186 
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES             H.C.R. NO.            H.D. 1
TWENTIETH LEGISLATURE, 2000                                
STATE OF HAWAII                                            
                                                             
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                     HOUSE CONCURRENT
                        RESOLUTION
REQUIRING THE DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION AND THE HAWAII HIGH SCHOOL
   ATHLETIC ASSOCIATION TO ALLOW OUTRIGGER CANOE PADDLING TO BE
   A SANCTIONED SCHOOL SPORT STATEWIDE. 


 1       WHEREAS, water sports, particularly outrigger canoe
 2   paddling (paddling), are a vitally important part of Hawaii's
 3   past and present; and
 4   
 5       WHEREAS, paddling promotes and instills a sensitivity to
 6   Hawaiian history and culture; and
 7   
 8       WHEREAS, paddling is the official team sport of the State
 9   of Hawaii; and 
10   
11       WHEREAS, this traditional Hawaiian sport encourages
12   teamwork and fosters relationships and interpersonal skills
13   among those who participate in the sport; and 
14   
15       WHEREAS, incorporating paddling into the public schools'
16   athletic programs would promote this longstanding traditional
17   sport, while instilling students with important physical and
18   mental skills; and 
19   
20       WHEREAS, in 1998, the Department of Education (DOE)
21   established a two-year paddling pilot program (paddling
22   program) with the full support of the Na Opio Canoe Racing
23   Association (NOCRA), a private, community-based organization
24   that lent its resources to the program, and the invaluable
25   experience and expertise of Sam "Steamboat" Mokuahi, without
26   cost to the DOE or the Oahu Interscholastic Association (OIA);
27   and
28   
29       WHEREAS, the paddling program has achieved an impressive
30   record:
31   
32       (1)  In its second year, 20 of 22 OIA schools (including
33            Anuenue School) participated in the sport; and
34   
35       (2)  During the two-year period, 1,470 students
36            participated in the paddling program;
37   
38   and

 
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 1       WHEREAS, the participating students are required to
 2   complete a water safety program, ensuring that they are
 3   proficient swimmers and capable of handling the canoe if it
 4   were to capsize; and 
 5   
 6       WHEREAS, paddling program participants received liability
 7   coverage through the Hawaiian Canoe Racing Association; and
 8   
 9       WHEREAS, the OIA and NOCRA are prepared to submit a
10   complete plan to address funding and an equipment and canoe
11   building project for a permanent, sanctioned OIA paddling
12   program; and
13   
14       WHEREAS, NOCRA is prepared to support the paddling program
15   until such time that the OIA is able to run the permanent
16   paddling program independently; and
17   
18       WHEREAS, the canoe building project could expand into an
19   educational trade opportunity for students to learn the craft
20   of building canoes and working with fiberglass; and
21   
22       WHEREAS, there is also significant interest in paddling on
23   the Neighbor Islands, as is evidenced by an annual invitational
24   event hosted by NOCRA that draws many paddlers from the islands
25   of Hawaii, Maui, and Kauai; now, therefore,
26   
27       BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the
28   Twentieth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session
29   of 2000, the Senate concurring, that the DOE and the Hawaii
30   High School Athletic Association are required to establish
31   outrigger canoe paddling as a sanctioned school sport
32   statewide; and 
33   
34       BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this
35   Concurrent Resolution be transmitted to the Chair of the BOE,
36   the Superintendent of Education, the Executive Director of the
37   Hawaii High School Athletic Association, the President of
38   NOCRA, the Executive Director of the OIA, and Sam Mokuahi.