Crusoe Award

Auckand Branch Award to Captain Compson

It was our Warden, Captain John Frankland’s pleasure to present the Crusoe Award to Captain Bill Compson at the Auckland Branch Annual Summers Night Dinner on Friday evening 4 December 2009. This was in recognition of Bill’s excellent service as Branch Secretary for the last 12 years.

An Auckland Branch Award, the Crusoe Award was donated by Captain Jens Martin in 1995. Jens called it the Crusoe Award because we know the fable character was not the best of sailors. He got lost and wrecked his ship, and the result, of course, was footprints in the sand.

Hence the shape of the award, a bronze foot and footprint mounted on a rimu base. By placing the foot above a sand print we come to the more serious aspect that it signifies that the recipient has made and left an impression.

Conditions are:

• The Crusoe Award does not leave the Auckland region, and ownership remains with the Auckland Branch Committee.
• It can be awarded to any member who over the years has made a significant contribution to the Branch.
• The award can go to a non-member in recognition of an extra special contribution or act aiding the Branch or any of its members, or has made a significant contribution to the Maritime industry. However, in this case it is stressed that the act should be exceptional, not just an act of good seamanship for which we have been trained and is expected of us in the normal course of our duties.

Captain Compson was Secretary of the Auckland Branch from May 1997 until the Branch meeting on 20 August 2009 when he stepped down on his appointment to General Secretary of the New Zealand Company.

M B Deane.