articles from July, 2003 newsletter:
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President's Message
Summer is here, daylight lasts into the night, and as usual it is wonderful to be at Lake Vermilion. The weather has been great except that we need more RAIN. The lake level is still low. To see if there is something we can do about more water in the lake, John Zwieg, Gene Jenkins, and I met with Dana Gauthier, the Minnesota State Dam Specialist, at Vermilion Dam to see what can be done there. Dana probed the Dam and found some possible problems and he is going to send a man to take core samples to find out if there are weak spots or holes that allow the water to go under the dam. While there we learned a lot of history about the Dam and saw old pictures that enlightened us about it. The file they have goes back to the late 1 800s when the logging companies tried to raise the water level. We will have some pictures and information in future newsletters, and on our Website.
The big Bass Fishing Tournament is over and we are getting a lot of negative feedback about it, as we expected we would. Three other members of the Board and I had a meeting with Fortune Bay personnel and others with interests about fishing tournaments and the positive and negative aspects of them. There are some businesses in the area that do benefit from them.
The Sportsmen's Club does not have any authority to stop fishing tournaments. We do, however, think we are having some success in implementing some controls on
them by meeting with the sponsors and agencies, and people running them. We are getting excellent cooperation from Fortune Bay Resort on doing this. We would like to encourage our members who have complaints of specific instances to call the sponsors and/or the host facility. Be willing to give your name and where the incident happened, not something that someone else told you about.
The host for the event would like to know this. Also you can call the DNR about concerns to the fishery.
We have received some suggestions and ideas from people who are in some way connected with fishing tournaments that may be implemented with cooperation from sponsors and promoters. If any of our members have some positive and workable ideas, please share them with us. The DNR issues the permits and it is not the local DNR that issues them, so I think the only way to change their criteria is through LEGISLATION. We will keep you posted on what you as members may be able to do to help us.
The ANNUAL MEETING will be August 9 at Fortune Bay Resort. Look for more information about making reservations elswhere in this issue and plan to attend.
The revised bylaws are printed with this issue along with a ballot for your vote on them to become effective. Please return your ballot.
Have an enjoable and safe summer.
Ray Harris
e-mail: vermharr@msn.com
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35th ANNUAL MEETING at Fortune Bay Resort
Our 35th Annual Meeting and dinner is set for Saturday, August 9, at Fortune Bay Resort. This is the seventh year we have had the dinner meeting at Fortune Bay, and if you were among last year's attendees, you'll recall that the food was excellent, the room was comfortable and we had a great time. As in past years, the meeting will be held in the resort's second floor banquet room.
We're planning a social hour beginning at 5 p.m., followed by a 6 p.m. buffet. Dinner prices are $13.50 for adults and $7 for children age 12 and younger.
Please phone in your reservations by Monday, August 4. The following members will take your reservations: COOK: Vi Harris, 666-2300 or Cathy Raps, 666-5544. TOWER: Shirley Korpela, 753-3034, Julie Friesen, 753-2500 or Paula Bloczynski, 753-2107.
After dinner, the business meeting agenda will include a review of the past year's activities plus reports on day-use picnic sites, water quality, the annual loon count and the status of the comprehensive plan for the lake.
Election of board members is also part of the agenda, and this year we will be electing members to fill the 3-year board positions currently held by Pat Borgstrom, Willis Irons, Rick Pearson and John Zwieg. John Zwieg will be seeking re-election. The nominating committee will present candidates for the board positions of Pat Borgstrom, Willis Irons and Rick Pearson, and nominations from the floor will also be accepted.
The program following the business meeting will feature Andy Larson, President of the Tower-Soudan Historical Society and Bill Durbin, Lake Vermilion resident and author of The Broken Blade. Wintering and most recently Song of Sampo Lake.
Our caps and visors in NEW colors will be for sale at the meeting. Priced reasonably at $10 and $8, the caps and visors sport a new club logo and have been selling well at retail outlets around the lake. If you're interested in checking out the new caps and visors, look for Miller and Julie Friesen at the meeting.
There will also be a drawing for several prizes, including a trolling motor, fishing rods, framed eagle poster, sweatshirts, caps, cups and many others. Drawing tickets will be $1 and for sale only to those attending the dinner.
