Greetings Gates,

Let me begin by thanking the board and general membership for their December 13th votes of confidence in me and the rest of the proposed slate to lead our esteemed organization for the next three years. See the list on the righthand column of the cover page for your 2023 elected Executive Board Officers and appointed Directors. Thank you to everyone on the list who made a commitment to serve. We wish we had more members like you.

Since its onset, the restrictions imposed on daily life by Covid-19 prevented us from accomplishing everything we wanted to do. Yet, despite the challenges, we did accomplish many things. We never halted our annual Fred Rung Memorial Catch, Tag & Release striper derby, or our Catfish Chaos Derby, and other fishing events. Our Youth Angler Program endured, although with fewer events, and Scholarships were doled out. Last year we saw the return of Hooked on the Hudson Chaired by Pete Musse again. That's just off the top of my head.

Of course we could not have done it without outgoing President Capt. Aram H. Setian's leadership and the help of many volunteers. While Aram's 3-year term was plagued by the pandemic he wrote a template for our Fishing Clinics, updated the HRFA's introductory flyer to hand out at special events, maintained our website, etc. Along with Scott Havner, he also coordinated our annual fishing contest. In his spare time he filled in as recording Secretary for our monthly EBoard meetings! Thank you Aram. This Yuengling's for you.

- John C. Maxwell

Fortunately, I will have a friend and reliable ally as our Vice President, and potentially a succession plan for my end of term. If he wants to do it, Michael Sardinas will make a fantastic President. I am sure he will surround himself with capable allies too.

We all know the cost of everything continues to rise. Yet, while other organizations increased their annual membership dues long ago, the HRFA remained steadfastly constant at $25 per family for 30+ years. Since the onset of the pandemic we have lost income because the outdoors shows we rely upon to attract new members and supplement revenue from events and annual dues were all cancelled. Plus, there were fewer participants at fund raising events like our Annual Awards Dinner and Striper Derby which meant we barely broke even or finished in the red.

Furthermore, the Elks Lodge informed us that neither they nor us can have any raffles or 50:50s until each organization secures its own permit from the state and town of Ridgefield Park. This we will do.

Driven by these shortfalls, the EBoard voted unanimously to increase membership dues. The difficult part was deciding by how much. The EBoard debated this for months. In the end the majority decided that $40/year per family is reasonable and justifiable given the economy and all we hope to accomplish in the coming years. There will be a modest increase for Lifetime Membership - going from $350 to $400 per family. Hopefully, we will not have to increase dues again for another 30 years.

According to our By-Laws default in payment of dues for more than 30-days after written notice of non-payment will result in suspension of membership. Too much time and expense is wasted every year chasing down delinquent members. Which is unfair for our Membership Chair. So, the board may decide to impose a $10 late fee for those not renewing on time. Don't wait to find out.

Our plans for the money are evolving but for certain we need to buy new fishing rods, reels, etc. to support our Youth Angler Program. The heavy duty rods & reels capable of handling the 3 to 4 ounces of weight used to fish the tidal Hudson River need either major overhaul or outright replacement. We have never, to the best of my knowledge, had combos suitable for freshwater lakes, ponds & reservoirs either. So, that has to change if we want to provide a more enjoyable experience for children, veterans and newbies.

We also need to hire, at least for the short-term, an accountant to: 1.) correlate bank records with ours and 2.) be sure we are doing all that the IRS requires of a 501c3 non-profit organization. We will bring in a new CPA to file our annual tax returns. In today's litigious society it wouldn't hurt to have a lawyer on retainer either. We also want to design and provide tee-shirts and/or hats, free to members who help at our events so people know who we are. Speaking of events, we seriously need to improve our appearance at the outdoors shows. The HRFA booth is antiquated and a bear for volunteers to transport and set up. Also, its costs money to keep it in a storage facility. A smaller one will take up less space and maybe we can stop making those monthly payments.

Stick with us. We think you will see improvements.

The club has basic insurance to cover our events however, we also need to provide liability insurance to protect our Executive Board and Directors who voluntarily serve our club without monetary compensation. (Why do they volunteer? Because they enjoy it and believe in our missions.) This is an expense we never had before but having adequate coverage is prudent.

Speaking of insurance . . .

Our Membership Chair Arnie Ulrich reminded me that in addition to other benefits of membership in the NJ State Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs they offer $2 million liability coverage at no additional cost to their members. Membership is $40/year per person.

If you were at the December 13 meeting/sale then you would have heard and voted on the proposed slate of Executives & Directors for 2023. Since, members present voted in favor of the proposal, and there were no objections, it's a done deal. However, there are unfilled positions available. And we still need a slew of volunteers to keep the club running.

Lucky for us Aram's contributions and dedication to the HRFA will continue into the new year. The passing of Skip Wisniewski was a sad and unexpected loss for family, friends and the HRFA. When called upon Aram graciously agreed to give of his time and talents to pick up the mantel as our new Treasurer. He will also continue too work in the background updating our website https://thehrfa.org as needed. I am truly happy to have him on board.

According to HRFA By-Laws, we still need to draft and then elect two volunteers to fill-in open positions on the Executive Board: 1.) Assistant Treasurer and 2.) Secretary. If you are interested in learning the responsibilities and expectations of these positions please ask a board member.

Basically, we have too few members wearing too many hats. If you are looking to make a difference by volunteering in an organization that can use all the help it can get you may find it a very rewarding experience. Here are some other the other unmet needs:

the only thing missing is U

At first I did not think I had much to write about. Now, it seems I can continue to ramble on and on. Instead, let me just conclude this month's letter by wishing everyone a happy, heathy and prosperous new year. Let's make 2023 the best ever for the HRFA. Together we can do it!

- NYC Mayor Ed Koch

Email: president@theHRFA.org