9. December 2011 by Bill & Marybeth.

Marybeth Conger  - President  
Shannon Schantz, MD  - Vice-President  
Ellen Knapp - Co- Secretary  
Chris Holt - Co- Secretary   
Kay Ryan -  Treasurer   
Nancy Schindele - Alt State Director  
Robbin Schindele - State Director   
Phil Ryan - State Director    
Charles Chick  - Education Team  
Lorraine Chick -  Education Team  
Bill Holt - Foundation Director  
Rob Adams - Alt Foundation Dir.  
Robbin Schindele - Public Lands Team  
Bill and Chris Holt - Public Lands Team  
Laurie Bryan - 2012 Public Lands Team   
Phil Ryan - Public Lands Team
Rob Adams - Activity/Events
Dan Murphy -  First Aide/ Wilderness First Responder Instructor 
Rob Adams - Website 
Charles Lox - Website Advertisement  
Ellen Knapp - Life Flight   
Janine Townsend - 2011 Volunteer Hours   
Bill Conger  - Calling Committee  
Charles Lox -  Calling Committee  
Tess McKenzie  - Calling Committee  
Phil Ryan  - Roving Reporter
Ellen Knapp  - Chapter Agent of record 
Terry & Gail McDonald - 2011 Yard Sale    
Charles Lox - 2011 Yard Sale   
Ellen Knapp -  2011 Yard Sale   
Linda Hays - Newsletter Editor   
Jake Lemon - 2011 Calendar Photos  
Shannon Schantz, MD - Calendar sales    
Robbin Schindele - Trail Classification   
Phil Ryan  - 2011 Sportsman Show  
Shannon Schantz, MD - 2011 Horse Expo Show   
Linda Hayes  - SBBCH Shutterbug  
Gail McDonald  - 2011 Christmas/Holiday/ End of Year Party
Nancy Schindele - 2011 Christmas/Holiday/ End of Year Party
Chris Holt - 2011 Christmas/Holiday/ End of Year Party   
Marybeth Conger - Membership Growth & Development   
Shannon Schantz, MD - Membership Growth & Development   
Marybeth Conger - Inventory   
Shannon Schantz, MD - Inventory    
Janine Townsend - 2011 AQHA/ BCH Ride   
Robbin Schindele - 2011 AQHA/ BCH Ride   
Margaret Berggren - 2011 AQHA/ BCH Ride   
Shannon Schantz, MD - 2011 AQHA BCH Ride   
Linda Hays - Face book Page SBBCH  
Terry McDonald - Nomination Committee   
Lou Ann Gaskell  - Nomination Committee   
Bill Brasfield - Nomination Committee    
Heather Holloway - Ballot Counting   
Jake Lemon - Ballot Counting   
Charles Lox - Highway Cleanup  
Rob Adams - 2011 Wilderness Pack Clinic  
Janine Townsend - Audit Committee 
Shannon Schantz, MD - Audit Committee   
Lou Ann Gaskell - Audit Committee 
 

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9. December 2011 by Bill & Marybeth.

It Official Folks…. The SQUAW BUTTE CHAPTER of Back Country Horseman of Idaho had another FUN and SUCCESSFUL year in 2011 by increasing Membership Participation and Development. 

How did the chapter increase Membership Participation and Growth? First, the Monthly Meetings were dramatically shortened with a call for agenda items for all members, including committee heads. This resulted in speakers organizing their thoughts beforehand, rather than “droning on” which saved time and showed respect to the rest of us.  Tickets were given to all members and guests for some Fabulous and Fun Door Prizes. Items came from our annual Yard sale but by the end of the year, members were bringing in donations; everything from Duck eggs, Slippers from a Princess Cruise, to gently used Tack.  Educational Fun topics were scheduled after the Monthly Meeting was adjourned, so members could choose to leave or attend. The net result, we had an average Attendance increase of 25% at our Monthly meetings.

