By Sven K. Lindquist, SCI President
Wow! What a great Convention SCI just had in Nashville! No number of superlatives can relay the level of excitement and energy of this year’s Convention.
I thank all members for showing up and making this the best Convention SCI has ever had. Without you, the members, it would not have been possible, so thank you again.
For those members who were not able to join in the fun this year, please plan to attend the SCI Convention next year when it returns to “Music City.” You will be glad you did.
It has been a true honor for me to serve as your president for the last couple of years. During that time, SCI has undergone a fundamental change that was reflected in many ways during the Convention. It seems as though when SCI passed the 50-year mark, it came of age. There are now more members who are involved in mission programs than ever before.
Convention is where SCI raises the bulk of the funds needed to realize our mission, which is to protect the freedom to hunt and to promote wildlife conservation worldwide. SCI literally took over Nashville. Nearby hotels were sold out, evening events were sold out, auction items realized amazing results, exhibitor booths were packed and everyone had a great time. What more could anyone want?
Quite a bit more, actually. One of the hallmarks of SCI Conventions is the camaraderie as old friends reunite and new friends are made. As much as gathering around the campfire is integral to hunting culture, it is fitting that a larger annual gathering serves as a time and place to celebrate our global family of hunters. Going to the SCI Convention is a homecoming of sorts. Certainly, the opportunity to meet face-to-face with members and share stories is one of the real benefits of the Convention.
Speaking of benefits, SCI delivers more for its members than any other organization of its kind in the world. That is one thing that is often difficult to relay to fellow hunters who have not yet experienced all that SCI has to offer. The best way to get the most out of SCI is to become more involved, both at the chapter and international levels. The more involved each member becomes, the stronger SCI becomes. There is strength in numbers, and there is even more strength in numbers of committed members. That’s another reason that Convention is so important. Attending the Convention is a way to become more personally involved and to introduce other hunters to our fantastic organization.
With that in mind, I invite all members to go forth with renewed energy and commitment to the cause. We need to enlist everyone we can if we are to win the fight to save hunting for future generations. Yes, this year’s Convention was great. Let’s plan to make next year’s Convention even better. We can do that by becoming more involved between now and then, and by bringing friends and fellow hunters to next year’s Convention.
I thank everyone for your support of SCI and vow to do everything I can to help make SCI bigger and better than ever. Until the next Convention, good hunting.
