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Trip Leading

By Dennis Belliveau, Scheduling Chair

The annual meeting is also our scheduling meeting for the 2003 paddling season. In the past few years we have had fewer and fewer trips being led with the same few leaders. This is an appeal to all leaders to seriously consider their role and responsibilities for being designated a leader. Good leadership is in short supply not only in paddling but at every level in our lives.

• Consider the following qualities of being a leader:
• Being good at planning and organizing
• Being self confident
• Improving technical competency in basic skills such as first aid, paddling and weather reading
• Caring for other people
• Making good decisions
• Being trustworthy
• Communicating well
• Inspiring others to be at their best
• Building and maintaining morale
• Being a good teacher and coach
• Being able to deal with difficult people and handle conflicts
• Being able to build and guide teams
• Anticipating problems and deal with them proactively

Community functions, business relationships and family needs are some of the areas that need good leadership skills which can be practiced by leading a paddling trip.

Now is a good time to pull out your calendar for next season and check all the dates you have commitments for and then figure the rest for paddling. For the paddling date consider which of your favorite rivers are likely to be running (check old schedules for ideas) and sign up to lead those trips. There is no guarantee that someone else has not already signed up to lead the same trip so early sign up is better. While the major planning time is at the Spring and Fall meetings, anyone who cannot make the meeting can phone me Dennis Belliveau (603-669-3109), e-mail (canoe1951@excite.com), visit (321 Vinton St. Manchester, NH 03103) with the Dates, River, Location and Class of the trips you would like to lead.

Solo Canoes and Kayaks at a play hole on the Suncook River during the Sunday run of the Whitewater School.(ML)

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