAP. The colorful wool on top of everyday items might draw some strange looks, but people examining the tag affixed to each hat soon understand: “From smartphones to blue jeans, cars to fuel, mariners bring us the comforts of our daily lives.”

SCI designed the miniature cap to mirror a life-sized watchcap, a hat design that has protected mariners traveling on cold waters for hundreds of years. Annually, thousands of SCI volunteers handcraft these hats to keep mariners’ heads warm. Knitters and crocheters send in their creations—hats and scarves, vests and socks, too—to SCI’s volunteer knitting program, Christmas at Sea, which distributes the garments to mariners arriving into ports around the United States.

Anyone interested in participating in this project should visit http://seamenschurch.org/wtc to learn more. SCI supplies tags, patterns and project promotion materials free of charge.

#

a New Hat for MarinersEarlier this year, SCI asked the world to outfit the next generation of mariners with an original knitted hat pattern based on feedback chaplains

received while visiting vessels in port: Mariners said their ears were cold. SCI inaugurated a contest for a new

mariners’ hat pattern that would meet workplace safety requirements and also incorporate the ear-warming features that mariners requested.

Called the 1898 Hat (in honor of the founding year of the Christmas at Sea volunteer knitting program), the winning design of the contest features a double-knit earflap that stays put without tying below the chin. Chosen

from a pool of 12 submissions, the hat should keep mariners’ ears sheltered from the cold. Seafarers themselves evaluated the various designs, trying them on and offering feedback to the contest judges. They told the judges they liked the design because it looks good on, and, “The hat feels warm over my ears,” said one seafarer of the MV Ever Refine, traveling up America’s East Coast.

» Download the pattern from SCI’s website at seamenschurch.org/cas .

6 • The Seamen’s Church Institute The Lookout Fall 2013

Intern’s Encounter “More than Imagined”Center for Seafarers’ Rights intern Ryann Hall reflects on a summer of assisting seafarers from around the world, witnessing firsthand how the law affects the maritime industry.by Ryann Hall, Intern, Center for Seafarers’ Rights

Interning at SCI’s Center for Seafarers’ Rights has introduced me to an industry that plays an integral

role in international commerce yet remains unknown to many people. Growing up as a dinghy sailor, I have always had an affinity for the water and people who could consider the ocean a second home. This summer, I had the opportunity to combine two of my interests: advocacy and the sea. Throughout the summer I have learned that the maritime industry and the legal aspects of seafarers’ rights contain far more complexities than I could have imagined.

Working in the Center for Seafarers’ Rights presented me with different opportunities than other internships might have. I had the chance to learn law, practically apply law to facts and see firsthand how the law affects various sectors in the maritime industry. Responding to legal questions from seafarers around the world made up the core of the internship. This year has been particularly exciting for seafarers’ rights because the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC, 2006) comes into force for many countries on August 20, 2013. I have spent many hours researching and responding to legal questions, applying the current governing law, and noting how that law will be affected by implementation of the MLC, 2006. I have assisted with inquiries from around the world about abandoned or arrested ships, contractual conditions, property law, shore leave, and trusts and estates. Although seafarers’ rights seem like a narrow area of the law, the issues seafarers experience daily encompass a variety of legal aspects. Moreover, the men and women who work aboard ships have responsibility for the movement of most international trade. If issues impacting seafarers remain unresolved, the international economy will feel the effects.

As part of my internship, I had many learning opportunities outside the office. I spent two days with the Liberian International Ship and Corporate Registry learning about ship registration procedures and flag state responsibilities. I also spent two days with the United States Coast Guard Sector New York where I went on a port state inspection of a foreign flag vessel and learned about American implementation of international maritime conventions as well as how the Coast Guard ensures the safety of US waterways. I obtained more firsthand experience on vessels when I went ship visiting with the chaplains. These experiences afforded me the opportunity to witness firsthand how the laws and regulations I study daily have an effect on the maritime industry and its employees.

As my internship comes to a close, I realize that SCI’s services to seafarers play a vital role in the wellbeing of the profession. Through advocacy and support, SCI has made an international impact on the maritime community. The scope of SCI’s mission becomes clear when noting the nationalities and vessel locations of seafarers seeking legal advocacy. Requests for assistance come from not just Port Newark but across the world.

Seafarers’ Restrictions to Shore Leave in the USA 2013 survey conducted by SCI reveals why some seafarers cannot access shore leave while in the United States: bureaucratic “red tape.”

Far from a luxury, shore leave significantly contributes to mariners’ health and the

safe and efficient operation of a vessel. SCI took the pulse of seafarers’ access to shore leave for the twelfth year in a row as part of its annual Seafarer Shore Leave Survey, asking port welfare workers in 30 ports across the United States to monitor arriving vessels. Results show the vast majority of recorded shore leave denials stemmed from seafarers lacking visas.

