Sea-Fever blog

New media tools allow nonprofits to reach out in ways never seen before. I’ve written about this previously here.

In the spirit of the Holidays, I present the following public service announcement for a new organization called the American Tall Ship Institute.

Their message is simple and concise. “Here’s what we can do, here’s what we need.”

If you-know-who ever read my previous post, this would be a good place to help out. Hope somebody can help make some kids’ Christmas really extra special.

Technorati tags: tall ship, Bill of Rights, sail training, American Tall Ship Institute

I was recently “tagged” by my leadership blogger friend Ed Brenegar of Leading Questions to participate in Alex Shalman’s Compassion, Caring, Charity project. This is the first time that I’ve been “tagged” like this so here goes…

Last week was a very busy one for me with several of my nonprofit interests.

On Sunday and Monday, I traveled to Woods Hole, MA to participate in SEA Education Association’s semi-annual Trustee and Overseer’s meetings. This amazing organization sends young college students to sea on two tall ships, Corwith Cramer and Robert C. Seamans, for a fully accredited semester long programs. They also have summer high school programs and an occasional adult experience like the upcoming SEA Expedition program sailing throughout French Polynesia over 7 days in January 2008 (There’s still time to sign up! )

On Wednesday evening I had a Mattapoisett Community Sailing Association (MattSail) board meeting where I am pleased to serve as a pro-bono consultant to this community based nonprofit that teaches young people how to sail and more. From concept in January 2007 to running a pilot program teaching 12 kids to sail in July 2007 to having a Summer Gala in August 2007, MattSail is in the enviable position of having nearly 2 years of operating budget in the “hold” and a very promising future on the horizon! It been exciting to be part of this nonprofit startup.

Finally on Friday, I participated in a day long meeting at my high school alma mater, Tabor Academy, where I have served on the Headmaster’s Council for the past few years. Tabor, also commonly known as “The School by the Sea”, is where I began my sail training experience on the schooner Tabor Boy, an experience that taught me more about leadership (and life) than nearly any since. Earlier this year I launched The Tabor Boy Project which is a social media living history project and online community focused on Tabor Boy’s 50 plus years of changing young lives at sea under sail.

The above three organizations are all amazing and I devote lots of time, energy, thought and resources to each of them. However, in thinking about the Compassion, Caring, Charity project I kept gravitating to another incredible organization, Rocking the Boat in the Bronx, NY.

I first came across Rocking the Boat when I was executive director of the American Sail Training Association. In 2003, Adam Green, founder and executive director, attended the 30th annual ASTA conference in Providence, RI along with several of the program’s young boatbuilders. They set up one of their beautiful boats in the hotel lobby for all of the conferees and hotel guests to marvel over.

From the Rocking the Boat website:

Rocking the Boat is a boatbuilding and on-water education program based out of the southwest Bronx, New York City. Through a hands-on alternative approach to education and youth development, Rocking the Boat addresses the need for inner city youth to achieve practical and tangible goals, relevant to both everyday life and future aspirations. This process allows high school students to acquire practical, academic, and social skills. Rocking the Boat runs programming in both boatbuilding and environmental science, coordinating three after school and summer programs in each discipline annually, working directly with over 150 students, all of whom receive high school credit. During the process of building a traditional wooden boat, Rocking the Boat students create something not only beautiful, but practical in their own lives, bridging urban and natural life within their neighborhoods. This approach is mirrored in the on-water education program through direct focus on Bronx River habitat monitoring and restoration and through maritime life skills programming. Both programs allow students opportunities to gain a deeper awareness of their own abilities and possibilities in the natural and urban world.

This short video does a great job of capturing the essence of this powerful program. PLEASE watch it!

The Rocking the Boat website has lots of great photos and other interesting information about how they employ an effective peer leadership model to bring the art and craft of boatbuilding to under-served, at-risk youth in the Bronx, NY and change lives in the process.

In the September 10, 2007 issue of Time Magazine, Rocking the Boat and Adam Green were recognized in an article entitled The Activists as part of the cover story The Case for National Service. (Green was a 1998 Echoing Green Foundation Fellow.)

