SCRIPT

- Arrival and seating of guests

- Crews standby, off landship by port gangway

- Mates, Skippers, Commodore and party (including guest speaker{s}) standby, off landship by starboard gangway

- Duty Boatswain (wearing pipe and lanyard) boards via port gangway double saluting. 
  - Officer of the Deck (OOD) (wearing binoculars) request permission to come aboard and boards using starboard gangway. Boatswain returns salute.
Duty Boatswain and OOD are designated by host Ship.

- OOD: "Silence, fore and aft, Ships' Boatswains bring your crews to attention."

- Individual Ships' boatswains bring their respective ships to attention.

- Duty Boatswain: "Ships prepare to come aboard."

- Individual Ships' boatswains in ripple order: "Right face, forward."

- Sea Scouts board on at a time by Ship.  Each boatswain in turn requests permission for his entire crew to come aboard. Duty Boatswain returns salutes and grants permission.  Then all crew members board double saluting and receiving return salute from Duty Boatswain.
Order of boarding is host Ship, then by order of Ship seniority.  Ships move around forward lifeline forming an elongated "U." Each Ship faces inboard on its respective boatswain's command.

- OOD: "Boatswain, prepare to receive Ships' officers."

- Duty Boatswain:  "All hands toe the line and standby to receive officers."

- OOD: "Mates, you may board."

- Mates file aboard, each in turn request permission to come aboard and double salutes. Boatswain returns the salute.  Mates, sit at foot of quarterdeck
(stage).

Duty Boatswain: "Sideboys, post."  Two sideboys position themselves at starboard gangway to receive Skippers.  Duty Boatswain's Mate (A) positions himself (herself) at mast by Ship's bell.

OOD: "Skippers, if you will kindly board and proceed to the quarterdeck."

Duty Boatswain's Mate (A) rings bell twice as each Skipper sets foot on gangway.  Duty Boatswain pipes continuously beginning when first Skipper sets foot on gangway until last Skipper has double saluted.  All Skippers double salute.  As last Skipper salutes, Duty Boatswain's Mate rings the bell once in conclusion.

Skippers sit on quarterdeck (stage.)

Duty Boatswain:  "Sideboys, post."  Two additional sideboys position themselves at the starboard gangway so that four sideboys altogether receive Commodore, Vice-Commodore, Rear Commodores and party
(including guest speaker{s}).  Duty Boatswain's Mate (B) positions himself (herself) at mast to pop Commodore's flag.  (flag has been folded in advance of the ceremony in 4 lengthwise, rolled, secured by a slipped half-hitch, and raised to the gaff.)

OOD:  "If the Commodore and his party will do us the honor."

Duty Boatswain pipes continuously, Duty Boatswain's Mate (A) rings bell four times as each commodore sets foot on the gangway, and Duty
Boatswain's Mate (B) pops the Commodore's flag.  All commodores double salute.  Commodore makes a cursory inspection of all Ships and shakes each Ship's boatswain's hand.

Commodore and party sit on quarterdeck nearest podium.

OOD:  "All hands face aft."

Duty Boatswain:  "Break the National Ensign.  

Duty Boatswain's Mate (B)  pops National Ensign.

Duty Boatswain: "Hand salute (fifteen second pause.)  Ready, . . .two.  All hands face inboard."

OOD:  "All hands remain standing for the invocation. Remain covered."

Chaplain gives invocation.  All in uniform remain covered, but bow their heads.

OOD:  "Ships and guests, you may be seated."

Opening words and welcome by Commodore.

Commodore calls individuals to quarterdeck for each of the following categories of award and briefly describes for benefit of guests what is entailed in the achievement.

Apprentice Awards

Ordinary Awards

Able Awards

Other Appropriate Scouting Awards

Commodore invites the oldest living Sea Scout present to say a few words (should already be part of Commodore's party.)

Appropriate person introduces guest speaker

Guest speaker gives address.

Guest speaker thanked and recognized.  Guests are invited for refreshments and dance (if there is one.)

OOD:  "All hands, attention on deck. Boatswain, prepare to disembark officers.

Duty Boatswain: "Sideboys post."

OOD: "The Commodore and his party may go ashore."

Commodore and party file ashore.  Double salutes in reverse.  Four sideboys.  Bells as before.  Duty Boatswain pipes.  Commodore's flag is doused by Boatswain's Mate (B).

Duty Boatswain: "Sideboys, post."

Two sideboys standfast and the others return to ranks.  Skippers file ashore.  Double salutes in reverse. Bells as before.  Duty Boatswain pipes.

Duty Boatswain: "Sideboys, post."

Remaining sideboys return to ranks.

OOD: "Mates, you may go ashore at this time."

Mates file ashore.  No bells, no piping.

OOD:  "Boatswain, pass the call for libertymen."

Ditu Boatswain:  "All hands prepare to go ashore."

Ships' Boatswains in ripple:  "Right face, . . . forward.

Each boatswain requests permission for his respective Ship to go ashore.  Double salutes in reverse.  Duty Boatswain returns salutes.

OOD departs with double salute.

Boatswain douses National Ensign and departs with double salute.

END OF CEREMONY.