President's Message

It's that time of the year again! Our 37th Annual World Hunting Expo is just around the corner. We have quite a few changes this year that I think will make this the biggest show we've had in years. Your Expo Chairman, Pat Foley, along with the rest of the Board, have been hard at work the past few months getting ready for this event.

First and foremost, we're moving to a new location, the Doubletree Hotel in Bloomington. While the Northland Inn has served us well for many years, their current construction plans gave us the push we needed to move the show to a larger, more centrally located space. For those of you coming in from out of town, you'll appreciate the proximity of the new location to the airport, shopping, and many great restaurants. We have a block of rooms available with prices starting at $79/night. Please contact Monique (952) 693-1461 for more details.

We have some great hunts, artwork, jewelry, and other merchandise for the auction this year, everything from pheasants to elephants. Check out our website, (www.minnesotasci.com) for up-to-date auction listings. We'll have expanded raffles again, and Tim and Bonnie Halstead have put together a great silent auction.

The Expo will open at 2:00 PM on Friday, February 24. All day Friday is open to public, including the auction at 7:00 PM. This is a great time to bring the kids or introduce non-members to Minnesota SCI. Our Hunters Sidewalk Café will be held poolside starting at 10:00 PM.

We will open on Saturday, February 25 at 10:00 AM. Cocktail hour starts 4:00 PM with the banquet starting at 7:00 PM. Seating is limited, and dinner tickets are going fast, so reserve yours now.

Our Wild Game Dinner and Christmas Party was a great success with over 130 people attending. Chef Chris Dwyer of Mendakota Country Club put on a fabulous meal, Paul Stannard and Ted Shogren gave some great hunt reports. Mark Nelson won a new Browning Shotgun and Jimmy Brand walked away with the cash from the 50/50 raffle. This event just gets better every year! A special thanks goes out to Don McMillan for planning the event and to all of our members who donated meat and items to the silent auction.

For those of you who would like to get more involved with the Chapter, we can always use extra arms and legs at the Expo. Please contact Pat Foley, Expo Chair, at (507) 326-5350 if you can spare an hour or two to help out.

I look forward to seeing everyone at the Expo!

Peter Hunt, President