Feb. 2020 FCW Report

Hope everyone is doing well, and has at least conquered one New Year’s Resolution.  Florida CattleWomen, started the month of January off with a bang, as we held our annual FCW Fun Shoot Fundraiser, January 4, 2020.  A great day was had by all, as this event was well attended with plenty of shooters, a delicious lunch, and plenty of smiles to go around.

I want to make a special point to thank the sponsors, shooting teams, and individual shooters, that believe in our mission of fostering the well-being of the beef industry through education and promotion.  Without the support of the sponsors, shooting teams, and individual shooters, Florida CattleWomen would not be able to accomplish the goals we set out to accomplish each year.

The Florida CattleWomen’s Executive Board is appreciative of the FCW Clay Shoot Committee, for their dedication and support of this fundraiser for the past several years.  Many long hours and sweat go into making this FCW Fun Shoot as successful as it is, and the Florida CattleWomen’s Executive Board appreciates all you do to make this event happen.

No association is successful without membership participation, and FCW is blessed with our CattleWomen showing up to help whenever needed.  Nothing can put a smile on my face faster than seeing ladies come near and far to any event, in this case the FCW Clay Shoot, to help check-in a shooter, chop an onion for the potato casserole, or empty a garbage can.  It did not matter the job, every lady came to lend a helping hand, share a laugh, and make everyone feel welcomed and appreciated.  

You know what makes a good day better, it’s when someone does something extra nice for someone or an organization, that is totally unexpected.  A special thank-you goes out to FCW Clay Shoot Committee Member Sara Beth Simmons, for asking Mr. & Mrs. Randy Davis, of Quality Liquid Feeds, to add something special to this year’s FCW Fun Shoot Lunch.  Mr. & Mrs. Davis came all the way from Louisiana, to add a little bit of Cajun to our diet that day, as they put on a Craw Fish Boil, and we obliged them by getting the serving tables lined with paper, as the contents of cooked craw fish and corn was covered over the tables for all to fill their plates with this delectable treat.  Our next lunch course moved on to a savory steak with all the fixings, continuing onto a delicious slice of pie from Coosie Belle’s Southern Sweets.

Thank you to all who added that extra something that made this FCW Fun Shoot extraordinary.  It is always those extra somethings that keep people coming back year after year.  

The FCW Fun Shoot is very important to FCW, as it is our time to connect to the people who support us.  Human Connection is so important in this world, it can bring people together, goals can be accomplished, and one of the most important aspects, it can bring happiness to this world.  I can tell you on that Saturday, January 4, 2020, Florida CattleWomen, had one thing on our minds and that was to share our happiness and appreciation to all those who attended the shoot.  You know what, that Human Connection of extending happiness is contagious, every thank you and smile shared was reciprocated with a smile and good feelings.  From the girls traveling up and down the course giving out water bottles, asking everyone to group up for a picture, serving guests in the lunch line, to thanking each shooter for supporting FCW, was met with genuine kindness.  Never lose the simple art of expressing appreciation and showing kindness, as human connection, can solve many of life’s challenges. 

In keeping with always looking forward, the Florida CattleWomen continue  to strive to build relationships with many of our legislatures, especially at the Florida Cattlemen’s and CattleWomen’s Legislative Quarterly, that occurred on January 21st thru 23rd, 2020.  I will shed more light and probably some entertaining stories in my March 2020 President’s article, on these important relationships.  I let you know how those human connections went.  Stay tuned for my March article.

Please also remember Florida CattleWomen, to sign up to volunteer, to share our Beef Story, at the upcoming Florida State Fair, February 6th thru 17th, 2020.  We are fortunate to already have many county CattleWomen Associations volunteers to serve a day at the Florida CattleWomen’s Beef Information Booth.  We are also blessed to have ladies, individually volunteer to work in the booth, and team up with other FCW members.  The best part of that new-found team, is by the end of the day, those ladies become lifelong friends, share phone numbers, friend each other on facebook, and other human connections.  So, if any of you all are wanting to get caught up in this fun and important beef promotion event, please reach out to me, either email: bdislkranch@yahoo.com or call me at  813-478-2355.  Believe me, go to one FCW event and you are hooked for life.  

In closing, I want to talk to you about the importance of nurturing and developing our young members.  You would be surprised how much our young people need your advice and want to hear your life experiences.  Most people believe, that with all this computer technology that is out in this world, that young people would not need us older people to lean on, but you could not be more wrong.  Spend some time with our younger members, you will find out they need us, more than you know.  They all have a love for the Beef Industry, many do not know how to take their love for the industry and make something out of it.  You can be that point, that could point them in the right direction.  Many of our young members are experiencing the same obstacles we experienced at that young age, and they want to hear how you got past it.  The point is to have that human connection, to develop and grow our young membership to accomplish unimaginable possibilities.  

“A lot of people have gone further than they thought they could, because someone else thought they could.”    ~Author Unknown