The Future of Our Chapter

 

Your leadership team met recently to discuss a lot of issues related to our chapter, particularly the future of our chapter.  First, we desire to define the purpose of our chapter more clearly.  With that in mind, we have developed the following mission statement:

 

The mission of Olive Mount Bowhunters, a chapter of Christian Bowhunters of America, is to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the south central Pennsylvania bowhunting community via archery and bowhunting related activities that allow the building of relationships with non-Christian bowhunters and provide venues for presenting the Gospel message. 

 

Secondly, we talked about our past and upcoming events and whether or not we need to change the types of events that we offer.  Throughout this process we have to keep in mind that, as a CBA chapter we don’t exist just to have fun.  As expressed in our mission statement, we have a purpose to accomplish through our events, and certain events work better for accomplishing that mission than do others.  To be honest, 3-D shoots aren’t the best way to present the Gospel message, but they are fun and we all love to have them.  Don’t worry, we aren’t planning to abandon shoots, but we do want to offer other types of activities that give a better opportunity to accomplish our mission.

 

Now, last year we did offer a variety of activities such as our Oakes Museum event, a video shoot day, and participation in events such as the Harrisburg Hunters and Anglers youth field day and some events held at David’s church.  Some of these were events that we coordinated ourselves and others were events that we simply participated in.  This past year has been very full for most of the key people in our chapter.  For example, much of my vacation and ‘spare’ time from July until the end of the year was spent building the new facility that my church moved into at the end of December.  In short, the leadership team is a little tired right now and we have decided to make this a reduced year of events with the goal of coming back next year with a major event of a type we have not had before. This will probably be a dinner/speaker event, although this has not yet been decided. However, we are still planning a year that includes our favorite events, so please mark your calendars and plan to be there.   Greg Gearhart

 

Upcoming Events for Year 2003

 

These are the events we know of now, but others may come up as the year goes on.  As usual, we will send out additional mailings as reminders and keep you informed about changes to the schedule of events. 

 

April 5: The Y’s Mens Shoot:  Again this year, the shoot will be held mainly on Saturday.  Setup will occur on Friday afternoon with fun shooting available as soon as the work is done.  Anyone who wants can stay over at the cabin on Friday night and participate in the fellowship.  Rather than sending posters to everyone, we are sending them on request.  Please let Greg know if you want any posters (see contact info above).  Directions to the shoot appear below.

 

June 14:  Harrisburg Hunters and Anglers youth field day.  Again this year we have the opportunity to participate in this extremely popular event by coordinating the archery station.  We need up to 10 people to help instruct kids at the archery station.  With enough people, each person will only have to work at the archery station for a part of the day and then can leave or enjoy the event with their own children.  Folks, this is an event from which we should be turning away volunteers, not trying to scrape up just enough people to help.  This is a fantastic event that is not only a great opportunity for our chapter to gain exposure and contact a lot of people (especially kids) who might not otherwise have contact with Christians, but it is also a chance to help ensure the future of hunting by getting these kids excited about the outdoors.  Last year this event was packed even though it was rainy most of the day.  Please strongly consider helping out with this.  Contact Greg, Dave, or Lee Barkus (lee.barkus@tycoelectronics.com) if you can help.

 

June 21 (tentative date): Video Shoot at Alpha Archery & Trade Company in Arendtsville.  More details will be sent out soon.

 

July 19, 20: Grove Event at Davids Church in Millersburg

 

July 19: Shoot; July 20: Morning service and evening Grove Service. The Adventure Bound Outdoors Crew will again be the speakers. This year, in addition to Joel Strickland (producer / Director), Chuck McAlister (Co-Host and Pastor) is also scheduled to attend.  In past years this has been a super event with lots of nice prizes and a good program. 

 

September 5, 6, 7: Shoot at the Landis Cabin in the Tuscarora State Forest. More details and posters later.

