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msar-riders - Re: [MSAR] Identifying NASAR MSAR Instructors

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  • From: pennbo@bbv.net
  • To: Mounted search and rescue <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [MSAR] Identifying NASAR MSAR Instructors
  • Date: Tue, 21 Oct 2003 19:48:37 -0700

(snips from Una and Jorene)
> First, I think it is inappropriate to have certification
> evaluations performed by a member of the unit, so this
> problem would apply only to training in preparation for
> an evaluation by an outside evaluator.

Agreed.
I am not sure if I agree wholeheartedly with this. I'm thinking out loud here so bear with me. <g> I can see the reasoning behind not having a member evaluate other members. However that is assuming that the evaluator would be somehow either prejudiced in their judgement or able to bend the standards to suit their situation. I think this is an insult to MSAR members and potential evaluators. I have been evaluated in many professional situations by folks that I know and have never found their evaluations to be flawed by prejudices. Also I wonder if some remote teams may not have easy access to evaluators. Short of having one of their own members become an evaluator this could put a big damper on getting teams certified. Perhaps the solution is simply that-  that evaluators should be certified by some outside group and then they can certify whomever. Still could be logistics problems here but maybe teams could band together and share an evaluator.
> Second, given a list of specific tasks that the students
> must learn and perform to satisfaction, it is very easy
> to tell on the ground who can teach and who cannot teach.
Sometimes. Some of the best teachers I have had were better at doing and having someone else interpret the whats and whys. This makes for a team teaching situation where those with the actual riding skills are valued as well as those with teaching skills.
  I would even go so
> far as to say an outside agency is not in a position to
> judge who can and cannot teach any given unit.  Here let
> the students judge for themselves.
I agree.
I suppose the realistic solution is to wait until the team lacking good
riding skills brings in the outside evaluator for testing, when they'll find
out how they are perceived. And make sure there are clear standards
regarding the qualifications of that evaluator. However, any team with sense
will see the standards for the evaluator and have a good idea of whether
they'll need outside training prior to testing. So your response just
prodded my thinking and generated a possible solution to be considered when
the committee reaches that point in discussion. Thanks!
 ~ ~ ~ ~
Jorene Downs,
I don't see any other realistic way for making this applicable across the nation. <G> If the standards for MSAR are clear and specific than it should be easy enough to judge ourselves ready or not for evaluation. However.....(I always have one of these!)....a point to ponder is what to do with teams that pass the initial standards evaluation and then rest on their "laurels" doing no more training? I am thinking specifically about that MSAR training where so many admitted to not having regularly ridden their mounts. It is conceiveable that they could have passed the standards a year prior while being a danger to all around them in six months time. I don't know if there is anything that can be done about this except just educating MSAR teams as to the value of ongoing riding and training.

Chris Pennington
Big Bear Sheriff's Posse
MSAR



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