At the US Power Squadrons (USPS) Annual Meeting held recently in Jacksonville, Fla., five Squadrons from across the country and one District were honored with Distinguished Civic Service Awards. Sponsored by Boat Owners Association of the United States (BoatUS), the awards are given annually to the USPS District and Squadrons in recognition of exceptional service and public boating safety education and service to the boating community.

This year’s gathering marked the 100th anniversary for the USPS, which began with the mission to instruct owners of newly developed recreational powerboats on how to operate them safely and with confidence. Today, the USPS has more than 400 regional Squadrons for owners of both sail and powerboats.

The five Squadrons that earned Distinguished Civic Service Awards in 2013 are St. Petersburg (Fla.) Sail and Power Squadron; Lake Norman (N.C.) Sail and Power Squadron; Crystal River (Fla.) Sail and Power Squadron; Peace River Sail and Power Squadron of Punta Gorda and Port Charlotte, Fla., and the Fort Macon Sail and Power Squadron of Morehead City, N.C.