PRESS RELEASE: Joshua Phillips Accepts the Presidency of the Christian Boys’ and Men’s Titanic Society on the 100th Anniversary
Branson, Missouri — April 16, 2012
After more than fifteen years as president of the Christian Boys’ and Men’s Titanic Society, Doug Phillips passed the baton of leadership to his firstborn son Joshua aboard the Showboat Branson Belle on April 15 (EDT), and at the conclusion of Titanic 100: An International Centennial Event. Mr Phillips the younger accepted the presidency of the CBMTS just moments after the exact time that Titanic sunk one hundred years before. Just under six hundred people were in attendance for the Titanic 100.
“Joshua has been part of this society from the very beginning, missing only one dinner in sixteen years, and has delivered many short speeches on the subjects of manhood, chivalry and “women and children first. The CBMTS, with its message of Christian chivalry, has been a big part of his life.”
The Christian Boys’ and Men’s Titanic Society was founded in 1997 with the goal of honoring the sacrifice of the heroes of the Titanic and communicating to the present generation the ongoing significance of the Christian ideals embodied in the principle of “women and children first.” Each year the men of the CBMTS meet on the anniversary of the ship’s sinking, either in Washington D.C., or San Antonio, for a ceremonial dinner which includes poetry, song, prayers, and messages of remembrance and honor.
“The CBMTS, like its parent organization Vision Forum Ministries, has a multi-generational message,” Doug Phillips said. “It is appropriate that we model that message in the way we share it with the world. After more than fifteen years, I am ready to retire from this post and place it in the able hands of Joshua, a man who understands it well and who embraces its principles.”
The transfer was accompanied by the ceremonial presentation to Joshua of a 1910 pocket watch used in the portrayal of John Jacob Astor during the Titanic 100. The actual Astor gold pocket watch bearing his initials was found on his person floating in the North Atlantic and was helpful in identifying the body of Astor.
“It is a great honor to be given the opportunity to lead this organization,” Joshua Phillips said. “Our message is a timeless message. It is a message that the young men of my generation need to hear. It is a message that is not only about the duty of men to act sacrificially, but a reminder that the greatest example of sacrifice is that of Jesus Christ who died for his bride. I hope that I will be able to continue my father’s legacy as president of the CBMTS by perpetuating the vision and sharing the most important part of the Titanic story with many.”
Titanic 100: An International Centennial Event took place in Branson this weekend and included messages on the Titanic, a play called “Women and Children First,” more than seventy-five reenactors representing the actual men and women of the Titanic, and a grand boat cruise on the Showboat Branson Belle.