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 Instructor Development Workshop - experimenting with the fit between a traditional design and a more current design.
I'd like to generate some local interest in our Northwest Division of the American Canoe Association.
Four years ago I was asked to be the Divisional Instruction Facilitator (DIF) of our division, and although I had been an ACA instructor since 1989, I really didn't know what a DIF was or how a DIF or division functioned within the ACA.
The ACA is a huge organization going back to the 1800's. The divisions and their subsets are actually very important to the workings of the ACA, and through the DIF as a sponsor (so to speak) a division's needs and perceptions can be communicated to the ACA board of directors through the Safety Education Committee (SEI)!
How does this work? The DIF is a delegate of sorts and holds a voting seat on the SEI. The DIF can bring proposals forth on behalf of the division. The SEI votes on the proposals, and if they win, they then go to the board for another vote.
Divisions have executive committees and bilaws. The chairmen of our division is Jim Virgin, who lives in Portland. His role is to call an annual meeting during which officers are elected. He is very interested in finding other people to sit on our local board.
A division acts somewhat as a club, as a matter of fact, some Paddle America clubs head up divisions, such as the New England Paddle America Club.
The division sponsors paddling events, works on conservation, and provides symposiums and updates for instructors.
The Washington Kayak Club is one of the largest Paddle America Clubs in the nation and it seems like a natural spot to find people interested in being more involved in the division.
I would like to conduct a paddling event in an area such as Olympia which might be somewhat central to our division (Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana). Please contact Jim Virgin or Andree Hurley if you are interesting in being more involved.
You can view the beginnings of a website I have put online at:
http://www.kayakinstructionexcellence.com/ACA/
http://www.americancanoe.org/PDF/division.manual.2007.pdf
http://www.dixiedivision.com/
http://www.aca-atlanticdivision.net/
http://www.midohio.net/ucanpaddle/
http://www.midwestaca.org/
http://www.canoe-newengland.org/indexmain.htm
http://www.dvdaca.org/
New York Times Archive PDF from 1901
http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=950DE0D61139EF32A25752C1A96E9C946097D6CF&oref=slogin
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Washington Kayak Club Clinic, Powerhouse stretch of Snoqualamie - April 15 evening
Coastal Kayaking - Instructor Development Workshop - April 18 - 20
Coastal Kayaking - Instructor Certification Exam - April 25 - 27
Basic Strokes and Rescues - La Conner, weather permitting May 4
Instructor Developement Course Whitewater - May 9 - 11
Puget Sound Sea Kayak Symposium - May 17-18
Instructor Exam Whitewater (Upgrade, Update) May 23 - 25
Coastal Kayak Update June 1, Arcata, CA
Instructor Development Workshop and Exam, Spokane, June 19-22
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