Second, check out the attached SBBCH Committee list which documents a 45% Membership Participation rate. How cool is that. Bottom line these folks are the 2011 Hero’s for the Squaw Butte Chapter.   All Chapter Committees were put in place by mid-February, rather than waiting to ask for volunteers at the monthly meetings. Committee members were chosen for both their skills set and a willingness to volunteer.  Mentoring was accomplished by paring a new member with a more seasoned one.   Plus, members weren’t afraid to attend the Monthly Meeting for fear of being “roped” into another project.All new members in 2011 received a hand written Thank you for joining Card with a Backcountry Packing photo that was separate from the highly important and voluminous membership packet.  Several seasoned members reached out to these new folks and invited them to one of our events. New members were welcomed and introduced at the meetings and they never sat alone or in the back corner. Our calling committee communicated with them to determine interests and the best contact method. Seasoned Members reached out at meetings and sat with them vs. staying in their in the pre-established sitting areas.  

Come on you know what I am talking about. We also had a $50.00 Gas card drawing at our Grand Jean July event to encourage participation. Consequently 70% of new members attended meetings and/or activities during the year.  This number would be even higher as 3 new members live in California or North Dakota which would be quite the commute. Fostering new member involvement is important as they bring fresh ideas and perspectives to the Chapter.  

A Continuing Goal of the SBBCH chapter is having many Diverse Activities throughout the year, so members can choose to participate in what interests them.  Keep in mind members are not expected to attend all events but those that they can. Horse carpooling is encouraged too. Activities focused on Education, Public Outreach, Trail Projects, Fun Rides, Packing Adventures, and as always Great Food.   SBBCH believes it is important to work with neighboring chapters vs. being competitive which helps BCHI to grow.   Check out our website sbbchidaho.org which is getting a lot of attention.

Some of the 2011 activities include:

·        Four Arena nights focused on Safety and Defensive Horsemanship

·        Six Fun Rides  to get Ourselves and Stock in shape while sharing good trail times

·        Manning the BCHI Information Booth with neighboring BCHI chapters at the Horse Expo and Idaho Sportsman show

·        Co- Sponsored a AQHA and BCHI Ride to Promote our Organization while having Fun & good Food

·        USFS Sawyer ( A & B) Certification Class to promote partnerships while doing Trail projects

·        CPR & First Aid Classes along with First Responder Training Classes to be Prepared

·        Four Trail Projects putting our mighty muscles to work clearing trails

·        USFS Large Saw Training for trail work in wilderness areas

·        Two pack in/out Trail crews in the Frank Church Wilderness promoting a partnership with the Selway Bitterroot Foundation

 ·        A record breaking Yard sale that will help fund chapter expenditures

·        Highway cleanup  and an 

End of year Christmas/Holiday party that raised several hundred dollars for the local  Idaho food back demonstrating our sense of communityNow if we can just remember to report all of our Volunteer hours for these and other activities that qualify. I suspect reporting hours will be a 2012 emphasis area for the Chapter along with celebrating our 20^th Birthday. 2011 was a solid year for SBBCH and 2012 will be even better. See you on the trail and please feel free to stop by and see me as I start a new job opportunity in Emmett. Look for the Cherry Red Mustang on Washington Street, starting January 2^nd.  

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9. November 2011 by Bill & Marybeth.

Can you believe it is November already? This is my way of saying Thanks for your hard work, making this chapter something to be very proud of.  Fred and I enjoyed getting into the back country with you and having fun while working our Chapter activities. Let’s keep all of our positive momentum going and not forget to document our activities’ by turning in our Volunteer hours for 2011. Virtually everything counts, from Trail projects, Public Meeting attendance, Rides, other Chapter events, Calendar Sales, Administration/Planning to name a few. You can use the Calendar feature or the Old Volunteer Form on our website to report your hours. The drop down box gives more input on what is reportable.  So, please take a few minutes and do this, before the holidays get too close.  Janine will be happy to help too.

