Spring 2011

With snowpack at levels not seen in over a decade, this promises to be one of the best water years for our rivers and fish in a long time. This message marks the last message from me, Dave, as President. It has been a fun and quick two years with many accomplishments. I am grateful to Bill and Donna Fraser who have worked tirelessly to help the chapter accomplish much in little time. And thanks, too, to Bill who agreed to fill in as President until we find a replacement, or through the end of the year, whichever comes first.

Recently, someone asked where we stood relative to goals established 2 years ago—click HERE to see a list of those goals lined up against what we, as a chapter, did to meet those objectives. I also want to thank the Board of Directors, each of whom contributed time & talent to our cause.

Still, our small chapter, nestled in the heart of some of the best trout waters on the planet, suffers from a lack of membership participation. We appreciate member support, evidenced through a steady membership base; but we need more involvement in our meetings. Some have called for us to do more in the way of projects which might bring more members to participate. This “catch-22”, however, means that the same handful of regular attendees at Board Meetings will be on the hook to organize and motivate participation in such events. So, if you are looking to do one meaningful thing as a Trout Unlimited member, I would suggest attending the Board Meetings of your local Chapter. These, in effect, are small projects in their own right, requiring organization to set the agenda, locate the venue, facilitate the meeting, and organize outcomes. While not as glamorous as getting boots in the water or hands in the mud, these meetings are where the agenda for the Chapter is determined, and we would welcome more participation.

To be quite frank, we are approaching the limit of what we can do as a board without more input. As an example of the challenge we face, our recent Annual Membership Meeting, which had a guest speaker and which was advertised through 4 local newspapers, a local radio station, a postcard sent to all members for whom we had no email address, an email to those whose address we had on file, a notice on our website, and phone calls to those living in the vicinity, was attended by about 15 people. At this meeting, we solicited interest in the position of President of the Chapter. No one said yes. I know that many volunteer organizations in our small communities suffer from the same challenge.

In the absence of enough participation, our Chapter will fall back into the same low hum of involvement in the community. We will contribute financially to other local watershed and trout –related organizations, hoping to leverage our assets by assisting groups with similar objectives and better participation. We will continue to remain vigilant to issues facing local waters and try to assist when we can. This is well and good, and perhaps it is the best way for this chapter to fulfill its mission. But, if you want something more, please come to the meetings and participate. We will welcome you with open arms, and look forward to your ideas!

Thanks again to all who made the past two years a success. You know who you are.

Dave