the lookout spring 2011

In this issue

The Seamen’s Church Institute seamenschurch.org

I am the seafarer who makes the mall interesting.

”“Learn more at seamenschurch.org/iam

i-am-mall.indd 1 3/16/11 4:06 PM

M

SPRING 2011 VOLUME 103/NUMBER 1

Help support SCI’s programs by donating online at seamenschurch.org or use the envelope stitched into this edition of The Lookout.

Want to make an introduction online? Share this link with your friends: http://seamenschurch.org/iam

Making the Connection

by Jennifer L. Koenig,Associate Director of Development

Many of you reading this newsletter know a mariner. Perhaps you or a family member served or currently serves in the merchant marines, or perhaps you have met a mariner through SCI. Having a direct connection to the maritime industry gives you an intimate appreciation of what the Institute does.

What about those who do not have a link to the maritime industry? What do they know about the global workforce driving our world’s economy?

Regrettably, countless American consumers do not realize that mariners are responsible for making our modern way of life possible. Because the ports and river traffi c operate behind the scenes, few people correlate the work of mariners with themultiplicity of goods on our store shelves.

You and I know that mariners drive maritime commerce because of the connection we have to real people. In the faces of our siblings, our friends, our neighbors, our ancestors, or someone we met while volunteering at SCI, we see the man or woman who works hard to earn money for a family at home. We realize the challenges they face and the dangers of their profession.

Part of SCI’s mission attempts to connect people with the extraordinary work of mariners. Our chaplains visit churches and civic groups. SCI’s Center for Seafarers’ Rights speaks out for underrepresented mariners in international organizations and meetings. And our volunteer knitters give homage to mariners when introducing SCI’s patterns to their knitting groups.

Today, SCI announces another vehicle for sharing the work of the mariner with the world. We have lined up fi ve striking faces from the industry and put them on posters with provocative taglines that demonstrate just how indispensible the work of the mariner is—for instance, the seafarer who makes the mall interesting or the mariner who lights up your home. These posters point toward a new URL on our website, which holds a dashboard of information about mariners and the valuable services SCI provides them.

We believe that helping others make a personal connection to the work of mariners can change attitudes. If more people see what happens in global trade and the important contributions mariners make to our lives, more people will appreciate those human beings who make the sacrifi ces. We hope this will inspire others to learn more and change their outlooks and practices—whether that means

adding mariners to their parish’s Sunday morning prayer list, volunteering with one of SCI’s many outreach programs, or simply living a life with gratitude for the work of merchant mariners.

Will you help us make some introductions? If you can, take the poster enclosed with this newsletter and put it up in a place where you think people will take notice. Point it out to friends, and let them know about your experiences, too. With your help, our mariners will make some new friends.

Director’s Log

2Grand Reopening

3New Chaplains

4Bridge Study

5

PBS Visits SCI

5AdvocacyWorkshop

6DigitalArchives

7Why I Give

8

Founded in 1834, the

Institute is a voluntary,

ecumenical agency

affi liated with the

Episcopal Church that

provides pastoral care,

maritime education, and

legal and advocacy

services for mariners.

Since 1910, the newsletter

of the Seamen’s Church

Institute’s programs

for mariners

Calling All AlumniWere you ever an intern at SCI? We are eager to hear about what you’ve been up to since then. Drop Jennifer Koenig an email at [email protected].

2 • The Seamen’s Church Institute The Lookout Spring 2011

© 2011 Spring Volume 103, Number 1

Published byThe Seamen’s Church Institute241 Water StreetNew York, NY10038-2016212-349-9090fax: [email protected]

David S. FrenchChairman, Board of Trustees

The Rev. David M. RiderPresident and Executive Director

Editor, Oliver BrewerAssistant Editor, Margaret LeeDesign & Production, Bliss Design

The Lookout is printed on recycled paper.

S C I S U S TA I N I N GS P O N S O R S

Executive Director’s LogAbout the Sale of 241 Water StreetDear Friends,

On February 2, SCI sold its 241 Water Street facility to the Blue Man Creativity Center School. With this recent event, some might wonder,

“Is SCI leaving Manhattan? Is staff moving? Where’s SCI’s headquarters?”

