KAMO October, 2020 Newsletter
For comments related to this document, contact Mike at brownmtjc@gmail.com

Hello Kids And Mentors Outdoors members and friends,
This is Kids And Mentors Outdoors President, Mark Walters with my monthly update.Folks, Covid is kicking our butts, I hate to say that but simply put, we are all volunteers and every aspect of the covid conversation is not good when it comes to taking kids on outdoor experiences and meeting in groups.
I had a conversation with Jim Braker of Beaver Dam this week. Jim is trying to create a new chapter and there is interest, but everyone is telling him to hold off until covid takes a break.
About all I can say is be positive, stay active, these difficult times will pass. Please keep your chapters together, kind of like treading water. and hopefully in the not to distant future the covid cloud will just be an unpleasant memory.
As always, thank you for all that you do for KAMO!
Mark

State President Replacement – Mark has been indicating for some time that he would like to step down as state president and have someone within the organization take the position. No one from within the organization has come forward. This is the last call – if there is someone out there interested in being the state president, now is the time to let that be known.
A small committee will be formed to find a president candidate and that person could come from within or outside our group. We would look for someone who is going to work with us in areas that could use improvement while preserving the many things we are already doing well. A servant leader.
If we are going to look outside the organization, we are going to be in need of ideas for how to put the word out about that. Wisconsin Outdoor News might be a good place to run an ad or perhaps WON would even be willing to write a story about the group detailing what has been accomplished so far, the prospect for a strong future, our willingness to accept new mentors in our existing chapters, and the opportunity for some of those new people to assume officer positions.
If you would be interested in being on this committee, please let someone know that.

Hunter?s Education – Despite the collaboration between participating instructors and DNR staff to provide classes, the amount of youth interested in certification is overrunning their capacity to provide this instruction. The DNR is taking the temporary measure of allowing minors to take the online course only to obtain the certification. This has been available only to adults the past couple years. The window this minor-online – only will be allowed in between October 15th and December 15th.

This lull is an opportunity
There is always a tradeoff to any situation.
The pandemic that has impacted so many things is also providing opportunities for our chapter?s futures – it is giving us time to look around. Networking conditions have never been better – people are eager to discuss possibilities.
Do you have any community directors in your area? Communities are often searching for ways to incorporate outdoor activity programming with an inter-generational theme. KAMO is the perfect group to deliver that. Are there any county conservation alliances in your area?
Can you send your parents suggestions for getting their kids out in your area to do something – wildlife viewing, visiting a park or natural area they may not be aware of? This could be done via a group mailing.
The Nextdoor.com site is active in communities nationwide. It provides a forum to send activity suggestions to many members of your community you don?t even know and who may not know KAMO exists.These can be your future clients and volunteers. Nextdoor has a presence in your area, is free, and has value for a number of purposes.

Website – There have been about 170 visits to the site in the past 30 days. This is a little over half the traffic it usually sees in the fall. A fall duck hunting scene replaced the bicyclers and a pandemic statement has been put on the homepage.
A number of links have been added to the helpful links under the additional information section recently. If you haven?t browsed through the helpful links, there?s a lot of good information there.
Have you looked at your chapter?s webpage lately? It is only as good as you make it.

Chapter Reports –

Baraboo – The Baraboo chapter had their meeting on October 12 at Rivers Edge Resort. Although covid has limited so much with activities, Greg Wagner who is an avid duck and goose hunter, has been getting some kids out waterfowl hunting. Jon Hillmer is also great about having kids come down to his rental shop to learn and work on things there. I must say that this has been quite an unusual past couple months with not having dozens of emails and multiple meetings regarding the set up of the Joe Hunt. As much as I love doing the Joe, I don’t miss the stress involved with the planning of it. I am confident we will be back on track for next year?s event and maybe we will all appreciate it that much more. Stay safe. Tradition Forward.

Coulee – We have sent out a letter to families in late September with some outdoor activity suggestions. One suggestion was to go view the Jackson County elk herd. Some families have gone over and seen deer, turkeys, and elk. Deer are in numbers not seen in years. On the evening of October 4th, one family saw 15 cows and four bulls. The bulls put on a bugling show.
Mike has been involved in hunter education and IFD certification of instructors in the region. 120 students and three new IFD instructors in October.
An individual living in Holmen that has expressed interest in helping our chapter just completed a background check and there are a couple other interested people that need to be contacted.

Meadow Valley – No activity to report this month

Northwoods – No activity to report this month

Yellow River – No activity to report this month