The club's annual dinner meeting is always casual come as you are in vacation attireand we'll plan to wrap up the evening in timely fashion so that our boat-access folks have plenty of daylight for their trip home.
This is our one get-together of the year and a good opportunity for members to bring up matters of personal concern regarding club business or problems around the lake.
We hope to see you on Saturday, August 9. Please mark your calendar, phone in your reservation and plan to join us at Fortune Bay Resort for the Sportsmen's Club 35th annual dinner meeting.
Paula Bloczynski
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A Relic of Early Days
Dateline: August 1, 1913 -- The bones of the first boat that sailed on Lake Vermilion, excepting canoes, lies on the bank of East Two Rivers, near the Cook and Ketchum sawmill, according to T.J. Walsh. She was the "Andrew Reefer", named after her builder, an old sailor who arrived on the Vermilion Range in the early days, and every nail in the craft was made by hand in a blacksmith shop, and every board was "whipsawed" at Tower. That was in 1882. T.J. Walsh, who was one of the pioneer residents of Tower, and is prominent in the present mine development work on this range, recently sought out the long neglected hull and removed a few of the hand made nails for souvenirs.
"I recall," said Mr Walsh, "that the boat was built by Andrew Reefer, who named it after himself. The lumber was whipsawed by Peter Jordan and Bob McCoy. The nails that were used in constructing the boat were made by Andy White, in his blacksmith shop at Tower, from iron procured from the then abandoned mining plant at Gold Island in Lake Vermilion. The boat was about 20 feet in length and 8-foot beam. She was built in the summer of 1882."
Submitted by Walt and Ruth Aronson, who thought it might be an interesting short story for the Vermilion Sportsman.
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Letters to the Editor
Sportsmen's Club of Lake Vermilion
Attention: Mr. Ray Harris, President
Dear Mr. Harris,
I have fished smallies on Lake Vermilion for 30 years and have practiced "catch and release" for the past 25.1 have watched the lake recover from the pasting it took during the early In Fishermen years of the '70s and '80s.
I was one of the founders, and Past President, of the MN Sportfishing Congress, and spent many years working for better fishing. We were responsible for getting the experimental and special regulations that we are all benefitting from today. I also am Past President of the Fish and Wildlife Legislative Alliance.
I live near Lake Minnetonka which is the poster child for what can happen when fishing tournaments run amuck. For a while an average angler couldn't go out on Minnetonka without running into a bass tournament or hundreds of boats pre-fishing for the next contest. It seemed like every week there was a tournament. l found other lakes to fish, but soon, the tournaments caught up to them. l am playing more golf.
From what I have seen this year, Lake Vermilion is headed down the same path as Minnetonka. As you know, Lake Vermilion, being a shield lake, has a much more fragile fishery. The fish grow slower and don't have the cover that our southern lakes have. l doubt that it can take the constant pounding that it seems to be headed for. Also, walleyes and smallies don't stand up to being hauled around in a livewell during hot weather.
My most recent fishing trip to the big lake was May 27 thru 30. There was one to three 20 foot bass boats on every one of our regular spots. it wasn't even a tournament! They were pre-fishing for the next tournament!!!!! We stopped at the Casino and were told that there were 175 boats participating.
From the last issue of "The Vermilion Sportsman" I see that there are nine tournaments scheduled for this open water season. With the attendant pre-fishing, the lake is going to seem as if it has been whipped up by a Mixmaster!! If my Minnetonka experience holds, the people who actually are putting money into the local economy are going elsewhere eventually. I'm not going to spend my $3,000 for a week's vacation to have a miserable time while on the lake. At that point I'll go somewhere else to fish, or play (heaven forbid!!!) golf!
There are other issues; cheating, importation of exotic species from all over the country, making money off the resource without putting anything back in, harm to the local economy, heavy traffic, safety, harm to the resource, mortality, etc.
Let's wake up and prevent the ruin of "The Vermilion Experience"!!!!!
