Special Guest Jim Shockey to Speak At Inaugural Hunter Defense Fund Luncheon
Safari Club International 11.01.12
Award winning outdoor writer, wildlife photographer/videographer, wilderness guide, and outfitter Jim Shockey will be the keynote speaker at the inaugural Hunter Defense Fund Luncheon on Saturday, January 26 at the 41st Annual Safari Club International Hunters’ Convention in Reno, Nevada.
The inaugural Hunter Defense Fund Luncheon will set the stage for the unveiling of a brand new political action committee (PAC). The Hunter Defense Fund will supplement SCI’s existing political action committee, SCI-PAC, by allowing unlimited contributions to advocate for every hunter worldwide.
“The Hunter Defense Fund allows SCI to equip pro-hunting policymakers with the advertising and grassroots support they need to succeed,” said SCI President John Whipple. “We are honored to have hunting legend Jim Shockey speaking at the inception of our new PAC.”
“SCI is the only organization to take continual steps forward to protect every hunter through all forms of direct advocacy,” stated 2012 SCI International Hunter of the Year Jim Shockey. “We really need everyone in the hunting community, both individuals and companies, small and large to step up and support the Hunter Defense Fund. If we want to continue to enjoy our rights as hunters, all of us need to take active steps to ensure our future and supporting the Hunter Defense Fund is a great step in that direction.”
The inaugural Hunter Defense Fund luncheon will open its doors at 11a.m. and run until 1:30p.m., with silent auctions, raffle tickets, and a live auction. Any hunter or company concerned about the future of hunting, management of our public lands, or fighting back on anti-hunting agendas, can purchase a table. Please go to www.ShowSCI.org to find out how.
Learn more about the performers and about the 41st Annual Hunters’ Convention events by visiting www.ShowSCI.org. Register now to take advantage of any advance ticket/registration early bird special rates! Tickets for the 2013 evening entertainment are being sold faster than any show in SCI history.
Protecting hunters’ rights and promoting wildlife conservation, SCI’s two areas of focus, historically has been the interest of hundreds of individuals long before SCI was established. But how did SCI as an organization begin?
Forty years ago, there were many safari clubs across the country made up of local, unaffiliated groups of hunters. One such was Safari Club of Los Angeles, which was formed in April 1971 by forty-seven individuals. In early 1972, an out-of-towner from a similar club in Chicago attended one of the monthly Wednesday night meetings, and it was decided that the L.A. club should attempt to combine with the one in Chicago to make it an affiliated chapter. The founder of Safari Club of Los Angeles, C.J. McElroy, went to the Windy City and instituted the new chapter.
Eleven months after the formation of Safari Club of Los Angeles, on March 9, 1972, the name was changed officially to Safari Club International. SCI continued to reach out to other independent safari clubs throughout the United States in an effort to combine them into a single overall organization.
Today, interest in SCI’s two primary missions has grown a worldwide network. Subsequent involvement and promotion of these missions is rooted in each of our 55,000 members, supported through each of our 190 membership chapters found across the globe, and put into action by government representatives and personnel both nationally and internationally.
In this way, we can encourage an appreciation for nature and wildlife so that conservation efforts remain strong, while also fighting to protect our rich hunting heritage. Big changes can be achieved through the endeavors of many who are united in a mission – the mission of Safari Club International.
