I have been a member of NYSOWA for 37 years and they have been fun, exciting, and rewarding. As president I’ve had to deal with some serious fundraising challenges, denying a scholarship to a PETA member, and convincing a fellow officer to resign.

But there were fun and interesting times too. I went with Will Elliott to Ohio on a crossbow hunt and was a guest at Ethan Horton’s home, the man who revolutionized crossbow hunting. I got invited to stay at a millionaire’s home in Lake George and went turkey hunting with him. Fishing with Pete Grannis, the DEC Commissioner, we shared some serious talk as well as some laughs and became friends. My friend and fellow NYSOWA member Leon Archer invited me to spend a couple weeks in Alaska where we caught lots of salmon and got lost on the tundra.

Best of all were the friendships that I made with my fellow members. It’s safe to say that many of them became closest friends. There are too many to list them here, but I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention my special and closest friends – Bob McNitt, Mike Seymour, Billy Hilts, and Dan Ladd. We shared many good times at NYSOWA events and countless fishing, hunting, and camping trips on our own. NYSOWA has helped me in many ways from advice, contacts, referrals for assignments, etc. but mainly for the friendship and encouragement.

I have served as vice president and president and after my regular terms I’ve been pressed into service as secretary or treasurer on a couple occasions. I never looked upon it as a chore. It was an honor and challenge to serve. Over the years I have served on several committees and as chairman of the Pass It On Committee, and chaired 15 conferences.

Some may feel that it’s a burden or they are too busy. But it rarely interfered with my main pastimes of hunting, fishing, canoeing, and camping. In fact, I set up the original Pass It On award by cellphone with Katie Mitchell while canoe fishing for bass on an Adirondack Lake. I ’ve spent most of my free time fishing for bass and trout or hunting for grouse, turkey, and deer. Canoeing and kayaking also took up a lot of my summer.

Writing has been a sideline to my main job as a high school history teacher. I have long retired from teaching but I still write a newspaper column for the past 50 years. I also spent 20 years writing for the New York Sportsman magazine and had some time writing and editing Empire Outdoor Journal, Lake Ontario Outdoors, and Adirondack Outdoors. I have been heavily involved with the New York State Outdoorsman Hall of Fame. Maybe I should learn to say “NO” ? I still go deer hunting, etc, and maybe that helps heal the heartbreak of the Detroit Lions and Buffalo Bills!