This sale brings many developments for the Institute, including some repositioning of our valuable resources across the Institute’s Centers. At the same time, SCI commits itself to remain a New York-based institution, as it has been since

its founding in 1834. Amid terms of sale, SCI retains its corporate offi ces at 241 Water Street through June 2012. SCI remains where we have been since 1834: in the heart of Lower Manhattan, an indelible part of our mission and identity.

A designated space in the Water Street building accommodates staff working in New York, including members of Development

and Administration. You may continue to use the 241 Water Street address when contacting us. I will share developments of SCI’s future New York offi ce space with you as we explore these options.

The sale of the Water Street building rebalances SCI’s endowment and architectural portfolios to harness our four mission-centered facilities and strengthen SCI’s fi nancial foundation for another generation of service to seafarers. Direct services to seafarers formerly based in the Water Street building, including the Christmas at Sea volunteer knitting program and the Center for Seafarers’ Rights, have relocated offi ces to Port Newark. This closely integrates these programs with the activity of the largest container terminal complex on the East Coast. Additionally, SCI has transferred New York Center for Maritime Education staff to its large Houston center to get closer to customers and instructors while reducing travel overhead.

During this time of transition, I thank you for your continued support. Whether you live in a bustling major metropolis or a small town in America’s heartland, you have a connection with SCI because services to mariners exist wherever our volunteers pray, knit, or send support. SCI’s outreach touches ports and rivers around the world. We may be a New York institution, but thanks to you our infl uence is worldwide.

The Rev. David M. RiderPresident & Executive Director

SCI commits itself to remain a New York-based institution, as it has been since its founding in 1834. Amid terms of sale, SCI retains its corporate of� ces at 241 Water Street through June 2012.

seamenschurch.org The Lookout Spring 2011 • 3

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Port Newark Grand ReopeningFirst Seafarer Walks into Renovated Center

On November 22, 2010, noon EST, SCI opened the doors of its Port Newark International Seafarers’ Center to the fi rst group of seafarers to use the newly renovated 18,000-square-foot Center, which situates vital resources for the maritime community in the heart of Port Newark. Taking the fi rst few steps across the new threshold, a seafarer from the Marguerite Ace, a car-carrier in port, uttered, “Beautiful, sir…beautiful!”

First opened in the 1960s, SCI’s International Seafarers’ Center needed replacement of old engineering systems and refurbishment of public spaces. Several years ago, SCI broke ground on an extensive construction

project that would offer “radical hospitality,” according to SCI’s President & Executive Director the Rev. David M. Rider. The renovated Center contains a chapel, Internet café, telephone carrels, business services, conference rooms, offi ces, a recreation lounge, a basketball court, and a sports fi eld.

John O’Hara Company, Inc. brought to life an airy, contemporary design from the blueprints of Clawson Architects. SCI’s renovated Center stands impressively. The brick exterior and large glass walls contrast the rugged, machinery-fi lled surroundings of the port, offering a “safe haven” for the maritime community.

A Grand Reopening

Although seafarers have used the building since November, and SCI’s Center for Seafarers’ Rights and Christmas at Sea knitting program have operated from their new headquarters for months, SCI has yet to

formally mark the reopening of its Port Newark International Seafarers’ Center. On Tuesday, May 17, SCI seizes the opportunity to honor mariners and celebrate the Institute’s services to them with a Grand Reopening.

SCI invites seafarers (retired or active duty), volunteers, supporters, and the curious for a day of rededication. Beginning at 10:00 am, SCI hosts an Open House with tours of the renovated facility. A formal program with lunch begins at noon. To confi rm your attendance, email [email protected].

Please join us on Tuesday, May 17, 2011

for the Seamen’s Church Institute’s

Port Newark International Seafarers’ Center

GRAND REOPENING118 Export StreetPort Newark, NJ

10:00 am – 3:00 pm • Open House & Tours

12:00 noon • Formal Program & Lunch

Free shuttle departs Newark Penn Station every half hour

beginning 10:00 am

RSVP to [email protected]

or (212) 349-9090 x 244

OOOOOO“Beautiful, sir … beautiful!”

