Originally Posted by purehitter
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6bmike,
Are you saying Lynn is not a G.S.E.D. Authorized Instructor?
This is news to me.
Lynn would you please clear the air on this subject.
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The G.O.L.F. Authorized Instructor ("AI") program was established by
Homer Kelley, author of the landmark textbook,
The Golfing Machine. It has always required an
initial certification in what is termed
Golf Stroke Engineering and, in addition, an ongoing
annual renewal fee (currently $150). The three levels of certification are
Bachelor (GSEB);
Master (GSEM); and
Doctor (GSED).
During Homer's lifetime, the Bachelor certification could be earned by completing the requisite programs (
Basic and
Intermediate Courses) with another Authorized Instructor who had earned a higher designation, i.e., either Master or Doctor. Only Homer himself could award the Master and Doctor designations.
Homer's GSEM class was based loosely on his own
Normal Course, but more importantly, involved a five-day personal course of study under his private tutelage. There was no GSED course. After his first two awards (see below), and absent a formal course leading to the highest certification, his sole criteria at the time of his death was: "When you can do what I do."
Meanwhile, Homer understood the immediate need to expand his AI network as rapidly as possible. He wanted as many 'boots on the ground' as he could get and knew that standards would tighten over time. So, his preoccupation during those early days was to elevate the overall level of Bachelor training (by expanding the knowledge of the Masters). He wanted candidates entering his own GSEM courses -- which he taught only every six months or so -- to possess the same level of understanding as that possessed by his own most recent graduates! A pretty tall order, but that was his objective.
Homer conferred Doctor status on only two individuals:
Ben Doyle, the first Authorized Instructor, and
Bobby Clampett, the first recognized touring professional. He conferred Master status on 18 individuals (alphabetically):
Larry Aspenson; Lynn Blake; Dick Farley; John Fey; Mike Holder; Bruce Hough; Bob Ledbetter; Rick McCord; Greg McHatton; Bill Meyer; Jay Perkins; Don Shaw; Steve Snyder; Craig Stainbrook; Alex Sloan; and
Tom Tomasello.
That policy -- Master AIs training Bachelor AIs (ideally using Homer's own Basic and Intermediate Courses and the test bank of questions) -- was continued by his widow,
Sally Kelley, for 20 years. She also awarded the GSED designations to selected individuals, e.g., Tom Tomasello and Alex Sloan, who were in Homer's first GSEM Class. There would be others, but with no formal program in place, that designation was awarded based on her personal view of "service to The Golfing Machine".
In 2002, Sally sold the company to The Golfing Machine, LLC, an entity co-owned at that time by
Joe Daniels and
Danny Elkins. Part of their mission was to take control of all the training and put in place standards to assure its uniformity and thus, the integrity of the various certifications. Accordingly, Master and Doctor Instructors could no longer certify the lower grades. Instead, all certification was to be accomplished in courses run by the company, with curriculums designed and taught principally by Joe Daniels in his role as Director of Education. Danny has since sold his interest in the company, but that policy has been continued.
Now to
My Story:
As has been chronicled in these pages and in audio recordings, Tom Tomasello and I began our study of
The Golfing Machine in the same city (Marietta, Georgia) and at the same time (1979). He had retired from the Marine Corps and was working in the golf business as an independent soft goods salesman. I had come off a four-year tour of duty in the Air Force, finished up at Georgia Tech and was running my own financial planning firm.
Tom went out to see Ben Doyle, got his Bachelor designation and then, in January 1981, earned his GSEM from Homer. Later that summer, I decided to take the AI plunge. Tommy and I got together on his back porch for my Bachelor test -- he knew my knowledge level from our own joint study plus the time I was spending with Homer on the telephone -- and a half hour and $50 later, I was a GSEB.
When Homer put out his second
G.O.L.F. Bulletin (Vol. 1 No. 2) in September 1981, I was pleased to see my name listed. But, I was even more pleased to get his call (and later, his letter) inviting me to attend his GSEM class in Seattle in January 1982. At the conclusion of our class, Homer presented each of the five students with their GSEM Authorized Instructor certificate. Our names and qualifying year were inscribed with a beautiful calligraphy and personally signed by Homer Kelley. What a proud moment that was!
I began teaching classes almost immediately -- Homer always encouraged group as well as private instruction -- and was really rolling along, even though I still operated my financial business. Spreading the TGM word had become very much a full-time, part-time job! And I loved it.
Homer died the next year (February 14, 1983), but my activities accelerated. I was teaching more than ever and expanding my operations into surrounding states. I wanted to devote full time to the movement and do my best to build it around the world. Sally and her attorney,
Carl Johnson, supported that idea, but they would not give me the legal assurances I needed to protect my work to build the brand. The AI agreement, then and now, exists at the pleasure of the owner and is unilateral, i.e., it must be renewed each year and can be cancelled at any time by the owner.
I proposed several alternatives, including a purchase of the rights. Legal work was done and agreements prepared -- I had been assured by Carl that they would reimburse half my costs, but they never did -- all to no avail: In the end, Sally just wouldn't budge. For a young guy with a wife, three kids and a whole 'nother career, that was unacceptable. I had no career in golf outside my own TGM schools and didn't want one. It would have been irresponsible to gamble the next most productive years of my life on their promises. So, in 1984, I allowed my AI agreement to lapse and simply walked away.
And now, fast forward twenty years . . .
Joe and Danny approached me in the spring of 2003, seeking my opinions in certain areas. I was glad to help where I could, including supplying them with various Homer Kelley recordings and memorabilia. But, I had no interest in returning to golf. How quickly things would change!
The next January, I wrote my first posts on their website, and in February helped Joe teach two GSEB level classes. I signed a new AI agreement, paid my dues and, in April with
Chuck Evans, gave my first 'comeback' school --
Secrets of the Golfing Machine -- at the PGA TOUR Academy in St. Augustine, Florida. I was in frequent contact with both Danny and Joe, and along the way they awarded me GSED status and offered the opportunity to author an inaugural GSED curriculum. We had preliminary discussions on compensation -- either cash or equity -- but that's as far as it got.
I renewed my AI status in 2005 and, after Danny and Joe broke up, I continued to offer Joe my support. Unfortunately, I soon began to feel more headwinds than tailwinds from his direction, so I decided not to renew in 2006. This was a personal decision based on my own unique circumstance. I simply felt I had more freedom and could do a better job from outside the organization than from within. I have since encouraged many aspiring AIs to pursue Joe's training (and its requisite participation in the AI network).
So, for now, despite having many friends (and students) around the world who are current members of Joe's AI network, I personally am not. For those who would label my status, I guess you could use the term "formerly Authorized".
Works for me.
Hybrid Mode
