KAMO – July, 2021 Newsletter
For comments related to this document, contact Mike

President?s remarks – This is KAMO President Mark Walters with my monthly report. Back in the mid 80s I was in The Wsconsin Air National Guard as was Jeff Moll who is in The Northwoods Chapter of KAMO. Four years in a row we caught military hops to Hawaii which were four day trips to playland for a couple of guys in their 20s. One time we slept on a beach and there was a public restroom and someone had written the following slogan on the wall. The only true wealth is good health!
Well, my friends, six days ago I once again realized how true that slogan is when I started having a lot of pain on the left side of my face and eye. I waited until day four to go to the doctor and I’m pretty messed up with an infection in my ear, jaw and seems like eye and pain throughout my body with next to zero energy. About all I can say, at least hopefully, is thank God for antibiotics, without them I think I would have been dead in a week.
Here is my KAMO report! Please go to a meeting with enthusiasm. Please bring someone with you. Please help Rick Miotke and Bob Brodeur prepare for “The Joe” and find a kid to bring to it. I believe there is a natural sense of complacency after a long time away from KAMO due to Covid but even if they are baby steps, all of us need to put our feet forward and keep moving in the right direction.
I know that I am currently looking for a kid to mentor for the next few years and I am very excited for the challenge as my dad did for me and in reality he also did for Jeff Moll.
Bob and Rick, please contact me with any concerns that you have with “The Joe” and one way or another we will help you out!
Looking forward to TRUE WEALTH!

Mark

Upcoming seasons –
Youth Waterfowl/ small game/turkey – September 18 – 19
Youth Deer Gun – October 9-10
Statewide anterless deer – Dec.9- 10

Hunter?s Education – The online only/ no class or testing requirement for all ages has been extended through September 1st. Statewide, there are 50 traditional hunter education classes and 42 Internet Field Days listed on GoWild.

Mentor/ Mentee Forms –
Scott Linssen of Coulee has developed new forms for mentees and mentors to complete online and submit to the Coulee Gmail account. This is a quick, simple, paperless process for the applicant and provides information that will make planning easier for Coulee?s mentors. The completed application is submitted and appears in the chapter Gmail account. The need for handling a paper document is eliminated.
All the information fromentors is stored on a one page spreadsheet and all the information from a child profile is stored on another spreadsheet. The sheets can be used to view all the information about participants in one spot.
Our hope is that it will work well enough that we could be using this process statewide. The objectives of using online forms are: 1) improve and simplify mentor and mentee recruitment for existing chapters 2) Make gathering information for new chapters less cumbersome 3) provide opportunities for interchapter activities and cooperation.
We need more participating chapters. Piloting this process may involve communicating (phone or Zoom) for sharing ideas.A chapter using this system would simply send a tentative mentor or parent one form via email that would be automatically deposited in the chapter Gmail account upon completion.
Contact Mike at 608-799-5037 for more information about getting started using this simple and time saving process . This system could be presented at the next state convention and chapters could leave with the forms set up in their chapter Gmail account (Scott and Mike can assist with setting them up in one). Scott has put considerable thought and effort into this process and he deserves our respect and appreciation.

Board of Directors action: Michael Brown of the Coulee Chapter routinely makes purchases for state level purchases. Expenses include: printing, KAMO wear orders, shipping items to chapters. Brown recently requested a debit card from the state?s account with the Royal Bank of New Lisbon to use for these purchases for his convenience. This request was granted by the Board of Directors on 8/2/2021..

Chapter Reports –

Baraboo – The Baraboo chapter had its last meeting on July 12. One of our guys had spent a lot of time with some kids getting their animals ready to show at the county fair. Jon Hilmer continues to spend time with kids at his rental business. We talked a little about the Joe Hunt, but don’t have any new info. Hopefully this new variant and ever changing CDC rules don’t squash this year’s event again. We need to make the same plans as if we are doing the hunt, but realize it could all change. Tradition Forward

Rick

Coulee – We took kids out fishing on the float earlier in the month. On the 20th, we had community pontoon rides and 53 people showed up for the event. The last time we gave pontoon rides in 2019, that number was 65.
We have been combing through our existing list of families/ kids and recontacting them. This has emphasized for us the need to: 1) do this family contact list investigation more frequently and 2) to get more families involved in our group. Getting more families involved is looking positive these days – we have heard from several new parents as well as persons interested in volunteering/ mentoring.
We are planning a novice trap shoot at the Holmen Rod and Gun Club on Tuesday, August 10th. We have been asked to run a fish casting station at an event sponsored by the La Crosse Police and the Boys and Girls Club called Cops and Bobbers on August 19th. This is the pair?s first activity – meant to establish a rapport between law enforcement and kids/ families in the area.

Dodge County Conservation –
7/24 Brat Fry. $405.00 in profit
First Event Planned
Sunday, September 12th , Waterworks Park, 12-3pm
Next Meeting ? August 31st, 6:30pm @ Conservation Club
Discuss/Finalize September 12th Event
Future events and planning

Meadow Valley – Our chapter is starting to ramp up activity as we look for ways to recruit new kids. In total (mentors and kids) 10 of us participated in the local 4th of July parade handing out over 200 KAMO brochures / candy to kids and parents. We are hoping this activity will generate some interest in kid recruitment.

Since none of the 4 scholarship applicants this year met our criteria and consequently were rejected, we are looking to expand our scholarship activity to other neighboring schools.

Aaron/Janine are planning on hosting a youth deer hunt in October on their property. Additionally, we discussed participation in the December Joe hunt.

We are looking for another location to continue our winter ice fishing day.

Stay safe

Bob

Northwoods – This chapter had it?s Hooked on Fishing Day at Lake Emily in Florence. Fishing rods were given to participants. 22 kids came out. We have a meeting tonight to discuss out Senior fishing event for later this month. We take elderly but abled folks out of the nursing home to a local enclosed pier with access. They fish and we do a cook out lunch also. We will also be planning our trap/pheasant hunt also for October.

Good things, JJ

Yellow River – Yellow River has been taking baby steps till all clear. I had the opportunity to take a couple new kids out on Bearskin Lake for some kayaking and fishing (thank you for the kayak donation Randy D!), a few small northerns, but a good couple of days on the water. Also thanks to new KAMO Kid Ben W for volunteering (all day!) for a Hub City Days event in Marshfield. I Have been in contact with Wood and Clark County Social Services about partnering on mentorship opportunities. They have some of the programs they need help finding things for kids to do.., MENTORS NEEDED! Lastly, big shout out for a speedy recovery to Ethan O from some injuries he sustained tubing with his family, he is a great kid with a bright future and we wish him the best!

Brad