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 ANEOs, whose addresses appear in 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 2012 Charles F. Chapman Award for Excellence in Teaching.
Lt Ann E. Einboden, AP, Friday Harbor Power Squadron, D16
P/D/C Richard V. Fiorentini, SN, Raritan Bay Power Squadron, D4
P/D/Lt/C Harold (Nick) Howard, SN, Peace River Sail & Power Squadron, D22
P/R/C Wayne G. Spraggins, SN, Berea Power Squadron, D7
P/C Charles H. Wilsdorf, SN, Golden Isles Sail and Power Squadron, D26
They were honored at the 2013 Annual Meeting in Jacksonville, FL. Each received a recognition plaque, a gold Chapman Award lapel pin, a four-year certified instructor wallet card and had his or her 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 sextant in a handsome wood presentation case, given in the winner's name.
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 the 18 district nominees submitted, 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 2012 district nominees for this prestigious award.
All National Chapman Award winners are listed in this table.
Lt Ann E. Einboden, AP, of District 16’s Friday Harbor Power Squadron, resides in Friday Harbor, Washington. She has been a USPS member for 24 years and has earned 21 merit marks. In the 20 years that Lt Einboden has been assisting, teaching, serving as SEO and ChLB, she has taught the basic boating class, and many of the advanced and elective courses. She credits the courses she has taken with the success of many thousands of hours of safe boating in the Pacific Northwest, and tries to pass on this love of learning to boat safely to all she teaches. Ann credits much of the success of her classes to the fact that she insists in involving a dozen or more qualified squadron presenters and proctors in her classes. She qualifies them through her Instructor Development classes and it is she who provides the enthusiasm to motivate them to want to support her.
USPS salutes one of its best—Lt Ann E. Einboden, AP—Chapman Award winner for the 2012 educational year.
P/D/C Richard V. Fiorentini, SN of District 4’s Raritan Bay Power Squadron, resides in Freehold, NJ. He has been a USPS member for 43 years and has earned 41 merit marks. After achieving a perfect score on his AP final exam Dick began teaching Advanced Piloting and continued for 20 years. During this time he developed many of his own teaching aids. During the next 20 years he was involved with education in many ways. He assisted in teaching the public boating classes, taught Marine Electronics and Engine Maintenance, taught and participated in Predicted Log contests, gave lectures at squadron meetings and conducted seminars at various yacht clubs and marinas. In his Engine Maintenance class he provides hands on experience with broken parts and draws the students into discussions on what may have caused the problem. His enthusiasm to share his knowledge and experiences and adapt to a very diverse group of students shows a passion not normally seen.
USPS salutes one of its best—P/D/C Richard V. Fiorentini, SN—Chapman Award winner for the 2012 educational year.
P/D/Lt/C Harold (Nick) Howard, SN, of District 22’s Peace River Sail & Power Squadron, resides in Punta Gorda, Florida. He has been a USPS member for 49 years and has earned 45 merit marks. Nick has been a part of almost every course and seminar taught and due to his boating expertise and knowledge he is able to present and explain all of the material a student needs and inspires them to learn. He is always patient and, as a result of their positive experiences and Nick’s encouragement, many students have gone on to become Senior Navigators and also become very involved in the squadron. Real learning takes place when a student can internalize the material being studied and use this platform to further their knowledge and skills. That is what Nick Howard is able to accomplish.
USPS salutes one of its best—P/D/Lt/C Harold (Nick) Howard, SN—Chapman Award winner for the 2012 educational year.
P/R/C Wayne G. Spraggins, SN of District 7’s Berea Power Squadron, resides in Seven Hills, Ohio. He has been a USPS member for 39 years and has received 39 merit marks. Wayne is an extraordinary instructor. He teaches the ABC3 boating class as well as Piloting and Advanced Piloting. In addition he runs children’s classes in safe boating and is involved with the BOC program. He has learned the material so well he does not talk “at” the class but “to the class using the Power Point presentation as an aid and guide. He includes practical examples that are real life situations to which the students can relate. Wayne exemplifies the ideals and mission of the Power Squadron by promoting (and living) the ideals of safe boating.
USPS salutes one of its best—P/R/C Wayne G. Spraggins, SN—Chapman Award winner for the 2012 educational year.
P/C Charles H. Wilsdorf, SN, of District 26’s Golden Isles Sail and Power Squadron, resides in Brunswick, GA. He has been a member of USPS for 18 years and has earned 10 merit marks. Charles has taught most of the advanced and elective courses for his squadron and is a major contributor to the growth and retention of its membership due to his ability to teach, his infectious enthusiasm and willingness to share real-world experiences. Charles takes the time to ensure each student understands the course material and develops the skills required to pass the course. He is a skilled yachtsman and uses that experience and knowledge as he teaches course after course to novices and experienced boaters. His ability to generate student interest in a cadre of courses has contributed greatly to the success of the educational programs in GISPS.
USPS salutes one of its best—P/C Charles H. Wilsdorf, SN—Chapman Award winner for the 2012 educational year.
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