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As a Cadet serving in the British India Steam Navigation Company your
status is that of an officer; it therefore follows that your behaviour
must always be in accordance with this status.
The Company hope that your ambition is eventually to
command one of the vessels in their fleet. That is their expectation of
you and you will be given every reasonable assistance in achieving this
ambition. It is, however, upon your own efforts that the success of your
career will depend and upon your willing and cheerful acceptance of the
traditions and customs of the sea service.
It is natural that many aspects of your new life will
be strange to you at first and there will be much that you do not
understand. The sea life is a disciplined life and a high standard will
be demanded of you at all stages of your career. This is particularly so
in the British India Company.
It is considered that you have the ability to make an
officer worthy of the Company's high reputation and your future progress
will be watched with interest.
Your first few weeks on board ship may well be your
most difficult so do not become easily disheartened. In your efforts to
do well you might become the object of some mirth or even ridicule and
this you must accept in the right spirit. Gradually you will fall into
the ways and customs of life on board as the reasons for some of these
become apparent to you. Lack of professional knowledge or ability at
this stage are excusable but lack of interest or determination are not.
Observe and inquire into all that goes on around you. Do not be afraid
to ask questions but choose a suitable moment to ask them. All the
officers will help you whenever and in whatever way they can. They will
only lose interest in you if you have lost interest in your career. If
your interest and enthusiasm are sustained your duties will seldom pall.
If you become bored with your sea career then it is quite likely that
you would become bored by any other career.
It will be assumed that you
are accustomed to the normal usage of good manners and common courtesy.
These are just as important at sea as elsewhere. Make sure that you
fully understand the meaning of the word discipline and endeavour to
live up to its fullest meaning. If you do not it is quite probable that
life will become unnecessarily difficult for you.
As a newcomer you will
probably receive a good deal of advice from all quarters; be guarded in
which advice you accept; it may not all be good. Beware of the fellow
who always advises the easy way out, in most cases there is no easy way.
If you are to become a
reliable officer you must be honest and truthful in all you do. Never
try to cover up mistakes or indulge in shoddy and careless work. The sea
is quick to discover these weaknesses and you may not be the only one to
suffer the consequences. At
school you will have learned the importance of team work. A ship's
complement is a team in which every member must be relied upon to play
his part. As you progress with your career this part assumes greater
responsibilities. Make sure that you are not the weak or unreliable
member that lets the team down. Punctuality
is a sure sign of good discipline. Learn to be punctual on all occasions
whether it is in relieving the watch or at meal times. Unpunctuality can
disorganise the normal routine of the vessel and it can also be the
cause of irritation to others. Endeavour to develop into a good
"shipmate" by showing consideration, helpfulness and tolerance
to others. You must always
show proper respect to officers and those in authority over you. It is
natural that some officers may set a better example to you than others;
try to emulate the best examples not the poorest. Your association with
members of the Asian crews must always be correct and demanding of
respect. At the same time you must remember that these men are first
class seamen and there is much that you can learn from them. You
must be strictly correct when wearing uniform and as tidy and clean in
working clothes as the nature of your employment permits. When on duty
you should be confident and officer-like in action and bearing. You
should show courtesy and be attentive to any visitors who may have
business on the vessel. Do not ignore them but offer what assistance you
can and conduct them to whoever they wish to see. You never know who
they may turn out to be. Do
not nurse any grievances; in retrospect many of these will turn out to
be imaginary. By keeping them to yourself and brooding over them they
are likely to assume proportions far beyond their real importance. If
you feel that you have been unjustly treated try and get the matter
cleared up by requesting an interview with the Chief Officer or even the
Commander. If you have given cause for admonition or punishment you must
accept it in the proper spirit and endeavour to prevent a recurrence of
the act or omission. Should
you have any troubles or worries, either vocational or private, which
you feel you are unable to deal with yourself you should not hesitate to
request an interview with the Commander. Life
at sea is a man's life and occasions will arise when you will have
opportunity of showing your real capabilities in this respect. It is
entirely unnecessary for you to demonstrate your "manliness"
by insobriety or other excesses. Do not make a cheap exhibition of
yourself for the sake of notoriety. Try to avoid the use of bad language
and other coarse habits. You do not indulge in them now so why consider
that they are a necessary part of your new life. When
you are ashore you must conduct yourself as you would on board. You may
be relaxing but this is no excuse for bad behaviour. Be careful of the
company you keep. In foreign ports your behaviour will be regarded as
typical of the behaviour of British subjects. Do not do anything likely
to bring disgrace to yourself, your ship, your Company or your country. Always
remember that the efficient and economical employment of the vessel in
which you serve is of paramount importance and that your training will
always be of secondary importance to this. Practically from the day that
you join your first vessel you will be expected to play some part,
however insignificant, in the normal running and routine duties. You
will always be expected to be a useful member of the ship's complement. Appointments.
