The United States Power Squadrons (USPS) DBA America's Boating Club, is a

non-profit A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...

educational organization, founded in 1914, whose mission is to improve

maritime safety Maritime safety as part of and overlapping with water safety is concerned with the protection of life (search and rescue) and property through regulation, management and technology development of all forms of waterborne transportation. The execut ...

and enjoyability through classes in

seamanship Seamanship is the art, knowledge and competence of operating a ship, boat or other craft on water. The'' Oxford Dictionary'' states that seamanship is "The skill, techniques, or practice of handling a ship or boat at sea." It involves topics a ...

navigation Navigation is a field of study that focuses on the process of monitoring and controlling the movement of a craft or vehicle from one place to another.Bowditch, 2003:799. The field of navigation includes four general categories: land navigation, ...

, and other related subjects. The USPS comprises approximately 45,000 members organized into 450 squadrons across the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and in some

US territories Territories of the United States are sub-national administrative divisions overseen by the federal government of the United States. The various American territories differ from the U.S. states and tribal reservations as they are not sover ...

. It is the largest U.S. non-profit boating organization and has been honored by three

U.S. presidents The president of the United States is the head of state and head of government of the United States, indirectly elected to a four-year term Term may refer to: * Terminology, or term, a noun or compound word used in a specific context, in pa ...

for its civic contributions. Its official publication is ''The Ensign'' magazine. There are many educational opportunities available within the United States Power Squadrons. USPS offers courses that teac
basic knowledge
necessary to operate boats safely and legally. The basic course meets the requirements set forth by th
National Association of State Boating Law Administrators
(NASBLA). The United States Power Squadrons offer courses in advanced

using modern equipment such as

GPS The Global Positioning System (GPS), originally Navstar GPS, is a Radionavigation-satellite service, satellite-based radionavigation system owned by the United States government and operated by the United States Space Force. It is one of t ...

and

Radar Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance (''ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, w ...

. Courses are even offered in

celestial navigation Celestial navigation, also known as astronavigation, is the practice of position fixing using stars and other celestial bodies that enables a navigator to accurately determine their actual current physical position in space (or on the surface of ...

. USPS also teaches advanced courses in Weather, Marine Engine Maintenance, Marine Electronic and Electrical Systems, Sail, and Cruise Planning. The United States Power Squadrons conducts vessel safety checks. During a vessel safety check, a qualified USPS vessel examiner will board vessels (with permission) and check for the presence and condition of various pieces of equipment required by federal and state laws for the safe operation of that particular vessel. A vessel safety check is provided at no charge and is not a law enforcement boarding. If the boat carries the proper equipment, a sticker will be awarded to display on the vessel. If a boat does not pass the inspection, the USPS informs the owners, but does not report its findings to any law enforcement or government agency. A parallel organization operates in Canada under the name

Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons / Escadrille canadiennes de plaisance (CPS-ECP) is an organization of recreational boaters with about 26,000 active members. CPS is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario. Its volunteer instructors train recreational ...

(CPS) in English and Escadrilles canadiennes de plaisance (ECP) in French. It was founded as an offshoot of USPS in 1938.

United States Power Squadrons Ensign

Ensign of the United States Power Squadrons

The USPS ensign features a red canton with 13 white stars around a fouled (entangled or twisted) anchor. The body of the flag contains 13 vertical blue and white stripes. This flag was designed by Roger Upton and Charles F. Chapman for the United States Power Squadrons, and by 1915, the flag was officially adopted by the organization. The design and other specifications of this ensign are described in the USPS bylaws and also in the operations manual.

References

External links

* *{{Official website, http://www.cps-ecp.ca/, Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons official website Educational organizations based in the United States Water transportation in the United States 1914 establishments in the United States Power squadrons

United States Power Squadrons Ensign

See also

References

External links