NASOH2006 Great Lakes M aritime History dominated talks at the annual conference of the North American Society for Oceanic History (NAS OH), held at the Wisconsin Maritime M useum in M anitowoc, WI, last June. Even getting to the conference provided a stepback in time for those who traveled th ere aboard the carferry SS Badger, the 4 10-ft., coal-fired, steam-powered ferry that has
SS Badger
been servicing Lake Michigan since 1953. New scholarship on Great Lakes maritime history, from macro-inves tigations to more specific histories, was presented to an international audience. H eld jointly with the Canadian N autical Research Society (also with the N orth American members of the Society for Nautical Research), papers reflected both countries' involvement on the lakes and with each other. The meeting of the two organizations also held an opportunity for discussion regarding NASOH 's desire to provide a scholarly journal in maritime history to fill the void left by the termination of The A merican Neptune. M embers of both organizations have voted in favor of NASOH becoming partners with CNRS in the production of their quarterly peer-reviewed journal, The No rthern M ariner, and providing it to NASOH members and a US readership. Look for news and information of this important development on the NASOH web site, www. nasoh. org. In addition to presentations and local tours, each group announced their annual awards and scholarships, presented to authors, researchers, and members for valuable scholarship in and service to the field of maritime history. For a list of awardees, visit their web sites (www. nasoh .org and www.cnrs-scrn.org). In 2007, N MHS and NASOH will hold their annual m eetings and conference jointly at the US M erchant M arine Academy, 17-2 1 May. For details, contact NMH S: POB 68, Peekskill, NY 10566; Ph. 800 22 1-NMHS; e-mail: nmhs@seahistory.org; www.seahistory.org)
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Mass Sail n June, Ocean Classroom Foundation (OCF), the sail training organization that owns and operates the schooners Spirit ofMassachusetts, Harvey Gamage, and Westward, and the Provincetown Center for Coastal Studies (PCCS) celebrated the first anniversary ofMassSail at an event at Fan Pier in Boston. MassSail is a collaborative program between the two organizations that takes Massachusetts school children aboard ship to expose, educate, and involve them in the science and history of their shoreline and coastal waters. MassSail operates as a series of educational programs aboard the schooner Spirit .------------,-...,..... of Massachusetts from May to September. All curricula options are aligned with the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks for History and/or Social Sciences or Science and Technology and Engineering. Students participate fully in the operation of the ship, working with the professional sailing crew to learn the skills and arts of '------''--~"---=----------'~---'"-"--'--"---~ traditional seafaring. Teaching science and history aboard ship provides a powerful context for education; lessons learned, achievements made, insights gained are internalized and retained because students are invested in the process. In 2005 and 2006, MassSail operated along the full length of the Massachusetts coastline and included Boston-area middle schools, Cape Cod schools, and a 3-day sail with teachers exploring Nantucket Sound. Last year, nearly 75% of d1e Boston-area school groups were fully funded thro ugh scholarships. This year, a start-up grant hopes to take that percentage closer to 100%; OCF and PCCS are hoping that the business community in Massachusetts will take notice and provide ongoing financial support to make the program available to ALL students, regardless of their family's ability to pay. Taking kids to their local waterfront and beyond and teaching them that it belongs to everyone-not just the businesses and private homes that can afford a waterfront location-can be a profound experience. The goal is to engage the next generation of citizens and business leaders with the desire to take care of their local waters and recognize the rich history that maritime communities and seafaring have had on their hometowns. If the maritime heritage community wants to build society's appreciation for its maritime past, it has to get people to the water, get them to want to take care of their waters today while learning about the long histo ry of what those waters have meant to the development of their towns and cities and the nation. (OCF, 23 Bay St.,Watch Hill, RI 02891; Ph. 800 724-SAIL; www.oceanclassroom.org. MassSail info also available through PCCS: 115 Bradford St. Provincetown, MA 02657; Ph. 508 487-3622; e-mail: masssail@coastalstudies. org; www.coastalstudies.org)
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(left) Peter Borrelli, Executive Director ofPCCS, gave an inspiring talk about empowering youth to learn about and care for their local waters.
SEA HISTORY 116, AUTUMN 2006