NMHS: A CAUSE IN MOTION Revell Carr of Mystic Seaport Receives NMHS's Distinguished Service Award At the National Maritime Historical Society's Annual Awards Dinner on 25 October 2000, we honored J. Revell Carr, who, after 31 years at M ys tic Seaport, is retiring as president and executive director. Under his dedicated leadership, Mystic's membership doubled and its endowment has grown more than tenfold. But more important, as the Museum of America and the Sea, Mystic has continued to expand its mission to encompass all ofAmerica's relationship with the world's waterways, and, through its high level of research, continuously growing educational programming, and worldclass ship preservation and building programs, it has inspired the maritime heritage field in the US and abroad to aim for a standard of excellence. We also presented the frigate "HMS" Clay Maitland, chairman of NMHS, and Rose with the Karl Kortum American Ship the evening's emcee, welcomes Revell Carr Trust Award in recognition of the HMS and presents him with the NMHS Distin- Ro se Foundation's contributions to guished Service Award. America's maritime awareness. This is the first time that the award has been given to a repli ca. Over the past 30 years the vessel has actively communicated the excitement and vitality of our seafaring heritage. A replica of a Royal Navy frigate of 1757, she was built under the guidance of historian John Fitzhugh Millar and was eventual ly purchased by Kaye Williams of Bridgeport, Connecticut, who '.) formed the HMS Rose Foundation. Williams, with Captain Richard Bailey, has kept the Rose sailing for 15 years and runs a challenging sail training program for people of all ages. NMHS has led educational programs for high school students on board each summer for the past three Kaye Wilyears, and Boston College conducted a graduate liams (right), program on her this past summer. president of In the midst of the festivities at the New York the "HMS" Rose Foundation, accepts Yacht Club, the traditional venue for theNMHS the Karl Kortum American Ship Trust Awards Dinner, President Peter Stanford rose to Award from NMHS Trustee Richard a standing ovation to remind us all of the heri- du Moulin. (Photos: j ohn Florence) rage NMHS 's founders sought to protect and promote. One expression of that purpose is celebrated each year in the giving of the Karl Kortum American Ship Trust Award, named after the man wh o brought together NMHS and the bark Kaiulani, and who gave the Society a mission when the Kaiulani was lost. This mission goes forward today through NMHS 's projects and publications and through the dedication of its members. -JUSTINE AHLSTROM Captain Richard Bailey of the Rose regales the crowd with stories ofthe ship, past and fature.
NMHS President Peter Stanford (center) greets Kaye Williams ofthe "HMS" Rose Foundation and his daughter Jan.
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Visions and Achievements Everyone is fami liar with the ancient Irish curse that goes "May you live in interesting times." At NMHS we are experiencing our own "interesting times" in a major effort to refocus our vision, redefine our mission, and articulate a long-term strategy for the Society for the new millennium. The process oflistening, discussing and consensus-building has brought us a new sense of the relevance and potential of our Society. We are convinced that our founders' vision for NMHS is as valid today as it was three decades ago, but it needs to be rearticulated and redefi ned for each generation ofstakeholders.We are particularly focused on finding ways to communicate NMHS 's values and programs to yo unger generations of prospective members. Any ideas yo u may have on this topic would be especially welcome. New and expanded educational programs wi ll build on the success of our Teachers' Institutes in New Yo rk City, and our experience with the Miami-Dade County school system during OpSail 2000 is serving as a prototype of how imaginative leadership, innovative teaching materials, and an opportunity for sail training can motivate studems not only to become excited about maritime history but to learn science and math as well. One of the extraordinary supporting assets yo ur Society has is New York State's Maritime College, with which we are seeking to create a program to use not only the college's training shi p, but also a planned historic replica, the sloop Experiment, to support our mutual imerest in youth education and the college's recruiting needs. And on the West Coast, Trustee Fred H awkins leads a Sr. Francis Roundtable which works with the California Maritime Academy to encourage the study of history and studem membership in NMHS. Our fri ends in the maritime industry and its profess ional unions have idemified a critical need to interest America's yo ung people in careers at sea. Engaging the imerest of our yo uth in the challenges and oppo rtunities of a life at sea is an area in which our interests and those of th e industry converge, and we are exploring how we may expand our co llaboration. PATRJCK GARVEY
Executive Vice Presidem
SEA HISTORY 95, WINTER 2000- 0 I
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