Long Casts

Chapter Identity and Volunteers — Musings of a Former Chapter President and Director-at-Large

By Jon Weimer

In deliberations held within Colorado Trout Unlimited (CTU) and in discussions seen on National Trout Unlimited (NTU) online and in printed venues, a topic that pops up frequently is whether chapters should be pure “fishing clubs” or devoted to environmental and conservation issues – or both.

I know these discussions have occurred within the West Denver Chapter (WDTU) over the years. Soon after I joined WDTU, a Board officer expressed his frustration with some members who eschewed or appeared indifferent to guest speakers and issues related to environmental and conservation matters.

To my surprise and chagrin, he stated that such members should not be associated with TU, but would be better suited for another organization. My response was that his statement was wrong-headed and elitist. Certainly, I stated, our chapter should be able to accommodate members with varying interests and various motives for joining us.

I indicated to this Board member that I suspected that many members initially joined our chapter to learn how and where to fish, and that there was nothing wrong with that. Frankly, I joined

WDTU in 2006 because I wanted to fish with people who knew what they were doing and knew where to go. But, somewhere along the way, I noticed some subtle changes in my outlook. I began to realize that in order to enjoy the privilege of fly fishing for beautiful fish in beautiful parts of the State, I should begin to take a more active part to try to protect, if not enhance, our fisheries, specifically, and our environment in general. As one letter-writer to an issue of an NTU publication wrote, he understood “…that if there are no rivers that are fishable, fishing clubs, as well as fishermen, become anachronisms”.

Amen.

I believe that when you start fly fishing seriously, you begin to sense that you are part of a community of like-minded individuals who strive to reduce wanton environmental damage in favor of endorsing policies and situations to preserve the environment. And, what better venue to do this than through a TU chapter? I certainly don’t want to advocate or encourage a bunker mentality, i.e, “us against them” but, as this country grapples with an uneven economy, organizations such as ours are obligated to question and monitor the activities of extractive industries. I am fully aware and appreciate that there are some very conscientious oil/gas and mining companies, and I am not so naïve to think that this country is going to immediately wean itself from fossil fuels and certain metals. But, we need to be on the alert for those parties whose efforts seem intent to ravage wilderness to satisfy the quest for profit.

Regarding conservation efforts, I think there’s merit in collaborating with both Federal and State agencies to engage in enhancing trout habitation efforts. I know there are some factions out there who frown working with government agencies, but the reality is that these agencies are often well-intentioned (if not always competent) and may possess invaluable resources to help us fulfill our mission. I suspect there are anti-government types still chortling and smirking over the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) responsibility several years ago for the Animus River mine drainage incident. Yes, EPA was careless, but that should not mask over the fact that the real culprit in this tragedy is Colorado’s legacy of abandoned mines with no culpable owners — and that many mining companies over the years have maximized their profit by ignoring the environment and then abandoning their mess for the taxpayers to clean up.

Thus far, this discussion has focused on two possible services/ functions that a chapter may provide: fishing opportunities and work on conservation/ environmental issues. However, another topic on which more chapters appear to be focusing is education – specifically, youth education. Some may classify youth education under the rubric of conservation activities in that the stated purpose of these youth programs is to educate, connect with, and influence our next generation of conservation stewards. Trout in the Classroom, the CTU Youth Camp, Adopt-A-Trout and Windy Peak are just some of the youth education programs that are run under the auspices of CTU chapters that cover topics such as entomology, aquatic biology, fly tying, fly casting, and fish anatomy.

A common thread that runs through all these programs is instilling the conservation ethic.

You may hear the adage that a person or organization can’t be all things to all people. That may be true in many instances, but I believe a chapter can at least attempt to accommodate the interests and skill sets of its members – be it fishing, conservation work and/ or education. By rigidly adhering to just one area, a chapter may be shortchanging itself and its members.

Of course, volunteers are the lifeblood of an organization such as TU. To carry out a myriad of presumably filter down to local chapters. Perhaps more proactive measures are needed from CTU, as an organization, and from individual chapters. What those measures should be is also unclear to me at this juncture although, on the surface, I would think that for any function/activity that a chapter conducts, it would be helpful if the chapter had material available to hand out to participants and if there were some designated chapter personnel who could serve as spokespersons to tout the merits of joining a chapter. activities, CTU chapters strive to recruit additional members and to retain whom they already have. Several years ago, I saw a statistic that startled me: a little less than seven percent of all fly fishers in Colorado are CTU members. The reason for such low CTU affiliation among fly fishers is unclear to me. Perhaps, but not necessarily, more aggressive, large-scale advertising/promotional activities on the part of NTU are needed, the benefits of which would

A common mantra that I’ve heard within WDTU as well as in other chapters is the importance placed on recruiting young members — the need for “new blood”, fresh ideas. I certainly understand this emphasis. Young members can indeed bring new ideas as well as the enthusiasm, energy, and vigor associated with youth. Based on casual observation, younger members tend to be more technologically oriented than their older counterparts, and can apply this knowledge to make a chapter more efficient and effective. However, it is important that this emphasis on youth does not dismiss or ignore the contribution that “grey hairs” may bring to a chapter. Senior members may bring a maturity and gravitas that can benefit an organization. And, let’s face it, seniors may have more time on their hands than younger members to devote to chapter activities. Seniors may often be free of job and family responsibilities that encumber and eat up the time and energy of younger members. In other words, rather than lament the fact that you may have a disproportionate number of older members in your chapter, use these members to your advantage. Exploit their experience and hard-earned expertise.

Retaining chapter members is a formidable task as well. What WDTU did some years ago was enlightening. Using a tool called Survey Monkey, it sent an email survey to all members to get input as to how our chapter could be more “user friendly”. The results of this survey were eye-opening, to say the least, and a little disconcerting although, in the long run, they were beneficial to our operation.

Simply stated, chapter leaders need to periodically get feedback from their members, and act accordingly. Chapter leaders should also be aware of the composition of their membership to make needed adjustments to staff their events/activities. Our chapter, for example, realizes that a number of our members are working full-time (if not overtime) to keep financially afloat. And, a number of our members are also raising families, and simply do not have the time to participate in many of our events. In the small amount of time they have to themselves, they may simply want to fish for the therapeutic value it affords. That’s understandable. However, we have tried to emphasize to our members that we appreciate even a nominal amount of their time, e.g., 3-4 hours a year.

If that’s not possible, they can still make a contribution without exerting a great deal of time and effort by simply keeping abreast of the legislation and campaigns revolving around, for example, Colorado water and energy issues by tapping into our website and/or that of CTU. They can contribute, for example, by signing petitions and/or donating funds for measures that will protect and restore trout habitat. It is important to emphasize the ability of CTU members to crank up the volume on issues important to us through sheer numbers. Basically, all CTU members can pitch in to help conserve, protect, and enhance our trout fisheries, no one way being any better than another.

Recently, I was going through a number of past issues of CTU’s Year in Review publications, detailing some of the notable accomplishments of CTU over the years, accomplishments that were frequently obtained in cooperation with NTU personnel and a host of other partners---both in the private sector and from the State and Federal government realm. The diversity of these projects is impressive. Diversity appears to be the key word for success within CTU---diversity in terms of membership, diversity in terms of skill sets, diversity in terms of opportunities afforded to members—including fishing.

Jon Weimer

(Jon is a former President of WDTU and a former CTU Director-at-Large. He’s a former editor of the WDTU’s newsletter and has been a contributor to CPW’s “Colorado Outdoors” magazine and to CTU’s “High Country Angler” magazine).