​Check out the inside scoop and the latest on what's happening with the Brendan Sailing Program!

​Brendan Sailing Spring 2022 Newsletter
Volume V Edition II
 
In this edition:
Chairman's Message
Executive Director's Message
Bring A Friend to Camp
Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show Recap
Board Member Spotlight: Kent-Harris Repass
Staff Spotlight: Danielle Feerst

Check out the inside scoop and the latest on what's happening with the Brendan Sailing Program!

​Brendan Sailing Winter 2022 Newsletter
Volume V Edition I
 
In this edition:
Chairman's Message
Executive Director's Message
Summer Camp Applications Now Open
Camper Spotlight: Caden Quirion
Volunteer Spotlight: Lisa Salazar
Board Member Spotlight
Welcome Joanna Wilson, Admin Assistant
 Season of Giving Recap
​

Brendan Sailing was recently featured in Spinsheet Magazine! 

RSVP now for 2022 summer sailing programs in Annapolis and St. Mary's in Maryland!

See the magazine write-up from Spinsheet here (Pg. 40).

See the article below, or read via Spinsheet here.

​Keridwyn said she used to be scared of heeling — the sideways tilt of a sailing boat — but now, that’s one of her favorite parts of sailing. She said she even wants to sail around the world, and her dream is to sail to and around Europe.

She said sailing might seem scary at first, but the counselors help with everything.

​Will Avis, who has been a counselor with Brendan Sailing since 2019, said being able to see the progress the kids make is incredible.

“Seeing the skills that we teach them and then to see their aptitude in the water is a
really nice feeling,” said Avis, 21.

​Onboard the Schooner Woodwind on Thursday was the Brendan Sailing staff, campers and some of their family members.

Matt Newkirk’s 14-year-old son, Bartley, attended Brendan Sailing for the first time this summer after meeting and talking to one of the counselors about kids with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. The counselor told him about Brendan Sailing.

“Seeing [Bartley’s] enthusiasm to do something nonscreen-related has been incredible,” Newkirk said.

Last week, Newkirk had the opportunity to go to the camp’s parent sail, which occurs on the last day of each session.

“[Bartley] sailed me around. It was unbelievable and I’m so proud,” he said.

​Even though this is Bartley’s first year at Brendan Sailing, he’s already talking about coming back as a volunteer next year, Newkirk said.

“Kids come back year after year because they’re in a setting where they can be successful,” Berry said.

Brendan Sailing was founded in 1985 as a nonprofit by James Muldoon, who was inspired by his son with dyslexia, Jim Muldoon Jr., who became a successful sailor at a young age on Muldoon’s racing yacht, the Donnybrook.

“One day, I noticed my son give directions to my crew and he’s telling them what to do,” Muldoon said, who attended Thursday’s sail. “He was not like that on land.”

Muldoon said Brendan Sailing gives kids a chance to build their confidence and ability to work as a team, as well as the option to be judged by what they do, not what they speak or write down. Muldoon, who was recently inducted into the Boating Safety Hall of Fame, said he’s working to broaden the sport and is “not
done yet.”

In addition to the Annapolis session, Brendan Sailing offers a St. Mary’s session in the summer — usually, a residential program where the campers stay in college housing at St. Mary’s College of Maryland — and biweekly after-school sailing sessions in Washington, D.C., in the fall and spring. This year, the St. Mary’s
session isn’t residential because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re going to expand in a reasonable manner with the right kind of people and the right kind of goals,” Muldoon said, because the “kids are what’s important.”

Bre Browning, 16, said her favorite part of the camp is connecting with the other kids and learning how to sail more.
​

The National Safe Boating Council (NSBC), a national catalyst for recreational boating safety, inducted James Muldoon into the Boating Safety Hall of Fame, the organization’s most prestigious award recognizing those who provided vital leadership in making our waterways safer throughout their career.

Muldoon was a key contributor to the development of the U. S. Coast Guard’s Strategic Plan of the National Recreational Boating Safety Program. He advised the U. S. Coast Guard and its Boating Safety Division that on-water skills-based training was necessary to ​increase safety and reduce accidents and fatalities.

​“Mr. Muldoon’s work has left an indelible mark on the recreational boating and marine industries,” said Stu Gilfillen, chair of the National Safe Boating Council. “His leadership and advocacy resulted in the development of the National On-Water Standards, which all boating organizations and boaters are benefiting from today.”

As the chair of the National Boating Safety Advisory Council (NBSAC) for 11 years, Muldoon’s leadership advanced NBSAC’s ability to contribute to U.S. Coast Guard initiatives that support boaters around the country. Under his direction, NBSAC established permanent liaisons with two other U.S. Coast Guard Councils (Commercial and Towing), increased cooperation, and expanded implementation of safety measures for all boaters.

