Cowboy Polo

21. January 2010 by Rob Adams.

On Thursday night a number of Squaw Butte members and friends attended the first Arena Night ride.  The facility, while still a work in progress had been freshly groomed and some new lights had just been installed.  There is a lot of parking for trailers, and Ms Nielson team had a grill going and some cowboy music playing.  Hamburgers, hot dogs and all the fixing were available and very tasty.

It was great to be in the saddle and Willow was full of winter energy.   After riding around a bit so he got use to the arena with it sights and sounds, we got out the brooms and ball and practiced swinging  the boom past our stocks head and seeing if we could even hit the ball.  It is a lot harder than you would think!  It didn’t take long before the stock got use to this activity, so we set up a couple of cone goals and split into teams.    That is when the laughter started and the fun began.  Both horse and rider worked up a good sweat! As we didn’t have enough old booms for all the riders, as player needed a break, new players entered the game.  We also determined that the old wood and straw brooms are more durable then the newer plastic head ones.  Duct Tape was utilized to put a couple of brooms back in service when the heads came off.

I think all who attended agree this first event was a great success, and are looking forward to attending next month.  We will be trying other horse games in the future, but I know I am looking forward to playing Cowboy Polo again.

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Final Prez’s Ponderings

6. January 2010 by Ellen Knapp.

Ponderings from The Prez’s Saddle 

Well, 2009 is closed and in the process of being archived. 

As I reflect back on the year I wonder - Where to begin? We had so many successes this year.  

We presented yet another well attended Back Country Skills clinic in the spring and hosted another fabulous Fun Day in October. We could not have provided either event if not for the dedicated work of the committees and excellent support by the volunteers. 

While June was essentially rained out, we had a very busy July and August. We had excellent turnout for the projects. I’d like to think it was due to the commitment to the BCH mission, but I know it was, in fact, due to the fabulous FOOD – the potlucks and breakfasts, some with fresh huckleberries. As Rob says, “We are an eating chapter that just happens to ride.” 

Once again the 2010 BCHI calendar sale had great participation from SBBCH. SBBCH committed to 300 of the 2000 total calendars printed. SBBCH was one of the few chapters committing to such a high number. And very few, if any, of those 300 remain unsold. Most were sold by the November BCHI meeting. Great job everyone! 

Our second year of the Memorial Weekend Saturday yard sale simply continued the success of its first year. We had many more items since we were more prepared. We plan to continue this sale in 2010. So as you put away the decorations and winter articles and bring out the summer wear, make sure to put the donations aside for this year’s yard sale. 

SBBCH would not be so very successful and energetic if it weren’t for the continued efforts, commitment, and support of the membership. It is you, the members, that make SBBCH a great chapter. You bring the energy, the ideas, the humor, the experience, and the commitment to the chapter. I heartily Thank You for all that you bring to and do for SBBCH. 

I thank the 2009 Leadership Team for their work in making SBBCH ‘hum’ like the well oiled machine it is in 2009. Without the fantastic leadership team, our chapter would not function in the superior manner in which it does. The President does not make the chapter work; it is the leadership team and the membership that makes the chapter the premier chapter that it is. 

Thank you Vice President Tami Buthman. I greatly appreciate all your work organizing the outreach events and graciously handling everything else I delegated to you. You were my rock and right hand gal. 

Thank you Treasurer Kay Ryan. You enabled me to focus on other things knowing our SBBCH bills and monies were in your very capable hands with your easy to read Treasurer’s report format. I greatly appreciate your knowledge and your fabulous attention to detail. 

Thank you Secretary Team Linda Hays and Linda Phillips. Without you, SBBCH could not function. I relied greatly upon both of you for the innumerable aspects of the running of the Chapter. You both proved that a team can not only share the vast Secretarial duties but that a team can enhance the capability and efficiency of the Secretary Position responsibilities. The Secretary position is a wide ranging position involving many diverse aspects. In many cases, things fall to the “Secretary’ by default. You gave SBBCH the ‘going forward’ model for the Secretarial team.  

Thank you to Project Coordinators Rob Adams and Tony Buthman. You have established critical relationships with the USFS folks. Your knowledge of our capabilities as well as your knowledge of the area needs’ resulted in an unprecedented tactical plan for the year. Our SBBCH volunteer hours in equivalent monies success is due, in big part, to the wonderful, long term relationships that you have built with the managing agencies.  

Thank you to the chapter’s various committees: the Education and Foundation committee representatives Bill Conger and Bill Holt; the Public Liaison committee members Tony Buthman, Bill Holt, Chris Holt, and Robbin Schindele; our State Directors Rob Adams, Mary Beth Conger, and Phil Ryan; the Calling Committee; the 2009 audit committee; the Chapter Display committee who created the winning display; the 2009 nominating committee; and last, but certainly not least, our Christmas Party Committee co-chairs Nancy Harper and Chris  Holt. Our annual party, once again, was a wonderful feast full of great fun. We would not have had such a party without your dedicated effort. 

The end of 2009 also brings the end of my term as President. I have been President for the last three years – the maximum term per our Constitution. Term limits are great because they force a change in leadership. This enables fresh vision and new ideas to be infused within the chapter. 

Welcome to the 2010 SBBCH Leadership Team. Thank to those folks that ran for the positions. All were unopposed and all were unanimously elected. Welcome to our new President Mary Beth Conger. She brings years of BCH knowledge and BCHI leadership experience to the office. Welcome to our new VP Shannon Schantz.

Shannon has been a member of SBBCH since nearly its inception. Welcome to our returning Treasurer Kay Ryan. Welcome to our Secretary team: returning member Linda Hays and new member Chris Holt. Welcome to our new State Director Robbin Schindele. Thank you all for joining the 2010 SBBCH Leadership Team. I will continue to serve this year as the Past President. 

2009 was yet another fabulous year in the SBBCH history. 2010 will only be better! 

See ya in the saddle in 2010 –  Ellen

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