[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next]
  • Thread Index
  • Date Index
  • Subject Index
  • Whitefish Conclave / Casting with, "off" hand



    Walter & Group.........

    As Jim Valle requests:-

    Gordy,

    The attached was kicked back as non deliverable to master study group. I assume it is because of the storm.

    I know you are going to be reluctant to put this out but the group deserves to know that you know about their support.

    So would you copy it over and put it out to the group… Please!

    Jim

    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

    Jim & All of you:  

     Words cannot adequately express my heartfelt thanks.  Especially to my dear friends, Al and Molly!

    Each time one of you candidates passes an MCCI exam I feel a personal accomplishment knowing that we've helped even if only in a small way.  For those who simply want to learn, I hope we provide a journey of continued learning.  To those MCCI's and CBOG members in our Group, I thank you for your teaching me many things I thought I knew, but didn't.

     As you may have thought, I spend many hours each week on this Study Group.  There are hundreds of messages which are private, so you never see them. 

    We have taught one another a great deal in the seven years we've functioned.  The effort has given me great satisfaction, but this award is something very special ..... always to be treasured.

    Gordy

     

    From: JimV [mailto:jfv@xxxxxxxxxxxx]
    Sent: Friday, August 22, 2008 1:39 PM
    To: Gordon Hill
    Subject: Conclave 2008 Whitefish

     

    To All members of Gordy’s Study Group,

     

     

    As you all know I am privileged to spend a fair amount of time with Gordy and I believe most of the group will remember last March or so we as a group got the idea of nominating Gordy to receive an award. Let me give you a little brief of what transpired.

     

     

    Al Crise sent Molly Semenick an email with the idea of nominating Gordy for an award, that’s where the idea started. It soon became a mission and everyone in the group was sent an email requesting they send an email to the FFF in support of the nomination. Apparently there was an overwhelming response …according to the folks I talked to at the Conclave. By the way that included Lefty Kreh, Bruce Richards and other BOG’s who all sent emails and letters.  

     

    So let me describe for you the Presidents dinner at Conclave 2008. I sat next to Gordy. (Molly and her husband Rich were across the room but within eyesight. Gordy wanted to sit near the podium because he was to read the great poem that Bob Andreae had written in memory of Tom White. I knew this was hard for Gordy so I gave him his space, however I also knew the other award was coming up on the agenda and I knew he had no idea of how all this had happened.

     

    Gordy did a great job with the poem, I looked over at Molly and she was crying, that brought a tear to my eye, but Gordy held strong and delivered the long cast. He came back and sat down and a few minutes later was announced as the 2008 winner of the Don Harger award (take a look at the previous winners, this is major league stuff) Gordy was partly surprised although I think he had suspected something…. But he handled it.

     

    When he sat down next to me I leaned over and explained how Al and Molly started this last March and that the award was really from each and every member of his Masters study Group who deluged the office with supportive emails. That finally got to him, and you could see how much that meant to him.  

     

    So Congratulations to Gordy, it is well deserved and thanks for all your help, from all of us in the Study Group. It is truly the friendships that make the FFF what it is!

     

    "Many men go fishing all of their lives without knowing that it is not fish they are after"
    ~ Henry David Thoreau

     

    Great Casting,

    Jim

     

    PS. The number of awards given to FFF Casting Instructors was quite impressive. Check out the awards listing on the FFF website! The Casting Program is a great part of the Federation and for those of you who haven’t been able to attend a Conclave… Do it! The friendships and memories are lifetime memories!!!

     

    Memorial Life Awards
    The Memorial Life Membership Award program provides an FFF life membership in the name of an individual who has contributed significantly to the fly fishing. Four funds have been established to support these life membership memorials.

        
    Don Harger

    1978 Mrs. Roderick Haig-Brown
    1979 Lefty Kreh
    1980 Ted Trueblood
    1981 Bob Cunningham
    1982 Dave Whitlock
    1983 Leon Chandler
    1985 Dave Engerbretson
    1986 Janet Downey
    1987 Ralph Moon
    1988 Grace Brooks
    1989 Steve Jensen
    1990 John Fabian
    1991 Valentine Atkinson
    1992 Mike & Shirley Kossow
    1993 Robert Redford, Patrick Markey
    1994 Charles L. Cole
    1996 Terry & Roxanne Wilson
    1999 Kent Bulfinch
    2000 Joe Humphreys
    2001 Doug Hutzell
    2003 Bob Signorello
    2004 Don Heyden
    2005 Rob Schnabel
    2006 Allen Crise, Dan Berry

    2007 Henry Hoffman, Ed Rice
    2008 Tony Spezio, Gordy Hill