Pictured here with SCI staff (back row) are two of the fi rst to arrive into SCI’s renovated Port Newark International Seafarers’ Center, which opened in November.

I


New Bay Area Chaplain by the Rev. David M. Rider, President & Executive Director

I am delighted to announce that the Rev. Joyce Parry Moore, an ordained Episcopal clergywoman from the Diocese of Alaska, has accepted my invitation to serve as SCI’s new Bay Area Senior Chaplain.

A recent graduate of the Pacifi c School of Religion in Berkeley, CA and currently completing her Doctorate of Ministry in Pastoral Counseling at the San Francisco Theological School, Joyce brings incredible life experience to her new ministry with seafarers. Earlier in her career, Joyce trained at the Boston Conservatory’s Opera Program and pursued a professional singing career with engagements that included service as the Founder & Artistic Director of “Opera to Go” in Juneau Alaska, a music outreach program in rural areas of the state. Concurrently, she served as adjunct professor at the University of Alaska, Southeast, teaching the history of theatre, choir, and voice. During that time, she occasionally visited cruise ships and taught crew members to sing opera, a defi nite omen for her future ministry.

During our interviews and her Oakland ship visits, everyone commented on Joyce’s incredible vitality and natural connection with seafarers and International Maritime Center (IMC) staff. Working with community outreach coordinator Adrienne Yee, Joyce will use that energy to build up SCI’s Bay Area presence with the maritime industry, church outreach, area seminaries, and new donors who support SCI’s mission. As chaplain, she will visit ships daily, lead worship, and coordinate the IMC’s ecumenical chaplains and volunteers.

SCI announces the appointment of a new Senior Chaplain for ministry in the Bay Area, the Rev. Joyce Parry Moore.

New Lower Mississippi Chaplain for Ministry on the River

On March 1, the Rev. Michael Christopher Nation began work at SCI as a chaplain

for Ministry on the River, the nation’s only full-time pastoral care ministry on the Ohio and Lower Mississippi River systems. Operating from Vicksburg, MS (where he served as rector of a local parish for over 9 years), Nation ministers to mariners working in the Lower Mississippi River region. He succeeds the Rev. Michael Hammett who left SCI last year.

Nation brings 15 years of pastoral experience to the job, including coordinating the local American Red Cross’s request for chaplains after Hurricane Katrina. He says that he has a “natural interest” in the transportation business, growing up with parents working in the trucking industry. Nation looks forward to the convergence of these skills in what he calls the “front lines of ministry” as a river chaplain with SCI.

As a guest of Steve Golding, President of Golding Barge Line, the Rev. Michael Nation acquired a view of river life on board one of the company’s towboats in preparation for his new appointment as chaplain for SCI’s Ministry on the River. Nation began work on March 1, ministering to mariners working in the Lower Mississippi River region.

SCI Conducts Bridge Feasibility Study

O n January 5 and 6, a total of 28 representatives from the West Virginia Department of Highways, the Ohio Department of Transportation, the US Coast Guard Bridge Branch, and HDR Engineering, as well as inland river industry marine superintendents, captains and pilots from

fi ve different companies and SCI’s professional staff gathered in Paducah, KY for a bridge feasibility study. SCI regularly conducts feasibility studies to test proposed modifi cations or additions to structures that in some way impact navigation on the nation’s waterways.

The study examined a total of four separate bridge locations on the Ohio River between Brooke County, WV and Jefferson County, OH using a sophisticated database area developed in-house by SCI. Using advanced simulation technology, computer programmers placed bridge pier locations in various span arrangements for the four different bridges.

After situating various locations of the bridges and piers, captains and pilots used simulated towing vessels at SCI’s Paducah Center for Maritime Education to navigate under the simulated bridges with worst-case scenarios for wind, current, and vessel types. Experience of the captains and pilots ranged from two weeks to 35 years, thus recreating the experience levels of those who might pass under this yet-to-be constructed bridge in coming years.

