Maine Maritime Academy - Tricks End Yearbook (Castine, ME)

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SIDOIQTS I With a 32-month course cut down to half its size, proper time and at-tention could not be given to Athletics, however, the Academy has always been represented by a varsity baseball team in the spring and a basketball team in the winter. Besides these, an intermural program has been set up which allows every member of the Academy to take place in one of the many sports offered, crew, tennis, golf, sailing, and soft ball. The basketball season opened about the first of the year, and lasted for about two months, with the team managing to play one game a week. The team opened the season in Castine at the Academy gymnasium with a semipro team from Bucksport, before a large local gathering, including the Superintendent, the Executive ofiicer and the entire corps of middies. Much to the enjoyment of tl1e crowd, the boys in the blue and gold carried oil' a decisive victory which launched the season well. This was fol- lowed by four or five home games as well as trips to Ellsworth, Bangor, Bucksport, and Orono to the University of Maine. The highlight of the season was the game at the University of Maine, where the team was given a banquet and the entire Midshipman corps was given a dance in their honor follow- ing the game. The only letdown in this program was that the middies were turned back by a strong freshman team on the spacious Maine floor. The varsity team was made up from the following men, Richard Morse, Bill McPhee, Barney McDonough, Bud Conley, Arnie Saun- ders, Bill Grant, Milt Gross, Frank Hall, Bill Melaugh and Don Collins. The baseball season consisted of a few games played on the old diamond situated inside of picturesque Fort George in Castine. The season was continued down in New York during the Hrst cruise, when the boys from Maine proved that they could stand up the city slickers from the New York State Academy by defeating them in a late rally. This game of rivalry was con- tinued a year later on the second cruise, when the New York cadets took a one-run decision from our own men. Wfe expect that this will be a rivalry that will continue in years to come. Crew, which is without a doubt a terrific man- building sport, has been stressed both on the .cruises and in Penobscot Bay at Castine. Wihile on the ship, crew races were practically a daily event and were finally built up to a large final race consisting of three boats, Maine engineers, Maine deckmen and the New York State cadets. The course laid out was approximately a mile, and was situated in Smithtown Bay, L. l. All three boats stuck fairly close together until the last three hundred yards, when the Maine Deck crew turned on the power to take an easy victory by two boat lengths. They were followed in by the Maine Engineers, who nosed out the New York crew. Crew has proved, as it will at any seafaring academy, to be one of the best liked and enjoyed sports. Sailing proved to be more of a pastime for the midshipmen than a sport, as there was very little time during the day for such activities. However, the men always took advantage of the nightly breezes to go for a sail and enjoy the thrill of handling a small boat under sail. The days of sailing ships is definitely in the past, but it is sti.ll the true desire of any sea- going man to know the operations of such a vessel. The site of the Academy makes it perfect for any man who is interested in pursuing the arts of golf or tennis, due to the fact that the Castine Country Club is situated directly off the main campus of the school. The Club has opened its gates to the members of the Academy, and on any pleasant day, midshipmen can be found making the rounds of the links or engaged in a friendly game of tennis.

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W ssxkz THE DECKMEN The deck department of the Maine Maritime Academy, consisting of four deck sections, Dl, D2, D3 and D4, have industriously spent the time between July, 1942, and October, 194-3, intensively studying all those subjects which go towards the making of a master mariner - navigation, seamanship, cargo, mathematics, rules and regulations, communications, naval science, ship construction, first aid, and ele- mentary engineering are all necessary to attain this goal. These subjects were at first a mystery and seemed far beyond our grasp, but under the capable and untiring efforts of our instructors, we have become familiar with the intricacies of a mariner's life. Navigation, supplemented by mathematics, is the principal deck subject. For it is by means of a 'thorough knowledge of this art that the ships of our Merchant Marine safely and eco- nomically ply the oceans of the world. No man is a sailor until he has finally mas- tered the practices of common seamanship - a study which ranks next to navigation in im- portance at this academy. Naval Science, to those of us who upon grad-' nation intend to accept commissions in the Navy and go on active duty as Ensigns, U. S. Es E . gsm W' 1 s s s is W ii L as is E ,. 5? N. ll., is of importance, for in this course Naval caslcnis, gunnery, drills and Naval Regulations .. c studied in detail. 'L he subjects embraced by this course can be me e app.eciated for their importance when one .considers that our curriculum has been :he tened from three years to sixteen months. Our academic studies are not entirely depend- ent on theory alone for six months of our course is spent on practical work aboard ship. It is during these months that we learn to apply the theories taught in the classroom. It is during this time that we are first indoctrinated to the new environments of a mariner's life. The dramatic clamor of the General Alarm calling us to abandon ship, collisions a11d Hre stations, and General Quarters is never to be forgotten. Nor will be the many evenings spent in sailing, swimming, attending the movies, or just ushoot- in' the breeze with our fellow shipmates. Now as the time for our graduation approaches and with this graduation the taking on of the responsibilities of an officer in our Merchant Marine or Navy, we can look forward to the future with conlidence that comes from the knowledge that we have received here at the Maine Maritime Academy the finest education obtainable to start us on our 116W careers.

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ACTIVITIES Our social life at Castine really began on our short afternoon and evening liberties, when at such places as Dennet's wharf, Macomber's and the Village Drug Store we had a fine chance to get acquainted with the townspeople as well as our own shipmates. ,lake Dennet's good ship Tramp afforded many pleasant afternoons cruis- ing along the shores of Brooksville and Cape Rosier and around the picturesque islands of the Bagaduce. The Colnmunity Sings to which the entire corps of midshipmen were invited to take part in were helpful in getting better acquainted with the people ill the village. 'One of the persons who made the Commun- ity Sings possible, and whom we often met Sun- day morning at the church on the commons was Mrs. Ames. It was at her home that on several occasions many of the midshipmen enjoyed her warm hospitality. On these occasions the num- ber of midshipmen was always balanced by an equal number of young townspeople. Although we always enjoyed the entertainments provided by the townspeople, by the movies on Friday and Saturday nights, the midshipmen were not lacking in ability themselves and could always find enough talent around to put 011 their own entertainment. This fact was well confirmed when Dave Rapaport presented a stage produc- tion of G'Cadet Capersf' This was so well enjoyed by the oflicers and midshipmen that Admiral Dismukcs requested a repeat performance at Emerson Hall. Along the line of entertainment we might mention the Bridge sponsored by the Lions Club and held in the Gym for the purpose of obtaining funds for the community hospital. At this affair, the midshipmen were the hosts to the 'townspeople and the members of the Lions Club. This was the evening when the ship's navigator, Lt. Tumey, captured the first prize. Our executive oflicer also captured a prize. The card party was a success both socially and financially. By far the most outstanding social event of the year was the graduation dance of May lst. held at the Academy. This dance gave the mid- shipnien a chance to invite their friends to see the Academy and the beauties of Castine. The- Oflicers, their wives and the townspeople were ..,,., ,.., .N.,..5., W ,.,, ., M- V s K 5 . Very generous and hospitable in opening their homes to thetfair guests of the midshipmen. Through the efforts of tl1e Officers, townspeople and midshipmen, tl1e limited facilities for enter- tainment were forgotten, and we are now able to look back upon the many good times we had during our stay in Castine, and to enjoy in retrospect those times which we considered not quite so good. .1