On this Thursday (November 15, 2007), Rocking the Boat will be hosting their Whitehaul Award Fundraiser where they will be recognizing Edmund A. Stanley, Jr. and Jennifer Stanley Founder and President of The Robert Bowne Foundation. From Rocking the Boat’s website:

“In creating The Whitehall Award, Rocking the Boat is proud to recognize leaders in the fields of experiential education, environmental activism, and youth development. The honor is named for the distinctively elegant and practical wooden boat design that forms the majority of Rocking the Boat’s hand-built fleet. The Whitehall represents a “golden period” of maritime design and craftsmanship, its reliable and beautiful form remaining largely consistent since 1690.”

The event will be at the South Street Seaport Museum in New York City and I believe that there are tickets still available. So, if you are in the New York area and are interested in helping young people “find a star to steer by,” please considering going and supporting this worthy cause!

Part of the Caring Compassion Charity project involves “tagging” others, so these people need to look out because they are “it”:

• Will Van Dorp writes my favorite maritime culture blog called tugster: a water blog about “New York harbor, the sixth borough.”
• John Konrad is a master mariner, webMaster and CEO of gCaptain.com, a single stop for all things maritime. He writes a great blog and created a cool Digg-like maritime news website called Discoverer where you can always find something interesting!
• Scott Allen, PhD is the founder of the Center for Leader Development where he also heads up a team of leadership bloggers of which I’m proud to be included. I met Scott earlier this year as a co-participant in Harvard Kennedy School of Government’s program, The Art and Practice of Leadership Development.
• Laura Athavale Fitton of Pistachio Consulting writes a must read business blog called Great Presentations Mean Business. A sailor in a past life, Laura is also doing some interesting things on Twitter, the micro-blogging platform. Anyone interested in how business and personal communication technologies are rapidly evolving should follow her here.

Thanks again to Ed Brenegar of Leading Questions for tagging me and giving me the opportunity to introduce a few more people to Rocking the Boat.

Technorati tags: Alex Shalman, Leading Questions, Ed Brenegar, Rocking the Boat, Caring Compassion Charity, youth, leadership development, education

Today (Oct. 13, 2007) John Shiffman of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the federal prosecutor in the Independence Seaport Museum / John S. Carter case wants to send the ex-head of the museum up the river for a long time.

Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Pease said that after the FBI raided his Philadelphia home, tipping him to the investigation, Carter unsuccessfully tried to swindle $1 million worth of life insurance from the museum. And, Pease said, after Carter pleaded guilty, he obstructed justice by lying to a probation officer and the IRS about his assets, including a time-share in Mexico, a 1934 Buick, and property in Maine and Nova Scotia.

“This defendant is without any moral compass whatsoever,” the prosecutor said. “John Carter is an offender who has yet to come to grips with the serious nature of his crimes. He is in a class by himself.”

Carter, who ran the nonprofit museum for 17 years, lived rent-free in its Society Hill townhouse while also being paid about $350,000 annually.

Here’s some sad but fascinating reading. (federal indictment)

Sentencing is scheduled for October 22nd.

Technorati tags: Independence Seaport Museum, John S. Carter

While the Independence Seaport Museum reported that they hired a new president yesterday, another of America’s great maritime museums is looking for someone to take the helm. And this one has their own tall ship! (more…)

Providence Maritime Heritage Foundation based in Providence, RI, operates the Continental Sloop Providence and is seeking crew for the 2007 sailing season, which will include tall ship events in Newport, RI and Halifax, Nova Scotia and beyond.

The Continental Sloop Providence is an historic 110′ tall ship engaged primarily in sail training and educational programming. Built in 1976, this reproduction of a Revolutionary War-era ship participates in educational programs for youth, sail training, re-enactments, corporate charters, and team-building programs throughout New England. The Providence carries a minimum crew of four professionals plus the captain and up to 49 passengers. (more…)

We rarely get the opportunity to get an inside look at what makes a maritime heritage event succeed or fail; however, last week the State of North Carolina published a Special Review of last summer’s Pepsi America’s Sail. (download pdf copy) It makes very interesting reading. I previously wrote about this here and here.

