1	Shawnee Yacht Club Sea Scout Master Plan “The Tom Gregg Ship” A Project for Youth Development “The Tom Gregg Ship” Named in honor of Tom Gregg (1924-2005) A past commodore of Shawnee Yacht Club , Tom was a man of tremendous warmth and perpetual good humor. He had friends in all walks of life and served as a kind of “troop leader” for the two central Topeka neighborhoods where he raised his family. Long after his own five children left home, neighborhood kids would knock on the Gregg's door and ask if he could come to join their games. Tom’s support for youth and love of sailing are brought together in naming this ship in Tom’s honor.
2	Purpose To provide a community resource that fosters confidence, skill, development, leadership and responsibility among area youth though a Venture Scout Sailing Program
3	Support Scouting Support The Boy Scouts of America Venture Program supports the Sea Scouts for youth ages 14 to 20. The Topeka BSA office has encouraged the development of this Sea Scout Ship and is willing to provide the support, guidance and assistance with this program. They have the ability and experience to assist with leadership advice, guidance manuals, and leadership training which will greatly enhance the starting and continuation of the Program. The BSA Jayhawk Area Council has appointed Shawnee District Executive Kelly E. McMurphy as the BSA organizer to provide guidance in this project. Mr. McMurphy can be contacted at kmcmurph@bsamail.org County Support The County allows the use of Lake Shawnee and provides the docking and storage facilities for the boats as well as has available places to meet. We are working with the county to add more security for the boat parking/storage area as well as adding an improved meeting area in their long term plans as this program develops and grows. Yacht Club Support The Shawnee Yacht Club members have the sailing experience as well as boat maintenance and repair ability to provide necessary support for the youth program. Several members have pledged significant time commitment to provide experienced adult assistance directly to the youth program. Others have also committed to significant assistance to make this program work,. Of course, significant adult assistance will be necessary from youth parents. Youth Several youth have already indicated an interest in the Sea Scout program. In addition, the Boy Scouts of America has conducted surveys of youth in high school and has available names and phones numbers of youth that have indicated an interest in sailing. We plan to start with enough boats to support a group of 15 youth with financial commitments from donators to double this to 30 youth if the program grows quickly as expected.
4	Boats One Class People who learn to sail often sail only a year or two before the novelty wears off. However sailing can be a lifetime experience. Most of those that are involved in sailing for many years become involved in sailboat racing early in their involvement with sailboats. Racing provides the camaraderie and friendships as well as the incentive for continued improvement in sailing skills. There is a tremendous advantage to having the same class of boats available so that racing can be introduced to the youth as soon as they have developed basic skills of sailing. The other boats owned by Shawnee Yacht Club members will still be around so that the youth can have an occasional taste of sailing other types of sailboats. Size/Class A two man boat has been chosen so that the youth can experience team work involved between a skipper and crew. The boats need to be small enough that the youth can quickly grow comfortable in handling the boats and at the same time be large enough to encourage youth as old as 20 to be involved in the program. The MC Scow meets these specifications and is a class that is becoming popular throughout the country which allows for opportunities for the youth to travel to regattas if and when desired. Cost MC Scows are very popular making used boats both hard to find. However, Melges has made the class for many years and boats from the 80s and early 90s are still excellent boats. A Shawnee Yacht Club member has agreed to travel to other states to look at and purchase boats that can be found. We have determined that the boats with trailers, can be found at a cost of $2,000 to $3000 each. We have received donations and have five boats which provides an adequate start. We are attempting to get commitments from donators to provide up to ten boats over the next two years provide the program grows to a level to have needs of that number of boats. Maintenance Fiberglass boats have low maintenance costs. Shawnee Yacht Club members have the skills to do fiberglass repair when the boats are inevitably damaged by judgment mistakes of youth. Because of the quality of design of the MC Scow, The cost of maintenance of the boats should be minimal. Budgeting and fundraising by the youth will be necessary to meet the need for occasional replacement of sails as well as the eventual replacement of boats. Storage The County is working with us to provide for both summer and winter storage of the boats at Lake Shawnee at minimal or no cost. Insurance The cost of insurance will be a part of the necessary budgeting and fund raising for the youth.