The signifi cant investigation conducted a total of 27 separate runs that took into account variables such as medium or high fl ow currents, day or night situations, fully loaded barges or empty barges, and up river or down river scenarios. After each run, captains and pilots debriefed, commenting on the ease or diffi culty of the scenario and the safety margins that could be expected if a bridge was built in that position.

After two intense days of work, those involved with the testing discussed suggestions on bridge span width and locations. From this, SCI will produce a fi nal report. Studies like this help make inland waterways safer for mariners and the general public and save millions of dollars.

SCI Feasibility Studies can help save millions of dollars. One engineering � rm estimates that an initial study done at SCI in Paducah saved $50M and in a follow-up study saved another $10–15M.

Watch one of the simulations from SCI’s feasibility study at http://vimeo.com/18994153.

SCI on Religion & Ethics NewsweeklyIn late November, shortly after the Seamen’s Church In late November, shortly after the Seamen’s Church Institute’s (SCI) Port Newark International Seafarers’ Institute’s (SCI) Port Newark International Seafarers’ Center reopened, a Public Broadcasting System (PBS) Center reopened, a Public Broadcasting System (PBS)

producer and crew spent two days fi lming SCI’s outreach service producer and crew spent two days fi lming SCI’s outreach service to seafarers.

The segment aired as part of the 30-minute Religion & Ethics News Weekly program. If you missed it, watch it online

at http://to.pbs.org/seamenschurch.

SCI expresses particular thanks to the SCI expresses particular thanks to the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, Port Authority of New York & New Jersey, along with New York Container Terminal, along with New York Container Terminal, for access and security clearance related for access and security clearance related to this taping.

SCI’s President & Executive Director spoke with PBS correspondent Saul Gonzalez about SCI’s mission and work.



Chaplains’ Seafarer Advocacy Workshop at ISCby Douglas B. Stevenson, Director, Center for Seafarers’ Rights

ON FEBRUARY 15, I LED A WORKSHOP ON SEAFARERS’ ADVOCACY IN THE NEWLY RENOVATED seminar room at SCI’s International Seafarers Center (ISC) in Port Newark. Chaplains from New York seafarers’ ministries participated in the workshop, including those from Seafarers & International House, the Swedish Seamen’s Church, and chaplains working on behalf of SCI. The collective decades of port ministry experience of the workshop participants contributed greatly to everyone’s learning.

P ort chaplains work in a very complicated legal environment. They encounter strict port security requirements to go through high-security

terminal areas to visit seafarers from many different countries working on ships that often are registered in other countries. Port chaplains have a unique insight on seafarers’ lives and work. No one knows more about seafarers’ lives and work (other than seafarers themselves) than port chaplains. Seafarers trust chaplains and often seek their assistance. They share with them their joys and pains, aspirations and failures. Seafarers share with chaplains personal thoughts and feelings—things they might not share with anybody else.

SCI designed the advocacy workshop to give chaplains tools to respond to seafarers’ requests for help. At the February workshop, chaplains learned basic principles of maritime law that govern and protect seafarers. Participants practiced interviewing skills, learning to identify legal issues and subsequently how to fi nd resources to address seafarers’ advocacy needs.

For almost 20 years, SCI’s Center for Seafarers’ Rights has trained hundreds of port chaplains in seafarers’ rights advocacy through workshops held in ports around the world. By way of this training, port chaplains have become effective advocates for the seafarers they serve.

Douglas B. Stevenson, Director of SCI’s Center for Seafarers’ Rights, led a February 2011 seafarer’s advocacy workshop for maritime ministry chaplains at the Institute’s newly renovated Port Newark International Seafarers’ Center. Workshops like these give chaplains tools to respond to seafarers’ requests for help.


Digital Archives Provide Window to PastSCI publishes online collection of historic items from years of serving New York’s maritime community.

N ot too long ago, another behemoth contended with the skyscraper for space in Lower Manhattan. On any given day,

hundreds of ships manned by hundreds of seafarers carried cargo from around the world to what was at that time the busiest port in the world. SCI greeted seafarers over decades of change to provide for their needs while in port and at sea.