The majority of the report involves a land transfer that generated some confusion and controversy. The report also includes the responses from a number of interested parties including the Friends of the Museum who since their founding in 1979 appear to be a significant contributor to the growth and success of the North Carolina Maritime Museum.

Large scale maritime heritage festivals carry with them a significant level of risk for organizations to manage. They also consistently have a high public profile causing them to be subject to close scrutiny.  There are a number of valuable lessons in the audit report for all would-be event organizers. (more…)

As a strategy and communications consultant I am always interested in learning how organizations use new media tools to engage stakeholders. Many of these tools are free and so easy to use that nonprofits can spread their messages more effectively than ever.

A couple weeks ago I wrote about the groundbreaking for the Lake Union Park project in Seattle. (Seattle - A Maritime City)  One of the key players in that initiative,The Center for Wooden Boats, set up a separate website using blogging software to inform the community of The Master Plan for Exhibits and Interpretation at Lake Union Park. Here you can find lots of useful information including several videos introduced by founding director Dick Wagner and narrated by CWB executive director Betsy Davis.

I was surprised that a high profile community project like this did not generate any comments on any of the blog entries but maybe that’s because CWB has done such a good job of informing and including the community in the process. The YouTube videos which were pretty well put together have also not been watched as many times as I would have thought.

In any case, the Center for Wooden Boats use of these new media tools demonstrates their commitment to giving their stakeholders access to information on the organization’s important strategic initiatives. That’s always a good practice.

Technorati tags: Center for Wooden Boats, Seattle, YouTube, new media, Lake Union Park, nonprofit, maritime heritage

Seattle is one of my favorite cities and this is probably because when I think of it maritime culture and history immediately come to mind. Pike Street Fish Market, Lake Union, The Center for Wooden Boats, the Washington State Ferries and even Starbucks, are just a few of the places, organizations and activities that help create Seattle’s maritime brand.

There have been several interesting articles in the Seattle Post Intelligencer this week about local maritime institutions and initiatives.

The Post Intelligencer reports that since opening in 1998, the Odyssey Maritime Discovery Center has not come near its attendance projections despite occupying prime real estate on the waterfront. This has caused significant operating deficits to accumulate and left millions in unpaid and ultimately forgiven rent. (Odyssey asks port to keep it afloat: Unprofitable Maritime Discovery Center wants $3.2 million)  Fortunately the Port of Seattle recognizes the benefits of the Discovery Center and its potential to educate locals and visitors about the important role maritime industries play in the city and region. The Port has put forward a plan to be a benefactor with a few strings attached. (Maritime museum to get $3.2 million).

Much more positive news comes from cross town. (Groundbreaking set for today at  Seattle’s newest lakefront park). Thanks to some significant local philanthropic support the $30 million Lake Union Park project is being launched today. (Invitation). Lake Union Park will be a vibrant green space that celebrates Seattle’s rich maritime heritage.

Check out the very cool 3D animated rendering of the Lake Union Park project on the Seattle Parks Foundation website provided courtesy of City Investors LLC. (click here)

Technorati tags: Seattle, maritime heritage, museum, Odyssey Maritime Discovery Center, Lake Union Park

Checking through my feeds after a great vacation in Grand Cayman, I came across an interesting post on Maritime Compass about the Independence Maritime Museum in Philadelphia.

In June of 2006 after an “extensive internal investigation,” John S. Carter was “terminated” as president of the Independence Seaport Museum after 17 years at the helm. On January 22, 2007, the museum filed a lawsuit in Massachusetts, Carter’s home state, allegeding the misappropriation of $2.4 million. Ouch! Carter’s lawyer also confirmed to the Philadelphia Inquirer that his client is also under investigation by the FBI.

