President's Report

(from Jersey Coast Anglers Association January 2010 Newsletter)

It is coming to the end of a year that I have been in office as JCAA President. It has been a very fast moving year with all the fisheries issues being on the fast track. Most of the issues are not to the liking of the recreational community. I will continue to fight for our share of the resource and to protect it for the future. It has been an honor to be your President for the past year.

It was very sad to hear of the passing of Dery Bennett. Everyone in the recreational community will miss Dery Bennett. He was one of the major driving forces in protecting the marine environment.

As always, everyone must keep updated on the issues because there are news releases from ASMFC that they have been sending out. These releases are issues that are for public comment and review. It is very important that everybody participates in this process. You and your clubs need to attend and submit written comments on all issues whether it is for or against. If you don’t then we as a recreational community have no voice in the matters at hand. So get more involved so the recreational community has an even stronger voice. It is very important that each club keeps up to date with all the issues that are affecting us. There are so many issues that are happening right now so continue to check out our website. Club Presidents should make sure that their representatives attend every JCAA General Meeting to bring this information back to your individual clubs for discussion.

With end of the year coming it is that time again, Elections. If you are interested in becoming a JCAA Officer you need to contact Don Marantz at 609-259-6368 or the JCAA Office. We are looking for dedicated individuals to get more involved. Each member club should have their delegates present at the December Meeting to be involved in the process of electing the new officers for 2010.

The High Roller Raffle will be our next fundraiser and the drawing will be at our April General Meeting. So come see us at one of the shows or call the office to get your raffles.

With the show season coming up very fast, JCAA will be looking for volunteers to staff a booth. There are four shows that we will be attending this year. Garden State Outdoor Sportsmen’s & Adventure Show (Raritan Show) Jan. 14th to 17th, Atlantic City International Power Boat Show Feb. 3rd -7th, Saltwater Sportsman National Seminar Feb. 27th , The Saltwater Fishing Show Mar. 19th to 21st and The NJ Wild Outdoor Expo Sept. 25th to 26th. Mark these dates on your calendar and plan to attend. If anyone is interested right now in volunteering please contact me at mtsport64@aol.com. This is where we interact with people who do not belong to any clubs and are misinformed on issues. It is a great experience to meet many different people who enjoy something you love to do.

Don’t miss out, the end of the tax year will be here and we will be welcoming in year 2010. The end of the year also ushers in strategies on lowering your 2009 taxes by various financial moves including giving special contributions to non-profit or charitable organizations. Consider giving a financial gift to the JCAA since it is a non-profit entity and your contribution is tax deductible. Your contribution will be utilized to support and protect the rights of all anglers who fish in New Jersey. Please call the JCAA office at (732) 506-6565 if you have any questions in regard to your contribution.

As I mentioned in past newsletters, the Newspaper Committee is looking for clubs to send in a 500-word description about your club including who you are and what you do. Send it in by e-mail to jcaa@jcaa.org with the stipulation that we will be using these highlights in the order that they are received and they will be published in the JCAA newsletter.

As a reminder the JCAA has an Operations Manager in the office to answer your questions. Operations Manager Sharon McKenna will try to give you the correct answer to your question or direct your call to the proper person. Give the office a call she would like to hear from you.

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