THE NEXT GENERAL MEETING, REMEMBER THE DATE, THURSDAY NOVEMBER 2 ND, 7:30 PM, AT THE CLUB HOUSE, LINCOLN PARK ROAD, IN THE TOWNSHIP OF GEORGIAN BLUFFS.

Our guest speakers this month will be several members of SSA who will give a presentation on how to go CARIBOU HUNTING in northern Canada. There will be a video with details about cost, travel, accommodations, contacts and guide services. If you ever wanted to go on a hunt for Caribou this is a great opportunity to find out How.

Dates to remember:

Mark December 7 th, 2006 on your calendar. This isn’t just the last general meeting for 2006, but it is also the SSA’s Nibble Night. A night when chefs that specialize in creating wild game dishes get to compete against each other for bragging rights and trophies, and a night when SSA member’s taste buds are stimulated as they venture into the edible unknown by sampling these various creations.

2007 Executive Nominations Open

The members of the Sydenham Sportsmen are invited to nominate fellow members or themselves for the 2007 SSA Board of Directors. Nominations will be accepted at the December and January General Meetings. If you are unable to attend either of these meetings and wish to let your name stand for election, please provide written authorization to a club member to present on your behalf. An election will take place during the January 4, 2007 meeting with the top five vote recipients to serve for a two year term. Please consider providing your volunteer time to assist in the management of your club.

SSA Bylaw amendment proposal

It has been recommended by the Board of Directors of the Sydenham Sportsmen’s Association that the SSA bylaws be amended in relation to the age limit for student membership. At present the SSA student membership allows for the extension of “full rights and privileges of the Association” to be extended to those who reach their 18 th birthday and are in full time attendance at an accredited educational institution. It is recommended that the SSA “Student Member” be changed to match the age limit of the Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters of which SSA membership provides as a member benefit. The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters provide a “Junior membership” to those under 21 years of age.

Membership in the SSA for student members at present reads as:

“ 17 (b) The Association will accept Student Members on a yearly basis for those who shall be 13 years of age or more.

1. Full rights and privileges of the Association will be extended to those who reach their 18th birthday and are in full time attendance at an accredited educational institution. “

the recommended bylaw change is to read as:

“ 17 (b) The Association will accept Student Members on a yearly basis for those who shall be 13 years of age up to their 21 st birthday.

1. Full rights and privileges of the Association will be extended to those who reach their 18th birthday and are in full time attendance at an accredited educational institution up to the Student Members 21 st birthday. “

This proposed bylaw amendment will be published a minimum of three times prior to the Annual General Meeting on January 4, 2007 at which time it shall be voted on by those members in good standing and having fully paid membership dues present. Discussion is encouraged from the membership as the appropriateness of this change at the General Meetings in advance of the matter to be put to a vote in January 2007.

SYDENHAM SPORTSMEN’S HELP WANTED COLUMN.

The following positions are shortly to become vacant, and we are looking for some new members to step forward to help the club and fill these critical jobs.

1] NEWSLETTER EDITOR/CHAIRPERSON

This position is currently held by Bill Thompson who has been working at it for approximately 17 years. Skills desirable for this position are: a] a good working knowledge of computers, Works and Words software programs, plus scanners and printers. b] excellent coordination abilities, and c] lots of creativity. On the job training will be provided for the chosen candidate. Those interested in taking on this responsibility please contact Bill Thompson at 519-376-4555 or Bill Douglas at 519-372-0804.

2] FISH HATCHERY COORDINATOR

This position is currently held by Coy Currie who has been in it for 9 years. Desirable skill sets for this position are a] a genuine concern to improve the fishery in the area and help conservation in general. b] good people skills and the ability to liaise with MNR and other agencies. c] good organization/coordination abilities to set up work crews, hatchery duties and other projects. d] ability to handle paperwork and physical labour is an asset. e] a little knowledge of biology would be nice but not totally essential. This is a position which requires a consistent time commitment so a retired or semi retired person may make an ideal applicant. The chosen candidate/apprentice would be given hands-on training in all aspects of running the hatchery and other duties of the position. Those interested in taking on this responsibility please contact Fred Geberdt at 519-376-2369.

THE PRESIDENT ' S CORNER

Fall is indeed upon us, we have already had our first snow fall and the hunting season is starting to peak. By the time this newsletter gets published the rifle season for whitetail deer will be about to open and the moose hunters are mostly back. The clubs high power rifle range has certainly been seeing a lot of use in the past month as all our hunting members and guests get their rifles sited in for the moose and deer seasons. I can't stress it strong enough too follow all the safety rules and regulations while using the ranges and when in the field. Lets make it a safe and enjoyable hunting season.

