By Jim McGowan, WCBP (1970-1973)

From the magazine "White Rose Motorist" in 1974

By Vince Conti

WILDWOOD CREST - Commissioners July 21 celebrated Beach Patrol Lt. Max Bilkins’ 50th summer with the borough. Bilkins joined the patrol in 1970. Following a couple years' absence later, in the 1970s, Bilkins returned and never left.
​
Bilkins was promoted to lieutenant in 1979 and has served in that position since. In accepting the award, Bilkins said it was never planned. 

“I had no idea I’d be standing here,” he said, as he looked at family that included his grandchildren. He spoke of getting to know so many regular summer visitors to the Crest. 

“I know many of them by name,” he said.
Bilkins helped build the borough's reputation in beach patrol competitions, winning a record eight Around the Island Row championships over four decades.

Below is a letter written by alumnus, Joey Freeman about his experience on the Wildwood Crest Beach Patrol.

​Being a lifeguard on the Wildwood Crest Beach Patrol is considered a seasonal job, usually starting on Memorial Day Weekend and ending, with a few exceptions, on Labor Day Weekend. However, for any of us who had the privilege of being hired for that “job” will tell you that it was never that. It was an opportunity to serve and protect those who came to the Crest for some relaxation in the sun. We were well trained to handle water rescues, land emergencies, lost kids and the like, and we had organized workouts to help us stay in tiptop shape physically. I did that “job” from 1970 to 1979 and then again in 1986. I sat the stand, became a jeep driver, and finished as a lieutenant in the south sector. However, when I think of the WCBP, I think of the word family, not associates or fellow lifeguards. Family. Ask any WCBP alum about their time as a lifeguard and they will speak of lifetime friendships forged over those summer months. They will talk of a sense of belonging, of a brotherhood, of being part of something that lasted a lifetime and not just for a season, of working with guys that you knew had your back and would go that extra mile for you. Yes, we vowed to protect and serve the public that vacationed on our beach, but somehow we learned to do the same for one another and not just during those summers we were together. The Alumni Weekend, held on the 3rd Saturday in August, promoted that camaraderie as we celebrated each others’ families. It allowed us to stay in touch with one another and to keep up with our ever changing lives, be it marriages, births, deaths, graduations, etc. In my opinion, if you ask any of the young men and women currently serving or any of the alum who have served to give you a word that describes the experience of being a WCBP lifeguard, they will say FAMILY.

Below is an blog written by alumnus, Charles Dunlap, Professor of the Practice of Law at Duke University, on his experience working on the Wildwood Crest Beach Patrol.

A personal reflection: a leader who mentors can be a lifelong influence
In an effort to use the COVID lockdown as productively as possible, I took on some long-deferred projects, including getting a few old photos professionally restored. One of these was a 1975 group photo of the Wildwood Crest Beach Patrol (WCBP) on which I served from 1973-1975. Looking at that photo after all these years brought back memories of some of the best mentorship I’ve ever received.
During college and law school I spent my summers working in Wildwood Crest, a beach resort on the South Jersey Shore. During those years I had a variety of jobs (often simultaneously!), including laundry worker, janitor, rooming house manager, busboy, and waiter. But the most memorable are the three summers I spent as a lifeguard, an experience that taught me a lot about myself and life in general.
(Because I had a military service obligation from ROTC, I never worked in a legal job during my law school summers, and didn’t even take a bar review course – something I do NOT recommend, although somehow I did pass).
The reason I sought the job is complicated, but suffice to say it was something I believed at the time I just had to attempt, whatever the cost.  As you’ll discover, I was concerned since I knew I had rather limited talent for what could be a very demanding job that occasionally required actual rescues – and I also knew the ocean can sometimes be a very dangerous place.

I learned a lot serving with the WCBP.  Among other things:

• I found that at times we can rally ourselves to ‘punch above our weight‘
• I internalized the inescapable importance of taking responsibility for our own readiness
• I discovered how crucial it is to figure out how we can best contribute to group success
• I learned the extraordinary value of teamwork
• I took to heart that wisdom and great ideas can come from everyone, and
• I experienced how a mentoring leader can be a lifelong influence.

All these lessons and more proved invaluable to me in the the decades since…and continue to be!
Several years ago I tried to express some of my thoughts about how Bud Johnson, the WCBP’s chief, mentored me to success.  The essay below is a lightly edited version of what originally appeared in the Wildwood Leader on Oct. 25, 2006:

*The Indiana Gazette, May 13, 2018

Scott “Bick” Murphy got his start in swimming at the Mack Park pool.

“My mother would drop me off for swim lessons and that’s where all the hometown lineage started,” he said. “My first swim instructors, during the cold months of late May and early June, were Sherri Widowson and Becky Holsinger. After many laps, instruction and summer days at the pool, I automatically became a fish, easily spending four to six hours a day (there).”

Murphy further developed his skills at the YMCA of Indiana County.
“I went to the YMCA and started swimming competitively around my freshman year in high school,” he said. “Thanks to folks like Ron Nelson, Dave Watkins and others that helped out with the swim team, I began to forge my way as a competitive swimmer — and sometimes diver.”

Murphy went on to set records in swimming at Indiana High School, where he was the school’s first PIAA qualifier.

“We started the swim team I believe my sophomore year with the help of a local parent, Jim Gordon Sr., whose son also was a swimmer,” he said. “After much deliberation and persuading with the powers that be, we established the origination of the Indiana swim team.

​“My first two years, I believe I set two district records and went on to the state championships in State College.”

Murphy later swam at IUP, where he achieved All-America status in 1980. He also was a two-time All-East selection on the water polo club team.