Your appointments to various vessels within the Company's fleet are
subject to some thought and consideration. They are not directed in a
haphazard or casual manner but are aimed at providing you with the best
training available at the time and to give you as wide an experience as
possible of the Company's service. Your own private preferences are of
secondary importance to these aims. Training.
To be successful in the Merchant Navy an officer must be a good leader.
He will only be a good leader when those under him recognise that he
knows what he is talking about. It, therefore, follows that every
officer should have practical experience of the work of a seaman. Much
of your employment on board will be directed along these lines. At a
later stage you will be expected to take the examinations in Lifeboat
Efficiency and for an Efficient Deck Hand which in effect is the
qualifying examination for an Able Bodied Seaman. You must learn to
accept this part of your training as an essential and valuable
contribution to the future success of your career however menial some of
the tasks might appear. If
your first appointment is to one of the Company's two Cadet Training
Ships you will discover that the Cadets must of necessity carry out all
duties which would normally be done by a Deck Crew. The academic and
theoretical part of your training will be learned by means of organised
classes and study. If your
first appointment, however, is to a vessel other than a Cadet Ship you
will not meet with the same high degree of organisation. A greater
individual effort will be required upon your part. By observation you
must learn how the larger tasks of seamanship are carried out. It will
only be possible for you to carry out the smaller and more individual,
though by no means the less important, type of work. You will be
enrolled as a student with the King Edward VII Nautical College and your
studies will be carried out by means of a correspondence course. Time
will be allowed you in which to study and you must be prepared to devote
at least a similar amount of time from your off-duty hours. You can
always rely upon assistance from your officers. Your progress with all
aspects of your training will be watched with the same degree of
interest by the Company. It
must be borne in mind, however, that whichever types of vessels you may
serve in the responsibility for succeeding in your career must rest with
you. The Company can only offer facilities for you to learn and it is to
your own advantage to make full use of these facilities. Reports.
As a Cadet you will be subject to a report on your progress, conduct and
your aptitude. These reports are submitted to the Company at frequent
intervals by the Commanders of the vessels in which you serve and you
must realise that your future employment as an officer will depend upon
the content of these reports. The results of the Merchant Navy Training
Board examinations are also reported to the Company and King Edward VII
Nautical College keep the Company fully informed as to the progress you
are making with your correspondence course. These various reports are
studied with interest and their contents duly recorded. You should,
therefore, endeavour to present to the Company by these means as
favourable a picture as possible. You will also be interviewed from time
to time and it is hoped that at these interviews you will raise any
points concerning your service on which you are not quite clear. Health
and Hygiene. Your health is not merely a matter of your own concern
but it is also a duty that you owe to others. You are probably aware of
the normal elementary precautions to preserve your health. These
precautions assume greater importance in the tropics and you cannot
afford to be neglectful in this respect. Do not be too fussy but at the
same time if you feel distinctly unwell or observe signs of any ailment
you should report promptly to the Ship's Surgeon or Chief Officer. Cuts,
abrasions and insect bites must be kept clean and treated with care. Your
quarters are part of the vessel and must therefore conform to the
general standard of hygiene on board. See that they are kept clean, neat
and fresh. Do not amass large quantities of unwashed clothes,
particularly working gear, in your cabin. See that blue uniforms,
footwear and other articles of heavy clothing receive a thorough airing
from time to time when conditions permit. Cleanliness in all matters
bears a close relationship to good health. Correspondence
with Company. You may on occasions have cause to correspond with the
Company or their agents on matters concerning your service. All such
correspondence must be submitted via the Commander of the vessel in
which you are serving. Leisure
Time. The misuse and wastage of leisure time, so prevalent at sea
even today, has probably been passed down from an era when conditions
were vastly different from those obtaining at the present. Today ample
opportunity exists for healthy, interesting and rewarding pastimes. The
Seafarers' Education Service maintains excellent libraries throughout
the Company's fleet: many hobbies can still be followed even though you
are at sea. If you wish to continue with or commence any studies of a
non-vocational nature or even enlarge your vocational knowledge you may
do so by enrolling as a student in the College of the Sea. In some
vessels you may find a football or cricket team, or a group of
enthusiasts interested in sailing, etc. Take part in whatever you can
and endeavour to lead as full a life as possible. Do not always wait for
someone else to make the first move; they may be waiting for you. In
port you would be well advised to call at the Missions to Seamen to find
out what they have to offer you. The Chaplain will be well acquainted
with all matters likely to appeal to young men and in many cases will
have some organisation to cater especially for your entertainment and
relaxation. Do not spend most of your leisure time sleeping at sea or in
cafés and cinemas when you are in port. Each day of your life has a
great deal more to offer you. In Cadet ships it is possible to organise
and make special provision for your recreation in a variety of ways. Do
not come to regard the sea as a vast and barren wilderness. There is a
wealth of scientific knowledge to be learned from it and the sky above.
A study of marine and bird life, a study of meteorology or astronomy
beyond the limits demanded by vocational requirements will all prove
fascinating and rewarding. Boredom
is a state of mind which can affect us all if we let it. The antidote
lies within ourselves. |
