ETHIC

03/29/2023

Always hunting for Help!

Where can I find youth that needs someone to take them hunting, fishing or just enjoy the outdoors?
ETHIC pairs mentors with youth that want to experience these types of activities. Last year when my brother and I found out that we both drew our Montana elk tags, I knew that I would have to find a trusted person to take my son deer hunting during the youth portion here in Missouri. I find it hard to fully trust a stranger to take my son hunting, so I knew finding someone I could be sure of, would be a difficult task. It just so happened that the father of my sons girlfriend had previously taught the Hunters Safety Course, and volunteered to take my son deer hunting.

As I look back on all the hunting trips that I relied on someone else to take my son, I ask myself if he would have ever become the outdoorsman that he is today without those mentors. That is why we believe that if we are allowed to mentor youth in our organization’s activities, we can preserve the future of conservation.

Our organization serves Missouri youth, but we strive to make this a nationwide program. We foresee that the demand for applicants will outnumber the mentors available. Therefore, it’s our goal to enlist as many mentors and volunteers as possible. Here in Missouri, anyone age 15 and younger (resident or nonresident) may fish and hunt (except deer and turkey) without a permit. Youth who are not hunter education certified must hunt in the immediate presence of a properly licensed adult hunter age 18 or older who has a valid hunter-education card or was born before Jan. 1, 1967.

At ETHIC, we require all of our mentors to have a full understanding and additional training in the activities they are mentoring. We educate participants in practices that will ensure the safe conduct of the organization’s activities. ETHIC is devoted to providing a safe arena for educating youth on their responsibility. We teach them to make a conscious effort to conduct ethical practices while enjoying outdoor sporting and recreational activities. We consider these practices to remain at the forefront of preserving a habitat’s wholeness for the enjoyment of future recreational activities.

Please contact us if you are interested in becoming a registered mentor or volunteer with our organization.

03/05/2023

ETHIC hosted a couple of coyote hunts this weekend. Gavin, was able to successfully bag his first coyote ever. Predator control is a big part of maintaining a healthy balance in wildlife populations. I would like to give a shout out to Kelby Languell for assisting ETHIC in making this weekend’s hunt possible.

03/03/2023

From One Nonprofit to Another

What’s a good youth organization to donate to?
When donating to an organization, you want your money to be used to its fullest potential to benefit the cause. We know that every organization has a budget, and within that they have operating expenses. In order for an organization to effectively make the most of the donators money, the organization needs to maintain low overhead.

Here at ETHIC we strive to be rated at the highest levels of nonprofit grading scales. We believe in making the most of the donations received by using no less than 75% directly to our mission. We remain vigilant to maintain a budget that operates on 25% or less. If you are looking for a nonprofit that will get the biggest bang for your buck, you have found it. Let me share a story of why we believe there is a definite demand for an organization like ours.

Each year my wife and I donate time, labor, and money to our local community center for events that raise money for charitable purposes. Her and I usually volunteer for simple tasks or functions within each event, but last summer was much different. When a sudden illness, kept our communities main organizer from participating, my wife and I felt the need to contribute more than we had previous years.

As hours of labor turned into days of preparation for the community center’s annual picnic, I had minimal time for recreational activities. When my son Cody and his friend Gavin asked me if I could take them squirrel hunting, it hurt me to tell them no. My commitment to the community had taken precedence over these activities, so once again, I called my number one resource for taking my son and his friends hunting.
I am extremely blessed to have an older brother that’s willing to take my son hunting or fishing when I am unavailable. On numerous occasions he has filled that role, but not every one has a resource like that. This example is just another reason why we truly believe in our organization. We desire to be the trusted resource that can fulfill a youth’s desire to participate in the many activities we offer.

If you want to donate to a premium organization and believe in our mission like we do, than we suspect that ETHIC is the place for you.

03/03/2023

Big Fish Outweigh Traumatic Experiences

Can fishing help improve mental health?
Absolutely! ETHIC believes taking a child/youth fishing or having them participate in outdoor sporting activities can positively impact their mental health. Here is a story to support our belief.

After I retired from the Military, I had plenty of extra time to enjoy the outdoor activities I loved. Most of my friends were still working full-time, so I needed a new fishing buddy. After giving it some thought, I decided to take my friend’s 6 year old son, Bentley, on a fishing trip. I mean, why not? Bentley was going to be out of school, and both of his parents had to work. Now, he had been fishing before, but this trip was special because Bentley had never fished from a boat. My boat was nothing to get excited about, but that didn’t matter to him. He was more excited to experience something new, and I’m here to tell you his experience was one he’ll never forget.

As we pulled up to the lake, I could feel Bentley’s excitement grow. It was a little windy, but the sun was shining and I knew the fish would be biting. After putting on our life vests, we launched the boat, parked the truck, and away we went. As we made way across the lake we spotted something and someone in the water. This was concerning to me, because this particular lake did not allow swimming. The closer we got the more concerned Bentley and I both became. It was a sail boat with a four foot keel that had flipped over, and its captain was in the water. At this point I knew fishing would have to wait because I now felt the responsibility to undergo a rescue mission.

Now imagine yourself as a six year old boy that has never been out on the water and how traumatic this was for him. As we got to the overturned boat, its captain tells me that there’s a bunch of tree tops and stumps just under the water’s surface that overturned his sail boat. Bentley starts thinking that we are in danger of flipping over, because he did not understand the circumstances with the sail boat. You see, I already knew about all the standing timber because that is where I usually caught most of my fish, but i didn’t tell the other captain that. Instead, I threw him a rope, and per his request, we towed him out into deeper water to assist him with uprighting his boat. Let me tell you, this was not an easy task, especially with the wind blowing the way it was, but we finally got it squared away, and he assured us he was good to sail back to the docks.