Ex-head of Seaport Museum accused of fraud - Officials claim John S. Carter defrauded the institution of $2.4 million to support his lifestyle - Philadelphia Inquirer (January 23, 2007)

Enigma who went overboard - Nobody acknowledges really knowing John S. Carter, who stands accused of bilking the seaport museum of $2.4 million - Philadelpha Inquirer (January 23, 2007)

Museum is righting itself, officials say - Philadelphia Inquirer (January 24, 2007)

Seaport museum alleges former president misused funds - Philadelphia Business Journal (January 23, 2007)

Suit alleges $2.4 fraud - Cape Cod Times - (January 24, 2007)

Former Seaport Museum Head Now Accused of Filching $2.4 Million - Wheremostneeded.org (January 30, 2007)

This scandal is tied into a larger one that involves a state senator whose name still appears on the Independence Seaport Museum’s website (as of this post) as a Member of the Board of Port Wardens which appears to be their governing body.

Carter’s salary was reported to be over $300,000 which was more than what the Philadelphia Art Museum, a world class institution, pays its president. While I have never actually visited the Independence Seaport Museum, this seems like a lot of money for a museum that reportedly has had to repeatedly dip into its endowment to shore up operating deficits.

As a former nonprofit executive director, I find this story to be very disheartening. Trust is the commodity on which nonprofit organizations trade; after it is betrayed it is difficult to win back.  With so much competition for philanthropic support, nonprofit leaders have to be ever vigilant in protecting the reputation of their organization and the social investments made in and by their community. This is a significant responsibility that must be shared by staff and board members.

I suspect that there is still a lot that will play out in this story in the coming months. Hopefully, the current leadership of the Independence Seaport Museum will take this crisis and transform it into an opportunity to make their organization stronger. The best place to start would be for the board carefully review their governance model and decisionmaking practices and to recruit a Level 5 Leader for the current president vacancy.

Technorati tags: Independence Seaport Museum, nonprofit, board of directors, Leadership

Look-out (noun): 1. the act of looking out or keeping watch; 2. a watch kept, as for something that may happen; 3. a person or group keeping watch; 4. a station or place from which watch is kept. 5. an object of care or concern. (Dictionary.com)

Five weekly links to blogs, posts or websites that we found interesting, useful or just fun.

1. Senduit.com - Need to send someone a file too large to email? Simple and free! (Tools)

2. Christie’s Maritime Art Auction (January 31, 2007) Check out Montague Dawson, James Edward Buttersworth, Robert Salmon and lots more. (Art)

3. A Periodic Table of Visualization Methods Fascinating project and great resource for presenting data(Interesting)

4. The 59 Smartest Orgs On-Line - Great resource for nonprofits to see how other do it effectively. Co-sponsored by NetSquared, GetActive and Squidoo. Marketing guru Seth Godin is involved. (Nonprofit)

5. You Are What You Expect - The futures of optimists and pessimists by Jim Holt - NY Times Magazine (January 21, 2007) (Essay) (Also check out the Joel Meyerowitz image)

Technorati tags: maritime art, seth godin, joel meyerowitz, nonprofit, netsquared

Today marked the beginning of a new adventure. After 6 exciting, and at times challenging, years leading the American Sail Training Association I needed a change. There were many reasons why I decided now was the time, not the least of which is that I really wanted to have the opportunity to spend more time with family. Joy turned 2 yesterday and Luke will be 4 in a few months; it’s such an exciting time in our house and I did not want to miss it. (Check in with the MattapoisettMellos)

I have launched new company called Sea-Fever LLC, hence the name of the blog. Through Sea-Fever, I will embark on a consulting career focusing initially on the nonprofit sector. I am also working on a few other interesting projects which will be covered in this blog from time to time.

This blog will deal with a wide range of issues that interest me including challenges and opportunities in the nonprofit sector, new media and storytelling. I will also write about leadership which is a topic that has interested me ever since I was a young boy and which will be a significant part of the Sea-Fever program.

Finally, why Sea-Fever? The sidebar has a link to the inspiration which was the classic poem by John Masefield. My life has been incredibly influenced by the sea and sailing and to me Masefield captures the spirit, adventure and enthusiasm that all facets of life deserve.   

Welcome aboard. I look forward to our journey together.