Document jmXbN4mwEB9kr5GBN8yOB7DqO

PUBLISHED BY THE MARINE DEPARTMENT, HUMBLE OIL & REFINING COMPANY Vo!. 9, No. 8 April 20, 1967 A Seaman's World of Opportunity The Seamen's Church Institute and Merchant Marine School There is a book entitled "Fiddlers' Green" by Albert R. Wetjen (out of print, we believe) that describes the adventures of a mate in a place that has everything a seaman could wish for. It's a merchant mariner's heaven. Unfortunately, a sailor must slip his mortal moorings to get there. Not quite the seaman's paradise described in Fiddlers' Green but with the advantage that you don't have to die to get in, is the Seamen's Church Institute of New York. Are you lonely? The Institute provides op portunities for good fellowship. Are you interested in self-improvement? The Institute's services in clude courses and programs designed to better your financial, vocational, physical, artistic, spirit ual and mental resources. Do you want to advance in your profession? Their Merchant Marine School can help you. And along with all this are facilities for your comfort and convenience -- living quar ters. cafeteria, club and game rooms, chapel, bar ber shop, tailor, laundry, post office, medical and dental clinics, and credit bureau. And all at prices ranging from moderate to free. We can't begin to adequately describe all of the Institute's facilities, services and benefits, so we'll concentrate on one -- the Merchant Marine School -- and give you a smattering of the others. In "business" since 1916. SCI's Merchant Ma rine School offers instruction leading to endorse ments as AB. Oiler, FWT and Pumpman (among others) and all deck and engine officer licenses. Special features of the courses include arrange ments for shipboard study in advance to reduce the time required for attending classes. The school is open all year and a student may enroll any time. Length of courses depends upon the student himself; he sets his own pace. Classes are small and he receives individual attention. Recently, newer teaching methods and programs were adopt ed to keep pace with technological progress in the industry. The School's faculty includes men with long service at sea and with excellent reputations as teachers. It has been said that if the student hasn't learned, the teacher hasn't taught. An indication that students learn at the SCI school is a remark Lower New York City showing the present Seamen's Church Institute building (at right, with cross on top) and the new building (cylindrically shaped, at center) which is to be completed in the summer of 1968. The Coast Guard Marine Inspection Office is in the right foreground, behind the small boats. mam ,fea S illilil! IliT ';<TV-?fc ' , tJk . -- r\ *V5?S fe-,j . J.'.'St A student taking a test for aptitudes and hidden talents. (left) A lounge for Merchant Marine School students. by a USCG officer at the Marine Inspection Of fice in New York that the men who finish the SCI courses pass (their license examinations) with very high grades and are exceptionally welltrained. Tuition costs are $10 for AB, Fireman and Oiler endorsements, $15 for Pumpman and $150 for courses preparing the student to sit for an original 3rd or 2nd Mate or Engineer's license. Tuition for a raise in grade is $125 or $150. Rooms for students at the Institute are $16.75 per week. To obtain more information and to enroll in the school, write: Registrar. Merchant Marine School. Seamen's Church Institute, 25 South St., New York. N. Y. 10004. Or telephone (212) 269-2710. In addition to The Joseph Conrad Library of 7.000 books and magazines, and a well-equipped gymnasium, the Institute's educational activities also include the following groups and classes: 1. Advanced Securities & Investing 2. Common Ailments (Causes and treatment) 3. Drawing & Painting 4. Foreign Languages (Conversational French and Spanish) 5. Headlines Around the World 6. Life of Christ 7. Monday Evening Forum 8. Music Appreciation 9. Psychological Testing & Vocational Guidance (Discover your talents) 10. Understanding Our selves (Common emo tional problems) Most of the classes started in February except that Nos. 3. 