To the Editor:
The director of development for the Alexandria Seaport Foundation’s letter to the editor in the March 26 issue of the Gazette Packet advised us of the relocation of the ASF from the Robinson Terminal warehouse to the “little red-roofed building” floating at the foot of Queen Street. Ms [Kathy] Seiffert’s letter also credited certain entities for providing long-term and transitional support for the ASF. As one who has been involved in ASF since the late 1980s, I’d like to place some additional perspective on the ASF’s operations as well as dispel certain misunderstandings about their program.
First of all, the contribution that highly-skilled volunteers make toward the development of “youths at risk” is truly remarkable and commendable. Former executives, journeymen and various retirees, all of whom possess broad experience and appropriate job skills, create a reliable cadre of expertise that gives Alexandria an enormous “Bang for the buck” in the ASF’s conduct of daily training toward marketable job skills for youths at risk.
Secondly, hearing criticism “on the street” that the building of small wooden boats is “so passe” and “has no relevance to today’s needs,” is very much shortsighted. The building of small wooden boats is the perfect medium to exercise math skills, teamwork, planning and interpretative problem-solving. (Further, that they can work in wood allows for errors made along the way to be corrected as part of the learning experience.) Computers are regularly used where appropriate.
Thirdly, it allows a platform for highly-skilled, motivated and community-sensitive volunteers to donate, share and exercise their skills toward the community good. (If one translated their skills into comparative salaries, the program could well be unaffordable.)
Lastly, as one who has participated in gaining rapport with some apprentices, let me state that innate intelligence and potential does not require a sophisticated pedigree. One could be surprised at the latent skills residing in young people who have been either misled by unsavory peers or happened to live within a home environment that is not conducive to positive personal development. I could cite examples of former apprentices who have entered the workforce,, excelled and became taxpayers instead of liabilities to our communities.
What the Seaport Foundation needs now is a reliable major sponsor (locally prominent or otherwise) to provide tax-exempt funding for these nationally-known and valuable programs that work, as well as appropriate space for their shop and its donated tools and equipment.
The Alexandria Seaport Foundation is indeed a community resource worth preserving and maintaining for many reasons.
Allan L. Gruer
Alexandria