Looking for a CFIG

There is a world of difference
between the normal primary/advanced instuction most CFIG's do and
preparing a candidate for CFIG.

That's awfully self-congratulatory. Also not true.

Preparing a candidate for the CFIG is really quite easy. I know at
least a couple of CFIG's who prepared students for the CFIG in just a
few flights and had the students breeze right through the checkride -
when in every case both student and instructor had less than 100 hours
in gliders and minimal (in one case NO) XC experience. And in one case
I was the student, and in another the instructor. The CFIG is a very
easy ticket to get. Don't pretend it's some major achievement - it's
not. It's significantly less of an achievement (in terms of required
effort, preparation, and skill) than the silver distance.

Of course there is a big difference between simply being a CFIG and
being a good teacher of soaring. The latter requires you to be both a
good soaring pilot and a good teacher. Such individuals are very rare.
I have no idea how you would go about creating one intentionally. I
am quite certain you're not going to do it quickly. It takes years to
become a good teacher. It also takes years to become a good soaring
pilot. Neither process can be effectively rushed.

But if you just need a CFIG, all you need is another CFIG, a tow plane
and tow pilot, a two seat glider, and a pilot with a couple hundred
hours (of which only a couple dozen need be in gliders). It will take
a couple of weekends at most, and that's if your glider pilot lacks a
commercial glider ticket. The most difficult and time-consuming part
will be getting a glider-qualified FAA inspector to fly with the guy if
he isn't already a power CFI.

I agree it is much easier to teach a good instructor soaring than it is
to teach a good soaring pilot instructing.

I think that's a fairly meaningless statement. The skill sets required
of a good instructor are very different from those required of a good
soaring pilot, and different people learn different things at different
rates. Everything depends on what you consider an adequate minimum
standard. If you decide that a glider instructor needs to be a
spectacular teacher but can be an indifferent soaring pilot, then of
course you are right. On the other hand, if you consider the FAA
standard (passing the required tests) an adequate test of teaching
ability, but would expect the instructor to have demonstrated at least
the minimum competence in soaring that the silver distance represents,
you are certainly wrong. It would take a lot less time and effort to
teach an experienced glider pilot to effortlessly pass a CFIG ride than
it would take to teach an experienced power CFI to safely fly his
silver distance.

All this said, In my experience, the very best way is to have the CFIG
candidate spend the required time with a person like Burt, or Terry, or
other who does many CFIG ratings and has a good syllabus for this
program. It will be accomplished in a fraction of the time

Compared to what? If you're comparing to what typically happens at a
club, I agree with you. I worked on my commercial (never mind CFIG)
for months at my club. Never really made any progress. Some of the
instructors were excellent, some were marginal, but the worst part was
no two were in agreement on what I needed to do and there was no
continuity to my training. Eventually I gave up, went to a commercial
operation - and in one day I was ready. After I took my commercial, I
went straight to my CFIG - and that was also done in one day. This was
at a local commercial operation, with an instructor who had less than
50 hours in gliders and had never flown XC.

to a high standard

A high standard of what? Instructional ability? You're not going to
develop that in days or even weeks.
Soaring ability? Same problem. The truth is, any sort of offsite,
intensive course can only be effective at teaching maneuvers - not the
'soft' skills that separate a good teacher from someone going through
the motions or the air awareness that allows a seasoned XC pilot to do
200km while the novice counts himself lucky to have done 50.

Sadly, you can count on the fingers of one hand the number of places
where this can be done here in the US.

I don't see why it's sad. I don't really see the demand either. Most
people have very limited vacation time in the US - such a course would
need to be fairly short (no more than two weeks at the very, very most
- and really it needs to be one week for broad appeal) and with that
limitation, it's not really possible to do anything more than
preparation for the test. Since the test is very easy, there's no
great reason to prepare with a specialist.

The shortage of CFIG's that all clubs seem to experience has nothing to
do with the difficulty of becoming one, and everything to do with the
fact that it's just not an attractive proposition. Everyone always
points to the huge numbers of CFI's in power, but that's not at all the
same thing. If it were not for the kids who need to build time to go
to the airlines, there would be a shortage of power CFI's as well.
It's hard work, takes a lot of time, pays little, and is a liability
headache. Only those of us who truly love to teach will do it all.
There's precious little a club can offer as incentive, and thus it
never ceases to amaze me how many clubs actually offer huge
disincentives (more duty days than others, requirement to fly with
anyone who asks, etc.).

Michael