TWO NEW CHAPTERS Join WWA in the Past Month!
By Dave Elwing, Secretary and Development Committee Chair
This article originally appeared in Wisconsin Waterfowl Association’s August, 2022 Newsletter edition.
Valley chapter and Armstrong Creek area volunteers installing wood duck boxes on Lake Poygan this past spring.
That’s right, folks … WWA grew by two new chapters since last month’s newsletter! Earlier this month the Nicolet Chapter came on board with a solid core of volunteers from the Armstrong Creek area to plant the WWA flag in the upper Northeast corner of the state. Waterfowling experience in the group spans from over fifty to just one or two years, but they all share the common bond of wanting to give back through conservation. A number of the new committee’s members attended events for the Rhinelander Chapter, some went to Green Bay over the years, and some recently helped the Fox Valley Chapter install wood duck boxes. When Fox Valley’s Brad Miller expressed interest in putting up boxes in the Armstrong Creek area, the now-chapter chairman, Bo Klescewski, huddled with his buddies and asked, “Why do we need the Fox Valley Chapter to come up here? Why, don’t we look into what it takes to start our own chapter?”.
The answer to Bo’s question (and hopefully yours) is, “The only thing it takes beyond some interest and some friends, is to reach out to WWA and say, ‘We’d like to learn more.’” Bo reached out to our Executive Director, Bruce Ross, who set up a time to meet.
Within the past year, we examined WWA’s organizational model in light of today’s changing volunteer interests. The result is a more flexible, “toe-in-the-water” approach, making it easier to establish a chapter. While banquets remain popular, younger members want more active events (shoots, golf outings, and maybe even a cigar and bourbon night) or the party-like atmosphere of a “bash” (a low key get-together that resembles something closer to a fireman’s picnic). Many of those members want to participate in volunteer outings like putting up and maintaining wood duck boxes, doing stream or area clean-ups that improve hunting access, being part of an organized effect to help maintain a backyard DNR property through WWA’s Adopt a Wildlife Area (AWA) program, conducting Learn-to-Hunts, or planting wild rice. Each of these ideas fit well within WWA’s mission and every chapter, new or old, is encouraged to consider them.
WWA’s state-level support structure proactively assists all of our chapters. Our Director of Administration Kelcy Boettcher, and our Regional Director Rob Monette, are tremendous assets and are readily available to help any chapter, old or new. Other chapters and even directors are more than willing to provide advice or assist planning and running an event. In the Nicolet Chapter’s case, Tim Lehman who ran many successful banquets in Rhinelander, as well as Bart Tegan (WWA’s wood duck box coordinator) came to the Meet & Greet to offer assistance and experience. Their WWA successes nicely compliment the energy of the newly-formed chapter.
The Nicolet Chapter is already active in Forest, Florence, and northern Marinette Counties and their first “event” will be manning a WWA Awareness booth at the Fence Centennial Celebration on August 6th to introduce the area to WWA’s mission areas while selling calendars and UTV raffle tickets. This fall they plan to hold a Class A raffle that will be drawn at their first bash in April. The core of this highly capable team is a group of friends that belong to the Armstrong Creek Sportsmen’s Club. All have been part of fund raising events for their snow mobile clubs, lake associations, fishing clubs, gun clubs, and a few more, so turning their combined efforts towards WWA is not much of a stretch. If you are interested in learning more or joining the Nicolet Chapter’s committee, reach out to Bo at boandlaura77@gmail.com or (715) 889-1599.
Shortly before the Armstrong Creek meeting, a half-dozen Dane County waterfowlers expressed an interest in re-starting a WWA presence in the Madison/Dane County area. Once again, Bruce and his team went on the road, this time to LR’s Place in Rio, WI. The Rio group ranged in waterfowling experience from one to fourteen years. Whereas the Nicolet Chapter was seasoned by many years of volunteerism and savvy fund raising, this group was significantly younger, but what they lack in age and depth of experience, they more than make up with in eagerness and new ideas. Like most of us, each of them is jockeying a pretty full plate between home, work, hunting, family and friends, so the two most interested attendees within the group committed to co-chair WWA’s newest chapter. At the time of writing this article, they have yet to choose a chapter name, but it’s coming. Co-chairing is a fantastic way to get started and this group is taking that route. Just as the Nicolet Chapter is benefitting from Tim and Bart’s help, Scott Hamele who lives nearby stopped in to toss his hat in the ring as a committee member. Scott runs a fun (and successful) WWA golf outing near Beaver Dam. If you are interested in learning more (or joining the Dane County chapter’s organizing committee), reach out to the co-chairs – Blake Kosse at BlakeKosse1994@gmail.com or (608) 622-0521 and Noah Ferguson at Ferguson0305@gmail.com or (608) 293-4683.
Creating a new chapter is not as hard as you might think. It takes a little organizational skill, some initiative, a good group of friends (or soon-to-be friends), and some imagination. Rob Monette will help fill in the rest. Are you interested in becoming WWA’s newest chapter? If so, reach out to Bruce Ross at 262.244.4949 / bross@wisducks.org, Rob Monette at (920) 382-5261 or robmarshlandwwa@gmail.com, or WWA’s Development Committee Chair – Dave Elwing at (703) 498-7322 or dwelwing@rcn.com and let’s get started!