“Our first All-American (swimming) experience was in Michigan,” he said. “We had an assistant coach (Gordon Miller) take us there in the depths of winter (March) in blowing snow and crazy conditions. Our top swimmer at the time, Dan Deacon, ended up winning the 200-yard backstroke and was national champion.

“We all shaved our heads … we swam out of our minds and ended up in finals and thus an All-America berth. I always took things in stride and didn’t expect a particular outcome, but I’ll have to say the All-American honor at that age was pretty cool.”

Murphy, also a champion rower, runner and lifeguard currently living in Cape May, N.J., will return to his roots Sunday, May 20, to be inducted into the Indiana County Sports Hall of Fame. The 35th annual banquet gets underway at 5:30 p.m. at the Rustic Lodge.

Joining Murphy in the Class of 2018 are Bill Anderson, John Burda, Eric Craig, Owen Dougherty Jr., Steve Mizerak, Jerry Page and Norman “Huey” Whitesel.

“Personally, I have known 33 of the past inductees, either as mentors, teammates, teachers, administrators and/or friends,” Murphy said. “Based on my accomplishments, I am incredibly humbled for the recognition within the company, and feel that my accomplishments are far from par with regard to their contributions.

“I will say that being from Indiana, and understanding what the community offered me in the years of my pursuits, I am thrilled about the recognition. I can’t think of a better way to thank everyone responsible for this distinguished honor.”

After earning his master’s degree at IUP, Murphy was hired to teach, coach and direct the aquatics program at Emory University in Atlanta.

In 28 years at Emory, Murphy coached water polo, cross country, indoor and outdoor track and field, individual tri-athletes and the Masters swimming program.

Since 1980, he has been training and certifying lifeguards in New Jersey.

“I’ve known Bick for a number of years,” said Indiana native Bob Ogoreuc, a 2008 hall of fame inductee who is an assistant professor at Slippery Rock University, where he also serves as aquatics director.

“We did work aquatics together. We worked on beach patrol together for a number of years. We’ve been lifelong friends. He’s just a great all-around athlete, from swimming to running to triathlons. He was one of the premier lifeguard competitors in the country.

“It’s great to see that he is getting honored with the hall of fame.”

Murphy has competed in marathons in Boston, Atlanta, Charlotte, N.C., and Washington, D.C. He finished fourth out of 1,000 runners at a marathon in Florida in 1999, and the race qualified him for Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Hawaii. He finished 600th out of 1,500 finishers.

Overall, he has captured 52 beach competitions. And he participated in the Maui 9-mile relay international championship, where his team finished fourth.

“The fact that Bick was so successful in swimming, running and rowing is quite an accomplishment,” said Vince Celtnieks, the former IUP soccer coach who befriended Murphy when he was in college. “To have the ability to do all three of those together, and do them all well, is very impressive.

“Plus, he’s a decent guy. He’s not an egomaniac. He did things the right way.”

Murphy has won numerous awards for coaching and volunteering, including Atlanta American Red Cross Volunteer of the Year and organizer for Olympic swimming, diving and synchronized swimming for the 1996 Games. He also was named coach of the year at Emory and taught at The Aquatic School and Institute in Pennsylvania, Texas and California.

Murphy also served as a contributor on pool design to the 1996 Olympic committee in Atlanta, where he was living at the time.

“The Olympic experience was epic,” Murphy said. “My task was to investigate all possible venues, sites, accessibility and past venues for Olympic participation in swimming and diving, synchronized swimming and water polo.

​“We received the bid. Further work went through 1995, with pre-Olympic events and showcase competition that allowed many nations to take their first look at the Olympic City."

How has the beach patrol impacted your life?
Taught me to go big or don't go at all. It was a job of self discipline, vigilance, and required superior fitness and a job that required at times very quick thinking. ​

From The Leader: of the Wildwoods - Feb 23, 2018

Julianna Roche, a senior at Wildwood Catholic High School, has received the inaugural Award for Excellence at the annual Student Leadership on Development at the United Nations.
This award was given in recognition of her dedication, leadership and longevity in this annual youth conference. No other secondary school student has been a leader in this conference from grade 9 through grade 12.

Beginning in 2019, this award will be known as The Julianna Roche - Student Leadership Conference on Development Award at the UN for Excellence.

We are thrilled to highlight our first female alum, Cliona O'Connor! This spotlight is special, as Cliona wrote to us from across the pond in her native Ireland. As a guard in the late 90's, Cliona left her mark as one of the top female athletes in South Jersey. She was a member of the women's surf dash team as well as an exceptional paddler. We are happy that Cliona has shared with us some of her best memories with the Wildwood Crest Beach Patrol!

What made you join the beach patrol?
I worked as a beach guard in Cork in Ireland and a fellow guard had come to the Crest previously - it sounded so great that I had to check it out with my best friend Steph.

​What are some of your best memories from your years with the WCBP?
Winning our 1st surf dash in the Wildwood Women's Tournament in 1998 was a blast. And winning again the following year, as well as my individual paddle board event was icing on the cake. I have so many great memories from my 3 years on WCBP - the best one's really are the day to day fun we had working out & sitting up in that glorious NJ sunshine. Those burgers from the Alumni BBQ were something to remember too! Followed by those epic brownies from Le Bus.

The lessons and values of the beach patrol have a special way of sticking with you once  life has forced you in another direction. That notion holds true with alumnus, Skip Flanagan. After working for the WCBP for six summers, Skip dedicated himself to a career in education and coaching. While earning a Ph.D, Skip studied at some of the most prestigious universities in the country. Presently, Skip serves both as the Dean and Head Lacrosse Coach of the esteemed Avon Old Farms School in Avon, CT. Aside from mentoring countless students over the years, Skip has also built his lacrosse program into a national powerhouse that is routinely ranked among the top 25 high schools in the country.