This years O.F.A.H. Zone H annual meeting and Awards Banquet is being hosted by the Georgian Triangle Anglers Association in Collingwood. The dates are November 17 th and 18 th and registration fees are $40.00 for Single and $75.00 for Couple. This includes: Friday night hospitality room at Georgian Manor Resort, Saturday night Awards Banquet with entertainment following awards, Informative guest speaker, and Business meeting on Saturday and a Ladies Program. [Meeting open to all OFAH members at no charge]. Lots of prize raffles and much more to enjoy. For additional information contact Rick Baldry @ 1-705-444-1373. Members requiring overnight accommodations must make their own reservations and pay the fees associated with them.

Bill Douglas, President

FISHERIES ADVISORY COMMITTEE

A good crew of junior and adult members came out on September 23 RD to help clean out built up debris below the mill dam and start our salmon egg collection. Two weeks later we had 149,000 eggs in the hatchery. Groups from the Lake Huron and Sarnia clubs have also been up to get their allocation.
Despite some recent controversy about the usefulness and operation of the fishway the main stakeholders, the M.N.R, the Grey Sauble C.A. and the S.S.A all agree that the salmon are moving through the river as they naturally should. Of course we can make some improvements and are always open to constructive criticism but vengeful comments does not help anyone least of all the person consumed by it.
We have received approval to get 100,000 brown trout eggs from the M.N.R. hatchery in Sault Ste Marie that should arrive round the beginning of December. When some important moose hunters return we will be stocking out the brown trout fingerlings now in our hatchery.

Mike Prevost, F.A.C. Chairman

FORESTS, WETLANDS AND WILDLIFE COMMITTEE

This is the time of year when sportsmen who enjoy hunting are able to engage in the chase , as well as to enjoy all the great food derived from their efforts.
At the time of writing, many of our friends are away to the north woods in search of moose, and shortly will be back in our local woods in hopes of bagging deer. While all this goes on, we can be trying for duck, goose, woodcock, grouse and rabbit. It is also time for the coon hunter — so much condensed into so short a time.
The FWWC committee would like to acknowledge the efforts of Dave and Dave (Arnold and Hartrick) for the wildlife-related work that they accomplished in the past year in the Maher centre workshop, They made robin roosts, bluebird houses, wood duck boxes, swivel bird feeders, planting marker stakes, wire mesh bird feeders, bat houses — and this was only for wildlife. In their spare time, they made trophy cases, display easels, archery butts, ladders, sign backings, range backstops, tables, cabinets, donation boxes, signs, bar stool platforms and much more. Quite an effort, fellows, and the forests, wetlands and wildlife committee extend you many thanks.
In our last newsletter, we requested help for work in the Demonstration Wildlife Management Area. We are very happy to report that three really good people have stepped forward: Jim Hastie, Tim Lahey and John McNamara, It will be great to have them on board, Now we are looking for one more interested individual to round out the group, If you are interested, please contact Blake Smith at 519-371-4682.
We note that a recent Sun Times article states that the Municipality of Georgian Bluffs is taking flack from certain ratepayers regarding the terrible problems they allege they are having with the new Sunday hunt. We suspect that these objections are coming from city dwellers who are moving to our back road areas, the same types that move in beside barns and then complain about the smell.
We will be in touch with the Georgian Bluffs council very shortly to make our concerns known and to request at least a trial period of one year or more, to determine how much of a problem, if any, really exists,
We hear that our long-time wildlife committee member Jim Weir, has had a bad fall, and has had to go to the hospital for repairs, The wildlife committee extends a heartfelt wish to this most valuable committee member for a swift recovery and a quick return to active duty.

FORESTS, WETLANDS AND WILDLIFE COMMITTEE MEMBERS PLEASE NOTE: NEXT MEETING IS SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 26, AT 1:00 P,M, IN THE SSA CLUBHOUSE,

Blake Smith,
Co-Chairman, -Forests, Wetlands and Wildlife Advisory Committee,

YOUTH ACTIVITIES PROGRAM

The Get Outdoors! Club will continue to meet the 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month at 1pm at the SSA clubhouse, in November that will be the 5th and I 9th.We always look forward to new faces so please come out or encourage any young people you know to come out and participate. We are currently planning a campout for the end of October and we are looking ahead to other events so if you are interested in being involved in these activities you need to attend the meetings. lf you have any questions about the youth activities please contact John McNamara at 519-369-3269 or email jkmcnamara@persona.ca.

John McNamara, Youth Activities Chairman