Farewell – And Thank You
By Sven Lindquist, SCI President
SCI’s fiscal year ends this month, as does my presidency. I cannot thank everyone enough for your faith in me and your support of my efforts over the past two years to move SCI forward by growing in both size and influence.
There have been good times, and not-so-good times. Not so good was the pandemic that interrupted hunting and SCI’s activities around the world. Thankfully, that’s now in the rearview mirror.
Good times? SCI’s 50th Anniversary happened on my watch, and what a party that was! Right on the heels of that celebration, SCI saw its biggest and best Convention ever in Nashville. What a blast!
Every SCI member can be proud of this great organization and what it is accomplishing. Never in SCI’s history have so many members been doing more to help realize the mission than right now.
I credit the leadership on the Board of Directors and among the Executive Committee for making this possible. Without such enthusiastic support, it could not have happened.
SCI’s best times are still to come. As the organization grows, so will its influence around the world. With that added power, SCI will be able to accomplish even more. Success breeds success.
Nowhere is this more evident than on the international front. SCI is making great strides internationally, thanks to the herculean efforts of our volunteer leadership and chapters around the world.
Our expanding presence in Europe is a great example of how SCI has taken visions and translated them into tangible realities. Similarly, SCI’s presence throughout Latin America is just now beginning to blossom in ways that are beyond exciting.
Also, SCI’s recent focus on women and youth hunters is destined to bloom in the future as those groups of hunters continue to be among the fastest-growing demographics in all of hunting.
There will always be room under the SCI tent for every kind of hunter. That is because, as the membership numbers grow, so does the size of SCI’s tent.
This means that SCI’s future can be virtually limitless. With broad vision and unbridled effort, SCI can accomplish great things. To do so, we must continue to be forward-thinking by embracing positive change.
It has been said that change is the only constant in the world. The trick is to assure that it is positive change because there will always be negative influences lurking just around the corner.
SCI’s advocacy efforts are paying off both locally and globally. We have expanded our efforts at the state level in the U.S., have redoubled our presence nationally in the U.S. and Canada, and have a greater advocacy presence in Europe now than ever before.
When John McLaurin becomes president next month, there is reason to be optimistic about SCI’s future because it will be in good hands.
As I bow out, I am grateful for everything all of you have done for SCI. It’s been a great ride. THANK YOU!
