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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.
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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.
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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.