Wildlife Action
So WHY DO WE NEED
WILDLIFE ACTION?
Dear Wildlife Action Members:
We are moving forward in Wildlife Action on 5 fronts: Preservation;
Conservation; Education; Sportsmanship; and Fellowship. I realize you may not
understand where we are headed by just listing our law. If you are like me, you
have to see it done; you can't visualize it. Thus, I understand your confusion.
If we were a single-issued, single-focused organization like so many of our
other brothers in conservation, we would have less confusion, but there would be
no need for Wildlife Action. That's why, in 1977, Wildlife Action was formed.
There is no better conservation group in the world for preservation than the
Nature Conservancy. But the seven guys that started Wildlife Action wanted more
than just that.
Likewise, as far as conservation is concerned, the National Wildlife Federation
is the world leader. There again, we didn't want just to conserve.
As for education, the National Rifle Association and the timber industries have
some of the best educational programs in America.
Sportsmanship? All of them believe, but the Izaak Walton League is known for its
outdoor ethics.
Fellowship is when two people sit on a mountainside watching a sunset or a
father and son on their first squirrel hunt.
So why do we need Wildlife Action? I was a member of all of the above
conservation groups. However, one of the original ideas in 1977 was to
consolidate our efforts, streamline the red tape, and rid ourselves of
bureaucracy and high administrative costs. When leaders of conservation groups
make $200,000 plus and others raise over $1,000,000 a day and we are still
losing our precious resources, you as a frustrated member of society, definitely
have a right to know where your dollar and organization are going.
Our organization seems unorthodox in the way it handles issues. There are
policies of Wildlife Action, like the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution that we can never change; policies that you agree to follow
when you become a member of a chapter. I have had people say, "That's not
right." Well, WLA disagrees; you don't have to join. That's your choice. We
don't want one element, let's just say anti-hunters, to gang up and join
Wildlife Action and then vote that we can't hunt. I love feeling secure that my
conservation organization is not going to flip-flop every time a new
administration comes in. That, in itself, is a step forward and that's where
we're going -- forward.
I no longer wanted to have to join 5 different conservation groups so I chose,
along with 13,999 other members, to put my $20 in one organization, Wildlife
Action, with 5 divisions of efforts. We hope that one of these divisions is
where your interest lies. All you have to do is jump in. That's simple enough.
Might as well tell you though, these divisions don't always agree, which brings
me to our logo. Many organizations have ducks, quail, deer, or dolphins on their
patch to represent their single-minded issue. On our patch, we have a hunter and
a fisherman, two of the strongest environmentalists I know, representing what we
stand for people and their rights as private individuals.
We choose to work on more than one single avenue because we believe the world is
more complex than one single issue. Granted, single-focused organizations are
simpler and easier to understand; however, we choose to focus our efforts in 5
categories that we believe are required to keep our ecological system on this
good earth intact.
We don't raise money to save a particular sport or species; we raise money to
save habitat and the good earth. If we save the habitat, the resource will take
care of itself. The largest threat to wildlife is the loss of habitat. We choose
the goal of our efforts to be "to put back more than we take". We strive with
volunteer people to accomplish that goal so that "local folks can solve local
problems;" therefore, the name Wildlife Action, not "Wildlife Sit On Your
Behind". To make sure we accomplish this goal, we choose to educate our greatest
resource, our children. Thus, our well will never run dry.
In this increasingly complex society, old ways are no longer guaranteed to work;
here again the need for Wildlife Action and its new approach. Our national board
of directors is made up of men and women from various walks of life, each with a
close-to-heart issue that s/he feels is more important than any other. They have
the maturity to seek what is best for our children and grandchildren. We are an
organization of research and facts bringing a consensus of one.
Orientation courses are conducted before these volunteers begin working in their
positions because there are those in WLA who love to talk and philosophize on
how we should save a river or protect hunting and fishing rights. But we need
more than just "ideas" and talk. It is one thing to "love" and have emotional
feelings for a principle, but you must have wisdom and perseverance to follow through.
Love gives great intentions, but ACTIONS get the job done.
One thing that makes Wildlife Action such a challenge is that in dealing with
people, we place an emphasis on education; education is "to learn". To learn is
to ultimately change behavior. Other organizations strive to change laws; we
strive to change social behavior. That is why so many of WLA's activities focus
on our young people.
Even though we are not the best known conservation organization due to our
choosing, we work constantly towards our goals, never losing our values,
spending all of your money on conservation-related activities. Not one dime of
your membership money goes to your magazine, Wildlife Pride grand
advertising schemes, or inflated salaries. Sponsors handle all of these
financial obligations. Those are hard values in this day and time when many
conservation groups are more interested in "growth" rather than successful
projects.
Values are the emotional rules by which a Nation or organization governs itself.
Values summarize the accumulated folk wisdom by which society organizes and
disciplines itself. And values are the precious reminders that individuals obey
so as to bring order and meaning into their personal lives.
As your President, I am often reminded my values are old and out of date by
other's standards. Some of our members whose values are somewhat different have
even gone to battle with our constitution, by-laws and me. In this organization,
that is welcomed! After all, we have become a society of suspicion, apathy and
skepticism. But not you; you've joined - you believe!
It would be wonderful if every child had the warm comforting experience I had in
my Sunday school with songs, its stories, its bags of candy at holidays. But
many are denied that. And while religion is an admirable teacher for those
connected to it, it is a silent voice for those who are not. So be it. Where I
learned my values are no more important than where you learned yours - possibly
from the same resource - Mom and Dad. The bottom line is that good values must
endure and be taught as the foundation for our lasting days.
