The paddle seems to be very much the preferred implement in USA schools. When did it first come into widespread use? I am particularly interested in early mentions of the school paddle in dated factual or fictional literature, and in official documents.

Have other cultures used the paddle in schools?

We are researching the origin of the US school paddle. So far, we have relied mainly on written material and largely neglected graphic (drawings, photos, etc.) evidence.

Fraternity paddles are likely to have evolved little or only slowly because of the desire to preserve traditions. They come in a range of sizes and shapes with only a few matching modern school spanking paddles. Their designs may owe something to freemasonry.

School paddles are likely to have evolved more than fraternity. Their diversity of design suggests divergent rather than convergent design suggesting that none are ideal. If there was one perfect design and size convergent evolution would be expected.

Oak paddles G and H above are the ones that most match modern school paddles.

The paddle seems to be very much the preferred implement in USA schools. When did it first come into widespread use? I am particularly interested in early mentions of the school paddle in dated factual or fictional literature, and in official documents.

Have other cultures used the paddle in schools?

Hi KK, I might be able to shed a little light on this one. <em>”word “knoppler” does not appear elsewhere on the internet in connection with paddles or with CP”</em>

It might be the case of the disappearing language, as many German words today are dropping out of the language and being replaced with English ones. (I have been told my German is archane as I use words that no longer exist!). I grew up in a German-speaking household and of course, the relatives often conversed in German with my parents. As a child, I have heard the word “knoeppel” used more than once, and in the context of the conversation, it always referred to a cane or spanking stick.

I went to google translate, but simply cannot find the right spelling that gives me the expected translation into English, so perhaps it was a kind of slang, or dropped form the language? The official German for a cane appears to be a “Rohrstock”, which I had never once heard.

So indeed, the reference you cite had it right IMHO.

The paddle seems to be very much the preferred implement in USA schools. When did it first come into widespread use? I am particularly interested in early mentions of the school paddle in dated factual or fictional literature, and in official documents.

Have other cultures used the paddle in schools?

Hi HH

Despite working in Germany a few times, my German is limited to a few important phrases such as “Ein maß, bitte.” (That probably tells you whereabouts in Germany I worked.)

Broken down to “Rohr” and “stock” seems to give “pipestick”. Would that be correct? If so, it seems a bit strange. It’s a reasonable description of a garden (bamboo) cane but rattan isn’t tubular. Just out of curiosity, would you have any idea how punishment canes acquired that name?

The paddle seems to be very much the preferred implement in USA schools. When did it first come into widespread use? I am particularly interested in early mentions of the school paddle in dated factual or fictional literature, and in official documents.

Have other cultures used the paddle in schools?

HH,

I am sure the cane was popular in Germany but the suggestion the German prison cane had anything to do with the adoption of the paddle in US schools is very doubtful.

I noted above (October 26, 2012) that many Germans emigrated to the USA. They did not seem to bring much school caning with them, or if they did, caning did not persist in the new country.

My present hypothesis is that parents had more influence on school CP practice in the USA than teachers so domestic-style CP was or is more practised in US schools than elsewhere. I further hypothesize that the conservative Southern states have been slow to abandon SCP and the paddle that is favoured there. The Northern states have largely abandoned SCP, and their straps and canes, thus contributing to the apparent dominance of the paddle in US schools.

The paddle seems to be very much the preferred implement in USA schools. When did it first come into widespread use? I am particularly interested in early mentions of the school paddle in dated factual or fictional literature, and in official documents.

Have other cultures used the paddle in schools?

Hi Jenny,

Yes, you have that right, literally it is “pipestick”. But as is frequently the case, German words do not transliterate into English properly or lose meaning if broken down into components. To your question, I haven’t a clue where that originated from. This may simply have been a colloquialism. This is reminding me of a lot of CP related words I’ve heard (and forgotton) in German. It seemed to flow quite naturally in normal conversation of that era.

The paddle seems to be very much the preferred implement in USA schools. When did it first come into widespread use? I am particularly interested in early mentions of the school paddle in dated factual or fictional literature, and in official documents.

Have other cultures used the paddle in schools?

Oak paddle used in Washington State boys school in 1914. (I posted the article in the wrong thread.)

http://www.network54.com/Forum/198833/m … 360312119/