The Sea Scouts program recently bestowed its 15th annual Sea Scout National Flagship Award to the Sea Scout Ship 100, SSS Dominion, of Manassas, Va.
Sea Scouts is a specialized program within the Boy Scouts of America that is intended to improve youth boating skills with on-water practice, outdoor, social and service experiences and boost knowledge of maritime heritage. There are about 6,500 participants, about one-third of whom are female, on 550 vessels nationwide.
The flagship award was created by BoatUS in 2002 to mark the 90th anniversary of Sea Scouts. It recognizes excellence in program quality, youth achievement and adult commitment.
Chartered by the Freedom Museum (an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution) in Manassas, SSS Dominion, was formed in 2012 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Sea Scout program. With 20 active scouts, SSS Dominion maintains an active and diverse program around the western suburbs of Washington, D.C.
The group meets weekly at Manassas Airport or Dominion Boathouse where it stores its small boats and gear and runs a fleet of seven boats from 22 to 46 feet. Members have sailed the U.S. Virgin Islands, the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay, completed leadership programs, hosted American Heart Association First Aid and CPR courses and participated in food drives in the local area.
