The Bohr Heisenberg Paddle
Werner Heisenberg was the German physicist who, in 1927 put forward the theory known as the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. Neils Bohr was a
Danish physicist. Together with others Bohr and Heisenberg moved us from a fixed world view into an age of uncertainty, movement, connection and complexity.
The Walter Shewhart Paddle
Walter Shewhart was the American engineer and scientist who, in 1923 had a great insight into the understanding of 'variation' in production
processes whilst working at the Bell Laboratories. His insight was the start of looking at how to manage in an uncertain world. He 'coached' Dr.
Edwards Deming.
The Edwards Deming Paddle
Edwards Deming was the American engineer and scientist who went to Japan in 1949. He taught the industrialists of Japan to think in terms of
systems rather than to look for short term results. His teachings helped Japan to become a great economic power. He was fiercely opposed to the
short term reductionist thinking of most American Business Schools. His system of 'Profound Knowledge' advanced Walter Shewhart's work into all
areas of life. He taught people not to blame each other, but to work together to increase their knowledge about systems and variation.
The Homer Sarasohn Paddle
Homer Sarasohn is an American engineer and scientist who went to Japan, in 1945, to help build the electronics industry. Against opposition, he
persuaded General MacArthur to agree that the Japanese people should be taught the best American manufacturing practices. As he saw it at the
time, for the Japanese to survive, they had to be good at making things or the world. He set up management training schools which were very
different from the American Business Schools. His first lesson was to give the Japanese people the AIM of making quality things for the world.
The Myron Tribus Paddle
Myron Tribus is an American engineer, thermodynamisist and educationalist, at one time a professor at M.I.T. After a distinguished
career in education and industry Myron met Dr. Deming when interviewing him for a T. V. show. It changed the way Myron thought about mangement
and he set about helping to get that message into the educational system of the Umted States. In 1991 he read a paper I had written on a
philosophy of craft, sportscience, industry and life. He asked me to publish it in the United States to help his work in education. It made me
think about better ways of getting a message across. Out of those thoughts evolved The Bell Boat, the Paddle for Life, the MAIN Regattas
and Games, and a series of children's stories. Through Myron, I met Dr. Deming and Homer Sarasohn and in 1993 spoke at the British Deming
Association's Conference.
The John MacGregor Paddle
John MacGregor was the London Scot who in 1865, built a single kayak, called it the Rob Roy and travelled on a voyage around Europe. He wrote a
small book, 'A Thousand Miles in Rob Roy' and formed the Royal Canoe Club. His voyage inspired others and led to the modem sport of canoe and
kayak. A small book and a small boat helped to change the world.
The Ron Emes Paddle
Ron Emes was the President of the British Canoe Union who became Chairman of the Central Council for Physical Recreation. He helped the Fladbury
Club in its rise in the world. Shortly before he died, he pointed out to me that British canoeing had been transformed in the sixties into white
water kayaking, not by physical educationalists, but by the handicraft teachers makng a different type of boat; the first step in the
transformation was through, makng things. The idea of the children making a Paddle for Life, sprang from that insight.
The Alan Winlow Paddle
Alan Winlow is a geologist and brickmaker, who made me very aware of how very different the aims for the next half century were from the last. In
1945 it was clear to Homer Sarasohn that for the Japanese people to survive, they had to make things for the world. Fifty years on for the
people of the world to survive, they must solve the problem of evolving a creative, ever improving and sustainable civilisation.
I met Alan at the Deming Conference in 1993. He asked me and one of my sons do a management training project with the Bell Boat. Whilst we were
at his works, he took us into the quarry and showed us the carbon deposits buried deep in the earth. He explained, in a very vivid way, how
putting all that carbon back into the atmosphere would affect the system we live in. It made my son and me think very hard about the future. Out
of it came the idea of the children planting the willow and learning, in a vivid way, about the carbon cycle.
The John Main Paddle
John Main was a friend and mentor I worked with for many years in industry. He was the first 10
person I knew to go to the Business Schools modelled on those from America. It gave both him and me a great insight into their reductionist
ethos.
They taught that the only way to understand any problem was to break it down into its components; solve those individual problems and then the
total problem would be solved. It was 'scientific method' applied to management and the very opposite of what Homer Sarasohn and Edwards
Deming taught the Japanese, or indeed what modem science is telling us. They taught people to look at results, rather than the process of
achieving them.
It is the very opposite of thinking of families, crews, clubs, communities, companies, countries, continents and the Earth as systems,
where any action taken on a component part affects everything else. It is the thinking of 'no hope' and has swept through the management of Western
civilisation. The result is the ever increasing fragmentation of our civilisation and life.
Realising the problem, many leaders in industry and education are now trying to understand systems thinking. It will need a great change in the
way we think and act, and perhaps for those of brought up in a 'fixed world', we will never be able to fully understand it, or act it. But for
our children it's very different. They have no need to unlearn. They can start with the new knowledge.
Some time after I had thought up the MAIN events, it was pointed out to me that 'Main' is the name for a central conduit of a system, and that
in French it means hands. By ordinary chance or special cause my friend's name fitted the MAIN idea.
l hope by using the hands to make a paddle, and propelling the Bell Boat in an event for ALL, the children will have taken a small step,
which one day will help them to understand systems, variation and people; I hope they will then then put that knowledge into practice.
A German, together with a Dane, gave us uncertainty, Americans showed how to cope with it in industry. It's time for the English to make their
contribution and help to show how to cope with it in life. We've had plenty of practice with self created chaos for the last fifty years -
just think what our children could do with a great aim, a little knowledge and a little coaching. With a little help, our children could
create a truly great civilisation that they could share with ALL the people of Earth.
All it needs to get started is to grow a willow, make a paddle, take part in The MAIN Regatta for England and have fun. Most of you reading this
will have done so.
As Walter, the philosopher tortoise of my stories would say, "Well done".
Many thanks for helping and taking part. Good paddling.
David W Train
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