A Bright Future
By John McLaurin, SCI President
Originally published in the 2024 July/August Issue of Safari Magazine.
As we begin the new fiscal year, I am proud to report that SCI is moving forward on all fronts, and that the future looks bright so long as we remain on course and continue to promote hunting and its positive impact on wildlife conservation. Truly, without hunting, there would be no wildlife to conserve. But what a great year it has been!
The Grand Opening of SCI’s new business offices in San Antonio, Texas, is just one example of how SCI is looking forward and preparing for the future. This modern facility in the middle of the U.S. will enhance our ability to serve our current membership and Chapter network, as well as recruit new members.
In San Antonio, SCI and the Texas Trophy Hunters Association are sharing offices and working closely together. TTHA, now part of the greater SCI family, was acquired as part of SCI’s strategic plan to expand in size and influence around the world.
Starting this fiscal year, TTHA will add a fourth Extravaganza to its yearly series of outdoor and hunting shows. There will be the three traditional Hunting Extravaganzas in Houston, Fort Worth and San Antonio during August, as well as a fourth and much larger Outdoor Extravaganza January 10-12 in Dallas.
This is just one example of how SCI can bring other organizations under its umbrella and help them expand their reach and influence.
SCI will continue to acquire and/or partner with more like-minded organizations as time goes by. Already, SCI is recognized as one of the, if not the, most relevant hunting organizations in the world. If you want a definition of relevance, look at SCI!
When it comes to partnering with like-minded organizations, the Weatherby Foundation International’s Awards Banquet will be held in conjunction with the SCI Convention in Nashville next January. It will be part of the SCI Convention week for years to come.
This is on the heels of Grand Slam Club/Ovis holding its convention as an extension of the SCI Convention this past February. That event will continue to be associated with the SCI Convention in the future.
In Europe, SCI has entered into a joint venture with Cinegética, the largest hunting show in Spain. That joint venture is destined to help Cinegética become even bigger and more important than ever. Plus, our Europe and Canada Committees are expanding and growing their Chapters, both influence and numbers!
At the May Board of Directors meeting in Washington, D.C., SCI signed a landmark collaborative joint venture agreement with the Professional Hunters’ Association of South Africa (PHASA).
The objectives of this agreement are growing membership bases, improving communication with policymakers and members alike, combining marketing and education programs, and supporting legislation that is beneficial to hunting and sustainable use wildlife conservation.
These are but a few of the many things that SCI has been doing and continues to do to help save hunting and wildlife for future generations. This past year showed bright, and the future for SCI looks even brighter!
But SCI does need your help. Many members, including myself, the Executive Committee, the SCIF Board, and others, have stepped up and bought a brick for the new patio at the Hunters’ Embassy. SCI has been blessed by some very generous donors when it comes to paying off the note on the purchase of the D.C. building, but the patio was designed with bricks donated by individual members. It is easy to donate online and enter your inscription for your brick. Please consider doing so and become a permanent part of the Hunters’ Embassy.
I have just one more request of us all, myself included. Hunting season in the U.S. and many other countries will start very soon. When we enjoy success in the pursuit of wildlife, please don’t forget how anti-hunting groups have used and misused photos of successful hunts. Be mindful that any photos that can be misused to the detriment of everything we are about in SCI should not be taken, much less posted online or published anywhere.
I really believe that this does not happen with SCI members, but our obligation goes further than our own. If you see someone taking inappropriate photos, say something. Hopefully, they just don’t understand the serious consequences that can stem from those types of photos. I believe this is just another part of proactive advocacy that we can all practice.
Thank you for reading. I look forward to seeing you all at the SCI Convention in Nashville from January 22-25, 2025!