o on THE SEAMEN'S CHURCH INSTITUTE BOARD OF TRUSTEES Chairman Treasurer Malcolm W. Macleod Alfred lee loomis, III George M.lsdale,Jr. President & CEO General Par!J1er Sr. Vice President Moron Towing Corporation Downtown Associates Paine Webber Inc. * Mrs. John D. Macomber President Secretary * The Hon.Anthony D. Marshall Vice President Henry C.B. Undh Thomas J. Prendergast The Vincent Astor Foundation R.e. Miller Inc. President The Center Marine Managers, Inc. * The Rt. Rev. Paul Moore,Jr. Executive Director Bishop Emeritus, Diocese o( New York The Rev. Peter Larom Honorary Chairman The Rt. Rev. James H. Ottley The Rt. Rev. Richard F. Grein, D.o. Vice Presidents Anglican Observer to the United Nations Bishop o( New York Mrs. C. Robert Allen, III The Hon. Maxwell M. Rabb Members George D. Benjamin Kramer Levin ** Ullian C. Borrone Senior Vice President & Direaor (Ret) Jerome Shelby, Esq. Direaor, Port Deportment Johnson & Higgins Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft Port Authority a( New York & New Jersey Richard S. Berry, Esq. Herbert W. Swain, Jr. The Rev. Serge A Castiglia no General Par!J1er Sr. V:P., Creative Direaor Executive Direaor Zuberry Associates Young & Rubicam, Inc. Sea(arers & International House David S. French Stephen AVan Dyck Kendall G. Chen President Chairman & CEO President American Intemational Marine Agency o( NY, Inc. Maritrans Energy Transportation Corp. Niels M. Johnsen * Mrs.Alexander O.Vietor Chairman Richard A Cook Alexander W. Vietor Central Gulf Unes Inc. The Hundred Year Association o( New York Chaimwn Richard Daschbach, Esq. Thomas L. Mclane J. Willis Corraon Energy. Inc. Managing Direaor and COO New England Global Shipping Carl Weisbrod Direaorship Inc. Klaus G. Dom President Chairman & CEO Thomas J. Prendergast Alliance (or Downtown New York. Inc. President Atlantic Mutual Insurance Co. VADM Paul AWelling (Ret.) Center Marine Managers, Inc. Richard T. du Moulin * The Rev. Dr. James R. Whittemore Charles A Robertson Chairman & CEO Direaor Emeritus Chairman Marine Transport Unes Inc. The Seamen's Church Institute CMX Inc. Henry E. Froebel * John G.Winslow Ralph K. Smith, Jr., Esq. Mrs.J. Campbell Henry Clifford R. Wise Par!J1er Donald D. Holt Snow Becker Krauss P.e. Editor Clerkal Vke Presidents The Journal o( Commerce * Honorary The Rev. Daniel P. Matthews, D.o. Chester D. Hooper, Esq. ** Ex-Officio Reaor Par!J1er As of (September 2, 1998) Parish o(Trinity Church in the City o( New York Haight, Gardner, Holland & Havens The Rev. Winston W. Ching Frank J. larossi Officer o(Asiamerica Ministry Chairman & CEO Episcopal Church Center American Bureau o( Shipping The Rev. Jean R. Smith * Niels W. Johnsen Associate Executive Direaor Central Gul( Unes Inc. The Seamen's Church Institute Gerhard E. Kurz The Rev. Franklin E.Vilas, D.Min President Reaor Mobil Shipping & Transportation Co. St Paurs Church ** VADM James M. loy The Rev.W. KurtVon Roeschlaub Commandant Reaor U.S. Coast Guard St Stephen's Episcopal Church Buildings of SCI 4 The Architects Comment 10 CPs Floating Chapel History II Opportunities 0 12 Special People, Special Places 14 Spotlight/Profiles 16 199 Annual Report 18 Message From the Trustees 19 The Year in Review 20 Countries Served 22 Donors 24 Gifts of Recognition 34 Staff Directory 35 1997 Financial Summary 36 DIRECTOR'S LOG AS WE PREPARE SCI FOR the new century; we must attend to "The thrre buildings of SCI activate the bricks and mortar of our organiza­ ministries; the ministries in tum tion, The heart of SCI is our ministry must activate the buildings. " - the day-to-day work of serving mariners here to reach out to new people in workplaces worldwide, If the buildings only activated our ministries, that alone would be won­ The three buildings of SCI are derful. But they also activate their The Rev. Peter Larom embodiments of our ministries and respective neighborhoods. Take 241 mission, At the dawn of the new Water Street: As our history is inex­ think ahead. What is needed in century, will the buildings impede us tricably linked to that of New York's 1998 may not be needed ten years in our mission, or will they offer original seaport, it is fitting that our from now. With the generosity of opportunities? Will they present new headquarters has contributed our supporters, we will be able to problems, or furnish solutions? to the revitalization of the historic anticipate and respond to the needs South Street Seaport. of mariners and expand our pro­ A well-designed and maintained grams as needed. building has an amazing way of Our Center for Maritime activating ministry. A great building Education's joint project with the This special edition is a blueprint for draws people in and elevates them, River Heritage Museum in Paducah, our ongoing ministry, and it high­ whether they be donors, volun­ Kentucky has also