He has also been recognized by almost every major organization in the boating safety community for his outstanding contributions. For decades, Mr. Muldoon has supported boating safety education and training opportunities at the national and grassroots levels. He was a key player in the development and funding approval of US Sailing’s national keelboat training and certification program. Over 35 years ago, he founded the Brendan Sail Training Program for Youth with Learning Differences to boost self-confidence and personal growth in children with learning differences.

“Mr. Muldoon exemplifies the passion for boating safety that the National Safe Boating Council looks for in a Boating Safety Hall of Fame inductee,” said Peg Phillips, executive director of the National Safe Boating Council. “He has dedicated his career to making our waterways safer and is worthy of joining the elite group of 47 hall of fame members.”

Muldoon has served as CEO and founder of METCOR/LSI since 1979, which provides specialized procurement-related and customized learning solutions and services to federal and corporate clients in the high technology/emerging market arenas. His early experience working for a U.S. Senator on Capitol Hill laid the foundation for his continued success in advancing boating safety issues.  

The NSBC’s Boating Safety Hall of Fame was established in 1995 and recognizes individuals who have made, or continue to generate, substantial and lasting contributions toward the advancement of recreational boating safety. Learn more at https://www.safeboatingcouncil.org/about/boating-safety-hall-of-fame/.
​

Southern Maryland News Net - 

Brendan Sailing is pleased to announce it has been awarded a $20,000 grant from The Kathy and Jerry Wood Foundation.   This grant will support camper scholarships for youth for this summer and beyond who would otherwise not have these opportunities.

The cost to provide specially tailored, educational and growth opportunities to LD students continues to rise. For many families, these financial demands can be overwhelming, even before the cost of a summer activity for their child is considered. Brendan Sailing is committed to making a difference and will never turn a child away based on their ability to pay.  Scholarship applications are available on our website.

“At Brendan Sailing, we never turn down a child for financial reasons,” Brendan Founder and Chairman of the Board, James P. Muldoon said. “It is important that these children have the same opportunities to build social skills and teamwork, regardless of their financial position. On behalf of the organization, I want to thank the Wood Foundation for their continued commitment to Brendan. They have believed in our mission from the beginning and over the years have become a truly special partner.”

Charlie Arms, Executive Director of Brendan Sailing, expressed “We are so grateful to the Wood Foundation for their on-going support of Brendan Sailing.  This generous gift will enable us to continue creating successes for youth with Learning Differences in our program in Maryland and in DC”.

Brendan Sailing will be conducting programs this summer at their beach-based Annapolis location as well as St Mary’s College of Maryland. Both programs are led by US Sailing certified instructors who work with each student to discover their individual learning style. The Brendan Sailing curriculum covers an introduction to the sport of sailing including parts of the boat, maneuvers, navigation and Rules of the Road that follow the National On-Water Standards. Our instructors use a hands-on approach to teach sailing and seamanship with an emphasis on building confidence and mastering basic skills.

Registration is currently open. For more information and to register at www.brendansailing.org/programs.html

The Brendan Corporation, parent organization of Brendan Sailing, founded in 1985, is dedicated to building pathways for self-confidence and personal growth in children with Learning Differences through individually tailored experiential instruction in sailing. For more information, please visit www.brendansailing.org.  Brendan Sailing is currently still accepting applications for its summer programs.

The Kathy and Jerry Wood Foundation’s primary scope is to aid and assist in charitable and educational activities for the moral, mental, intellectual, and physical development of American youth. They provide support through scholarships for deserving young U.S. citizens to attend American educational institutions; and found, assist, equip or provide for the maintenance of institutions or associations for the advancement of learning in the United States. For more information, please visit www.kjwfoundation.org.

Other Press Coverage:

• Eye on Annapolis

​

Press Coverage

• Spinsheet Magazine: "A Zeal for Teaching"
• The Capital Gazette: "Brendan Sailing's head instructor prepares for next steps in life"
• The BayNet: "In the Same Boat as Me"
• Southern Maryland News: "In the Same Boat as Me"
• Southern Maryland News Net: "Letter to the Editor - In the Same Boat as Me"

​​​
​

"​Brendan Sailing has announced that registration is open for the 2021 Summer Camp Season.  This year, Brendan features both one and two weekday camp programs at their Bembe Beach location in Annapolis.   St Mary’s College of Maryland will host a ten-day residential camp and a week-long day camp in Southern Maryland.  An early bird discount of up to $100 is extended for registration by April 1st.  Scholarships are available, no youth is ever turned down for inability to pay."