At this point, Bentley is starting to cry a little, and I am doing my best to reassure him everything’s good. As we pull away, the other captain gets back into trouble and flips his boat again. That immediately sends Bentley into a full-on panic. There is nothing I can say at this point to convince him that we are not going to flip, and I’m thinking to myself that this kid will never step foot on another boat again. After uprighting the sailboat and towing it back to safety, I somehow convinced Bentley to calm down and at least try to fish. Bentley agrees to try to catch ONE fish and then calling it a day. This is where we learn that certain positive experiences have the ability to outweigh the traumatic ones.

As Bentley sets the hook on his first cast and reels in a crappie, the mood immediately changes. I ask him if he is ready to go back to the docks and call it a day, but something has changed his mind. Bentley wants to catch FIVE more fish before we go. Well, it didn’t take long for him to successfully land five more crappie in the boat. At this point, he’s having the time of his life and no longer wants to leave. After baiting his hook with another minnow, he casts it out, and his rod immediately doubles over. He is now in a difficult battle with something that requires much larger equipment. As I hear the familiar sound of monofilament snapping and see his rod straighten, I notice his jaw dropped, eyes wide open, and legs shaking. Bentley looked up at me and said, “Big Mamma”.

As we finished out the rest of the live bait in the bucket and motored back to the docks, I realized the roller coaster of emotions that Bentley had just experienced. I started to wonder if this would ultimately be a pleasant outing for him, or one that would make him leery of fishing anywhere other than the banks of a farm pond. As I returned Bentley home, I listened closely to him tell his mom the story of how his fishing trip went. Surprisingly enough, he recalled the events just as they had happened but spent more time focusing on the fishing part than the rescue. I feel like I built a pretty strong bond with Bentley that day, and every time were together, he still talks about going back out after “Big Mamma”. He still remembers the sailboat rescue, but it didn’t seem to leave any lasting trauma, because we continue to go after “the one that got away”.

Multiple studies show that fishing has a positive impact on a persons mental health. These studies have shown that fishing decreases the bodies Cortisol levels (the stress hormone). These effects can last well beyond the fishing trip. I hope that this trip taught Bentley to move past obstacles and challenges and to become more resilient when life gets tough. There are many things we can learn from this experience, but the moral of the story is if you and your new fishing buddy are going to rescue inexperienced sailors, make sure the fish are biting.

03/03/2023

Conception of ETHIC

Is there anyone that can take my son/daughter hunting, fishing, camping, and boating?

At ETHIC, we understand the different scenarios of why you may need someone else to take your son/daughter to experience one of these activities. The whole concept of our organization started because my military obligations didn’t always allow time for me to take my son out to enjoy the activities that he and I are so passionate about.

I have been an avid outdoorsman since I was a child. Taught by my father and older brother, I fell in love with all things related to wildlife. Once I became a father, I understood my responsibility to pass on the outdoor sporting traditions long held by our ancestors. The spring after my son turned six, I anxiously purchased a youth spring turkey permit. As the season grew nearer, we honed our turkey calling skills, patterned the shotgun, and secured permission to some private land with a decent population of long beards.

Two days before the opening morning of youth season, I received a call to report for military duty. As my heart sank into the depths of my stomach, I realized the need for a trusted organization that could help complete my son’s ambitions of becoming a skilled outdoorsman. Since then, I have missed many hunting and fishing trips with my son to fulfill my military obligations. I am now retired from the military and have a strong desire to provide such trusted services for future generations to come.

Luckily, I have a resource that I could rely on to take my son on an outing when my schedule did not allow it. Since my retirement, I have had the opportunity to take several youths on their first fishing, hunting, camping, and float trips. I am so grateful to be the founder of an organization that can provide these experiences.

03/03/2023

03/02/2023

Do you know a youth between ages 6-15, that are wanting to go hunting, fishing, camping, boating, or participate in other outdoor sporting and recreational activities?
Perfect, you have come to the right place because that is exactly what our organization specializes in. We currently serve youth in Missouri that wants to experience those types of activities free of charge.

What does ETHIC do exactly?
We are a nonprofit organization with a mentorship program for youth participants, whose guardians lack the time, experience, or financial abilities to fulfill such experiences.

Why is there a need for an organization that provides such services?
We know all too well that adulthood comes with a load of responsibilities that can consume a great majority of time, and money. We also understand that you may not have experience in, or even know how to get them involved. That’s where we step in. ETHIC believes that every child should be able to have the chance to experience one of the great activities that we offer. That is why we provide these services free, to youth from age 6 through 15.

How do we get a youth participant signed up for this program? https://ethicnp.org/sign-up/
Simply fill out the application and submit it. ETHIC will review each application and our Board of Directors will select participants based off the organizations current budget and staffing assets. Once the participant has been selected, ETHIC will reach out to the guardians to discuss further details and set up a time and date to conduct an activity. We pride ourselves on educating our participants on safe practices while conducting our activities. At ETHIC, we consider our participants to be a “Heroes In Conservation”. We feel that our youth participants will play an important role in maintaining effective conservation efforts for future sustainability.

What if I don’t know a youth that is interested, but I want to volunteer?
Simply, contact us to discuss your experience, and we will try to get you any additional training required to volunteer.

What if I don’t want to volunteer, but I would like to donate to the organization?
Too easy, with the click of a couple buttons you’ll have the option of donating one time, or monthly. We understand that not everyone wants to donate online, so we also accept checks or money. No donation is too small. (Our Website is currently under construction, so we will only be accepting checks or money orders at this time.) Please mail donations to the following address:

ETHIC
4269 State Road AA
Tebbetts, MO 65080
Or e-mail us at:
[email protected]