2011 is finally winding down, but still there is Energy and Enthusiasm within our Chapter.  For Example Dan is facilitating some Wilderness First Responder Training in December, Ellen is planning a fun Ride in November, and of the course there is the end of year Holiday celebration that Gail and crew are organizing.  Plus this week, I received three separate calls from future members who want to come join us, to Ride and Pack in the Back country and learn how to be Safer Horseman.  So, the word is out there that our Chapter continues to take it to the next level, by offering diverse activities such as Education clinics, Rides, Trail Clearing Projects, Pack ins, Fund raising events, High way clean up,  Fun and Friendship always,  and of course, great Eating.  Our Quality website is making a big difference and getting the attention of the public.  KUDOs to ALL of YOU!

As we wind down for the year, let’s build on the Learning’s, and make 2012 even better, and an outstanding year. Oh yeah, did you know The SBBCH chapter will celebrate a milestone anniversary in 2012? More details to follow on this, and who knows could be a Theme for us.  Elections are before us and all positions are open, except one. This is a great way to get involved, get to know folks and keep our chapter growing with all your Positive Input and Ideas.  Terry and crew would love to hear from you.

Marybeth Conger

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31. July 2011 by Bill & Marybeth.

Our 2011 Grand jean weekend was outstanding, and well worth our time from many perspectives. First off, it was downright Fun as everyone came with a smile on their face and left with one too. All humans and critters were safe, but a few sore muscles have been reported.

Second, there was fireside Cross cut Saw training put on by Sawtooth trail ranger Deb Peters on Friday.  This was some great Education for us and demonstrates our continuing partnership with the Sawtooth Ranger District.

Third, a small group of “willing volunteers” got some practical experience on the North Barron Creek trail, using the Chapter’s Saw purchased last year. At the same time on Saturday, other members rode different trails removing down fall when encountered. Even our newest member, Laurie Bryant (AKA the Wanderer) was having Fun brushing out trails and got to experience that BCH is more than just a riding club.

On Sunday some riders headed out and Bill & I finally got to the top & enjoyed Trail Lakes. The scenery was breath taking and I believe Linda Hays went thru 29 rolls of film that day.
The Meals were delicious and showed the culinary talents and creativity of our membership. So, while you are reflecting on the great time had by all, please get on the website and log your hours. I know the navigation is a bit different, but let’s try to enter the information. If you get stuck and are ready the throw the computer out the window, Rob is always willing to help.

Please check out our activities and participate when you can. Packers Play Day is right around the corner and that is always Fun, plus it promotes our organization to the Emmett community.  Calendars are coming too.

Hope to see you on the Trail, Marybeth Conger

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4. July 2011 by Bill & Marybeth.

While at the Co-Op buying a plant, my phone rang. It was a local TV reporter who, after checking out our Website, viewing the photos, & reading the May/June Newsletter was hoping to film some recreational riding activities with SBBCH.  He is reviewing his schedule and plans to get back with me, but how cool is this that he called? Everything we do, such as Meeting attendance, Public outreach clinics, Photo submission, Education endeavors, Articles from us for our Newsletter, Volunteer hours, Rides and Trail activities, updates by our Webmaster, etc. is making a difference and getting our message out there. People are noticing.

In July we have some outstanding fun projects, so please come to what you can. There is the Crooked Creek Trail Project July 2, 3, 4 in Idaho City that has some beautiful scenery. Next is the July 23 and 24 Grand Jean North Baron Creek trail Project.  There are only so many heart beats on the trail project but the rest of the group could enjoy a fun ride in another area.  This is a great area for our members to recreate in, so please consider this one.

Now, I would like to acknowledge the new members that have joined SBBCH this year, so please welcome them to our Chapter when you see them:  Mildred Bryant, Heather Holloway along with Ron and Diane Woods - Jan 2011, Tia Davis- March 2011, Sharon Prindel, Jim Reid, along with Bob and Pam VanHooser- April 2011, and lastly Bill and Lois Murphy June 2011. Let’s always make them feel welcome. So….. how about making a quick phone call to a new member that might be close to you and invite them to an event.

