Discourse communities are a fabric of social interaction that explain connections between groups and organizations. James Porter describes a discourse community as “A local and temporary constraining system, defined by a body of texts that are unified by a common focus.” (Porter 1) The common focus as defined by James Porter is also the first Point of author John Swales six characteristics of discourse. A discourse that I am involved in is the Ocean City Beach Patrol. All 160 members of the patrol have a common goal: to keep the ocean bathers safe. The OCBP is a close knit group with multiple points of communication, a genre of different personalities and athletes and a balance of older and younger guards. Members of the Ocean City Beach
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In order to make the patrol, one must compete in a swim, row, and surf dash. Depending on the number of slots open for hire, the place in which one comes on the test is the job slot he or she will be granted. If the Patrol offers twenty nine jobs and sixty people try out, only the top twenty nine on the test are hired. Guards commonly compete in swim races, boat races, paddle board races, surf contests, and even 5k’s. They compete in the South Jersey Chief’s Association for the title of “South Jersey Champions.” South Jersey lifeguard races are one of the most unique events in the world and have been featured on ESPN several times in the last ten years. After race season is over and a champion of all the patrols in South Jersey has been crowned, Ocean City then prepares for inner squad races. The inner squad races determine who will compete for the South Jersey Championships the following summer. The inner zone races, otherwise known as the Schmidt Classic is a time of hard work and great intensity on the beaches because the winners are put on a pedestal and are granted privileges that are unthinkable to other guards. The competitive level of the beach patrol is enticing for any athlete looking for a new challenge amongst some of the best Athletes in the state of New …show more content…
The older guards provide wisdom and advice to younger guards and each new class of rookie guards solidifies another year of the patrol. Learning from the experience of older guards helps on and off the beach. On the beach, older guards make the job more comforting because of their experiences with bathers and knowledge of the water. Off the beach, older guards can give good life advice and explain where they went wrong and help to make college transitions smoother. The older guards don’t say many things that parents don’t say, but it is nice to hear the same advice from others sometimes. The wide range of ages on the beach patrol adds to the diversity and family that it is. There are also many active alumni whom provide funding and always have stories to share when they visit the beach. Some of the alumni are the most successful people I have ever met and would gladly assist in finding me an internship or a job after I graduate college. The alumni truly care about the current guards on the beaches and love to remain a relevant part of the patrol. Without the older guards, the patrol would not be able to sustain its perfect save record and without the younger guards, the patrol would eventually cease to
In order to make the patrol, one must compete in a swim, row, and surf dash. Depending on the number of slots open for hire, the place in which one comes on the test is the job slot he or she will be granted. If the Patrol offers twenty nine jobs and sixty people try out, only the top twenty nine on the test are hired. Guards commonly compete in swim races, boat races, paddle board races, surf contests, and even 5k’s. They compete in the South Jersey Chief’s Association for the title of “South Jersey Champions.” South Jersey lifeguard races are one of the most unique events in the world and have been featured on ESPN several times in the last ten years. After race season is over and a champion of all the patrols in South Jersey has been crowned, Ocean City then prepares for inner squad races. The inner squad races determine who will compete for the South Jersey Championships the following summer. The inner zone races, otherwise known as the Schmidt Classic is a time of hard work and great intensity on the beaches because the winners are put on a pedestal and are granted privileges that are unthinkable to other guards. The competitive level of the beach patrol is enticing for any athlete looking for a new challenge amongst some of the best Athletes in the state of New …show more content…
The older guards provide wisdom and advice to younger guards and each new class of rookie guards solidifies another year of the patrol. Learning from the experience of older guards helps on and off the beach. On the beach, older guards make the job more comforting because of their experiences with bathers and knowledge of the water. Off the beach, older guards can give good life advice and explain where they went wrong and help to make college transitions smoother. The older guards don’t say many things that parents don’t say, but it is nice to hear the same advice from others sometimes. The wide range of ages on the beach patrol adds to the diversity and family that it is. There are also many active alumni whom provide funding and always have stories to share when they visit the beach. Some of the alumni are the most successful people I have ever met and would gladly assist in finding me an internship or a job after I graduate college. The alumni truly care about the current guards on the beaches and love to remain a relevant part of the patrol. Without the older guards, the patrol would not be able to sustain its perfect save record and without the younger guards, the patrol would eventually cease to