7 & 8 run all year and No. 9 is by appointment. Most classes are weekly, from 6:15 to 8 p.m.. meeting for 12 weeks. Resident seamen are admitted free to most classes; non-residents pav a modest fee for some. The Foreign Language fees are $25. Art $25 and Psychological Testing $20 ($10 for residents). Regular attendance is not necessary except for the language classes. All in all, it would certainly appear that the Seamen's Church Institute offers wonderful op portunities for a seaman to better himself -- not only to get a license or raise in grade but to ex pand his interests, skills and progress in other directions. In our opinion, the vocational guidance is one of the most potentially rewarding features. Ten or 20 dollars is a small price to pay to obtain an inventory of your abilities and talents -- some of which you may not even suspect. As mentioned previously, the costs of all the Institute's services are moderate or free but it is even possible to reduce those expenses. The Institute has an employment bureau that special izes in finding shore jobs lasting from a few days to a few months. If you are interested in the SCI's Merchant Marine School or other services and want the "real lowdown". talk to Asst. Port Captain Bob Stap. He's an SCI alumnus. New Regular Employees Four more temporary seagoing men have ac cepted regular employee status, bringing the total number of such transfers so far this year to 18. The new7 regulars are: Juan J. Aurelio Lucian M. Siano Edward J. Rickard Servando T. Trujillo ESSO FLEET NEWS is published for the seagoing em ployees of the Marine Department. Humble Oil & Refining Co.: Joseph Andreae. General Manager; Sydney Wirt. Assistant General Manager. W. E. Gardner. Editor. Contributions and suggestions are invited and should be addressed to The Editor. Esso Fleet News. Humble Oil & Refining Co.. P. O. Box 1512, Houston, Texas 77001. EXX-MOR-007112 A Bit About Budge Budge By Glenn E. Miller AB, Esso Scranton The balance of the Scranton's cargo consigned to Calcutta was actually discharged in a small town bearing the unlikely name of Budge Budge. Probably the English version of a pair of difficult Indian words. It is on the bank of the Hooghly River, westernmost branch of the Ganges and is about 14 miles south of Calcutta. Nothing unusual distinguishes Budge Budge from any other Indian village. The inhabitants dress in an odd assortment of clothing with the dingy sheet as the dominating style. Barefoot is the rule rather than the exception and incident ally. their feet are like tough leather. Have to be to withstand the heat, sharp stones, thorny foliage and general debris. A squatter's shack is a palace compared to the miserable hovels some of these people live in. That part of the "house" facing the road is com pletely open, affording anyone passing an intimate view of the interior. Illumination is by a flickering kerosene lamp. The market place is in no better condition than many dilapidated dwellings. Stores are simply open stalls with wares strewn about. It is certain ly not a market place for the tourist -- or seaman. Friends . . . FRIENDS! . . . Your attention, please. Thank you. You are gazing with understandable admiration at beautiful Miss Galena Park (Texas) A. B. Beever 1967, better known as Miss Colleen Beever, daughter of Pumpman and Mrs. Alonzo B. Beever. Miss Beever, a senior at Galena Park High School, is holding a trophy awarded for first place (among 24 entrants) in the school's annual beauty pageant. She also won first prize in the talent contest with a hill billy skit and 2 medals for singing. After graduation, Miss Bee ver intends to study at the Uni versity of Texas' Dental Branch to become a dental technician and also may attend San Jacin to Junior College. Mr. Beever and his wife Joyce also have a son Tommy, 14, who is a good horseman and has ridden his Apaloosa in shows, a married daughter Mrs. Leland Knox, and 3 grand children. Al has 19 years' serv ice in the Fleet. On behalf of men in the Esso Lexington, Captain Christian W. Tolfsby (right) receives the Ship Safety Achievement Citation of Merit from Rear Admiral Charles P. Murphy, Chief of Merchant Marine Safety for the U. S. Coast Guard. The award, sponsored by the National Safety Council and American Merchant Marine Institute, was presented at the Downtown Ath letic Club, New York, on April 11. It was a remarkably fast rescue of the pilot of a small airplane that merited the citation to the Lexing ton. The tanker was southbound off Grand Bahama Island about noon, March 14, 1966, when a private plane ran out of gas and hit the water off the star board bow. Crewmen in the Lexington lowered a motor lifeboat, picked up the flyer from the sunken plane and were back aboard