Next, I would like to give kudos to Dan Murphy who joined the Chapter in 2008 with his wife Connie. You will recall that Dan put together the Radio package (x four) which helps us to communicate on the trail and stay safe.  He also volunteered his time and taught First Aide/CPR to us and is willing to teach a more advanced course to members.  YEAH!  Your BOD approved the $200 course cost with more details to follow.  He is also working on the Chapter First Aid kit with Doc Shannon and Ellen, offering his practical insight. I am sure they will be upgrading the kit and training all of us on what’s in there in the near future.

The July photo is a picture of Phil Ryan, setting up a high line for my Horse Fred at Grandjean, as he (Phil) is always the gentleman. It is nice to have friends and members that are willing to trailer share.

See you on the trail, MB Conger

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2. June 2011 by Bill & Marybeth.

Bill & I just got back from a great conditioning ride in the BLM hills around our house with the mule string and Lilly & Sam; who decided they should bring their human too.  I will only speak for myself, but it seems each year it takes a bit longer to get in shape.

At the May meeting, our Treasurer Kay, confirmed the Yard sale was record breaking! Chaps off to Terry, Gail, Charles, and Ellen for organizing this event and all the members that came that day.  This Yard sale is one of four fundraising activities, which enables the chapter to purchase equipment items like the large saw, radios and contribute other costs for Trail activities and Education endeavors.

The First Aide and CPR Class was held May 31st and June 1st  at Charles and Ellen’s place and yes the Chapter provided the dinner. Our own Dan Murphy volunteered and taught this class and did an outstanding job, as usual.  In fact, I received an email from him that he is looking into what it would take to get this Training to the next level for perhaps next year. Not exact, but may be something similar to First Responder training, perhaps something for next year. More details to come in the future and Dan no rush on this. Enjoy your vacation time with family.

I am fortunate to have such a great working relationship with VP Doc Shannon. She has agreed to take on a new project and will be reviewing current trail information and pulling it together in an effort to provide trail information to members. Why? To try and get more members involved. I am sure we will be hearing more from her on this project.

Another idea for increasing membership involvement is to provide some fun incentives such as cash and/or gas cards to come join us on activities.  We are also looking into a Spring Membership Appreciation ride and there is even talk of a Thank you for joining us BBQ this fall.

Hope to see you on the trail!  Please check out the activities as there is something for just about everyone.   Don’t think you have to go on everything as we all have life, but come join us when you can.  We offer a variety of activities to appeal to more members, vs.  just having 3 or 4 things in a year.  Rob Adams does an outstanding job planning things ahead for us.

I just had to include this photo, but my only question to you three , is how many women does it take to saddle a mule or is their more going on here?

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3. May 2011 by Bill & Marybeth.

May 2011- Come Join Us

Hot off the presses, the March BCHI calendar winner is Heather Dobbs from Emmett.  I will present the $500.00 check to this young lady at the upcoming May meeting. Our Roving reporter Phil plans to capture this Kodak moment.

Spring has sprung, so Fred & I are hitting the trail to get in shape and have some fun riding.  The good looking mules are Babe and Sis who have been taking care of me on backcountry trips for years.

The annual Potluck Ride at the Butte hosted by Charles and Ellen was outstanding. The weather was awesome, the views unbelievable and the food was delicious, as usual.  I do need to report a disappearance of some home baked cookies that left the food table and ended up in someone’s horse trailer.  Please let Terry and Gail know if you have any information.  Also a new budding romance is developing between Lilly and a sorrel Quarter horse.  Stay tuned for more details. It was great seeing Linda Adams and Kay Ryan too.

The AQHA/BCHI ride is coming up Saturday May 7th at the Wilson Creek Trail Head, near Murphy and Janine Townsend and Margaret Bergeron are off and galloping with this project. It is great having their fresh ideas on this project. Way to go you two!

