Re: [Paddlewise] Paddling Clubs

From: Mark Zen <canoeist_at_netbox.com>
Date: Mon, 9 Feb 1998 10:52:31 -0700 (MST)
On Mon, 9 Feb 1998, Niels Henriksen wrote:

>>
>>Please remember that you can always be sued for negligence.

true.

>>A Waiver can not remove this right.

depends on the state, and the country. i guess this is a good opportunity
to remind people that this is an international mailing list, and what
works in one place may not in another...

>>If you are taking members on outings its the 
>>clubs' or leader's responsibility to know the skills of the group
>>and to NOT take anyone into a situation that they are not skilled for.

in colorado, and our clubs in particular, this is adamantly NOT TRUE. it
is the participant's responsibility to know _their_ abilities, and to ask
the trip coordinator questions about the trip.

>>By having every member take a skill test and rating your paddling
>>adventures you can help mitigate the risk of suing. This is because you
>>have taken steps to reduce the risk.
>>
>>Niels Henriksen
>>Ottawa, Canada
>>

who is going to administer the tests?? when, etc, etc. this has too many
problems, at least for a club our size [~250 families].

>>>>>
>>>>>Use a waiver and go have fun but use common sense.  This concern has been 
>>>>>mentioned many times but I haven't heard of and don't know anyone that is 
>>>>>aware of a paddling club being sued.  It may have happened, but I haven't
>>>>>heard or read of it.  I'd be sure everyone understands that I am a trip
>>>>>coordinator and not a guide or expert and everyone is responsible for their
>>>>>own safety.  Check liability laws in your state.  It might be beneficial
>>>>>to incorporate your club to protect the club and its members from being
>>>>>sued for the negligent acts of a club member acting as a club representative.  
>>>>>I don't know if this is significant if you are not collecting dues. 
>>>>>
>>>
>>>by all means, use a good waiver. and then have LOTS of fun!! sadly, the
>>>RMCC club pres, relayed a short story to us, at our winter meeting. he now
>>>lives on the other side of the state, and says there is a club there...
>>>but they never run trips, because someone told them a story about being
>>>sued. now they are looking at adopting our waiver. we have people sign
>>>them to become a member, and then again at the start of each trip. we've
>>>not had any problems at all. we do have a couple lawyers in the club, and
>>>they've reviewed it, and it should stand up in court. we also pray we
>>>never need to find out.
>>

great item for discussion!! what do other clubs do to work with this
issue??

mark


#------canoeist[at]netbox[dot]com--------------------------------------
mark zen                      o,    o__              o_/|   o_.
po box 474                   </     [\/              [\_|   [\_\
ft. lupton, co 80621-0474 (`-/-------/----')      (`----|-------\-')
#~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~~~~_at_~~~~~
http://www.diac.com/~zen/cpr   [Colorado Paddlers' Resource]  
http://www.diac.com/~zen/rmskc [Rocky Mtn Sea Kayak Club]  
http://www.diac.com/~zen/rmcc  [Rocky Mtn Canoe Club Trip Page] 
http://www.diac.com/~zen/mark  [personal]
--
Fortune:
Everything is controlled by a small evil group to which, unfortunately,
no one we know belongs.

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Received on Mon Feb 09 1998 - 09:54:02 PST

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