Scout Canoeist badge standards have crashed! i'm pretty sure it used
to be 2 star but now it's just the paddle power passport...

worth bearing in mind as the passport is the standard that most scouts
get to during their time in the scouts...

this is excellent as it used to be too hard, i thought.

"Chris.5th"  wrote in message 
news:c5052b48-e6f1-485c-b530-720fcf253da1@q35g2000vbi.googlegroups.com...
> Scout Canoeist badge standards have crashed! i'm pretty sure it used
> to be 2 star but now it's just the paddle power passport...
>
> worth bearing in mind as the passport is the standard that most scouts
> get to during their time in the scouts...
>
> this is excellent as it used to be too hard, I thought.


Paddlepower passport is not easy to attain and certainly nowhere as easy to 
coach to as the standards are so much wide ranging. The training matrix is 
way too complex and keeping track of all the paperwork is a nightmare for 
us. The kids are supposed to mark up their own books, but that is just never 
going to happen, it doesn't happen with the Scout Record books, it won't 
happen with the Paddlepower stuff either. So muggins has to keep the records 
as well as cleaning all the kit afterwards.

24 areas to be completed and is equivalent to One Star - but that is the NEW 
One Star, not the old One Star.

In essence I think the wider range of skills to be learned is a good thing, 
but it is way more complex to coach. (Already people are finding ways around 
using two types of boats for example).

Note, the BCU do not say that a 10 year old cannot gain a one/ two star 
award, but they do recommend that it is for older paddlers 16 plus.

The old two star was no way difficult to obtain.  Now Three Star was a big 
leap - esp if your Assessor insisted on standards above the BCU requirement 
as they did here!

Ewan Scott

"Ewan Scott"  wrote in message 
news:6O-dnSwXKst298HXnZ2dnUVZ8kGdnZ2d@bt.com...
> ...
> The old two star was no way difficult to obtain.  Now Three 
> Star was a big leap - esp if your Assessor insisted on 
> standards above the BCU requirement as they did here!

Indeed. I already had my "old-old" Inland Proficiency, which was 
broadly equivalent to the old 4-star, except with more focus on 
Group control and preparedness than the old "personal" 3-star 
award. In order to start on the coaching ladder, the three-star 
award was a pre-requisite - so, I was assessed - and failed! I 
never did re-take it, and I doubt that I'll now go down the 
coaching qualifications road. I'll stick to being "at the level 
required for an Activity Permit" - which I may ask to be 
re-assessed, given that my Inland Proficiency Certificate is now 
25 years old...

-- 
MatSav

On Jul 14, 10:54 am, "Chris.5th"  wrote:
> Scout Canoeist badge standards have crashed! >
> this is excellent as it used to be too hard, i thought.

There was a bit of a campaign to get it changed back to 1 Star.
Under the pre 2001 system there was Elementary Canoeist ( = 1 Star )
and Canoeist ( = 2 Star )
Then they reduced the top age of the Scout Section to 14 and did away
with Elementary Canoeist. I suspect very few Canoeist Badges were
awarded. I was one of many who moaned loudly to anyone who would
listen.
At the last review (2007?), common sense prevailed and the Canoeist
Badge became 1 Star. Then BCU changed everything and said that 1 Star
should be for over 16's only, so Paddlepower Passport (which is
equivelent to the new 1 Star) is the standard.
All the new BCU qualifications seem to be much harder and more
complicated than before - they seem to have found a great way of
putting people off taking qualifications.
Splodge.

On 15 July, 21:40, alansplodge  wrote:
> On Jul 14, 10:54 am, "Chris.5th"  wrote:
>
> > Scout Canoeist badge standards have crashed! >
> > this is excellent as it used to be too hard, i thought.
>
> There was a bit of a campaign to get it changed back to 1 Star.
> Under the pre 2001 system there was Elementary Canoeist ( = 1 Star )
> and Canoeist ( = 2 Star )
> Then they reduced the top age of the Scout Section to 14 and did away
> with Elementary Canoeist. I suspect very few Canoeist Badges were
> awarded. I was one of many who moaned loudly to anyone who would
> listen.
> At the last review (2007?), common sense prevailed and the Canoeist
> Badge became 1 Star. Then BCU changed everything and said that 1 Star
> should be for over 16's only, so Paddlepower Passport (which is
> equivelent to the new 1 Star) is the standard.
> All the new BCU qualifications seem to be much harder and more
> complicated than before - they seem to have found a great way of
> putting people off taking qualifications.
> Splodge.

aha... so i was right... it def was 2* for a while! and paddle power
is easier than that...

ho hum to the debate...

my kids all had fun mucking around in boats this weekend, so all
good :-)

> All the new BCU qualifications seem to be much harder and more
> complicated than before - they seem to have found a great way of
> putting people off taking qualifications.
> Splodge.