Sincerely, Rick Dyer 6070 Brand Circle, Excelsior, MN 55331 Ph: 952-474-7160 suerickdyer@isd.net
P.S. Am sending a letter to the editor of Outdoor News from Frank Schneider who has a cabin on Black Bay and has done more for Minnesota anglers than anyone, bar none!!!
TO THE EDITOR:
At the May 27, 2003 meeting of the Breitung Town Board, Rudy Schoolderman of the Arrowhead Regional Development Commission presented the working draft of the Lake Vermilion Management Plan. Though both local newspapers reported on the meeting, only the Tower News printed statements by a Mr. WesleyAnderson. He repeated the statements at the June 11,2003, meeting of the Steering Committee in Tower. The Tower News reported in the May 30, 2003 edition that:
"Mr. Anderson next questioned the rationale for taking input from the Sportsmen's Club of Lake Vermilion. "They are the biggest polluters of the lake," he stated emphatically, explaining that the Club introduced muskies to Lake Vermilion. "They don't belong in the lakeand now we have muskie fishing contests!"
Mr. Anderson's statements, if not refuted, might be accepted as true by others reading the news article and cause them to believe that the Sportsmen's Club of Lake Vermilion is guilty of destroying the quality of the lake.
In fact, the SCLV did not introduce muskies into Lake Vermilion! A 1915 vintage land sales brochure touted the wall-eyed pike and the muskellunge as the premier fish species in Lake Vermilion. It also mentioned that lake trout and bass could be found in bordering lakes an easy portage away. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has the ONLY authority to stock and monitor the fishery. However, since muskies were already present, the DNR could not have introduced them to the lake.
The SCLV is dedicated to preserving and improving the water quality. Volunteers collect and have analyzed water samples five times each summer to monitor the water quality on an ongoing basis.
The SCLV promotes boating safety. The SCLV buys, and volunteers maintain, a series of navigation lights throughout the lake to assist safer night travel on the lake. These ARE NOT hazard markers!
The SCLV takes loon counts on the lake each summer. Volunteers make this count and keep records to determine if our state bird is increasing or decreasing and reporting these results to wildlife specialists.
The SCLV maintains several picnic sites around the lake with docks and picnic tables for anyone to use and enjoy.
The SCLV awards scholarships to students from Cook and Tower who plan on pursuing an environmentally related career.
The SCLV assists the DNR each spring at the Pike River Hatchery. Suckers trapped during the spawning run are sold, with the proceeds split between the club and DNR.
The DNR stocks walleyes taken from Lake Vermilion back into Lake Vermition every year besides providing stock for other lakes, namely Red Lake.
The DNR monitors fish population every year. If muskies affect other fish species (walleyes, bass, northerns), then it would show their population going constantly downward. Anyone interested may stop by the DNR offices in Tower and get the 2002 fish census report for some interesting facts.
Anyone reading this letter who is not already a member is invited to join a fine organization and join in our efforts to promote and protect Lake Vermilion You may contact our Membership Chair: Cathy Raps, P.O. Box 456, Cook, MN 55723.
I also want to thank Mr. Anderson for the opportunity to tout the SCLV.
Sincerely, Walt Moe SCLV Board Member
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Spotlight on Northwoods Legends
One hundred years ago, in 1903, the Wright Brothers made the first powered flight in human history. For the next 50 or 60 years, f!ying was an adventure that captured the imagination. Even people who would spend their lives with both feet firmly on the ground marveled at the feats of Charles Lindberg and the Red Baron and other pioneers. It wasn't long before people were paying for airplane rides, and from there it wasn't far to commercial aviation. Even then, flying was a great adventure. Planes flew at lower altitudes and slower speeds, and a flight over a particularly beautiful place like the Grand Canyon was a wonderful treat.
Somewhere along the way, most of the fun went out of flying. Higher speeds and altitudes made an airplane seem like a weird subway caryou could look out the windows, but you couldn't see much. Hijackings, then terrorism, forced security measures that took away what pleasure remained. Today we focus on the destination, not the joyless process of getting there.
