In a message dated 4/5/99 7:34:58 PM Pacific Daylight Time, Tomckayak_at_aol.com writes: << If you paddle beyond shouting distance of my you have left the group. You are on your own until you rejoin the group. I will not blow whistles or race after you. >> Geez Tom, that sounds a bit cold. If a person on a club or social paddle elects to leave the group of their own will, I agree that they must be allowed to go their own way (after all, what can you do to stop them?). The problem is in knowing for sure that they have made a rational, informed decision and are actually electing to leave. It is easy to assume that someone who isn't going along with the program is willfully going their own way and abandoning the group. But, just because they are steaming over the horizon, that doesn't necessarily mean they *want* to leave. They could be disoriented, confused, scared, or unable to control their boat and unable or unwilling to communicate that to you. If a child walks away from you in a supermarket, you ask them where they are going, you give them instructions on what they should do, you give them one or two chances, then you do what you need to do to keep them safe. Those we paddle with deserve just as much consideration. They may be adults, but that doesn't mean they are always aware of what they are doing or that they always make rational decisions. As the group leader, I think it is my responsibility to see to it that every group member is given the information they need and the opportunity to make that informed decision. If they haven't said they are leaving *and* convinced me they will be all right, I'll certainly blow whistles and race after them, as long as it doesn't endanger the rest of the group. On the other hand, I lead mostly commercial groups. When I'm with them, I have no options -- the group must stay together. Unlike what Ralph said, I find that (at least here in So. Cal.) people don't stay any closer to me on paid trips than they would on a club or social paddle, and the result is that the strain on me as leader is just that much greater on commercial paddles. Harold *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************Received on Wed Apr 07 1999 - 02:19:23 PDT
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