Chapman Awards
This page is dedicated to our Chapman Excellence in Teaching Award. We hope that you find it interesting and useful. We also hope that it inspires greater participation in the awards program, so that more of our excellent teachers can be recognized for their skills, dedication, and initiative. If there is more that we can provide to answer your questions, please feel free to contact us. Address your questions to the NEO or ANEO, whose postal addresses appear on the back inside cover of The ENSIGN.
If you want to know more about the award itself and the process involved in selecting nominees for the award, please click here. If you need the forms for making a submittal, click here.
The Charles F. Chapman Award for Excellence in Teaching recognizes outstanding USPS instructors. Once a year, each squadron nominates one outstanding instructor to its district. The District Educational Officer forms a committee to select one nominee within their district for national judging. In the final judging, the Chapman Award Selection Group of the Instructor Development Committee recognizes the five winners who represent the organization’s most effective volunteer instructors.
As each squadron puts together its Chapman Award nomination packet, it is asked to address certain questions about the nominee's background, subject knowledge, teaching skills and style, ability to relate the courses material to the experience of the students, courses taught, etc. Squadron members are then invited to write personal letters on commendation, focusing primarily on what makes this person such an outstanding instructor. Although these letters vary widely, there are a few common threads that almost jump out at you and lead you to an appreciation of what these instructors mean to their students, their fellow members, and their squadrons.
The following few quotes reflect the tone of the comments about these winners:
"He has a genuine desire to impart knowledge to those he is teaching."
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"He makes the learning fun in a very relaxed atmosphere."
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"His enthusiasm for boating shows through in his teaching style."
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"Each time I sit in his class I learn something new."
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"He teaches with the same enthusiasm whether there are two students or 100."
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"His congenial style allows a free exchange of information and encourages participation from his class."
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"He never expressed doubt about anyone's ability to grasp difficult concepts; his genuine belief in our sure success worked like a tonic."
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"He makes effective use of teaching aids, smoothly integrating the aids into his presentation."
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"He is always ready to spend extra time outside the classroom to help students having difficulty."
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"Whenever a particularly difficult subject arose, he always seemed to have alternative ways to get his point across."
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"He adjusts the schedule and pace of the class to match the scope of student ability."
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"He has a special way of relating the course ;material to real life situations so that you remember the lesson long after the test is given."
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"Many inspired students in his basic classes have joined USPS because of him."
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"He kindled our desire to learn."
These are the attributes of an outstanding teacher. Each of these five instructors has all of these attributes and are a diverse and dedicated group of USPS members.
Congratulations to the winners of the 2007 Charles F. Chapman Award for Excellence in Teaching.
P/D/C John P. Cook, SN, Costa de Oro, D/13
P/C Douglas M. Durfee, SN, Oyster Bay, D/3
Lt/C Kathleen Mastbeth, JN, Penobscot Bay, D/19
P/C James F. Sommers, SN, Toledo, D/29
P/C Harold L. Willard, SN, Patuxent River, D5
They were honored at the 2008 Annual Meeting in Orlando. Each received a recognition plaque, a gold lapel pin, a four-year certified instructor wallet card and had his name inscribed in a permanent Log Book kept in the Chapman Memorial Library at USPS headquarters in Raleigh. Their squadrons each received a high quality Astra IIIB sextant in a handsome wood presentation case, given in the winner's name. This year, thanks to a grant from McGraw Hill Companies, each winning squadron also received a high quality projector for use in their classrooms.
These five USPS instructors have earned the respect of their peers for the dedication of their time, the transferring of knowledge and inspiring others to teach. They were selected from among the 28 district nominees, chosen by their DEOs from all their squadron nominees. Every year each squadron in USPS is eligible to nominate one of its instructors. Prior nominees who were not selected as one of the national winners may be re-nominated at any time as long as they are still teaching in USPS.
Congratulations to ALL the 2007 district nominees for this prestigious award.
All previous National Chapman Award winners are listed in this table.