One tiny remnant of flying purely for the joy of the flight remains, right here on Lake Vermilion. Here you can skim the treetops, catching a glimpse now and then of moose or wolves, or rise high enough to finally grasp the size and beauty of Lake Vermilion. You don't have to be a pilotyou just have to know one. So let me introduce you to Bud and Irene Van Deusen, pilots extraordinaire who can give you the gift of flight.
In the early 1980s, Bud was running his family's heating oil business in Walkill, New York. He married Irene, a local farm girl, and they ran the business together. In 1983, Bud went for his first ride in a small plane, and got the flying bug. In one of those perfectly timed coincidences that change our lives, Bud inherited some money from "Aunt Cora," an elderly neighbor Bud had helped with yard work for many years. He and Irene used the money to buy a Cessna 180.
The plane was for fun, not business, and they joined a Cessna owners group that held fly-in picnics all over the country. One was at Tower, Minnesota, and the Van Deusens liked Tower so much they kept coming back. Finally, in 1996, they decided to move to Tower. They still hadn't made the leap from airplane-as-hobby to airplaneas-business, but when they settled in Tower, they learned that Dick Peil, who had given airplane rides around the area for many years, had died. Bud and Irene enjoyed flying so much that they were soon giving people rides, filling the void left by Piel, and this grew into a business. By 1998, the business had grown to the point that they added a second plane, a 5-passenger Cessna 206.
Today Bud and Irene do everything from charters to tours. Theirs is the only service in this area that can economically deliver a single canoe and a couple of paddlers to one of the designated landing areas in the Quetico Provincial Park, allowing canoeists to start in the far north and canoe down into the BWCA. They regularly pick up passengers in Duluth or the Twin Cities and bring them to their cabins on Lake Vermilion, combining a timesaving trip with the enjoyment of a close-up look at Northern Minnesota.
Tourists remain a big part of the business. The Van Deusens call at about 40 resorts every week during the summer, offering 20-minute rides for $30. They visit resorts on Pelican Lake on Tuesdays, lakes in the Ely area on Wednesdays, and Lake Vermilion on Thursdays. Whether it's fishermen looking for promising structure or visitors who want to get the big picture, Bud and Irene can accommodate just about any interest. If you're hungry, they offer a package that includes a flight to Crane Lake, where their passengers can dine at Nelson's Resort, one of the best fine dining establishments in the area. On the return flight, they fly along the Echo Trail, a corridor through the Boundary Waters where low-level flights are allowed. Their passengers frequently sight moose feasting on the vegetation in area lakes. Some people just like to go "moose spotting," and their batting average for finding moose is way over .500.
It isn't all fun and flying, of course. Airplanes, especially when used in a business, must be maintained to very high standards at all times. Bud is a licensed aircraft mechanic, allowing him to perform all of Van Air's maintenance. This is more than just a cost-saver to the business. Both Bud and Irene are so thoroughly versed in the mechanical aspects of their planes that they recognize - even tiny problems very quickly, and can take care of them immediately.
In spite of all the work, when you talk with Bud and Irene, it's obvious that their love of flying has survived undimmed. The Van Deusens tell about flying older people over areas they can no longer get to, while they tell stories about their experiences to their children and grandchildren. And they've heard a few howlers. One woman, flying with Bud on a day with just enough wind to set up a nice "walleye chop," asked Bud what kind of fish those were on the surface. Bud said, "Oh, those are just whitecaps." "Oh," she said, "And are they good eating?"
Whether you're looking for a great fishing spot, or a moose, or just want to see what your place looks like from a few hundred feet up, a flight with Bud and Irene Van Deusen is a pleasure not to be missed. Take your camera.
Tom Morrow
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LAKESHORE RESTORATION PROJECT
One Year Later.
Last summer we restored a 30' x 50' area of our lakeshore to native plants with help of many wonderful peopte and Mary Blickenderfer of the University of Minnesota Extension Service. Last fall was very dry and winter had very little snowcover to speak of and below zero temperatures. Thus, l didn't have high expectations.
Mary suggested that l leave the dried remnants of the plants so I would recognize them when they came up this spring. Great idea! So come May the first plants up were the Black-eyed Susans. It turned out to be an everyday adveriture to see what plants would come up next. l think a few of the plants that l let bloom last year didn't come up. A lesson to learnfirst year pick all the blooms off the plants so the root structure can establish itself well. Some of the plants are still emerging. One of my favorite cranberry bushes came back fine, but the other one had a lot of dead branches. The ferns we transplanted from our back lot area are doing beautifully in the shady area.
