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Spring Test Day could not have dawned more beautiful, just the right weather for the special kind of day Test Day feels! People gathered before 8 — wallers ready to prove their stuff, fellow wallers present to support and quietly cheer them on, examiners and the site coordinator. All gathered peacefully, expectantly near the test walls in the Stone Wall Park. At 8:45 Brian Post laid out the agenda for the day. At 9 sharp the tests began!
This year brought eleven test takers, six trying for Level 1 Initial, five for Level 2 Professional certification. Some people tested outside on the test walls in the Stone Wall Park. Others tested inside the foundation of the 1862 Barn. All Level 1’s passed well, some showing very good work. Three of the five Level 2’s passed, with the two who did not make it missing only by the smallest of margins, and they are sure to be back.
Anyone who has passed the Level 2 test and above will assure you that the Level 2 is the most challenging of the four tests in the DSWA Certification Scheme. What it takes to pass it is practice, practice, and more practice–working alone and with other more experienced wallers.
Brian Post and Chris Tanguay brought their experience as Master Craftsman examiners to evaluating the test stints. Michael Weitzner used his Master Craftsman-examiner lenses to ensure that candidates had everything they needed to keep their focus on finishing well and on time.
A big thank you to Jared Flynn for the use of his loader for moving stone
And big thank yous to Lynn Herman and Jeff Fairfield who volunteered all day and helped with cleaning up from the test day and the weekends workshops!
Congratulations to all the newly certified wallers! Thank you for continuing to develop and prove your knowledge of the craft. With each stone you place you are helping to preserve the art and craft of dry stone walling.