Steelhead Lodge
Editor’s Note: Our FCO President, Mike Radakovich, is in his element chasing steelhead in a remote location. Communications Guru and FCO Treasurer/Secretary Kevin Quinn has stepped up to embellish his message with the following update on all the work going on in your Club! LKH
Autumn has arrived, and our thoughts turn to Steelhead and hopes of getting on the river again soon! I have also heard several members will be heading south to saltwater in search of Tarpon, Permit, and Bonefish. Just as the leaves start changing, things have been changing here at our club. Each of the Committees has made substantial strides toward revitalizing our club.
The membership committee has been welcoming new members from our recent outreach events, including:
- Our club’s community involvement was on full display at the Love Oregon Food & Music Fest. Led by Ron Lauzon, our members conducted fly fishing lessons, sharing their passion with festival attendees and promoting the sport and the club.
- A joint event with the University Club to conduct casting lessons for their members helped stoke interest in both our sport and our club with the attendees.
- The upcoming fly-tying class with the Portland Fly Shop should similarly drive interest in what FCO offers.
- Expect to see more collaborations with other organizations within our community as a cost-effective way for us to generate interest in our club.
- All new members will be assigned an existing member “buddy” to help introduce them to our club and help them make the most of their membership and friendships here.
The Lower Deschutes
The programs committee has been equally busy with the following:
- We are hosting our first meeting at a new venue, The Old Spaghetti Factory (accessible location, plenty of free parking, and good food at reasonable prices), on Oct 8th.
- Securing Sarah Cloud, the Executive Director of the Deschutes River Alliance, to introduce their new film – The Last 100 Miles, and take questions from the group on what we each do to help protect one of the prized jewels of PNW fisheries.
- Plans and speakers are almost finalized for our holiday meeting in December.
- Getting club hats made and ready for order at the upcoming meeting and via our website.
The communications committee has lots going on:
- Our new Club Website is undergoing the final stakeholder reviews and should be up and running before the Oct. 8th Look forward to an updated look and feel, easier navigation, more current content, and easier connections with fellow club members.
- Special thanks to the Foundation for agreeing to help subsidize the costs of the web revitalization efforts.
- Each committee now has its own Google Docs storage to facilitate group work within the committee and better continuity of operations by capturing and organizing notes and documents for new and/or changing committee members and leadership in the future.
- New emails have been established for all club officers rather than personal emails to help with outreach and continuity efforts.
- Membership due payment will be simplified, and available auto-renew will be available.
- The Club mailing address has changed to a brick-and-mortar site (vs. PO Box) to facilitate taking electronic payments.
- Watch for a new look and feel to Our Flyline Newsletter soon.
The operations committee is updating our club structure and bylaws:
- A simplified and long overdue update to the club’s bylaws is ready for ratification by the club board. This was a great effort involving past and present club leaders that honors our heritage while making updates to meet and leverage today’s realities and opportunities.
- Great work on documenting club leadership roles, responsibilities, succession plans, and archives are kept current to stabilize club stewardship moving forward.
I am excited by the passion and enthusiasm that many of our members have shown in making our club welcoming, relevant, and fun for learning, conservation, and camaraderie. However, there’s still plenty more to do, and we could use more of you to re-engage and share your talents and passion with us. I look forward to seeing you at the October 8th meeting, where I will share more updates and answer any questions you may have about our club’s direction. It should be a good one!
Mike Radakovich, President FCO and Kevin Quinn, FCO Treasurer and Secretary
