From the President
Greetings to all Outdoor Women of South Dakota members!! How
is your fall season? Have you had the opportunity to get out and enjoy the
last of the sunny, warm days to get in one last paddle, or one last walk and
crunch the leaves under your feet, or go fishing? Well, what is holding you
back? Get out and enjoy the beautiful season.
My husband and I did just that last weekend and drove to Spearfish Canyon.
Yes, you know it--we drove through the canyon and stopped many times for
photos and just to breathe deep and take in the 70-degree weather, the
colors, and all the splendor the area provides. If you have never taken the
Canyon drive on a late summer/early fall day you are missing out one of the
very best drives in South Dakota!! What a spectacular display of colors and
scenery. We took this trip because we purchased the Spearfish Package at the
2006 OWSD Annual Convention that was held in Mitchell in April. It provided
us with the motel stay for 2 nights and tickets to eight events in the
Hills. Wow! We went to the Adams House and Adams Museum in Deadwood and the
Wildlife Sanctuary and Western Plains Museum in Spearfish We had tickets for
the Trolley in Deadwood and more.
I am writing this to entice you to mark your calendar for the OWSD annual
convention to be held April 13,14, and 15, 2007, at Storm Mountain near
Rapid City. It will again provide us with plenty of packages and items to
bid on to help support our organization. If you want to start collecting
donations for the event, please do so and email me with a list of what you
have. Any members and board members can collect donations of outdoor stuff,
trips, passes to events, citywide packages, paintings, etc. This year, for
the first year, OWSD will have a rummage sale of slightly used outdoor gear.
Start cleaning out your closets now and plan on donating the gear to OWSD.
It will be priced and sold at the convention! Monies raised will go to start
the OWSD scholarship fund for the annual convention in 2008.
OWSD has changed over the last 11-12 years. It has grown as an organization
and continues to grow through the work and dedication of the board and it’s
members. I would like to say a huge thank you to Deb Kuchera from Mitchell,
SD, who recently resigned from the board. Deb served for 11 years keeping
the membership up-to-date and taking care of the books for OWSD. Thank you
so much for a job well done. The board will miss you. So, the board is
looking for someone to step up and finish Deb’s term and also for a vice
president position. If you are interested, please email any board member or
me.
This organization strives to continue serving the members with what they
want for classes and events across the state. In February 2007, the first
women’s snowmobile safety course will take place in the Black Hills as OWSD
partners with SD Game, Fish and Parks to bring you a winter event. Look for
more details in the November newsletter. Please check the calendar
frequently for upcoming events and classes across the state. Mark June 23
and 24, 2007, on your calendar for the first South Dakota Outdoor Expo
event. See the article from Becky Graff in this newsletter for more details.
There are so many ways for you to get involved with OWSD. Take a step
forward and volunteer for the Outdoor Expo, lead a Second Saturday or Sunday
event, or teach an event at the annual Convention. This organization needs
each and every member to have input and to take an active part in the
organization. If you prefer, please look at writing an article and
submitting it for the newsletter. Linda Harris, the editor, is always
looking for articles, photos, recipes, funny stories, etc. to share with
other members of OWSD. Come on and enjoy the membership that you have
already paid for, and if you are not a member, now is a good time to join
us. OWSD needs you!!
May Schaefer,
President OWSD