Weed picking has started for the first time. We need to pick for only a few years and then the native plants should dominate and keep the weeds at bay. The area where Roundup and wood chips were used is very manageable, but the area where just wood chips were used is getting a little out of control. My fault! Like we saidShoreland Restoration is still an infant science. It would have been better to leave a narrower strip of about 5' along the shore. So, I have my exercise cut out for me. The yellow long-stemmed Buttercups are taking over everything, so I will have to control them or they may control the yard.
May also found us transferring a few plants I found in the woods to our restored areanamely Star flowers and purple Violets. We also planted s~me Hedge Roses and Cherry trees that we purchased from the South St. Louis Soil and Water Conservation District. Our neighbor says I will be bringing in the bears, but I reassured him I would talk to the bears and tell them to leave the trees alone so the birds would have first choice. He just laughed! Guess what hubby Walt got for Father's Day?! I found a lovely American Cranberry bush at a local nursery and couldn't resist. l at least dug the hole for him to plant it in. Just what he always wanted!
We have heard that a graduate student at the University of Minnesota is doing a paper comparing the amount of nutrients introduced into a lake through a natural or restored lakeshore as opposed to lakeshore that has had all vegetation replaced by lawn down to the lakefront. This should be very enlightening to a lot of concerned people.
A word about the Soil and Water Conservation Districts. Each county has at least one. St. Louis County has a South and a North District. The South is located in Duluth and the North is located in Virginia. For more information about their tree planting program and to get on their mailing list you may contact the North St. Louis Soil and Water Conservation District at (218) 741 -3230.
HAPPY FLOWER DISCOVERIES, Marcie Moe
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Weather re-cap for the winter of 2000/2003
April 6, 2003 -- I am changing the format this year to make a shorter report. The data for this year will be compared to the averages for the past six years with specific comparisons to extremes.
|
Month/yr.
|
Avg. T
|
In. Water
|
In. Snow
|
Max. Snow Depth - In.
|
Days below zero
|
|
Nov. 6-yr. avg.
|
30.57
|
1.81
|
10.38
|
5.80
|
1
|
|
Nov. 02
|
23.85
|
1.52
|
4.12
|
4.00
|
5
|
|
Dec. 6-yr. avg.
|
14.16
|
.92
|
10.75
|
7.91
|
9
|
|
Dec. 02
|
17.94
|
.72
|
4.37
|
6.00
|
10
|
|
Jan. 6-yr. avg.
|
12.13
|
.79
|
11.70
|
12.16
|
14
|
|
Jan. 03
|
6.92
|
1.27
|
3.84
|
6.50
|
19
|
|
Feb. 6-yr. avg.
|
17.66
|
.83
|
8.16
|
14.91
|
9
|
|
Feb. 03
|
7.13
|
.42
|
6.17
|
10.00
|
18
|
|
Mar. 6-yr. avg.
|
26.26
|
1.31
|
8.95
|
13.54
|
5
|
|
Mar. 03
|
24.27
|
.67
|
7.95
|
10.50
|
11
|
You will notice that the monthly Avg. T was lower than the average for every month except December, the inches of water were lower for every month except January, and the snowfall was lower than average for every month.
This winter had the second lowest total in both inches of water and inches of snow. As follows:
02/03 -- inches of water was 4.6
99/00 -- inches of water was 3.14
02/03 -- inches of snow was 26.4599/00 -- inches of snow was 23.04
There was a total of 63 days this winter with the low temperatures below zero. The previous low total days below zero was 53 in the winter of 00/01. The difference this year is that while it was not the coldest winter we have had, it was the most consistently cold throughout the winter.
The lake froze over on Nov.14, three weeks earlier than last year. The thickness of the ice was measured as follows: Dec.1 - 6 in., Jan 1 -17.5 in., Feb.16 - 25.5 in., March 12 - 37 in., April 6 - 31.5 in. The 37-inch ice thickness on March 12 was the thickest ice I have measured since coming here in 1989. This is further indication of the low snowcover along with consistently cold weather. There were 11 of the first 14 days of March with temperatures below zero and the coldest day of the winter was -30 degrees on March 5.
