High school club gives members a place to learn about hunting, fishing, community service

Students with a passion for the outdoors earn prizes and school days outdoors through this innovative program.

OWENSVILLE-What if high-school students could join a school-sponsored club where they learned about their favorite outdoor activities? What if they could perform community service and earn a day off from school to hunt or fish? That is exactly what is happening at Owensville High School. Not surprisingly, students have flocked to the club.

The OHS Hunting and Fishing Club is the brainchild of Principal Bob Levy and teacher Bill Seamon. Levy had a similar club in Chillicothe. He sought a volunteer to run with the idea, and Seamon, the school's baseball coach, stepped up to the plate. Seamon also credits Eldo Meyer with the National Wild Turkey Federation for getting the club off to a good start.

"The club's purpose is to get young people interested in lifetime activities outdoors," said Seamon. "For most, that means hunting and fishing, but we also get into hiking, camping, and other outdoor pursuits."

Seamon launched the club last year, opening membership to all ninth- through 12th grade students in good standing. The response was strong and immediate. Within weeks membership topped 100, making it one of the school's biggest clubs.

The club has held onto its members with activities including hunter education and water safety classes and camping and trout fishing at a trout park*on a school day. Activities in the club's future plans include backpacking, a big-buck contest, participating in a prescribed burn for wildlife management purposes, learning to make fishing rods and tie fishing flies, going on a canoe float trip, running a map and compass course, learning to process and cook wild game and building a smokehouse.

One of the club's most popular events is a wild-game banquet. Last year's meal included white-tailed deer, moose, elk, antelope, barbecued beaver and raccoon, squirrel, trout and halibut. Wildlife impressionist Ralph Duren capped the evening with his amazing imitations of animal sounds from coyotes to bald eagles.

Besides recreational interests, club members share a commitment to public service. In its first year, they cut firewood for elderly people in the community who heat with wood, donated 50 frozen turkeys to the Owensville Senior Center and took fruit baskets to shut-ins. The club also donated $900 to Missouri's Share the Harvest program. The money paid for processing of deer donated by hunters to feed needy people.

Raising money hasn't been a problem for the club. Annual dues of $10 gave them more than $1,000 in start-up cash. Raffling a rifle and a shotgun donated by local merchants added $3,700 to the treasury. A barbecue at Owensville's spring festival swelled the club's coffers further.

Cash flow enables the club to do things other groups can't. For instance, each member receives a raffle ticket when they attend a meeting. At the end of the event, there is a drawing for a hunting knife, fishermen's pliers or some other item.

Attending events also earns members points. A work day is worth three points, monthly meetings two points and fun activities one point. When members accumulate 10 points, they can cash them in to take off one school day a year for hunting, fishing or other outdoor activities.

"When we started out, we had zero in the bank," said Seamon. "Once you get a bankroll, you can start doing exciting things. We have had several activities and spent money on community service, and we will have $3,000 in the bank. It's amazing what you can accomplish when you offer young people a chance to do things outdoors."

Hunting and Fishing Club President Scott Stranghoener said he got involved because he liked the idea of bringing his interest in hunting and fishing into school. "I figured it would be pretty neat to be able to take hunter education classes at school."

Stranghoener said he has been pleasantly surprised at the number of girls in the club-approximately one-fifth of the total membership. He said he was equally surprised to learn that most of the female members are interested in turkey hunting, which is one of his own top interests.

For Stranghoener, the wild-game banquet is the highlight of the year. He is working to get Ralph Duren back for a repeat performance. Summing up his first year in the club, he said "It has been everything I hoped it would be."

Seamon said the club has sent representatives to several sport shows, partly to raise money and partly to share the excitement their club has generated in Owensville. He said he is happy to share their bylaws and advice about how to get started. His e-mail address is brseamon@yahoo.com.

-Jim Low-

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