Maryland Free Summer Camps

Free summer programs begin July 4 at museum

(July 1, 2011) The Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum’s annual summer educational programs will begin next week and will feature a variety of topics, including beach safety, resort history, knot tying, U.S. Life-Saving Service, sharks and local marine life.

The half-hour programs will be held at 10 a.m., Monday through Saturday, July 4 to Aug. 27. Most of the programs will take place in front of the tram station, near the museum at the south end of the Boardwalk, to accommodate bicycle traffic and to provide additional seating for participants.

“They are educational and informative programs that anyone interested in Ocean City and its history would enjoy,” said museum curator Sandra Hurley. “We’re offering the same programs and we hope they are as popular as they’ve been in the past.”

Although the activities offered have changed a bit or been modified, the current line-up has remained the same for about 12 years. The Storm Warriors program is the newest addition, added to the lineup in 2006.

“The late Dorothy G. Mumford, a lifelong resident of Ocean City, founding member of the Ocean City Museum Society and former Ocean City School teacher, started the programs in the 1980s,” Hurley said. “The first one that she developed and hosted was about [a pony] Misty of Chincoteague.”

Monday sessions will feature representatives of the Ocean City Beach Patrol. Surf rescue technicians will discuss life-saving techniques, the equipment they use, rip currents, water safety, rules of the beach, surfing spots and the importance of sunscreen, among other topics, according to Lt. Ward Kovacs, who will help coordinate the activity.

“The most important thing we stress is for people to ‘keep your feet in the sand until the lifeguard’s in the stand,’” Kovacs said, stressing the OCBP’s motto. Beach patrol members are on duty from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. every day.

On Tuesdays, visitors will hear about the history of the town and how it grew from a small fishing village into the multimillion dollar resort it is today. During the session dubbed “Ocean City Before Condominiums,” museum board member Bob Stevens will display photos, discuss the history of the town, its development and how women played a role in creating what was once called the “Ladies Resort to the Ocean.”

“I’ll talk about Ocean City from the very beginning, when the railroad came into town, to the first hotel and the different people involved with the development of the town. I’ll also talk about what made for success and what made for failure,” he said. “When you think of Ocean City in the beginning, it was a woman’s paradise. They started so many hotels, while the men were involved in the pound fishing industry around the turn of the century.

Free summer programs return to Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum »

Ocean City, MD — Once again favorite summer programs are back at the Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum. Programs begin at 10 a.m. on July 4 and continue through the summer to August 27.  Programs are offered Mondays through Saturdays and all are great free, family entertainment.

Every Monday the Ocean City Beach Patrol members give their tips for a safe time on the beach. Learn the art of semaphore and spell out your own name.

On Tuesdays, Bob Stevens presents O.C.B.C (Ocean City Before Condominiums).  Hear Bob tell how Ocean City was transformed from a quaint fishing village to the premier beach resort of today. A special focus of Bob’s program is dedicated to the women of Ocean City and their part in shaping the town’s history.

Wednesdays, members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary teach audience participants to tie their own bowline and many other useful knots.

Thursdays are for sharks. Museum curator Sandy Hurley unravels the myths and mysteries behind these underwater predators.

On Fridays, find out “Who were the Storm Warriors” and what did they did.  Participants can see if they have what it takes to become an honorary “surfman.”  Certificates and badges are awarded to successful applicants.

On Saturdays guests can see the seahorses at the museum receive their morning meal.   Hear interesting facts about other local sea life of the area, and make sure to check out the shark jaws in the aquarium room.

During your visit, take time to tour the Ocean City Life-Saving Station Museum, which is located on the south end of the Boardwalk adjacent to the Inlet. For more information, call the museum at 410-289-4991.

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