Station Maine isn't the Sea Scouts. Very few of these kids is planning a career as a seaman. We aren't equipped to take long passages and we rarely study navigation. These kids are not serious about the sea. They are serious about growing up to be the best human beings they can be. The sea is the medium through which we do it. The rowing competitions are friendly races, nothing more. They are a goal towards which we can train, and fun trips to look forward to. Then, after the racing season, we return to the recurring job of becoming whole human beings. We bond as a crew because kids need a gang of friends who share their values. We train for as many skills as we can squeeze in because we become more confident human beings with each new skill.
It is my most sincere hope to send these kids out into the world believing that they have what it takes to succeed in life. We train and we talk and we dream. Our bodies harden, our minds become clearer, and we learn to understand that the sky really is the limit of our dreams.
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