Chapter Outreach

by John Whipple, SCI President

SCI Chapters come in all sizes from all around the world. Some are big, have been around for a long time, and have well-developed, effective programs. Others are small or new and either have not yet been able to develop major local programs, or are not large enough to conduct major initiatives to help further the critical mission programs of both SCI and SCI Foundation.

There are ways, however, for all chapters to be a part of something. Chapters can join forces and help make successful programs even bigger and better. Bottom line is, the more successful any of the programs is, the better it is overall for SCI and SCI Foundation.

This concept came to mind this past summer during the 14th Annual Youth Safari Day in Southern California. The Los Angeles and Orange County Chapters of SCI put this event on jointly each year. This year it set an all-time record when more than 3,500 youths and their parents attended the event that included a host of outdoor activities for youngsters to expose them to the wonders of the outdoors and the shooting/hunting tradition.

I was thinking: Why shouldn't other chapters be able to be part of this amazing event? The answer is that they can, and they can get matching funds in the process. Here’s the way it works.

Suppose that a chapter does not have its own outreach program. That chapter could donate, say, $2,000 to SCI Orange County in support of Youth Safari Day. Then that chapter could file for a matching grant to recover the funds. Talk about a win-win scenario!

The whole concept here is "outreach." In the big picture, it is the combined impacts of the various outreach programs that can help further the organizations' missions worldwide. What I'm talking about here is a form of leveraging. By combining forces in this manner, so to speak, SCI can end up having a greater impact overall; yet expend no added gross funds in the process. I'm talking about more bang for the buck here.

There are other major events put on by chapters each year, and the same concept can hold true for them, as well. Basically all we would be doing is to bolster the events that are extremely successful in a way that everyone wins.

SCI is the greatest group of hunters the world has ever known. We have been at the top for all kinds of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that SCI members and chapters are more committed to the hunting heritage and to the mission programs. By joining forces when it makes sense to do so, we can increase the impact and effectiveness of what we do – we can realize better returns on our investment of time, energy, and money.