Back in February of this year, the US Power Squadron Board of
Governors voted by more than the required 2/3 majority to make a
temporary change in the by-laws of the organization.

For a three year period of time, USPS is waiving the requirement that
new members first pass a basic boating course. Compliance by
individual squadrons is voluntary, in other words a local squadron
*may* elect to admit persons who have not passed a basic course but
are not *required* to do so.

Perhaps this temporary suspension of the basic boating course
requirement is intended to attract more experienced boaters to the
Squadrons- folks who would not usually be inclined to sit through a
"this is starboard, that's port, and don't forget it's red-right-
returning" level course.

Boating organizations of all types are struggling to maintain
membership.
It will be interesting to see whether the USPS change merely "lowers
the bar" and attracts a greater number of unqualified screwballs to
the group or if it results in recruiting a batch of boaters who will
benefit from the navigating and other more advanced courses but
previously felt unwilling to "start over" just to join the USPS.