Casting Course - More answers to Dennis's questiions - Comments

Walter & Group...

Dennis's questions might well be asked on an MCCI oral exam.  Apart from that,  answers should be considered by any intending to hold such courses.    Gordy

Answers from Gary Davison:

Gary & Group...

MASTER INSTRUCTOR QUESTION from Dennis Grant :

 Hi Gordy

 

Consider that you have been asked as a Master Instructor to set up a weekend (2 days) casting class for 15 people. The location and the food have been arranged and there is ample equipment for everyone. You determine you will need the assistance of TWO CI's and you know there are SIX CI's in your close proximity.

 

1.)  What are some of your preliminary considerations ? 

A.) Review Student Skill or Learning Levels. Class Outline accordingly.

 

B.) Perform walk through at the site of the class with those organizing the event. Discuss any rules and regulations needed by the organizer or the establishment that owns the location.  Could be State Park, Private property, etc.

 

C.) Review the CCI's available in the area for the event and see who's schedule is open on the dates of the event. Discuss all terms for the event up front and come to an agreement regarding the terms.

 

D.) Once decided on the CCI's who will attend perform another walk through with the CCI's to discuss lay out the site for the class: Bathroom Locations, Class Room amenities, Casting area designations for learning levels,  Special Demo locations.

 

E.) Master and CCI's have meeting to discuss class outline in detail and determine the two day teaching tasks.  One or Two topics for each CCI is ample per day.  If Candidates are available to each CCI review and see if they can provide 1 topic per day to help in their teaching process with the CCI's assistance. Hopefully they can assist with all the topics covered by the CCI in their group as a team effort.

 

F.) Be Prepared for Plan B. If Plan A does not pan out.  In other words if you affected by an event such as weather, CCI can not make the event at the last minute, Equipment needs of the students, first aid if needed, location of emergency facilities in the area, local law enforcement for the area, always be prepared.  Stand in CCI if needed on each day depending on event if possible.

 

G.) Waivers for the students to sign.

 

H.) Safety equipment (Glasses, Hats etc) Caution tape to keep the public safe from back casts of the group.

 

I.) Special Demo's with CCI's to break up the two day event.  Usually after lunch is a good time for this to occur.  Something that they did not expect to see or learn at the class.  Something new to take home to either practice or implement in their everyday fishing trips. (Spey Casting is a good example in a single handed event.)

 

J.) Always police the site at the end of each day.  Make sure all debris or equipment is picked up and staged for use the next day.  Last day clean the area and make sure it is as clean, if not cleaner then when you arrived.  You and your group will be the reflection of the organization.

 

 

2.)  How would you go about determining who you want to assist ?

 

A.) Generally you would rely on the CCI's that you have knowledge of that your have worked with in the past.  If that is not the case then you must get familiar with the CCI's quickly.  As stated there are 6 to choose from in the area.  As the Master it is important to know those CCI's in the area and hopefully have had an opportunity to work with them in the field.  If not then you may need to have a meeting to discuss the needs of the event and establish some ground.  It would be good know their strengths and work on their weaknesses (if any) to help them evolve along with your students. If I was running the class I would give them one strong topic that they feel very comfortable with and one that they would like to expand on and learn from the experience.  After all that is what this journey is all about for all of us. Student and Teacher alike.

Also field casting do they feel more comfortable with beginner students, intermediate or advance.  Your choices for CCI for the class will depend on the student body in the class and the CCI's strengths for those levels of teaching. Interviews with each of the CCI's and your knowledge of those CCI's, will be important to your success.

 

B.)  Added feature, If I had a CCI that was on the Master Journey I would probably provide him or her with an unexpected topic to address in the class.  This would give him or her the ability to react to an unexpected situation such as plan A to plan B on the fly. Giving them about 30 minutes to and hour, to think about the task for the class. As the Master I would assist when needed on this presentation to re-enforce the positive outcome of the presentation. Plus make sure the group knew after the presentation the importance of the task in the training process of a Master CCI.. Knowing your CCI well and his or her abilities is important when implementing this task. (Thank you Al Crise)

 

B.)  I would also discuss with the CCI the options for help coming from a CCI candidates that they know and could work with in the field and in the class room. The Master would encourage this help with the class. These CCI candidates would be part of the teaching staff of the class and would assist the CCI. I would generally do this with CCI's that I have worked with in the past, and have a good knowledge of their CCI candidate. Having worked with both in the past would be a bonus, but this type of program should be encouraged as an option to further the learning and teaching field for our CCI's and future CCI candidates. 

 

 

All the best.

 

Gary Davison

Gulf Coast Spey

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Fresh approach as Rene Hesse adds his comment to the answers to Dennis' questions :

 

Gordy I only have one thing to add about the class of 15 and 6 Ci's in the area.

 

I will always extend the invitaion to ALL of the CI's.

 

Why limit it?  We can all learn from each other in my opinion.  And the ratio is better too.

 

Some may call it over kill, I call it a casting party!

 

Rene

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

COMMENTS :        I'll leave the final critique on the answers to Dennis Grant.  He is a true professional who has been down this path many times.

 

                                                                SOME THOUGHTS: 

 

Many point were covered in the various answers.  A few others to think about.........

 

 If you, as a Master, are giving this course as a business venture, your thought process might be VERY different than if you are giving it as a workshop at an FFF event such as a conclave.  Economics enter the picture as do the complexities.  When Tom White and I gave courses, we had lots of additional things to consider some of which involved the local legal and bureaucratic climate :-

 

#  Site permits.

 

#  Certificates of liability insurance.  This was required by the City and County in order for us to use the grounds.

 

#  Your personal liability exposure and insurance or "self insuring" coverage relative to your net worth.

 

#  Signed waivers. (Covered by Gary)

 

#  Detailed financial arrangements including deposits, refunds, payment methods, reimbursements, venue charges, payments to assistants ..... sometimes even travel vouchers.

 

#  When doing this professionally, you need to look at your personal profit/loss picture with regard to your yearly income and tax considerations.

 

#  You need to look carefully at your fee schedule in terms of affordability, comparison with similar and competing business ventures, hardship and gratis cases, etc. 

 

 

 

#  Maintaining business records.  (When the courses became extensive re. number of hours/days and number of participants, we got to the point that we needed an accountant as taxes, County/ City fees, etc. entered the picture.)

 

 

Other considerations included scheduling of events.  Things such as availability of participants, availability of needed sites, potential conflicts with other events..... even weather predictions (especially as we considered scheduling during hurricane season).

 

Availability of City/County facilities with scheduling done well in advance.

 

Site inspections entered the picture.

 

Sometimes we had to perform advance site preparations......   We built a casting pool for one of the courses ..... bought hoses  with which to fill it .... got permission for water use, met with grounds keepers with regard to lawn sprinkler use, grass mowing,  etc. etc.

 

For one of our courses, we had to arrange for outdoor latrines.  These had to be rented.  This entailed delivery and pickup arrangements.

 

We made separate arrangements and recommendations for housing of out of town participants and instructors.

 

Well in advance of the courses, Tom and I got together many times designing the courses . This included :   Presentation outlines (Ours plus those of the other presenters ) handouts, teaching aids, time allotments, etc.

 

We also spent time communicating with the students in advance of the course .... signing them up, answering their questions, gaining information about medical and/or disability issues, etc.,etc.

 

Tom and I met with our assistants well in advance of the courses in person when feasable ... by email and telephone when it wasn't.  That helped to make sure we were all going to be in accord with regard to our teaching methods, information to be presented and goals.

 

Lots to consider !

 

Gordy

 

---

---