Prince Henry the Navigator and the United States Power Squadrons®
Connection
Who was Prince Henry the Navigator? Why is he important to the Districts of the United States Power Squadrons? Why is Grand Lake Sail and Power Squadron (America’s Boating Club – Grand Lake) appreciative to have him at the GLA Visitors’ Center?
Prince Henry was born in 1394. Third son of King John 1, The Great and Queen Phillipa, an Englishwoman, daughter of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. He spent his younger years on the field of battle. He was considered one of the most famous military leaders of his time. He fought with distinction and received knighthood for his capture of Ceuta on the Northern Morocco coast in 1415.
Henry established within his palace at Sagres, Portugal a community of scholars, dedicated to geographical studies. He surrounded himself with mariners and experts in astronomy and chart/map making. He assembled what is known as the First School of Navigation. Because of his interest in navigation, USPS members became interested in Prince Henry’s life and accomplishments. Henry of Portugal (Prince Henry the Navigator) died November 13, 1460.
In 1965 to celebrate Prince Henry’s 500th Birthday, a group of members of USPS, primarily members of Districts 4 and 5, traveled to Portugal to honor Prince Henry the Navigator for his work in navigation and the creation of the boat called the Caravel. With mutual interest in Navigation studies and after creating a friendship, the Portuguese started giving alabaster statuettes of Prince Henry to each of the USPS Districts to use as awards. This statuette encouraged members to take advanced navigation classes in JN and N. The squadron having the most members taking and passing classes during the year received the statuette as an award for a year. The gifts started in 1963 for District 5 and the last Districts 29 through 32 received theirs in around 1990.
District 31, our District until 2015, did give out the statuette to a squadron each year. However, because Grand Lake Sail and Power Squadron was such a new squadron, the members had a lot of work and education classes to take to catch up to the other squadron’ members achievements. Grand Lake became a squadron in 2000, Beaver Lake S&P became a squadron on May 16, 1987 and Oklahoma City Squadron started even earlier January 18, 1975. In the USPS history reports of District 31 Grand Lake Sail and Power Squadron was listed as taking home the award in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. There is no written history for District 31 after 2013 but our squadrons’ history lists Grand Lake S & P as having received the statuette for the last time in the 2014-2015 History Report period. In the District Bylaws, Article 10, the disbursements of district assets, in case of dissolution of the district, the last squadron to win the trophy could keep it. We elected to keep the statuette.
Prince Henry was born in 1394. Third son of King John 1, The Great and Queen Phillipa, an Englishwoman, daughter of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster. He spent his younger years on the field of battle. He was considered one of the most famous military leaders of his time. He fought with distinction and received knighthood for his capture of Ceuta on the Northern Morocco coast in 1415.
Henry established within his palace at Sagres, Portugal a community of scholars, dedicated to geographical studies. He surrounded himself with mariners and experts in astronomy and chart/map making. He assembled what is known as the First School of Navigation. Because of his interest in navigation, USPS members became interested in Prince Henry’s life and accomplishments. Henry of Portugal (Prince Henry the Navigator) died November 13, 1460.
In 1965 to celebrate Prince Henry’s 500th Birthday, a group of members of USPS, primarily members of Districts 4 and 5, traveled to Portugal to honor Prince Henry the Navigator for his work in navigation and the creation of the boat called the Caravel. With mutual interest in Navigation studies and after creating a friendship, the Portuguese started giving alabaster statuettes of Prince Henry to each of the USPS Districts to use as awards. This statuette encouraged members to take advanced navigation classes in JN and N. The squadron having the most members taking and passing classes during the year received the statuette as an award for a year. The gifts started in 1963 for District 5 and the last Districts 29 through 32 received theirs in around 1990.
District 31, our District until 2015, did give out the statuette to a squadron each year. However, because Grand Lake Sail and Power Squadron was such a new squadron, the members had a lot of work and education classes to take to catch up to the other squadron’ members achievements. Grand Lake became a squadron in 2000, Beaver Lake S&P became a squadron on May 16, 1987 and Oklahoma City Squadron started even earlier January 18, 1975. In the USPS history reports of District 31 Grand Lake Sail and Power Squadron was listed as taking home the award in 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. There is no written history for District 31 after 2013 but our squadrons’ history lists Grand Lake S & P as having received the statuette for the last time in the 2014-2015 History Report period. In the District Bylaws, Article 10, the disbursements of district assets, in case of dissolution of the district, the last squadron to win the trophy could keep it. We elected to keep the statuette.
|
The statuette is now proudly displayed in the Grove GLA Visitors center. Member Earl Starkman made the case to protect the statuette and the plaques around the base of the statuette list the squadron and date they won the award. Americas Boating Club -Grand Lake is having the plaques with the years they won the award engraved.
For a complete History of Prince Henry, and it's history with it's connection to the United States Power Squadron national organization, click on the link below.
Prince Henry Historical Article |
|
* Special Thanks to Bill and Pegy Miller for their efforts in compiling this information.