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| West Pointer Takes to Deeper Water December 2005
Despite his lineage—graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point—Miami site leader Bill Knickerbocker will always carry the title Commodore. In June 2005, he was appointed Sea Scout Commodore for the three-county South Florida Council of the Boy Scouts of America (BSA). That makes him the senior adult coordinating the Sea Scout venturing program, which has 10 active units—variously focused on sailing, scuba diving, and power boating—and holds one major regatta every year. Flying the Flag Sea Scouts—like other BSA venturing programs—is an adult-monitored, youth-run program for boys and girls age 14-21. Since moving to Miami in 1997, Knickerbocker has been involved in scouting, adding Sea Scout activities about five years ago. "I went from nobody to Commodore almost overnight," he laughs. And he flies his Commodore's pennant and the Sea Scout pennant on his 33-foot sailboat. Most of his sailing, after all, is with the scouts, and he finds it very rewarding. Knickerbocker uses Civic time (C-time) for some of his scout activities, and encourages the other nine members of his department to be active in the community and make use of MITRE's C-time. Nearly everyone at the site volunteers. The Making of a Commodore Knickerbocker takes some satisfaction in his evolution from U.S. Military Academy cadet to Commodore. "I spent ten years in Army Special Forces, so it's hard to picture me as a seafaring person," he says, describing the transformation as "venturing out in deeper water." In a way, he sees this new phase as resolving an old frustration and avenging an embarrassing episode. As a cadet, he spent the traditional exchange week at the U.S. Naval Academy, where he set out in a small dinghy for a sail, then had to summon help to get back to shore. "I never sailed after that," he says. But once he'd spent a couple of years in Miami, he was lured into some sailing classes, rented vessels for day trips, and finally bought his own. "Now that I've figured it out, I'm having a lot of fun at it," he says. The Sea Scouts offer him sailing companions and the chance to mentor youth; he shares his love of sailing and helps raise funds to defray the program's expense for the young sailors. Commodore Knickerbocker looks forward to 2006, when his group will host the semi-annual William I Koch Cup, an international competition named for the America's Cup champion.
Page last updated: March 8, 2006 | Top of page |
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