Sea Scout Ship 502

12/31/2025

SHAC Sea Scout Ship 502 showed up for the celebration dinner during the National Youth Leadership Training sessions on Friday through Monday at Bovay Scout Ranch.
From left are Maggie Jones, Mary Cate Orsborn, Dustin McAdory, Kayden Schumacher, Reagan Cooper, Javier Torres, Neal Farmer, Ryan Nugyen, Luis Torres, Cassie Johnson, Dylan Freed and Codie Glaze. Not pictured, William and Cameron Jones.
There are five former NYLT senior patrol leaders in this photo and two current SPLs.

12/18/2025

12/16/2025

Monday was the annual Christmas Party for Ship 502. About 20 people showed up to have food, fellowship, fun and laugh at the annual White Elephant Gift Exchange at Skipper Andrew Houghton’s home in Cypress. The ship’s logo is a yellow, bath tub duck, and multiple ducks were among the serious gifts and the gag gifts.
The top gag gift? For the 10th year in a row, the World’s Most Difficult Jigsaw Puzzle reared its ugly head. Chris DeBetta had obtained the bad-luck gift last year, and since he was not at this year’s party it was presumed safe that no one would get zonked with the ugly puzzle.
Wrong.
Ryan Kubiak contacted Chris and surreptitiously wrapped the hideous puzzle, which has showed up like a bad penny for the last 10 years.
The. Last. 10. Years.
The look on Neal Farmer’s face tells you who got laughed at long and hard this year by picking the puzzle.

11/24/2025

Sea Scout Ship 502 will have a Bridge of Honor at 2 p.m., Sat., Jan. 3, at Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church, 11507 Huffmeister Road. The event will be in Parish Hall.
We plan to have youth recognized for their advancements, including at least three who have earned the Quartermaster rank.

11/17/2025

Congrats to the three newly minted OA Vigil members from Ship 502, who went through Vigil ceremonies this past weekend at Camp Strake.
Earning the award were youths Lily Escobar and Chris DeBetta. The adult was Marcia Schleiniger.
That makes 13 Vigil members from Ship 502 in the past three years.

10/23/2025

Former Ship 502 member Jewell Norris teaching last weekend at Seabadge 81-NY-25 at the Summit Bechtel Reserve. The event took place in Glen Jean, West Virginia.
Jewell, who is from Cypress in Northwest Houston, also is a former National Boatswain when she was an undergrad at Mississippi State University.

10/18/2025

Four from Ship 502 were able to work at the Houston Food Bank on Friday to assist needy families in Greater Houston.
Ship member Luis Torres set up a project with his company, Microsoft, and allowed the other Sea Scout adults to help. They were Cynthia Swenceski, Cassie Johnson and Neal Farmer.
The quartet helped approximately 20 others from Luis’ company count and classify 18 pallets of donated food at the Houston Food Bank headquarters, which was estimated at 9,263 pounds of food for the poor.

09/23/2025

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08/24/2025

Sea Scouts were represented this weekend at the Ministry Fair at Christ the Redeemer Catholic Church in Cypress. CtR is the chartering organization for Ship 502 and is a great supprter of Scouts. The church also sponsors Troop 573 and Cub Scout Pack 573
Running the Ship 502 information booth were Cassie Johnson, Cynthia Swenceski and Neal Farmer.

08/04/2025

Ship 502 had four summer sails in Galveston Bay, with the last one today. Valuable sailing knowledge was gained by the participants.
The ship will host more sailing throughout the year.

06/10/2025

06/03/2025

Ship 502 went for a sail on Sunday, in Galveston Bay.
The youth learned point of sail, the way the angle of the wind hits the sail. Youth also learned nomenclature.
Youth also kept a deck log during the trip.
Ship 502 lore also was discussed. And, Ship members fought a great, white whale — and won.