The final conclusion for this winter is the same as last year. There will not be an early ice-out and we will again need some heavy rains to bring the lake level back to normal. It was low going into winter and we had a very dry winter with little snowfall.
P.K. Edwards
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Picnic Sites
By John Zwieg
Warm weather, sunshine, and the call of the loons lure us outdoors for a picnic at this time of the year.
Several crews have been busy getting picturesque sites ready for your enjoyment on the lake. At the new spot in Norwegian Bay: Ray Harris, John Zwieg, Milt Legg, and Bucky Flankey recently built new steps to make access easier to the table site. The Forest Service will soon be installing a new table at the older Norwegian Bay site. This area provides a spectacular sunset view!
The Wolf Point site has had repair and update work done by Mal Berg and his father-in-law Dean Nelson.
Although weather plays a large part in the continual maintenance of these sites, we can all do our part to ensure the beauty of these picnic areas by remembering the LEAVE NO TRACE ethic and also to promptly report anything that needs attention to the Sportsmen's Club. All five picnic sites are listed on the Lake Vermilion Sportsmen's Club web site along with GPS coordinates. If you haven't already taken advantage of a great
Lake Vermilion picnic, try ityou are in for a wonderful treat.
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Help us monitor for Zebra Mussels by John Zwieg
Two invasive exotic species that we are on the lookout for in Lake Vermilion are the zebra mussel and Eurasian watermilfoil. Watermilfoil is a submersed, rooted, perennial herb whose stems grow 3-10 feet (sometimes as much as 33 feet in length) forming thick mats below the surface that can interfere with boating, swimming and fishing. It thrives in areas of natural or manmade disturbances.
Zebra mussels are thumbnail-sized mollusks that form dense clusters that attach to hard surfaces such as underwater rocks and boat bottoms. They then filter water and consume the plankton that small fish and other aquatic life depend on. By wiping out plankton and depleting oxygen, the zebra mussel can hurt the entire fish population of a lake.
Several years ago Steve Towle (former SCLV board member) started checking for the presence of zebra mussels in Lake Vermilion. He submersed a PVC tube at the end of docks and simply lifted it periodically to see if any mussels were attached. The Sportsmen's Club has several of these "traps" to loan to anyone willing to check their area of the lake for mussels. West end may contact John Zwieg at 666-5008, East end may contact Bob Wilson at 753-5544.
At this time NO zebra mussels or watermilfoil have been detected in Lake Vermilion.
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Sportsmen's Club seeks to update bylaws
Over the past several years, the Board of Directors has come to realize that the current bylaws do not allow it to adequately address new challenges facing the Club and Lake Vermilion in the 21 st century. The Board, therefore, decided to create a committee to re-evaluate them and recommend changes. The committee has worked diligently to draft new language which more clearly defines the mission of the Club and gives it the tools to continue being an effective force for the protection of Lake Vermilion. The Board approved the proposed bylaw changes at its April meeting and voted to present them to the membership for approval. In accordance with current bylaws, the new proposed bylaws are published in this issue of the "Vermilion Sportsman" (below) along with a mail-in ballot (below) which gives current Club members the opportunity to vote for or against the proposed changes. The results of the election will then be published in the next issue.
Questions or comments should be addressed to Dale Lundblad - Vice President; e-mail address: DaleLundblad~ LakeVermilion.com.
In addition to revising the bylaws, the Board decided that is was desirable for the Club to have a mission statement and instructed the committee to draft appropriate language.
Sportsmen's Club of Lake Vermilion
Mission Statement
To promote and enhance the outdoor experience of Lake Vermilion for present and future generations.
To protect and improve the water quality of Lake Vermilion.
To educate Club members and the public regarding issues which impact Lake Vermilion.