contributed to an lights the way you and others can teers or the people receiving ser­ historic downtown district's revital­ help us acheive our goals, vices. It elevates the program as a ization and spurred economic devel­ whole. opment there. Our International Faithfuly, Seafarers' Center provides a human­ All three buildings of SCI accom­ izing architectural element to indus­ plish this in a real way. Each has a trial Port Newark. But it's no good The Rev. Peter Larom magical formula. In Newark we have to have a good building that looks Executive Director an excellent fitness center. bar. and sad and neglected. Our goal is to August I I, 1998 restaurant. Our center in Paducah, make sure the buildings continue to Kentucky overlooking the Ohio sparkle. This requires energy and River has put an important focus on thoughtfulness. modern towboat industry. Our headquarters in New York brings We must make sure we have the sparkle to our whole enterprise. You resources to make repairs or addi­ can't walk away from it unaffected. tions when needed. We must also THE BUILDINGS OF SCI THE MOTIVATING MOTTO FORTHE SEAMEN'S CHURCH INSTITUTE'S FIRST HEADQUARTERS was, "Nothing is too good for seamen." Much has changed since the foundation was laid for the "Dream Hotel" at 2S South Street in 1912, when merchant mariners spent an average of seven to ten days in the Port of New York, and 2S South Street was the first place a sailor could sleep without worrying about being swindled, robbed, or even shanghaied. But, the three buildings comprising today's Seamen's Church Institute stand in testament to the motto that motivated the construction of SCI's first house of hospitality The organization, founded in New York in 1834 as the Young Men's Church Missionary Society. originally administered to sailors in the Port of New York. Now, from inside three prominent buildings in New York, Port Newark, and Paducah, Kentucky, SCI is able to infiuence the quality of maritime life on ships and in ports allover the world. The Institute, housed in three buildings noted for their innovative and functional designs, has provided a blueprint for workplace ministries worldwide. 241 WATER STREET. NEW YORK CITY Ship models, maritime artifacts, and nau­ tical artwork (some by seafarers, others by famous artists), adorn the shiplike corridors of the SCI's headquarters building at 241 Water Street. A first-time visitor might mistake this nautical struc­ ture for a maritime museum. But stop at the the Seafarers' Club on the second fioor and you are quickly reminded that this is no museum: active and retired seafarers dine, play pool, and watch A&E on a large-screen TV. While the artwork and artifacts commemorate seafarers past, this is a living, vibrant mission serv­ ing today's mariners. For further reminders of this, peer into one of the two hi-tech, bridge simulator training rooms, observe volunteers wrapping hand-kn it scarves and caps in the Christmas-at-Sea room, or eavesdrop on an attorney making arrangements to repatriate a shipwrecked seafarer in the window panel and asymmetrical vault of Center for Seafarers' Rights. the chapel and translucent fiberglass panels of the rear facade. The fifth and The site for SCI's permanent headquar­ sixth fioors, clad in porcelain-enameled ters was chosen by the board in 1985 at steel, stretch over new and old buildings a spot exactly midway between Pike's and resemble an ocean liner: Slip, where SCI's first Floating Church of our Savior was launched in I 844, and 25 SCI's headquarters won two awards South Street, the Institute's home for from the American Institute of architects: much of the 20th century On a portion a Design Excellence award from the of the site is a 1799 ship chandlery once New York chapter in 199 I, and a opel-ated by Peter Augustus Schermer­ National Honor award in 1993. It horn, a founding patron of the Institute. received a citation for architectural The architectural firm of Poishek and design from the New York City Partners was chosen for- the project, Landmarks Preservation Commission having built a reputation for innovative and was featured in the American historic preservation with projects such Architectural Foundation's television pro­ as Carnegie Hall, the Urban Center, gram Landmarks of Hope: New and the US Customs House. James Architecture for Urban America. "SCI's Poishek and Richard Olcott were the building makes an important contribu­ chief architects. tion to the South Street Seaport and has contributed to its revival." says Paul The facade of the adjacent landmark Byard, partner of Platt Byard Dovell Schermerhorn building, one of the oldest Architect, a trustee of the New York buildings in New York City, was restored Landmarks Conservancy, and author of and incorporated into the design of the The Architecture of Additions ryvw headquarters.