Also let’s not forget about Spring Highway cleanup Wednesday the 11th starting at 6:00 pm. Charles Lox is coordinating and is anxious to find another interesting item during this cleanup. Could it be time for Bear II?  Actually, this important project shows our commitment to the Emmett community; enables us to keep the Sign on the Highway, which promotes our organization. Kudos to Charles for taking it on again in 2011.

The Yard sale is right around the corner too on the 28th and Terry, Gail, and Ellen are coordinating that for us. Bring your treasures and have fun helping the SBBCH chapter with one of its fund raising activities. How about another large Saw or perhaps some other Education items to keep us safe out there?

Check out the Chapter’s activity page as there are some outstanding Education clinics and Trail projects too. Hope you can make some of the fun activities in May and of course the rest of the summer.  The SBBCH goal is to offer a variety of fun events, rides, clinics, trail projects, good food throughout the year, so our members will have some options to choose from. Please come join us when you can.

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2. April 2011 by Bill & Marybeth.

Spring is here, finally!  Fred and I enjoyed sharing the trail with a few brave souls this past Saturday doing trail clean up past the Gem Cycle Park. No one found anything as interesting as Charles did at last year’s Road cleanup, but I did see a certain mule named Lilly with several cow skulls tied to her butt. Aren’t mules great?  This counts as trail work, so please remember to log your hours.

It is time to start getting ourselves and our critters in shape for upcoming activities. We have some great Rides coming up, Trail fun projects, Education events, and Horse expo to name a few. Please check out our event calendar and come join us. We should be hearing some updates on the joint AQHA/BCH Ride too.

Also, our annual Yard sale is right around the corner, so remember to put those items aside while doing spring cleanup.  Keep in mind this fund raiser enables the chapter to purchase some big ticket items such as that rather large Saw that is at Phil’s house and the 4 Radios that will soon be at Rob’s place.

It is great seeing involvement of new members in our chapters’ activities.  Charles and Lorraine Chick continue to provide some fun education opportunities for us. Jake Lemon took on the State calendar photo project with gusto and has finalized that. Then there is Janine who continues to handle Volunteer Hours reporting with some fun things planned for us.

Our Chapter Newsletter is a great way to communicate and spotlight all of the great things we do during the year. Linda is always looking for articles, photos so let’s make 2011 the best year ever by continuing to send her items during the year.  Also thanks to Linda for getting SBBCH set up on Facebook which is but another way to reach out to the public and members.

Look for future kudos….. See you on the trail, MBC

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1. February 2011 by Bill & Marybeth.

Come join us on the trail, because it is going to be a fantastic 2011, with lots of rides, trail projects in the beautiful back country, packing  & riding adventures, educational opportunities, great food, a yard sale, and numerous Kodak moments to name but a few activities for Squaw Butte Back Country Horseman. Check out the activities listed on our website.

Also in January, Squaw Butte leadership voted to create a scholarship to pay for one SBBCH member to attend the 2011 Wilderness packing clinic.  All SBBCH members’ names will be put in a hat and the lucky recipient will be drawn at the May 2011 SBBCH chapter meeting. This is but another reason to come join us in 2011. If you would like more information on the Wilderness packing clinic, look for the link on our website.

Hope to see you on the trail and at the Squaw Butte chapter meetings. We are trying a shortened meeting version in 2011, so there would be time for Educational topics after words.

So come to the Feb 3 meeting, pay your dues, and enjoy the fun after the meeting where the Chick’s will be presenting a Knot Tying demonstration. 

 Marybeth Conger, President

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1. December 2010 by Bill & Marybeth.

By Marybeth Conger, President

It seems the unknown naked man really enjoys that trail.  A small group went back to “investigate further” and sure enough he was still out there. Now the question that comes to mind, what should that trail sign say? Now that I have your attention, let’s think about 2010.

This year was another successful year for the SBBCH chapter thanks to all of you. Our membership continues to be strong and we grew the number of family memberships. Our calendar was full of Rides, Trail projects, Broom Polo events, Back Country Skills Clinic, Packers Play Day, Trail Safety Sessions, Sawyer class, First Aide/CPR, overnight Horse camping adventures to name just a few. There is something on our Activities list to appeal to most everyone.

