At the 2015 National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic, the Red River Valley (North Dakota) Chapter of Pheasants Forever and the Shortgrass (Missouri) Chapter of Quail Forever received No Child Left Indoors® national awards, the organization’s highest honors for chapters involved in engaging the next generation of hunters and conservationists.
The No Child Left Indoors® national awards annually recognize one Pheasants Forever chapter and one Quail Forever chapter for their youth program efforts. Additionally, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever bestow No Child Left Indoors® national awards to one outstanding volunteer and one key partner who have helped provide outdoor opportunities for youth.
“Our youth programs are successful because of our chapters and dedicated volunteers,” explained Cheryl Riley, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s vice president of education and outreach. “This past year our chapters spent over $1 million on youth programs and held nearly 1,200 events that reached 65,000 youth— a new record.”
The Red River Valley Chapter of Pheasants Forever
Based out of East Grand Forks, North Dakota, the
Red River Valley Chapter of Pheasants Forever has surpassed all expectations with the time and financial commitments they have made to youth programs over the years. Notably, this chapter is located on the state border, so it serves youth in both North Dakota and Minnesota. This past year alone, the Red River Valley Chapter of Pheasants Forever spent $174,000 helping to sponsor 62 events that involved 4,560 youth. The chapter was involved in supporting hunter education classes, shooting activities, mentor hunts, scout programs, high school trap leagues, field days, and other outdoor learning experiences. The chapter’s continued generosity with its time and money shows its outstanding commitment to fostering the next generation of hunters, shooters, and conservationists.
The Shortgrass Chapter of Quail Forever
Based out of Chillicothe, Missouri, the
Shortgrass Chapter of Quail Forever is quite a success story regarding youth programs. Only a couple of years ago, the chapter was about to fold when two of their members attended the 2013 Focus on Forever (FOF) Conference—an annual Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever conference that trains volunteers on youth education and outreach. The chapter members were so fired up upon their return that they purchased a trailer for habitat and shooting sports activities. The chapter then adopted two local shooting teams that it coached and supported, participated in Young Guns shooting events, did a youth pollinator habitat project, contributed $1,000 to the Forever Shooting Sports Endowment, and provided scholarships so other chapters could attend a FOF training. For all of that, the Shortgrass Chapter of Quail Forever won the 2014 Missouri No Child Left Indoors Award.
In addition to receiving the state youth award, the Shortgrass Chapter of Quail Forever discovered that investing in youth programs had not only revitalized the chapter, but it had also increased the chapter’s adult membership by 6 percent, youth membership by 76 percent, and net revenue by 44 percent. The chapter’s committee members also grew from 4 to 15. This chapter is now being recognized at the national level having proven exactly how investing in youth programs can help chapters strengthen and grow.
Volunteer of the Year
For several years, Mark and Sally Stevens have been teaching “How to Teach Wingshooting” at Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s Focus on Forever Conference. For this event, they spend their own time and money to come and work all weekend with chapter volunteers, sharing their knowledge and passion for shooting. Mark and Sally also coach the Buffalo, Minnesota shooting team and work closely with local Pheasants Forever chapters. In addition, they are great stewards of the land and manage a farm in western Minnesota where they annually host an upland hunt for first time pheasant hunters. Mark and Sally Stevens have even created their own non-profit, the
Minnesota Youth Shotgun Association, to promote the growth of youth trapshooting and hunting through shotgun safety, youth & coach education, and youth competition. Mark and Sally are great competitors, coaches, mentors, and instructors with a long list of awards and recognition—Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever are pleased to add one more to their collection.
Partner Award
The
Iowa Department of Natural Resources has always been a partner of Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever, supporting chapters and the organization’s mission in Iowa. They helped pilot Pheasants Forever’s first-ever Young Guns Program that delivered a day-long training to chapters. They also helped develop a “Learn to Upland Bird Hunt” program and an “Adopt-a-Hunter Ed” program for chapters. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have appreciated the financial support they have given to support an Iowa Outreach Coordinator position and their help in developing and maintaining the youth outreach trailers. Additionally, they once again helped sponsor the Youth Village at the 2015 National Pheasant Fest & Quail Classic. The Iowa Department of Natural Resources recognizes the importance of investing in the future and is a national leader in recruiting the next generation of hunting conservationists.
Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s
No Child Left Indoors® initiative is dedicated to educating and engaging the next generation of outdoor leaders and upland conservationists. For more information, contact Cheryl Riley, Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever’s vice president of education and outreach, at (651) 209-4975 /
email.
About Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever
Pheasants Forever, including its quail conservation division, Quail Forever, is the nation's largest nonprofit organization dedicated to upland habitat conservation. Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever have more than 140,000 members and 700 local chapters across the United States and Canada. Chapters are empowered to determine how 100 percent of their locally raised conservation funds are spent; the only national conservation organization that operates through this truly grassroots structure.
Media Contact
Jared Wiklund
(651) 209-4953