By-Laws of the Sportsmen's Club of Lake Vermilion
Cook/Tower, MN
Draft (Amended March, 2003)
Article 1, Name and Purpose
Section 1 -- The name of this organization shall be the SPORTSMEN'S CLUB OF LAKE VERMILION, INC., Cook/Tower, MN
Section 2 -- The Sportsmen's Club of Lake Vermilion, Inc. is hereby organized for the following purposes:
1. To promote and enhance the outdoor experience of Lake Vermilion for present and future generations by:
a. Maintaining and improving the Lake Vermilion fishery
b. Promoting "Catch & Release"
c. Promoting safe boating practices
d. Establishing and maintaining a Night Navigational Aid System
e. Establishing and maintaining shore lunch/ picnic sites
f. Monitoring and protecting area wildlife
2. To protect and improve the water quality of Lake Vermilion by:
a. Monitoring water quality in cooperation with interested government agencies
b. Promoting shoreline preservation and re-vegetation
c. Monitoring exotic species and preventing their spread
d. Promoting sound conservation practices i the Lake Vermilion watershed
3. To educate Club members and the public regarding issues which impact Lake Vermil ion by:
a. Publishing a periodic newsletter and distributing it to Club members and the public
b. Maintaining an internet website containing previously published newsletters and othe' information about the Club and Lake Vermilion
c. Publishing news releases and articles pertaining to Club activities in other publications
Article 11, Membership
Section 1 -- Membership is open to any interested person(s), business or organization who subscribes to the purposes of this organization as outlined in Article 1, Section 2.
Article 111, Dues, Termination and Annual Meeting
Section 1 - Dues
Annual membership dues shall be paid by following categories:
Single membership
Couple membership
Family membership (includes depedent children)
Business/organization membership
Dues are payable January 1 of each year, not later than the date of the Annual Meeti Dues shall be established and revised fror to time by the Board of Directors, publishe the newsletter, and approved by a majority the members in attendance at the annual meeting.
Section 2 - Termination
Membership automatically terminates il are not received by the Club Membersi Manager on or before the date of the A Meeting.
Section 3 - Annual Meeting
The Annual Meeting shall be held in early August of each year. The date and locatior be at the discretion of the President with tt approval of the Board of Directors. The da and location will be decided prior to and ar pounced in the summer edition of the offici newspaper of the Club as well as local newspapers.
Article IV, Selection of Directors, Officers and Their Duties
Section 1 - Election of Directors
Directors of the Sportsmen's Club shall b~ elected for a three (3) year term at the An Meeting by the membership present. (Tw' directors total, four directors elected each
Section 2 - Election Of Officers
The Directors shall select from within thei the following five officers: President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Men ship Manager. These officers, when sele~ shall serve for two (2) years. Consideration should be given to those candidates who able to attend meetings year around.
Section 3 - Duties of the President
The President shall preside over all meet the Sportsmen's Club and of the Board o Directors and shall perform all duties inci that office.
Section 4 - Duties of the Vice-President
The Vice-President shall act in the abs' the President or other Officer of the Board
Section 5 - Duties of the Secretary
The Secretary shall conduct all the official correspondence, maintain accurate recor' the proceedings of the Club and preserve documents and communications that may employed by the Club. At the expiration Ol term of office, they shall deliver to the Boc Directors, all documents and papers that, property of the Club.
Section 6 - Duties of the Treasurer
The Treasurer will manage the Club's business affairs including its financial papers, com records, insurance policies, equipment ir ries, etc. Responsibilities also include de ing moneys in the Club's selected bank c other Board approved financial institutior paying bills as approved by the Board ar presenting the current financial status of Club at each Board meeting.
Section 7 - Duties of the Membership Manager
The Membership Manager will handle Club membership renewals, deposit incoming membership dues, maintain membership records and/or manage the service bure, updating the database of membership records.
Section 8 - Distribution of Directors
No more than six (6) Directors shall be fn either end of Lake Vermilion. For this purpose, the lake will be approximately divided by north-south line drawn at the Frazer Bay
Section 9 - Resignation of Directors
Any Officer or Director shall make I resignation in writing to the Secretary.
Section 10 - Appointments
The Board of Directors shall have the authority to appoint directors to fill vacancies until th next Annual Meeting, at which time the vacancy shall be filled by election from the Club me bership.
