Before I begin with our 2012 fiscal year, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all past board members and dedicated volunteers for their time and hard work in planning the events our chapter hosted over the past year. Here are some of the highlights; our fiscal year starts off in June with the elections of the new board members with a BBQ and shooting games at Bruce and Lori Moe’s Elk Heights Ranch. In October we put on a Youth Hunt at the Miller Ranch in Sprague where 12 youth hunters shot their first Pheasant. In December we held our Christmas Party at the Baier’s and in February we had our annual fundraiser at the Meydenbauer Convention Center in Bellevue. Hopefully you attended some or all of these events, made some new friends and shared hunting stories.

This brings us full circle to the beginning of this fiscal year when the elections and summer BBQ was again hosted by Bruce and Lori Moe. They are great hosts and have an incredible home just off the Elk Heights exit so hopefully you didn’t miss it this year because next year it sounds like it will be held at a new location. Details of the new location and date will follow as soon as we get the details worked out.
This year’s youth hunt at the Miller Ranch has been postponed due to the lack of applications. This has been a 2 day free hunt that included all meals, birds, trap shooting, target shooting and has been a lot of fun. Next year we may have it in the summer instead of late September so kids won’t have to miss any school and we are looking for a closer venue so we can open it up to more kids. So if you have any ideas, please contact me or any of the other board members.

We are also excited to share the news that we will be having our Annual Sportsman Convention at the Lynnwood Convention Center on February 9th. This year it will be a 1 day event! So, mark your calendars and tell your friends to save this date! More information will be sent out over the next several months, but the date and place are locked in. The change in location and reducing it to a 1 day event will help cut our overhead expenses and allow us to be more selective in the process so we can increase the quality of the event while still maintaining a variety for everyone.
Our chapter puts on this annual fundraiser so we have money to help fight against those who are continually trying to take away our rights to hunt, own firearms and limit our access to public land. The money raised is also used for conservation and preservation of animals and land; most notably by the joint effort of the SCI chapters in Washington, we have re-introduced Antelope in the state. We will keep you updated on their success and future releases. So, as you head out on your hunting trips, ask your guide if he is willing to support our chapter with a donation. The donation forms are included in this newsletter.
In the past we have been delinquent in sending out our quarterly newsletters, in large part due to lack of stories, with most of the stories in the past coming from board members. We need to change this! This is your newsletter to share hunting stories and pictures with the other chapter members, so please send them in. They don’t have to be long stories, or about record book trophies. All hunts have a story, some are successful, some are not, some have been lucky enough to have taken record book animals, but most of have not, either way, we like hearing about them all! We also like to see pictures, so send them in and we will include them in the Newsletter.

Be safe and good luck (and don’t forget to take pictures to send in!)

Hal Signett

President SCI Seattle PSC