"Local folks solving local problems" is our motto; thus, pointing to individuals
as the main ingredient in solving any problem. However, there is a danger to
this which relates back to the old saying "a chain is no stronger than its
weakest link "-strong values, strong chain. For many, individualism has come to
mean that "anything goes" as long as it's in their interest - as opposed to
recognizing that one is part of a larger society As long as our attitude
continues to be, "don't tax me, tax the guy behind the tree", we are not
recognizing that we are a part of a larger society. Conservation groups also
fall into this trap of individualism by losing sight of the local individual.
In Wildlife Action, we like to say "think globally, act locally". Saying this
constantly reminds us that we are, in fact, a part of a larger society; thus,
the society's well-being should be of great concern to us. It then should follow
that if we believe this, we must have a deep concern for "seeing more emphasis
on traditional values".
Politicians won't solve our problems for us. We must roll up our sleeves to
tackle the new and difficult story of America. If we truly want to make this a
better country and world, the first thing we must learn or in some cases,
relearn (depending a great deal on our age), is that nothing of lasting value or
importance in our way of life, none of our proudest attainments, have ever come
without effort.
America is an effort. We are a Nation of risk and adversity-of fearful seas to
cross just to get here in the first place; of land to clear; rivers to ford;
floods; epidemic diseases; of slave chains and city slums; drugs; and the loss
of Mom and Dad values.
So what is Wildlife Action’s new idea to old values? It's simple. If we want it
to happen, it's going to take effort. We should stand tall, spit on our hands
and take a fresh new "holt". Join in the "action" of Wildlife Action. Get a
friend to join with you! If this is not your spirit, for those of us who believe
it is our spirit, we are willing to go alone. Wildlife Action does not play a
numbers game.
If the politicians of our time fail to meet the challenges of our time, we have
only ourselves to blame. If we don't vote, if we are unwilling to pay our fair
share, or even to take part in the census, then what good are we as citizens?
What will history say of us? This country, with its institutions, belongs to the
people who inhabit it.
We must strive to "put back more than we take". How can we do this? Like the
wise man that saves some each week, we must learn to preserve certain ideas and
properties. To move forward, we need to respect our differences, to "use, not
abuse" for consumption. We're seeing a fragmentation of .our society, a
polarization; 15% to 20% of our people are being marginalized. They are
incapable of participating either economically or politically. Since "we are
what we do ACTION", the test will be in what we value, what we want, and
ultimately, what we achieve - what we are willing to accept. .
Our society has been unwilling to strengthen our educational system - education
being a key word for the
opportunity to achieve Wildlife Action's goals. Thus, WLA has education as a
high priority. We start with the young, and, making a truly deep commitment to
our children-the Pioneers-we have implemented day camp, ICT's (Instructional
Camping, Trips), Program S.H.A.R.E. (Student's Habitat and Resource Education),
and Adopt-A-Library Programs, and built several Resource Education Centers.
.
We must learn to open our hearts, our minds, and our facilities and share our
knowledge and our time with our children or even someone else's child who may
not have the experience of enjoying nature. Share your boat, your fishing-hole,
or anything you as a WLA member might have that could teach someone else the
right way to hunt, fish, or simply preserve and enjoy nature.
In the above paragraphs, I have mentioned what WLA is doing to educate the
children. This whole letter addresses what we must do to educate ourselves as
adults. If you can do what the above paragraph says, you would make a good
Wildlife Action member. If you are one to ask, "What's in it for me?” save your
stamp.
To save our society, we must save ourselves through a change of values. Freedom
of expression is wonderful, but when a society chooses not to produce or protect
for future generations through its freedom of expression, there is a need for
leadership to motivate a change in non-producing values. Here again is another
reason for Wildlife Action.
Wildlife Action is change. We are a hard organization because we expect work. We
expect responsibilities to be carried out. We are not a brainstorming, blue
ribbon committee of ideas and coffee drinkers writing huge pages of what should
be done. We work with dirty hands and clean hearts, not clean hands and dirty
hearts.
This brings me to another point. Wildlife Action is guilty as sin. There is no
greater than thou because we have chapters in Wildlife Action that are in it just for themselves-single-minded goals of only canoeing, shooting, or
whatever fits their self-indulgent needs.
I realize people enjoy doing what they enjoy doing and we want those people in
Wildlife Action. No one is trying to say that you must get out. "Ahhh, Bunny,
you are speaking out of both sides of your mouth," you may say. You're right.
It's like when I ask someone to join and he says, "I'll give you $20, but I'm
not going to do anything even though I think you all are doing great." I am
telling you now, take his $20 because some of those members that we signed up in
1985 and 1987 that told me that, are now board members and officers in our
organization. Due to their leadership and steadfast guidance, WLA owes no money
on all purchased land. We are in good financial shape even though we are small.
We are slowly but surely building a foundation that you would be proud in which
to place your trust.
So, where is Wildlife Action going? My answer is simple. It's up to you as an
individual to find your niche on how to make this a better world if you believe
that it needs to be done. And I believe you believe this. That's why you joined
Wildlife Action.
Wildlife Action is the vehicle for you to travel on to reach your goal. It could
be from backyard conservation and feeding the birds to the grandest scale of
saving the ozone layer. You can be as big or as grand as you want to be. You can
be in charge of any committee at any time or you can even form your own
committees. All you have to do is get some people that believe as you do to help
you.
That's how Wildlife Action was formed.
Yours in Wildlife,
M. Gault "Bunny" Beeson, Jr. President/CEO
Wildlife Action, Inc.
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