>aha... so i was right... it def was 2* for a while! and paddle power
>is easier than that...

No, Paddlepower Passport is not easier. The goalposts for 1 and 2 star have 
been relocated somewhere further up the river, so to speak. So the new One 
Star lies a little above the old One Star, and the new Two Star is almost 
where the old Three Star was, plus experience has to cover both kayak and 
open boats. Hence the complex matrix to be dealt with.

To gain Paddlepower Passport the candidate has to deal with a far wider 
range of experiences and skills than for even the old Two Star (though not 
to the same standard). The level of interpretation in Paddlepower is such 
that the standards of people gaining Paddlepower Awards is going to vary 
widely.  Some people are interpreting an "open" boat as a sit-on-top. which 
is a far cry from a Canadian, or a Placid Water racer so one set of paddlers 
might do their skills in a CCK and a SOT, whilst others do so in a CCK and a 
Canadian. Arguably, they really ought to try as many boats and styles as 
they can - CCK, Canadian, SOT, White water racer, surf, playboat, placid 
water racer etc..

>ho hum to the debate...

>my kids all had fun mucking around in boats this weekend, so all
>good :-)

Fun is what it should be about and the new scheme reflects this. The old 
scheme really required capsize drill as an early part of the training, which 
for some reason puts a lot of people off. The new scheme says leave it till 
they are more confident. Which is fine in theory, except we had a capsize 
with some first timers and the paddler jumped too soon and got trapped quite 
badly and we had to stop the panic, calm him down, and then recover him and 
his well swamped boat. We have reverted to early capsize drill because 
whilst it might put some off, I'd rather put some off than face the 
consequences of a capsize gone badly wrong.

When we take Beavers and Cubs out on tasters we no longer give them paddles, 
we let then get the feel of the boats, splash around with their hands, play 
raft games and only then let them try paddles. It's much more fun for 
everyone and much less frustrating for them.

Ewan Scott

"alansplodge"  wrote in message 
news:6272144e-b58b-4ca0-bdb7-58725454801f@o7g2000yqb.googlegroups.com...
>
> At the last review (2007?), common sense prevailed and the Canoeist
> Badge became 1 Star. Then BCU changed everything and said that 1 Star
> should be for over 16's only, so Paddlepower Passport (which is
> equivelent to the new 1 Star) is the standard.

But if you get the 1 star then you get the badge anyway is my view

"Ewan Scott"  wrote in message 
news:K7CdnfxLk6asvf3XnZ2dnUVZ8h6dnZ2d@bt.com...

> No, Paddlepower Passport is not easier. The goalposts for 1 and 2 star 
> have been relocated somewhere further up the river, so to speak. So the 
> new One Star lies a little above the old One Star, and the new Two Star is 
> almost where the old Three Star was, plus experience has to cover both 
> kayak and open boats.

Incidentally - where do you assess 2 star to these days.  There are still 2 
schools of thought- those that believe you have to be 2 star standard in 
both kayaks - open and not; or those that believe you should be 2 star in 
one and have experience in the other.

> To gain Paddlepower Passport the candidate has to deal with a far wider 
> range of experiences and skills than for even the old Two Star (though not 
> to the same standard). The level of interpretation in Paddlepower is such 
> that the standards of people gaining Paddlepower Awards is going to vary 
> widely.  Some people are interpreting an "open" boat as a sit-on-top. 
> which is a far cry from a Canadian, or a Placid Water racer so one set of 
> paddlers might do their skills in a CCK and a SOT, whilst others do so in 
> a CCK and a Canadian. Arguably, they really ought to try as many boats and 
> styles as they can - CCK, Canadian, SOT, White water racer, surf, 
> playboat, placid water racer etc..

Agreed - it doesn't really matter as long as the assessor is sensible
>