[Paddlewise] Group Paddling - A warning

From: John Kortis <kayakman61_at_hotmail.com>
Date: Sat, 03 Apr 1999 14:31:05 PST
Having spent 20 years with my butt in the seat of a kayak, having led 
and been led on more group paddles then I care to remember, let me offer 
this bit of advice -

If you are ever on a group paddle with a designated leader, and this 
leader fails to keep control of the group, resign yourself to never 
paddle with him/her again.

The 'experienced group leaders' of this list are failing to take 
responsibility for failure to maintain control. They insist it to be the 
fault of the novice, or the 'hot shots', the fast, the slow, the 
independents, the wind, the waves, the water. What they are skirting 
around in their own inability to lead. A true leader takes 
responsibility, and blame, for the success of the group paddle. A true 
leader will not let the group become a liability to itself.

How dare you reject the input from those who have never paddled in a 
group when it is obvious from your posting that you lack the skills to 
lead.

Leadership is a rare quality. If you don't poses it, you endanger the 
lives of the entire group by taking a leadership position.

Your group leader may be the nicest or the meanest SOB you ever met, but 
maintaining control over any situation, or preventing it in the first 
place, is what counts.

john
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Received on Sat Apr 03 1999 - 14:31:56 PST

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