Tue Jun 20, 2017 8:31 am
I hate to hear that. Jim Stewart was one of the course directors in the first instructor course I took in 1968. Jim, along with Glen Egstrom came to Texas to help present the SCIP/YMCA Instructor Seminar. At that time SCIP (Southwest Council Instructor Program), a notable regional agency, was in discussions about a merger with NAUI, and these guys were interested enough to come here for just their expenses to participate, and I guess to see first hand what our regional program was all about. They, along with Art Ulrich, continued to be involved for several years, until the merger actually took place in 1972 at a crossover seminar in Fort Worth. Wow, that course really eliminated the chaff from the wheat among the candidates, and brought a new level of training quality to the area.
What a nice guy he was, a great instructor and of course impressively knowledgeable. All in all an admirable person. In the evenings we all mingled over a few beers and diving tales in the hotel bar, and after moderate lubrication he showed us his shark-bait elbow and told us the full story about the shark attack. He could tell a good story, and believe me, had us all feeling the pain.
Jimmy Stewart and these other California guys were really instrumental in advancing the state of the art of diving instruction here in Texas.
The older I get the better I was.