Section 11 - Removal of Directors
The Directors shall, at their discretion and by a 2/3 majority vote, have the right to remove any Director from the Board if they determine said Director has acted in a manner which violates the By-Laws or, otherwise, compromises the reputation of the Club. For example, acts which could discredit the Club may include but are not limited to: misdemeanor or felony conviction, misappropriation of Club funds, conviction on violation of fish and game regulations, conviction on violation of boating regulations. The Directors shall also have the right to remove any Director from the Board if said Director is absent from more than four (4) scheduled Board meetings in a 12-month period.
Article V, Government
Section 1 - Operation
The operation and direction of the Club shall be vested in the Board of Directors.
Section 2 - Annual Financial Accounting
Prior to each Annual Meeting, the book. Club shall be examined by an independ accountant and the report shall be give' membership at the Annual Meeting.
Section 3 - Publication
The official newspaper of the Club shall be called "The Vermilion Sportsman."
Section 4 - Meeting
The Board of Directors shall meet the second Wednesday of each month, or as called by the President. The location of the meeting to alternate between sites on each end of Lake Vermilion.
Section 5 - Reimbursement
At the discretion of the Board of Directors, Board member or Club member may be reimbursed expenses incurred on behalf of thc
Section 6 - Presentation
Any person or group wishing to address any Club meeting shall first seek permission from the Board of Directors.
Section 7 - Resolutions
A resolution offered at the Annual Meeting be made in writing to the Board of Directo member shall read or offer for action any or communication without first making a 9 statement on the subject.
Section 8 - Amendments to the By-Laws
Any resolution offered to amend the Byshall be made in writing by any member Board of Directors. Said resolution shall discussed by the Board of Directors and municated to the membership through publication in "The Vermilion Sportsman." Said resolution shall then be discussed and voted upon at the next Annual Meeting.
Section 9 - Balloting
All matters coming before the Club members and requiring a vote shall be handled by voice vote or show of hands unless there is a request for a paper ballot. Only active members shall be allowed to vote. Voting representation shall be as follows: three (3) votes with family membership; two (2) votes with couple membership; one (1) vote with single membership; and (1) vote with business or organization membership.
Section 10 - Parliamentary Rules
The proceedings of the Club shall be gov according to the latest edition of Robert's of Order.
Section 11 - Nomination for Directors
The President shall appoint a nominating committee consisting of the Secretary and members of the Board of Directors to sub' nominees for the Board. Nominations will be accepted from the floor at the Annual Meeting. Election by voice vote, show of hands or paper ballot shall be made at the Annual Meeting.
Article Vl, Establishment and Maintenance of Night Navigational Aid System on Lake Vermilion
Section 1 - Purpose
The purpose of the Night Navigational Aid System shall be to promote night boating on Lake Vermilion by placing an appropriate number of blinking yellow lights along the boat routes of the lake. Boaters can use tl lights, the locations of which will be displa upon the official boating maps as referenc points for marine navigation. This system lights shall not indicate the locations of ha
Section 2 - Equipment
A committee comprised of members of the Board of Directors shall make recommend to the Board as to the types of lights, mou and batteries which would be most effec)i efficient to operate. The Board shall choose highest quality, most dependable equipment available to insure the effectiveness of the Navigational Aid System and shall approp adequate funding, within budgetary const to purchase said equipment.
Section 3 - Placement
The above mentioned committee shall, to the best of their ability, make recommendati the Board as to the most appropriate lor for said lights. Special care shall be taken to avoid placing the lights in such a way th boaters could encounter known hazards when traveling between two lights in a staight Any changes in lighting placement shall advised to publisher(s) of area map(s).
Section 4 - Maintenance
The above mentioned committee shall present to the Board a systematic and discipline program of maintenance for said lights. Said Night Navigational Aid System shall be in operation from May 1 through October 1 during as much of this period that the la free of ice or is safely navigable.
Section 5 - Responsibility
The Board of Directors shall give said committee the authority and necessary funding, within budgetary constraints, to carry out the establishment, monitoring and maintenance of said Night Navigational Aid System. Said committee shall be responsible for the operation of said system.
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