| | Skipper! Good
to hear from you. I trust you're well and still on the water. I think you'd be
proud of me. I've been a journalist and a professor for, wow, about 35 years,
written several books, taught in Europe, and even sailed a few boats. Mostly now
my cruises are via Holland America. The lessons I learned in scouting stay
with me, although I don't remember the last time I tied a half-hitch. But the
other stuff -- citizenship, teamwork, rules-of-the road -- I use that every day.
I have many memories of Sea Scouts. Among them: tearing apart a house in north
Miami with shipmates and other scouts -- I think it may have been a scout headquarters
building that was being torn down or remodeled; directing traffic on Miracle Mile
during and after a parade; seeing a rocket from the cape go off one night while
we were on the intercoastal waterway; taking the Coast Guard Auxiliary seamanship
course; breaking my wrist while trying to execute one of your complex flag football
plays; delivering Thanksgiving food baskets; John Self's sense of humor; serving
as 'advancement officer' at scout meetings; working on the boat at Dinner Key;
Bimini; shaking hands with Richard Nixon. Well, briefly, I graduated from
the University of Florida, B.S., M.A.,journalism, went into the news business,
received a Ph.D. from Bowling Green State University, and have been teaching journalism
at the University of Tennessee since 1977. I've written several books and continue
a weekly column that appears mostly in Europe. My sailing these days in mostly
aboard Holland-America ships. The friendships and knowledge I acquired through
Ship 537 have proved invaluable. All the best,
Paul
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