To read SCI’s 2013 Seafarer Shore Leave Survey, go to http://smschur.ch/shoreleave

seamenschurch.org The Lookout Fall 2013 • 7

SCI Mountain Challenge 2013In solidarity with mariners, competitors left home and family to challenge themselves in SCI’s inaugural endurance race event, raisings funds for the Institute’s mariner support programs.

How do the remote mountains of Western Maine relate to the world of maritime commerce? Over two days in September, 41 teams of three put their own comforts and conveniences aside to race to the tops

of five mountains. Competitors raised $368,319 (as of 3:00 pm on Saturday, September 21) to support North America’s largest mariners’ service agency in the SCI Mountain Challenge, an adventure race organized by SCI.

Just as mariners struggle every day against the unpredictable forces of nature to deliver the world’s commerce, so competitors in the SCI Mountain Challenge ventured into the remote inland wilderness to test their limits in a challenging race across miles of mountainous terrain. The refrain among several of the racers echoed: “This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” and many found a renewed respect for the hard work of the world’s mariners, who travel through dangerous areas far from home for long periods of time.

The race extended over two days and two separate locations. On September 20 (Day One) competitors traveled to the Sugarloaf Massif—home to some of the biggest mountains in the eastern United States—to summit Burnt Mountain and Sugarloaf Mountain. Day 2 revolved around the range of mountains at Sunday River in far western Maine. Race organizers set out two course options, Varsity (taking the toughest route each day) and Junior Varsity (traveling a shorter path with less elevation gain). In total, those completing the full course ascended over 10,000 feet during the two days.

Course completion time comprised 50% of a team’s score, with the other 50% assessed by a team’s philanthropy. Teams sought donations supporting their journeys up until 3:00 pm on Saturday, when race organizers tabulated results.

A friendly competition between real-life business rivals fueled the race between maritime transportation companies (both deep sea and inland river transportation) and other industry-related corporations. The event also strengthened camaraderie—both within the industry and among company teams. One participant from Marine Money said, “It’s all anyone has talked about this morning in my office.”

SCI Mountain Challenge Sponsors2013 EXPEDITION SPONSOR Cargill

GIVEAWAY SPONSOR Tidewater

WELCOME DINNER SPONSOR ABS

PEAK SPONSORS Intercontinent Chartering Corporation John F. Dillon & Co. Navios Maritime Holdings Tidewater

Sunday River

Sugarloaf Range

8 • The Seamen’s Church Institute The Lookout Fall 2013

Ways to Give to SCISupport the people who deliver the goods that make our modern way of life possible.

Donate Donate online at

donate.seamenschurch.org or scan this QR code into your mobile device

Use the envelope in this edition of The Lookout or mail your check to The Seamen’s Church Institute, 74 Trinity Place, Suite 1414, New York, NY 10006.

Call 212-349-9090 and make a contribution over the phone with your credit card.

SponsorSCI provides prominent recognition to its underwriters. Become a corporate sponsor and link your company’s philanthropy with North America’s largest and most comprehensive mariners’ service agency.

VolunteerSCI offers many ways volunteers can contribute to the work of the Institute. Call one of our centers or email volunteer@seamenschurch.org.

CollectIn addition to handknit scarves and hats, SCI’s Christmastime gift to mariners includes items found at most ordinary supermarkets donated by people like you. To find out more, contact cas@seamenschurch.org or visit our website.

Follow Go to http://facebook.com/

seamenschurch and click “like.”

Follow @seamenschurch on Twitter

Check out our photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/seamenschurch/

And, watch videos from our work at http://vimeo.com/channels/scitv

Remember SCI in your estate plans. Email legacygiving@seamenschurch.org for more information.

The recent SCI Mountain Challenge (page 7) inspired professionals from across the maritime industry to climb physical and fundraising heights on behalf of

mariners. Jens Alers, Group Director at Bernhard Schulte Ship Management, made up part of the team that achieved Greatest Overall Philanthropy with a total of $16,810 supporting mariners served by SCI.

In the months leading up to the event, Jens’s colleagues at offices around the world set fundraising goals among the staff to help the Bernhard Schulte team excel. “This money came from everyone… from the heart of the group,” he says. Even the company’s CEO helped, chipping in and motivating others to donate up to the last minute.

Jens told us he felt drawn to support SCI’s mission because it fills a gap that professional services cannot always

meet. “Even as the best employer, you can’t take care of everything,” he says. “You can pay well and take care of seafarers’ professional needs and aspirations, but you can’t necessarily touch their hearts or take care of their emotions. SCI is best trained to handle that. It’s nice to know that there are people coming on board just to be there and offer spiritual support.”

It’s also nice to know people like Jens who offer support to SCI and the thousands of mariners it serves. Thanks to Jens and all those who rose to the challenge in SCI’s recent outdoor adventure event. We look forward to seeing you on the mountain at the next one.

Jens Alers (R) with teammates Michael Kazantjis and Arthur McWhinnie just before crossing the finish line of the SCI Mountain Challenge.

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