Even in this economy, our finances grew thanks to the annual Yard Sale, your continuing membership fees, Donations from our website advertisers, and the % the chapter gets from the BCHI Calendar sales. We even spent some of this money in 2010. The two Radios purchased will help keep us safe on upcoming Trail projects and chapter events. We can use that rather large Saw to clear trails in Wilderness areas.

There was a tremendous amount of public meeting attendance by SBBCH members traveling at times all over the state to promote the goals and objectives of our organization. The chapter was well represented at the Sportsman’s Show and Horse Expo too. So how ever you contributed to SBBCH chapter be it trails projects, rides, education, public outreach, meeting attendance please take a moment to log your hours on our website.

 I had a tremendous amount of fun sharing the trail with you in 2010 and hope to do it again in 2011, once the snow melts a bit.

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16. June 2010 by Bill & Marybeth.

Commentary from the lady who actually lives in the “White House” with black shutters of course, by Marybeth Conger, President

Can you believe its June already? I just returned from a nice ride with the entire string. We have a pack trip into the Frank Church Wilderness end of July, so its time to start getting in shape.

Looking at our 2nd quarter Chapter activities list, it’s been a busy year with many different opportunities for SBBCH members to learn and have fun. The SBBCH chapter continues to do an outstanding job offering a variety of activities such as Rides, Public Outreach programs, Educational clinics, Highway cleanup, Trail Projects, Back County 4-H demonstration, and yes, even a Yard sale to help with fund raising. We are educating not only ourselves on the importance of safety, but the public about the BCH organization and our historical right to use stock on public lands.

In April there was Wilderness First Responder training and the BCHI Horse Expo. In May there was even more such as Forrest Service Sawyer Safety, Talk to the Experts, Defensive Horsemanship, and Hands on Packing. In June, July and August there are many Trail Projects scheduled where we can ride together and discover some beautiful country in Idaho. Please check out our activity page and participate. We like to have fun on these projects and of course eat well.

Big thanks to the SBBCH members, for all your time and positive energy spent to make this chapter something to be proud of. Please continue to log your volunteer hours, including mileage and if you can’t remember if you did, check out the summary screen.  I can’t wait to see you on the trail for some fun times this summer, especially our new members. If the SBBCH website doesn’t answer your questions, or you would like to speak with a live body, you can always call me direct.

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10. April 2010 by Bill & Marybeth.

Well the 1/4 of 2010 is behind us and Spring seems to coming, so lets find some time to ride, have fun, and meet new friends. Please check out your chapter’s calendar at www.sbbchidaho.org and participant as you can. We have several Educational clinics coming up and nine Trail projects scheduled over the summer months. Also some fun Rides, outstanding Eating Adventures, Road clean up, Horse Expo and yes even a Yard sale, which is one of our four fund raisers to name a few events. 2010 is going to be a great year and Shannon and I look forward to sharing a trail with you.

The two day Backcountry Skills clinic on May 22 and 23 at the Circle G River Ranch is an opportunity to learn to be a safer and more confident horseman. Saturday’s clinic is Talk to the Experts while Sunday has both Defensive Horsemanship and Packing Skills, a totally hands-on day with several sessions so you can participate in both. What a plum to have retired USFS Dale Schrempp coming all the way from Northern Idaho to instruct  us on Defensive Horsemanship.

Also, check out the photos for the 2011 BCHI Calendar by visiting www.sbbchidaho.org Click on the Photo tab to the left. Look for the 56 Calendar photos and vote for your favorites. Please email your 20 selections to President@sbbchidaho by the stop date of April 20th. For you new members, you can get a good sense of what your chapter is all about- Riding in some beautiful places, keeping trails open for all, having fun with our animals, and eating. Looks like fun, huh?

If you have any questions or comments for me I am only an email or phone call away, unless I’m out riding Fred, toting Babe and Sis. Hope to see you on the trail.

MB Conger

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