Yesterday was a busy port day. We started off with hosting about 40 high school seniors and their parents for an Admissions Department open ship. A large group of cadets participated in taking them on detailed tours around the ship. The effort was repeated once more in the afternoon.
The Florida Chapter of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy Alumni Association met aboard at 1500 to conduct their annual meeting. There were at least 20 alumni from classes ranging over fifty years in the Enterprise Conference Room, all attentively listening to the report from President John Pardi, Class of 1991 – while their husbands and wives congregated in the IMBU classroom nearby.
At 1600 the Ship’s Reception was opened on the Helo Deck – under our tent – and over the newly painted Patriot’s logo. While the alumni moved aft, they were joined by another one-hundred alumni and guests, local business folks and port officers. In all over 200 enjoyed a superlative offering of hors d'oeuvres prepared by the Chartwell’s galley staff – all from the imagination of Chef Jim Wirzburger. As people enjoyed a beer or glass of wine, the music from a Calypso Steel Drum filled the area, and a photo montage of the SeaTerm prepared by LCDR Tom Pham was projected for viewing.
I don’t want to call out too many people for the success of the reception, but Vice President of Advancement Holly Knight and her crew brought all the folks together, while Chief Mate Mike Campbell and Chief Engineer Bill Laffan made the Helo Deck suitable for the event. Cruise Commander Brian Sarapas, charged with the unenviable task of selecting only 30 cadets, did a great job of bringing his class mates and few under class cadets into the light – where they did a great job of representing our student body. Thanks to everyone who attended!
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