P/D/C John P. Cook, SN, was nominated by Costa de Oro Power Squadron, District 13. He is an associate member and he temporarily resides in Avila Beach, California. He is a member of District 17 in Tennessee. He has been a USPS member for 28 years and has 27 merit marks. He teaches Seamanship, Piloting, Advanced Piloting and Junior Navigation.
A student commented, “To his many accomplishments Jack also adds the skills of a very effective communicator, who always presents the subject matters in a most encouraging and stimulating manner.”
A fellow member and instructor notes that Cook definitely relates his presentations to the level and experience of his students.
Students have “found him to be an extremely knowledgeable and dedicated instructor.”
“His willingness to go over any questions I had made it comfortable to learn,” said a student.
USPS salutes one of its best – P/D/C John P. Cook, SN – Chapman Award winner for the 2007 educational year.
P/C Douglas M. Durfee, SN, of Oyster Bay Power Squadron, District 3, resides in Hicksville, New York. A 32-year member with 25 merit marks, Durfee teaches Instructor Development, Seamanship and Junior Navigation. A fellow member and instructor says that Doug takes great effort to ensure that each student taking the class understands the material and can apply it. “Doug carefully combines his many years of experience as a sailor with the prescribed course material thereby providing his students with a comprehensive understanding of water safety.” “Doug is an enthusiastic instructor who enjoys the challenge of teaching safe boating and the related courses provided by USPS,” writes another member. One of his students says “He was always there when we could not find the error, giving use guidance along the way so we would find the mistake ourselves.”
USPS salutes one of its best - P/C Douglas M. Durfee, SN - Chapman Award winner for the 2007 educational year.
Lt/C Kathleen Mastbeth, JN, of Penobscot Bay Sail and Power Squadron, District 19, resides in Blue Hill, Maine. A three-year member with three merit marks, Mastbeth teaches Boat Smart, Boating and Seamanship. Her fellow members remark on “her ability to adapt the pace and content of the material to the individuals in the class. Moving quickly through some topics and taking extra time on others, explaining some things over in a different way until all students could fully grasp the concepts.”
One of her Seamanship students says, “I found that one of the ways in which Kathy excelled was by using teaching aids.” As a Junior Navigation student Mastbeth also created a teaching aid she shared with her fellow students.
“Kathy kept us motivated, provided us with technical guidance, and opened the door on many other areas of concern for those of us just beginning our boating experience,” says a student.
Another instructor says of Mastbeth, “She provides background and additional information on a subject and promotes participation and encouragement by having students share their experiences and questions.”
USPS salutes one of its best - Lt/C Kathleen Mastbeth, JN - Chapman Award winner for the 2007 educational year.
P/C James F. Sommers, SN, of Toledo Power Squadron. District 29, resides in Oregon, Ohio. A 35-year member with 30 merit marks, Sommers teaches Boat Smart, Chart Smart and Seamanship. A student says, “He works with his students to help them succeed. “He always has his teaching aids…laid out and ready to go.” “With the use of teaching aids, demonstrations and open exchanges in a hospitable atmosphere, students continually remark how fast time flies when taking his classes,” says a fellow member. Another student comments, “He is a capable leader…it carries over into the classroom where he sets the pace and meticulously and diligently covers all materials.” “He teaches with zest, enthusiasm and patience.”
USPS salutes one of its best - P/C James F. Sommers, SN - Chapman Award winner for the 2007 educational year.
P/C Harold L. Willard, SN, of Patuxent River Power Squadron, District 5, resides in Leonardtown, Maryland. A 24-year member with 23 merit marks, Willard teaches America’s Boating Course, Chart Smart, Seamanship, Advanced Piloting and Instructor Development. A student says that he “not only told us about a particular principle, but also got out a teaching aid to show us how that principle worked.” “Hal’s skill, personality, depth of knowledge and humor are the perfect mix for a highly successful teacher,” Another student said, “His goal is not just for his students to earn passing grades. It is to instill the interest and excitement for the material.”
An Advanced Piloting student writes, “He has a way of stimulating your desire to go out on the water and apply the newly acquired skills.”
USPS salutes one of its best – P/C Harold L. Willard, SN – Chapman Award winner for the 2007 educational year.
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