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IN THIS ISSUE – April 2023
- 2023 Maritime Training Benefit Luncheon
- 2022 SCI Annual Report Online
- Remarks from the Rev. Mark Nestlehutt and Phil Schifflin, Esq. at the March 2023 CMA Shipping Conference
- Chaplaincy: The Heart of SCI — Tragedy on the Lock
- Center for Mariner Advocacy Selects 2023 Summer Intern
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Photo: SCI President and Executive Director, the Rev. Mark Nestlehutt on a ship visit in Port Newark. | |
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UPCOMING SCI EVENTS
Join us in supporting mariners and seafarers. Register today.
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2023 Maritime Training Benefit Luncheon
SCI Honors Channel and Lynchburg Shipyard Founder Dennis Steger
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The Seamen's Church Institute hosted Inland and Gulf Maritime leadership for their annual Maritime Training Benefit Luncheon on April 20, 2023, at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in Houston, Texas. The event, chaired this year by Austin Golding (President and CEO of Golding Barge Line) and Clark Todd (President and CEO of Blessey Marine Services), honored industry legend Dennis Steger, founder of three major shipyards and a medical clinic in the Houston Area, as well as serving as Chairman for the Shipyard Council of America in 1996 and Chairman and Director of Lone Star Bank from 1992 to 1998.
SCI's President and Executive Director, the Rev. Mark Nestlehutt, noted how "the luncheon brings this amazing community together to celebrate those working in this crucial industry while highlighting the importance of mariner training, pastoral care, and crisis response. It was truly an honor to present a legend like Dennis Steger with the Lifetime Achievement Award, given all that he has done for mariners throughout the Inland and Gulf regions."
The 2023 Maritime Training Benefit Luncheon welcomed over 300 attendees and raised $270,000 to assist with mariner training and pastoral care. The event also featured an endearing mariner reflection by JR Miller, Captain of the M/V Sarah Golding of Golding Barge Line, and honoree introductory remarks by Cherrie Felder of Channel Shipyard. The opening benediction was offered by SCI's newest Chaplain, based in Houston, the Rev. Christine Brunson. Also, the event featured remarks on "Excellence in Training" by SCI's Center for Maritime Education Director, Captain Stephen Polk, MNI.
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For 2022, our annual report outlines how SCI delivers on its mission: promoting the safety, dignity, and improved working environment for those serving in North American and international maritime communities through pastoral care, training, advocacy, and thought leadership. | |
SCI Leaders Participate in Panel Discussions at March CMA Shipping Conference | |
In March 2023, SCI President and Executive Director, the Rev. Mark Nestlehutt participated in a roundtable discussion on "Crew Supply and Recruiting the Next-Generation Seafarers." In another session, the Director of SCI's Center for Mariner Advocacy, Phil Schifflin, Esq. participated in a panel discussion on "Normalizing a Healthy Approach to Mental Health and Work in the Maritime Industry." You can view their remarks below: | |
On Thursday, June 8, 2023, the Seamen's Church Institute will gather the maritime community for the 45th Annual Silver Bell Awards, where we will honor Robert P. Burke, CEO & Principal, Ridgebury Tankers with the Silver Bell Award, and the Rt. Rev. Andrew ML Dietsche, XVI Bishop of New York, with the Lifetime Achievement Award. The Silver Bell Awards will also celebrate the 125th anniversary of Christmas at Sea. Register for this event here: | |
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The Rev. David Shirk, SCI Chaplain,
Ministry on the River, Paducah, KY
March 2023 Pastoral Activity Report
Boats moving through river locks always face risks, even if every foreseeable precaution is taken. In this case, a young mariner slipped, fell into the water, and was crushed between the barge and lock wall.
I received the call about this incident and went to meet the boat that very day. They were still in that same lock when I arrived, and the investigation was ongoing. I met with each crew member, but I noticed one man was particularly quiet and standing apart. He was the senior deckhand who had been assisting the young mariner. When I asked how he was holding up, he said he was struggling but keeping it together. I guided the conversation away from the incident and inquired about his hometown. As a chaplain, I always want to avoid forcing the mourning to relive the incident. I also don't want to sound like an investigator. My concern had less to do with understanding the logistics of the incident and everything to do with assessing how he was doing. Simple conversations can help me gauge his mental state and possibly reveal signs of trauma.
On board, as day moved into night and respecting how exhausted they must have been, I said my goodbyes and assured them that my job was not yet done. I asked if I could return the next day and spend more time with them. They said they would like that. I knew it was likely that they needed additional support with their grief. But I also knew that the accident investigation would need to continue, and I wanted to be there for them through that difficult time.
A few days after the incident, I received word that some of the crew were going to attend the viewing. There would also be company representatives attending the funeral. I decided to attend both. It allowed me to follow up with the crew and company and offer my sympathy to the family members.
Like all maritime tragedies, this tragedy is more than just the point of the incident. We chaplains serve mariners in crisis, but we also know that loss is often felt broadly within that community—by family, friends, and colleagues, both on boats and shoreside. This incident, in particular, was hard for many. But being a chaplain means being there for as many as possible. It is my job to make sure that they are okay, to check in and to remind them that I will stand by to support them in whatever way I can.
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Maritime Attorneys Offer Best Practices For Operators Before, After An Incident
By Frank McCormack, Waterways Journal, April 14, 2023
Defense Class 'Experiences' Waterways in Paducah Visit.
By Dave Thompson, Paducah Sun, March 30, 2023.
NDU Students Tour Inland Waterways Sites.
By Shelley Byrne, Waterways Journal, March 31, 2023
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Center for Mariner Advocacy Selects 2023 Intern | |
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Alison M. Odermann of Tulane Law School has been selected as the Center for Mariner Advocacy's summer intern for 2023. Alison will be the twenty-eighth intern to serve in this capacity, continuing a partnership between Seamen’s Church Institute and Tulane Law School that began in 1993. The Center for Mariner Advocacy Director Phil Schifflin and Tulane Law School Professor Martin Davies have designed a program where Alison will spend the summer working with Phil Schifflin in New Orleans and Director Emeritus Doug Stevenson in New York.
Alison shares her thoughts on joining CMA:
I was originally drawn to the maritime sphere through my undergraduate education. As an Urban Studies major, I was very interested in the complex and unique challenges that industries face with the increased pressure of globalization. As I followed along this path, I was exposed to the various modes of international commerce and trade and was particularly drawn to the maritime field.
After graduation, I was afforded the opportunity to work with various advocacy groups. As I looked to combine my interest in maritime and advocacy in the legal field, I was excited to find the opportunity at CMA.
SCI looks forward to welcoming Alison in June.
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A TEST OF ENDURANCE INSPIRED BY MARINERS | |
September 28 to October 1, 2023 | |
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Thank you to Cargill for supporting the 2023 Mountain Challenge as our Lead Sponsor! To learn more about sponsorship opportunities for this event or for more information, please email MountainChallenge@seamenschurch.org or call 212-401-4027.
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Pastoral Care • Legal Advocacy • Professional Training
A donation to the Seamen's Church Institute
helps us support mariners and seafarers
with the challenges they face and
the demanding work they do.
THANK YOU!
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Samuel Morse, born on this day in 1791, developed the telegraph and Morse code in collaboration with Alfred Vail. Radiotelegraphy was a vital skill taught in our Navigation School initially for routine and emergency ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore communications, including SCI's groundbreaking telemedical service. This photo, from around the 1950s, appears to show a telegraph key on display on the shelf under the clock in this scene at the Navigation School atop our facility at 25 South Street. | |
Thank you to our corporate partners | |
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