KAMO – January, 2023 Newsletter
For comments related to this document, contact Mike
President?s Remarks:
Hello to all KAMO members and friends of KAMO,
This is Mark Walters writing my section of this month’s newsletter. On the weekend of January 14th I camped on Lake Tomah with Charley Rydmark and Randy Rowell of The Meadow Valley Chapter of KAMO. The following morning, about 20 adults and 35 kids from New Lisbon and LaCrosse attended and had a great time. The Meadow Valley participants were a mix of KAMOKIDS and a fishing club there.The Meadow Valley Chapter of KAMO is the backbone of this club and it has been very cool to watch it grow over the last 16-months. This event was extremely successful!
I am currently helping The Necedah School District start an outdoor club for people of all ages and on Wednesday the 1st of February we had 45 people at our first meeting. A preliminary name for this club may be the Necedah Outdoor Adventure Club.
Some ideas that I had were to put a swimming beach in a park where highways 21 and 80 meet and in the winter, an ice skating rink with winter skating including one night a week of hot cocoa and music put on by club members. I also would like to see a sledding hill created and have picnics and fishing at Harveys Pond in the Necedah Wildlife Refuge.
On February 15th I am hosting the Necedah Outdoor Adventure Club?s first event which will be a campfire with snowmobile and atv rides. As this club grows I will try to tie it in with the Meadow Valley Chapter.
On another note, all chapter dues need to be sent to Tom as it is that time of the year. This year we are not exempting any chapters from paying which means Yellow River will be crossing the threshold and paying dues for the first time.
As always, thank you for doing what you do for KAMO!
Mark

Financial – All chapters should send a $600.00 due to the State Treasurer by March 1st, 2023.
Chapter Treasurers should also send their 2022 financials to the State Treasurer now. One chapter has already sent its financials. For a sample financial report, please ask Tom St. Clair.

Starting in 2022, all nonprofit tax exempt numbers changed from a six digit number to a 15 digit one. If you present KAMO?s former six digit number for a purchase, it will not be accepted.
Your chapter should have a copy of the current tax exempt certificate (Certificate of Exempt Status – CES) which also has the tax exempt number. It was sent to your chapter president recently.
State Convention – Saturday, March 25th – 9:45 – 3:15 . Plover, Wisconsin Best Western.5253 Harding Avenue, Plover, Wisconsin
The agenda is available if you would like to review it. It can be sent electronically to your email box.
If you are interested in T-shirts, hoodies, hats, for your chapter, please specify what you are looking for so the materials can be brought to the convention site.
Someone will need to record the activity at the convention to send out to the general membership. The secretary will be running the meeting.
Chapter Reports
Baraboo – Baraboo River chapter held a meeting January 9th at Rivers Edge. We reviewed Joe hunt numbers & tips/ideas for next year. Very successful deer hunt weekend. Thank You cards were being completed by Dwaine J.
Rick M. will be stepping down as Joe hunt master and chapter President in 2023. We will hold elections at the February meeting–Feb 13th. We are working on a gun raffle as a fundraiser and discussed our annual scholarship donation. The only event scheduled so far is the annual camping trip to Castle Rock county park June 23rd–25th, but we have discussed fishing events in late Spring/Summer. Big Thank You to Rick for being leader/chapter President for the past 7 years or more.
Greg
Coulee – Randy took a KAMOKID to the event on Lake Tomah on the 21st. Mike came in to open the shelter and drop off supplies. Some parents of KAMOKIDS and Littles from the La Crosse area BBBS came to the event with their kids as well. A couple La Crosse area kids caught their first northerns on tip ups.
Our chapter has tentative plans with the U.W. La Crosse Fishing Club for a Saturday, February 18th ice fishing outing.
Mike met with Aaron from Big Brothers/ Big Sisters. They came up with a 2023 activity document that features at least one activity every month that kids from both groups can come to. The Bigs from BBBS are often looking for activities to do with their Littles and the Coulee Chapter needs participants for their events. Where there is cost, we can share in paying.
A statement of Coulee?s operations and goals for raIsing funds was generated and put in the hands of three people – two were parents of former KAMOKIDS. One has extensive grant writing experience, the other?s family runs a small foundation.The third was someone learning the grant writing experience.
It is our belief that mentors should be working with kids and the community should be supporting us financially.

Dodge County Conservation – DCC KAMO chapter participated in Cabin fever fest. Had 60-70 kids enjoying numerous activities, sledding, penguin egg hunt, Boy scout cooking demonstration. . Fun was had by all. See pictures on our chapter page.We also had a meeting with Marshfield Medical center updating them on where their grant money is being used and how Future grants if received will go. 4 lucky kids and their mentors will be heading to Green Bay to ice fish with a Pro guide and learn how to fish through the ice. Also we are trying to have a kids-only first aid session – having to learn what to do in case something were to happen when on an outdoor adventure. Contacts being made in Horicon and Dodgeland school districts. DCC KAMO on the move.
Jim Braker. Pres.

Lake Wisconsin – No report this month.

Meadow Valley – Report this month will focus on the January 21st fishing day on Lake Tomah
We had a few guys arrive late Friday afternoon to set up the warming tent and spend the night in a camping trailer. Ice conditions were good however we decided that we would not drive our vehicles on the ice so we had a snowmobile and a couple of wheelers to transport/pull/tug gear to the fishing locations. Ace hardware from Tomah donated all of the bait, our Meadow Valley Chapter gave each kid a fish pole. We had subs, chips, cookies, soda and water for all too munch on. Mark set up tip ups and gave some of the kids a few do’s and don’ts on how to catch a northern on a tip up. In total we caught 3 northern. A variety of panfish were caught during the day but nothing in huge quantities but enough to keep the kids fishing. One of our members has a connection to Boot-Trac-Adventures ( a show dedicated to youth and newcomers to the outdoors) and had them come with their filming equipment. They took lots of pictures and interviewed a few people during the day. I believe KAMO will be featured in one of their upcoming episodes. We had kids from the Coulee Chapter , theNew Lisbon Fishing Club and our Meadow Valley Chapter. In total we had 29 kids. A great time was had by all. Many thanks to Ace Hardware of Tomah for donating the bait , Northside Mobil for donating lures/bobbers, and Charley Rydmark for providing the wall tent (warming shelter).

Bob

Northwoods – No report this month.

Yellow River –
No activities are scheduled at this time. Recruitment efforts to attract more mentors and mentees to our chapter are continuing.