ship in 18 min. Captain Tolfsby directed the rescue by walkie-talkie radio as the man in the water could not be seen from the lifeboat, due to 7-8 ft. seas. Whatever is spread out for sale would not appeal to an outsider. Sanitary conditions are non existent. Those few' enterprising natives who have a smattering of English and a head for business probably fare better, especially w'hen an Ameri can ship is in. They act as guides and do their level best to make themselves indispensable. Nat urally. just prior to sailing these self-appointed guides and street urchins invariably inherit left over rupees the men were unable to spend. Local transportation is provided by pedicab -- a giant-sized tricycle with an open seat over the two rear wheels and a collapsible canopy for shade when needed. It's a bumpy ride but it beats walking and will get you to your destination surprisingly quick. When on foot you fall prey to every beggar in the area and you must pick your way gingerly to avoid a wide variety of obstacles. Sidelights and tiny headlights on the pedicabs are, in some cases, miniature kerosene lanterns. Of course they all have a Bombay horn. Except to experience some strange sights, sounds and smells, the town is an absolute bust as an L EXX-MOR-007113 attraction. It would be far more rewarding to travel to Calcutta, where there is a strong sem blance of Western influence, big city conveniences and much more in the way of entertainment. Two of our crew went to Calcutta by train. They say 2 rupees buys a first class ticket. Trains are similar to those in England and the ride is private, pleasant and scenic. More than enough reason to forego the costlier and reckless taxi ride one is sure to get. RECENT RETIREMENTSsss' Radio Officer Ernest G. Best's career in radio and electronics covers 40 years -- 2 years with radio manufacturers in New York City (1927-28). 13 years as a radio operator with the Portland Trawling Co. (1928 41). 3 wartime years on sonar work with Submarine Signal Co. and 2 years (1945-47) with Waterman and Eastern Steamship. Then, on a stormy Oct. 12, 1947. he signed on as Radio Officer in the Esso Richmond to begin 19 years of Company service that ended with mandatory retirement. April 1. "I have been proud of my association with the Company." Mr. Best said, "and have enjoyed the friendship of those in management I came in contact with and all the officers and men with whom I have sailed. (I would have liked to post a few more baseball scores and standings in the crew messroom this season.) EMBLEM AWARDS 20 YEARS Donald E. Graham Master January 17, 1965 r ' Alfred W. Kirby, Jr. Third Mate February 15, 1967 Joao H. DeBarros Chief Steward February 14, 1966 I \ j. H. Hays Able Seaman December 19, 1966 Joseph H. Kissel Oiler September 24, 1966 Stanislan Skadovura Ordinary Seaman July 15, 1966 Captain Robert J. Boxwell This is what the new anti exposure lifeboat covers aboard the Esso Scranion (and all Company vessels) look like, except for end sections. The material is bright orange color, long lasting and resistant to al most everything. There are straps to tie up the sides in good weather and tubes connected to the top to col lect rain water. At left 2 crewmen are erecting the aluminum framing. "I wish to express my appreciation to Captain Hooper and Captain Stap for the send-off in the Esso Gettysburg with Captains Stober and Swift. I liked the Gettysburg -- a swift, comfortable ship, the ocean greyhound. "I do wish to say `Hi' and good sailing to my former brother Radio Officers, and to them 73S." Mr. Best and his wife Ellen live in West Bridgewater. Mass. They have one son, David. Deck Maintenanceman John A. Leger. Following 12 years of "artful dodging" as a New York City taxi driver, Mr. Leg er went to sea with Esso but was still dodging -- then it was submarines in the North Atlan tic and Mediterranean. He was in the Esso Montpelier, Con cord and Annapolis from Aug. 1943 to the end of the War and came through without mishap. Mr. Leger had a few engineroom assignments but most of his 23 V3 years with the Company were as OS. AB and DM. He was DM in the Esso Bangor and Huntington for 4 years prior to his retirement. April 1. Now living in Richmond. Va., Mr. Leger en joys hunting and fishing, pinochle and chess and hopes to get some part-time work after he rests up a bit. He has a son, Edward. 36. "Good luck to my shipmates in the Fleet." were his parting words. EXX-MOR-007114