The new year has already arrived. It is the season of hunting shows, banquets, and planning that next big hunt.
Expo season has come and gone. Thank you so much to everyone who helped with, volunteered, attended, and supported our banquet this year. We couldn’t do it without you and we are humbled by your support. This year I got to see more of what happens behind the scenes. I am so thankful for every single member of our board of directors and our volunteers. They work like a well-oiled machine and I am in awe of even the littlest details that each person just jumps in and takes on. The banquet and expo are a busy time, so much planning and hard work goes into one weekend and that weekend always goes by so fast. I am not going to lie though, it is one of my favorite weekends of the year. I love working the membership booth at expo. I love talking hunting with everyone who stops by. I love meeting new friends and reconnecting with the people who have become so special to me throughout the years. I love sharing what SCI means to me and why membership is so important. I am always excited when people stop by to join and/or to show me pictures from the last year and renew their membership. It is such a blessing to be a part of this journey and being able to connect with people year to year is probably my favorite part about working the membership booth.
In February I was able to be a part of my first Hunter Education class. I had a great group of mentors that took me under their wing as I helped to teach the next generation of up and coming hunters. It was truly an amazing experience. If you are looking for a way to give back to the hunting community this is a great way to pay it forward. The eagerness and excitement these younger (and not so young) people had is so rejuvenating. They were so appreciative of the class, the information, and volunteers.
Our Board of Director Spotlight this month is Mark Jablonic. He is a man who wears many hats and has talents that he gives us sneak peaks of. A wealth of knowledge and an eagerness to help are just a few of the reasons he is an asset to SCI as a whole and our chapter is so thankful for him!! Here is a bit about him.
My name is Mark Jablonic and I have been involved with SCI for more than 15 years. Walt Janke was involved in SCI and one day he asked me to come to a meeting. I have been on the Board of Directors for approximately 12 years. I served multiple terms as president and serve as a Co- Chair of volunteers for our banquet as well as the Master of Ceremonies the for the last two years. My favorite animal to hunt is either the last animal I hunted or the next one I am going to hunt. I can’t say I have a favorite. I have hunted on three continents and each hunt has its own special memory. There are some hunts that may have challenged me more than another. Or there may have been something about the experience that makes it stick out in my mind but normally it’s about camaraderie and the stories we will tell. Naturally, hunting and fishing are my hobbies. I retired a couple of years ago so that my wife, Vickie and I could travel. We’ve been to Utah, the Apostle Islands, Florida and Europe is next. What makes SCI important to me is that they aren’t species specific. Nothing against Whitetails Unlimited, Ducks Unlimited, RMEF, NWTF, Pheasants Forever, Muskies Inc., Trout Unlimited, etc. but they are all species specific. What I like about SCI is that it doesn’t matter what you hunt or fish or where, SCI is fighting for our rights to enjoy that activity. T he other thing I like is that we have our own lobbyist in Madison, Dan Trawicki. Hunting and fishing rights are always in jeopardy of being taken away from us so it’s nice to know we have someone in Madison looking out for us. A fun fact about me? I normally do pretty well playing Trivial Pursuit or watching Jeopardy because as my wife says, I know a lot of useless information.
Thank you for your continued support of this organization - together we are protecting and promoting hunter’s rights locally and worldwide (remember 70% of what our chapter earns stays right here in Wisconsin!) Feel free to reach out with any questions and/or concerns.