 

 

Hunt Opportunity

 

This offer recently came our way.  After some discussion, we don't feel we are in a position right now to organize this as a chapter event, but we want to make this opportunity available to anyone who is interested.  If you are interested in this, respond to Greg.  I will compile a list of those who respond and submit it to Larry.  It will then be between Larry and the interested hunters to work out the rest of the details.  Sounds like a nice opportunity.

 

My name is Larry D. Stewart Jr I have been a Christian for as long as I can remember. I personally accepted Jesus Christ as my savior at the age of twelve.  I have ministered

throughout my life, from youth church camps Sunday school, evangelized, and helped wherever needed.  A few years back, while at work in a group home for dependent and delinquent teens, one evening in discussion with another Christian brother he made a statement that has been with me ever since. God sees your joy of his creation and hunting there is no reason why he wouldn't or couldn't use you and this passion to minister Christ to others. I have been very active in the bowhunting community as well. I've served the United Bowhunters of PA as a county rep in Somerset and Dauphin. I will be soon starting my second term on the UBP board of directors.  Since moving, I have been a part time guide for my uncle Mountain Top Taxidermy And Guide Service. He runs hunts in Texas and Canada. I would like to explore the idea of running a group of Christian Bowhunters on one of these hunts that would include a mid morning and evening bible study. This would be done to uplift those brothers in attendance not to sway their Christian standards. I would like it to be an uplifting and refreshing time in Christ.  Currently I can do nothing at this time to lower his rates but if there is enough of a committed interest I can make sure we would have the

place to ourselves. The most exciting hunts, I believe with lack of pressure to harvest a big game animal, would be our Spring gobbler and Hog hunts.

 

Thank you and respectfully,

Larry

 

 

Represent Us At Events

 

If you are a member of CBA, we encourage you to represent CBA and Olive Mount Bowhunters at events, such as church gatherings or hunting/outdoors events in your area.  Simply contact any officer to make arrangements to pick up the display items.

 

Donations

If you feel led to make a donation, make your check payable to 'CBA-Olive Mount Bowhunters' and send it to:

Bill Bernhart

1949 Misty Drive

Mount Joy, PA 17552

 

Chapter Mailing List Update 

 

Well, our attempt to institute a chapter membership fee was not very successful.  The reason for the fee was to try and raise some badly needed operating funds for the chapter so that chapter officers don’t end up paying for most of the chapter expenses.  Since very few people responded to the membership fee, we have to take some steps to lessen chapter expenses.  One way that we can do this is to trim down our mailing list by removing people who are no longer interested in our chapter.  So, if you want to continue to be on our mailing list, please complete the form on the following page and return it as soon as possible.  Otherwise, you will be removed from the list before the next mailing.

 

Return to:

 

Rick Gallimore, Membership Secretary

335 Bon-Ox Rd.

Gettysburg, PA 17325

717-337-9091

gallimorerk@juno.com

 

 

 

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Directions to the Y’s Men’s Farm

 

From Mechanicsburg:

 

Take Trindle Road (641 west) to High Street (74 north).

Go to the 8th stop light and turn right onto North College Street ( 74 north).

Go six blocks to Waggoners Gap Road (74 north) and turn left.

Travel 4.3 miles out Waggoners Gap Road (74 north).

Turn left onto Stone Church Road (there is a white, two story house with black shutters on the right where you turn left onto Stone Church Road).

Travel 1.5 miles on Stone Church Road until you come to the intersection at McClures Gap Road.  You will see a private lane leading into the church straight in front of you.

Travel into this lane and follow signs back the dirt lane to the cabin.

 

From Dillsburg:

 

Take York Road (74 north) to High Street in Carlisle (74 north).

Follow directions above starting with line 2.

 

From Harrisburg:

 

Take 81 south to exit 16 (High Street / Trindle Road exit).

At the end of the ramp, take a right onto 641 west (Trindle Road).

Follow directions from Mechanicsburg starting with line 2.