By Spencie Netschert, Sables President
Serving as President of SCIF Sables over the last two years, I have had the privilege of working with extraordinary individuals who volunteer their time to preserve the future of conservation education and hunting. SCIF Sables work hard to change public opinion by educating adults and youth on the important role hunters play in conservation. Hunters are among the most passionate conservationists around and are the driving force behind funding many conservation efforts in our nation and nations around the world. Through the continued effort and education of the public, by the Sables, the legacy and tradition of hunting will continue.
It was Theodore Roosevelt that said, “In a civilized and cultivated country, wild animals only continue to exist at all when preserved by sportsmen. The excellent people who protest against all hunting, and consider sportsman as enemies of wildlife, are ignorant of the fact that in reality the genuine sportsman is by all odds the most important factor in keeping the larger and more valuable creatures from total extermination.” It has been my privilege and honor to work with the Sables volunteers, the very people working to educate the public on this message Theodore Roosevelt expressed so many years ago.
As my tenure as Sables President is coming to an end, I will look back and reflect on all the successes the Sables have had. I will pass the torch to the next elected official, but I will continue my service to the Sables mission in my role as a past president by mentoring those who carry that torch in the future. I feel this is the most important message I can convey from the experience I’ve gained during my presidency. I can’t place enough emphasis on the importance of mentoring young people if we want to continue the legacy and tradition of hunting. This is the season to get involved in committee work and I hope I have inspired you to consider it. If you want to become a volunteer and participate in the great work we do, but aren’t sure how to go about it, contact Katie Robinson at Katierr@SCIFirstForHunters.org for more information. It has been a pleasure and an honor to serve you as Sables President and I look forward to helping those who would like to get involved.