Board of Directors Meets Twice this week. This News is from the latter.

 This past Thursday afternoon, 12 January, our Board of Directors met twice, once behind closed doors, where they heard from Captain Heath Hackett, the ship's Project Manager for Shipyard and beyond, pending onboarding of a Captain. I was not invited to participate in that meeting and cannot comment on discussions or decisions made if any.  

A second meeting immediately followed with representatives of the State Aquarium.  This was the meeting to which I was invited, as it turns out, primarily as an observer. Volunteers were not part of the agenda.  The discussions in this meeting appeared to be a continuation of ideas exchanged during the last meeting in August, around the possible leveraging of the Aquarium's marketing and fundraising expertise, as well as bringing revenue generating dockside educational programs to Spirit of South Carolina.   

•  The Board declared its support in funding the dockside ongoing maintenance of the schooner.  
• The Board's agenda did not include discussion of any other programs, revenue-generating or otherwise.    
• The Aquarium representatives agreed to consult with their Marketing assets, and educational coordinators, to determine what sort of fit could, at this point, be brought to bear with the Spirit of South Carolina.

That is all I know. There remain many open questions:   I hope you're still reading- there's a hook - a pretty important one, where you can end up making a difference.. read on.

1. Is there an intent to hire someone in an Executive Director position? who would:

• In addition to the Aquarium's programs, produce, maybe with Volunteer help, revenue-generating programs such as:
• historical educational experiences on deck folded into guided tours, and included with on-deck receptions, weddings, etc, 

• themed cruises-harbor, or coastal, or larger with, International African American Museum, and educational institutions [Ashley Hall, Porter Gaud, Boy Scouts, Sea Scouts, Citadel, CofC, even out-of-state.
• Offer the schooner as a training platform for Marine license training schools, or other apprenticeship programs.

•  Sell Guest Crew adventures for adults to participate as crew while on passage. 

• Generate and direct a Development Strategy to cover non-revenue generating programs, such as low-country youth aboard. 
• Builds relationships that result in Donor subscriptions at various levels [Bar Pilots Society, Francis Elizabeth Club, Robert Smalls Group, Honorary Plank Owners ] 

• Find Sponsors to underwrite other fundraising events; Trivia Nights, Annual Fundraising Events, or Educational Programs [ Cof C's Charleston and the Atlantic World,]  

• Organize a Volunteer School Liaison Group that builds and maintains relationships with School Districts to publicize and build school and student interest in a Tall Ship Experience. 

• Direct and execute a Marketing Strategy that promotes all the above and pushes our "Brand" (worthy of discussing what that means): 
•         Directs the content-building of our soon to be published website, as well as other social media platforms [Facebook, that other one, etc] 

•      Identify opportunities to generate Publicity-Visibility -[Post and Courier, Garden and Gun Magazine, Charleston Race Week, Out-lying communities such as Beaufort, Hilton Head, and Georgetown; Upstate even; visits to civic organizations and give a talk.

The Hook.

 I counted at least six different hats this "Executive Director" job has to juggle. Probably almost impossible to juggle all of these balls with competence. Unless they have help.  Not more hired staff; It's just too expensive.  Tall Ship's organizations who have employed paid staff to handle all this work, could not sustain themselves.  Our own history proves it.  The South Carolina Maritime Foundation, owner of Spirit of South Carolina, employed a couple dozen people for 7 years, and went bankrupt, primarily due to labor costs.

So, who ya gonna call?

Look in the Mirror.  

Volunteers have filled similar roles and managed significant roles in all these above responsibilities in some form or another, South Street Seaport, NY. Pride of Baltimore II, in Baltimore, Flagship Niagara, Erie, PA, and a ton of other tall ship syndicates. 

Being a Volunteer Deckhand, may not be your forte... But I'll bet that somewhere in that litany above, is a role that needs being filled, and it's in your wheelhouse. 

You can make a difference. Even, if you're not sure what could work, but you just want to help, Get in touch with me via this blogsite in the column at right, or at:

 bryan@spiritofsc.org 

We need to talk.