I suppose that it is only natural for people who have an interest to seek out others who share their interest. The things that I have enjoyed in life often have clubs or associations of others who enjoy the same activities. My friends all know that I like to build and paddle canoes and kayaks. We have a “fleet” of four canoes and three kayaks. One was purchased. One was a major restoration. The others were built from scratch in our garage. I enjoy both the process of building and the process of paddling. Paddling came first. I built my first canoe simply because a purchased canoe didn’t fit into our family’s budget. I found that I enjoyed the building as well as the paddling.

There are a lot of organizations that a paddler can join. The American Canoe Association (ACA) has been around for a long time. They have been the keepers of the standards for training and safety on the water. I belonged to the ACA for many years. I have never participated in local chapter activities except for training events. In recent years the ACA has expanded. They rarely use the word “canoe” in their promotional materials unless they also include, kayak, SUP (a technique for using a paddle to propel a surf board), and raft. They are trying to be the single source for all paddle sports. This has resulted in watering down the canoe emphasis that used to be a part of the group. The other thing that has occurred is that the organization has gotten very involved in public policy and advocacy. Some of the dues go to lobbying and influencing public policy. Although I often agree with the positions of the organization, I am not a big fan of lobbying or having someone else try to speak on my behalf. The ACA has several magazines: Canoeroots, Adventure Kayak, Rapid, and Kayak Angler.

As a builder and restorer of wooden canoes, I belong to the Wooden Canoe Heritage Association. They have a beautiful magazine that is probably worth the price of membership because the advertisers sell the kind of boatbuilding supplies I have trouble finding in our area. This year, members of the WCHA received a free one-year membership in the Antique and Classic Boat Society. That means another magazine coming to our house. If I joined all of the organizations that promote paddlesports, I would end up with a house filled with unread magazines. I do receive Wooden Boat, another magazine aimed at boat builders.

There are a lot of other organizations that one could join if one wanted a place to belong. Here in Rapid City, we have the Black Hills Paddlers. It is a kind of loose knit group that focuses mostly on having fun and connecting with other paddlers. I am on their e-mail list. I don’t know if they even have an official membership list or dues.

The point is that there are some people who enjoy the social functions, meetings, organizations, t-shirts, stickers, coffee mugs, hats and other schwag. There are others who would rather just go paddling. I guess I fall into the later category. What is more, I paddle mostly for the solitude. I paddle to get away from crowds not to engage in social activities.

So the answer is “No, I am not going to paddle in the South Dakota Kayak Challenge on Memorial Day weekend.” There isn’t much about it in the news on our end of the state, but it is a big deal with paddlers in the eastern end of our state. Basically it is a 72-mile endurance paddle from Yankton, SD to Sioux City, IA. Registered paddlers are allowed 30 hours to complete the course. The fastest of paddlers might complete the course in 10 hours if the weather cooperates. The first race was held in 2010. The 2011 race was cancelled. Weather and very high releases from Missouri River dams made the course dangerous. So the race is back this year.

I don’t actually understand marathon canoe or kayak races. I am not very interested in competing with other paddlers. Nature hands me enough challenges to keep me engaged. And, the cynic in me says that it is a typically Midwestern sensibility to call the race the South Dakota Kayak Challenge. If one really wanted to win, I think a racing canoe might be the fastest boat. And the course runs through Nebraska and Iowa. So, it would be possible to win without ever getting into a kayak and spending most of your time out of the state of South Dakota. We’re sort of like that. We don’t always say what we mean.

So I have mixed feelings about all of the associations, clubs and organizations that surround paddling. As much as I love canoes and kayaks and paddling, I don’t want to spend all of my time with other paddlers.

The center of my life is a community. The church gathers people with diverse interests. We are not all the same. I am continually amazed at the wide diversity of interests in our church. We have car enthusiasts, people who love camping, those who love international travel, quilters, bikers, motorcyclists, antique enthusiasts, and a thousand other interests. I am frequently surprised by a new hobby or interest when I sit with folks from our church.

Furthermore, in a congregation like ours, there is a wide range of belief and Christian practice. We are not bound together by having to be all the same. We have traditionalists and new age thinkers. We have people who prefer ancient liturgies and those who are more moved by brand new prayers and songs. We are capable of spirited discussion about books and beliefs. We have folks who joined the church because of our mission activities and folks who joined our church to sing in the choir.

The bottom line is that I am not very interested in getting together with people who agree on everything. I find it far more interesting to be with a wonderfully diverse congregation.

So, if you’d like to talk paddling with me, catch me at the fellowship hour after church. I’m probably not going to be at a paddler’s meeting.

Copyright © 2012 by Ted Huffman. I wrote this. If you want to copy it, please ask for permission. There is a contact me button at the bottom of this page. If you want to share my blog a friend, please direct your friend to my web site.