5	Donations Donations of cash to purchase sailboats or donations of sailboats will be made directly to the Boys Scouts of America Jayhawk Council. They will give appropriate receipts showing the donations are charitable donations. The donations will be made with the stipulations that the donations are for sailboats to be purchased and used by the Sea Scouts at Shawnee Lake for as long as the Sea Scouts remain active. Inactive shall mean that the Sea Scouts charter has expired for a period of over six months . The Jayhawk Council has agreed donations made for the Sea Scout Boats will be accepted as having such stipulation and that such stipulation will be honored. We currently have Five Boats and are looking for funds for five more. Donations can be sent to: Boy Scouts of America Jayhawk Council Attn: Kelly E. McMurphy 1020 SE Monroe St Topeka, KS 66612
6	Melges Performance Sailboats offers assistance Eric Hood of North Sails says: “The Tom Gregg Sea Scout Ship at Shawnee Yacht Club is an opportunity for young people in the Topeka area to experience the fun, thrills and challenges of sailing. Like many sports and you can include sailing, the opportunity at a young age to experience a sport through a school type atmosphere will be incredible for those attending. For all of us at the top of our sport of sailing it all started with youth sailing programs. It not only teaches you about sailing but about sharing, sportsmanship and friendship. Pretty important qualities we all want for our todays youth regardless of what they are doing. All of us at Melges Performance Sailboats fully support this new exciting program.” Andy Burdick of Melges Performance Sailboats says: “The establishment of the Tom Gregg Sea Scout Ship Youth Sailing Program in Shawnee is very exciting. To have a venue for youths to come and enjoy the sport of sailing is second to none. Sailing is a sport that lasts a full lifetime. You enjoy the outdoors, the water and the wind. These attributes coupled with the relationships you form from the sport of sailing leaves a youths future wide open with many exciting opportunities.” In addition Andy Burdick has committed Melges Performance Sailboats to: 1. to teach a one day program in the future for the Tom Gregg Sea Scout Ship youths on race tactics. Preferable this summer or next summer. 2. Assistance in evaluating the MC Scows selected by the Sea Scout committee and on going assistance in obtaining donated or reduced price MC Scows from Melges or MC Scow owners. 3. Assistance in building the fleet of MC Scows through donated boats and when necessary appraisals of donated boats. 4. Assistance in parts needed in the future to repair the Sea Scout MC Fleet.
7	Organizational Steps & Timetable March – Finalize Plan Arrange for Adult SYC volunteers. Phil Skow, Chuck Towle and Nicole Nichols have agreed organize the leadership as well as work directly with the youth members COMPLETED April – Commitments Work with County to finalize commitment to assistance with boat security and storage Work with Scout Executive to provide assistance and fast start training Acquire commitments from donators for funding boats Begin acquiring boats - Begin promoting Youth recruitment meeting for April 30^th COMPLETED May – Youth Promotion April 30th 1:00 pm -Hold recruiting meeting at Shawnee Yacht Club – Register youth & adults with BSA Encourage Youth to attend basic sailing classes on May 7, 14, 21 & 28 at 10:00 to Noon offered by Shawnee County Parks & Recreation and the Shawnee Yacht Club COMPLETED Begin organization of youth – election of youth leaders – Have youth develop annual plan to include programs for: basic sailing training, swim tests boat safety right of way rules boat etiquette race rules racing technique and strategy June – Have program well underway and get youth in boats regularly Twelve youth have now joined and more are expected. Several are well on their way to being able to teach others to learn to sail.
8	Contact Information Youths:e-mail to Commodore@ShawneeYachtClub.org Youth that are interested or have any questions can send an e-mail to Commodore@ShawneeYachtClub.org. Please provide your Name, Age, e-mail, Address, & Phone. Adult Assistant Leader Volunteers Email – ChuckTowle@cox.net or phone Chuck Towle at (785) 272-8094 Adults interested in volunteering to help guide the youth as this program begins should contact Chuck Towle. We will need both male and female adult leaders Potential Donators email – ChuckTowle@cox.net or Commodore@ShawneeYachtClub.org Or call Chuck Towle evenings at (785) 272-8094 or daytime at (785) 228-0000 Donations should be made to: “Boy Scouts of America – Jayhawk Council Shawnee District Sea Scouts” For boats donated, please contact Chuck Towle to determine how the boats should be titled.
9	SAILING FOR YOUNG WOMEN AND MEN AGE 14 to 20 Youth Group sponsored by the Shawnee Yacht Club With the Support of the Shawnee County Parks and Recreation Learn to sail and race Sailboats Come find out what this is about on Saturday APRIL 30^TH – 1:00 pm At Shawnee Yacht Club - Boat Parking Lot In case of rain, meeting will be Sunday, May 1^st at 1:00 pm