By A.P. Crawford, 5/5 Editor (ap.crawford@skipatrol.ca)
This month we are highlighting the accomplishments and contributions of two of this year’s recipients of the National Life Membership Award.
Darryl Murphy, Life Member No. 89
Darryl Murphy joined the CSP in 1985 in what was the CSP Humber Dorset Zone, based at Marble Mountain Resort in Newfoundland. She has contributed greatly at all levels of the CSP, particularly in the areas of education, training and development and is a noted leader, instructor, organizer, and mentor.
She has held many roles at the zone, division and national levels over her years of service including having served as president, vice-president, patrol education officer and on-hill snow training officer for the former Humber Dorset Zone. She has been the training and development officer in the new Newfoundland and Labrador Zone and worked particularly hard to ensure all areas were afforded the same level of care and education. As a result of her commitment she’s provided the training coverage for the Smokey Mountain patrol in Labrador, which required travel and week-long stays in Labrador – which allowed the advanced first aid course to be offered there in the absence of locally certified instructional staff.
Fellow members follow her lead; they respect her, they trust her, and they seek out her mentorship. This is clear in so many ways but most evident in that after many years at the helm, Darryl has recently found, trained, and supported her own replacement as zone training manager in Newfoundland and Labrador Zone, and with great success.
More recently Darryl has held the position of national resource manager in the training and development portfolio, and in 2020 led the pilot of the instructor certification program (ICP) new instructor curriculum through a virtual platform in her zone. This was amid the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. This program has now been rolled out nationally. Of course she continues to contribute on a large scale at all levels of the CSP, and has been recognized multiple times with awards for her service.
In the words of Bill Powell (Life Member No. 54), “I can only say that Darryl had an impact on me as a patroller when I first met her; she still motivates me today.”
Congratulations to Darryl Murphy on being recognized as CSP Life Member No. 89 and the first CSP member from Newfoundland to be so recognized!
Craig Taggart, Life Member No. 88
Craig Taggart joined the CSP in 1994 in what is now the CSP Confederation Zone and by 1996 was in a leadership role as assistant patrol leader at his resort. He moved up through the ranks rapidly. In his time he has served at all levels of the CSP including as national vice-president of education, division president, and chair of the national recognition program.
More specifically he has been very active at all levels in the education portfolios, something for which he has a passion. As noted above, he has served as the national vice-president of education and as part of that role oversaw the national first aid competition, both home and common ground versions. He was also a key player in getting the CSPS first aid courses accredited by several provinces. Subsequent to that he took on the role of Atlantic East division president and was noted as an ambassador promoting Atlantic Canada divisions whenever he attended, participated in, or led various workshops at those levels.
In the mid-2010s the board of directors had mandated an overhaul of the national awards, selection criteria and processes to modernize and rationalize them. The first effort failed and Craig was brought onboard as the new project coordinator. Over a period of a year he chaired multiple meetings with zones on how to set up and manage an awards program, and he still finds a way to share the corporate knowledge to better the organization. He also mentored his successor, ensured that our partners in the FIPS international patrol community were consulted and made sure the awards committee considered how zone and division awards programs should integrate with national awards (i.e., stepped progression for work done at all levels). Once the committee’s recommendations had been accepted, Craig won the role of committee chair for a three-year period (a mandatory limit he believed was critical to the success of the program). His term as committee chair has ended and today Craig continues to advise divisions award programs (what can be a tumultuous job) run smoothly.
In the words of one of his nominators, “Craig is an inspiring teacher, a marketing professional, an expert fundraiser, and a strong leader and mentor who earns the respect of everyone around him through the examples he sets and the enthusiasm he spreads. If you need hot dogs barbecued to raise funds for the patrol, he’s your man. If you need a spokesperson to be interviewed to promote the patrol or recruit new members, he’s your man. If you need someone to speak to who will listen without prejudice, Craig’s your man.”
Craig Taggart is the epitome of what a ski patroller should be and the CSP was delighted to recognize him this year as Life Member No. 88.
