Athletes With A Buoy

Every summer, hundreds of thousands of people visit the small town of Ocean City, Maryland to enjoy its beaches. In 1930, the town founded the Ocean City Beach Patrol (OCBP) to protect swimmers and rescue those in distress. In his book, "Maryland's Ocean City Beach Patrol", Robert M. Craig offers a photographic history of the OCBP from its beginnings to the present. Craig is a former lifeguard on the OCBP and the son of the first and longest-serving captain of the patrol, Robert S. Craig, who receives a good deal of attention during the study.

The book covers the history and growth of the OCBP and the importance it has played in the lives of the people who become part of it. Lifeguarding is a summer job generally held by people of high school and college age. Many of the lifeguards of the OCBP have gone on to distinguished careers in fields such as education, business, medicine, law, and politics. Many come back to serve for several years. The book shows how the OCPB and its leaders have developed a spirit of purpose and commitment in its organization and people. The lifeguards, or as they are known the "Surf Rescue Technicians" are taught the importance of their job and instilled with a sense of pride in what they do. They learn that their work can be of crucial value, not only to the many people rescued every year from the surf and the waves, but to others who may be inspired by them during their visit to the beach. They are giving a sense of the value of teamwork and of organization. The OCBP holds reunions of its personnel every three years and also sponsors community activities. For many years, a dance was held at the end of the summer to provide additional pay to the lifeguards and to buy needed equipment. Those hired to be lifeguards must be in outstanding physical condition, complete a rigorous training program, and be of strong character. The most recognizable tools of the OCBP are the buoys used to rescue swimmers in distress (the lifeguards are often called "athletes with a buoy") and the semaphore used to communicate along the breadth of the shore, usually to locate lost children.

The book shows the growth of the OCBP as the beach and the patrol expanded over the years. The book is organized under the tenure of the captains who have led the organization. It is significant in showing the cohesiveness of the OCBP that it has had only three captains since the position was established in 1935. Robert Craig was the first captain serving until 1987. He established the basic training regimen, designed the buoy that became standard equipment until the 1980s, and established the spirit of the organization. He also hired the people that became his organizational successors. In 1978, Craig hired the first female lifeguard for the OCBP. Craig's sucessor, George Schoepf served as captain from 1987 until his death in 1997 after a long career under Craig. Among other accomplishments, he instituted competitive swimming and athletic programs and changed the structure of the OCBP into smaller working units. The current captain of the OCBP, "Butch" Arbin, has served since 1997 and has brought contemporary technology into the work of the OCBP. Arbin is known for observations such as "anyone can get a job but you can make a difference with the Ocean City Beach Patrol"; "One doesn't really join the Beach Patrol, the Beach Patrol gets into you"; "We are family, and we change lives. "

The book includes 160 pages of images of the lifeguards, individually and in groups, the ocean, the beach, and the town. I was impressed by the close-knit character of the OCPB and by the devotion to their mission and to the organization that comes through in this account. The subject matter of the work was unusual for me, but this book made me glad I learned something of the OCBP and of Ocean City. It brought the OCBP to life. The book is part of the series of local photographic histories published by Arcadia Publishers in its Images of America series. Learning about the OCBP taught me again about feeling a sense of value in the work that one does and about the importance and variety of the work done every day by Americans in their communities.