“Because of this,” writes the Institute’s Associate Archivist John Thayer, “the story of SCI is inseparable from the story of the modern seafarer, as well as the story of the development of downtown Manhattan and the Port of New Jersey.” Thayer and his team have just completed a major digitization

of some 12,500 items from SCI’s archive collection, the beginning of a project to share the Institute’s collection of historic artifacts that record the development of New York and maritime commerce.

From holding open-air tent services on downtown piers in the 1860s to housing survivors from torpedoed vessels during World War II, SCI’s archival records capture a remarkable history.

“The archives tell the story of real people and an extraordinary past,” says Thayer. “Within the collection are the voices of the waterfront…from the seafarer to the chaplain to the boardinghouse keeper. By preserving and publishing these records we are ensuring that these voices can be heard again.”

Explore the Institute’s Digital Archive Collection at http://seamenschurch.org/archives.

This photo from SCI’s Digital Archive Collection shows Brooklyn Station, located at 22 First Avenue and operated by the Institute from 1904–1907. View this and other items from the archive collection published online at seamenschurch.org

SCI The Seamen’s Church Institute241 Water StreetNew York, NY 10038

seamenschurch.org

SCI The Seamen’s Church Institute241 Water StreetNew York, NY 10038

seamenschurch.org

SCI CENTERS: Port Newark, Paducah, Houston, Oakland

Non-Pro� tU.S. Postage

PAIDNewtown, CTPermit No. 100

T H E S E A M E N ’ S C H U R C H I N S T I T U T E

Want to share your story of SCI’s ministry? Email us at [email protected] Your support makes a difference in the lives of the mariners we serve.


Special Events CalendarGrand ReopeningPort Newark International Seafarers’ CenterSee page 3.

The 34th Annual Silver Bell Awards Dinner Thursday, June 9, 2011Pier 60, New York City

Admiral Thad W. Allen (ret.)Former Commandant, United States Coast GuardSILVER BELL AWARDJames J. DevinePresident & CEO, Global Container Terminals USADISTINGUISHED SERVICE AWARD

Pilot Boat Harbor CruiseTuesday, September 13, 2011

8th Annual SCI Paducah Golf ClassicThursday, September 29, 2011

Maritime TrainingBene� t LuncheonThursday, October 13, 2011

Christmas at Sea Gala & AuctionTuesday, November 29, 2011

12th Annual River BellAwards LuncheonThursday, December 8, 2011

For more information about any of these events, contact SCI Special Events Coordinator Carrie Christensen at [email protected] or (212) 349-9090 x 244

Meet Joe Pyne from Houston, TXJoseph H. Pyne, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Offi cer of Kirby Corporation, a major inland tank barge operator in the United States, fi rst learned about SCI from colleagues in the industry. Since that introduction, which involved discussions about inland training opportunities in Kirby’s corporate headquarters’ city, Houston, Joe has become an enthusiastic SCI supporter. He serves on SCI’s Development Committee, chairs SCI’s Houston Maritime Training Benefi t Luncheon, and gives to SCI—both as a donor with Kirby Corporation (a member of SCI’s Supporting Sponsors Society) and out of his own pocket.

Joe says he believes in SCI’s ministry, calling it a holistic approach. “It’s really benefi cial for the towboat business to have access to clergy who know and understand the industry and educators who actively work for the professional development of the mariner.”

Joe feels SCI complements what he and his company try to do. “We want our workforce to be a part of a community…well-trained and capable of addressing issues in times of crisis.” Because SCI plays such an important part in training and emergency response, Joe and his company see SCI as part of that community, too.

Volunteering @ SCI Volunteering at SCI allows a caring community to thank mariners with their gifts

of time and talent. Some people volunteer through regular visits to SCI centers. Others volunteer in their own churches or homes. SCI offers many ways volunteers of varying ages and abilities can contribute to the work of the Institute.

Want to Find Out More? To learn more about volunteer opportunities at SCI, speak with a chaplain or email [email protected]. To see SCI’s ministry � rsthand, arrange a visit to one of our seafarers’ centers by emailing [email protected].

the lookout spring 2011

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