BCHC Mid Valley Unit President's Monthly Message

Howdy, members.

Well, here on the homestead we are going to be working on a couple of more projects this year. We hope to get our barn going and a cover for the back of the house. These are two pretty good sized projects and we'll see how it goes, always having to watch the money to keep the bank off our backs. Now on to unit business.

Our board meeting on Tuesday evening was a long one. The board had much to discuss for the new year; signing to conflict of interest agreement and recording of volunteer hours, these two items tookup some time.

These volunteer hours that we record are a very important part of our organization as they are turned in to the USFS and benefits our backcountry purposes. We discussed what actually counts as volunteer hours, and with the help of a BCHC guide, time is counted for preparation, travel, mileage and work. There are other categories that count for volunteer hours. It can get complicated and we thank Nicole Jones, our new board member, and Crystal Dalby for taking this task on.

Dennis Serpa has emailed Miguel with the FS to set up a meeting to talk about projects for this year. Dennis Serpa, Carl Perry and KAren Lopes usually attend this meeting with Miguel and this helps us plan our work calendar for the year.

The next parade will be the Almond Blossom Parade in Ripon on the 25th of February. Look for John Marchall's article in this issue of the newsletter for more information.

Cathy and I are working on a flyer for our Senior High Camp this summer. It will be very similar to the Junior High Camp we have done in the past. We will use Kerrick Corral to camp and use Aspen Meadow Pack Station for riding animals. Participants learn to build a fire,, how to plan and prepare for a backcountry trip, and so on.

Keep in mind our state Rendezvous is in Temecula on March 24-26. You can find more information about it on the State web site or in the state newsletter that is sent to all members.

I still have raffle tickets for the state fundraiser, $5 tickets to win a $500 gift card from the Bass Pro Shops or a .22 lever action Henry rifle. If you have ticket money, please get it to me ASAP as I need to sent it in soon.

In closing, I want to thank our guests Michelle Owens, Belinda Shupe and Don and Gina Iverson (new members) for taking the time to attend our last board meeting.

Blessings,

Doug Dollarhide, President

(Our President writes a message every month for the newsletter.)