Reports

What Does Bcha Do For You?

In January 2004 Steve Didier, BCHA Chairman, laid out in the BCHA newsletter how the BCHA mission statement (see below) is accomplished and how the organization helps you. But I still get questions about what does BCHA do. I've given a lot a thought to that and finally came up with an answer: NOTHING. Now before all of you get off your mounts and come after me with your guns drawn and ropes twirling, let me explain what I mean.

BCHA is just a name of an organization. Names and organizations just identify and have some semblance of order for those who belong. The name and the organization in and of itself do nothing for anyone. It is the people that belong to the organization that give it life and accomplish the goals set by its founders and their successors. This is true of any organization, public or private, governmental agencies, businesses, families or individuals. All are only as successful as the people accomplishing and/or achieving the goals they have set.

So the next question is "What do the people of BCHA do?". Well, we first have to look at the goals set by the Officers, Committee Chairs, and National Board Directors. BCHA has a mission statement:

  1. Perpetuate the common sense use and enjoyment of horses in America's backcountry and wilderness;
  2. Work to ensure that public land remains open to recreational stock use;
  3. Assist the various government and private agencies in their maintenance and management of said resources;
  4. Educate, encourage, and solicit active participation in the wise and sustaining use of the back country resources by horsemen and the general public; and
  5. Foster and encourage the formation of new state backcountry horsemen organizations.

    By the time of publication of the January BCHA newsletter this mission statement may have been tweaked by the officers and committee chairs at their strategic planning session on November 17 and 18. However, the gist of it will remain essentially the same.

    Steve's article last January was excellent and told how BCHA strives to achieve the five points of the mission statement. So, what can I add to what he stated? Very little. Essentially what Steve was stating was the obvious: people are the ones accomplishing the mission statement-not an organization. And who are these people? You and me!!! Yes, look in the mirror and you'll see BCHA as well as your state BCH. For the organization of people called BCHA to accomplish its goals, you and I need to do the work, whether it is on a national, state, or local level. In his article Steve keeps using the word 'we'. Well, fellow BCHers, that "we" is you and me; not just the officers, national board members, and committee members of BCHA.

    You, the individual member, are the organization whether it be BCHA, your state BCH, or your local chapter or unit. The work you do as a BCHer is what national and state organizations do. Will Rogers, a cowboy philosopher in the early 1900's, once said, "Even if you are on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there". And that is what could happen to BCHA and its state organizations and affiliates if you and I don't do the work to accomplish the five points of the mission statement. If you are waiting for others to do something for you, then you will have a long wait. As individuals we can accomplish a little, but as an organized group made up of individuals we can accomplish much, much more. Each of us has some sort of talent to contribute to the cause, whether it be ideas, testifying before Congress, going to public land management agency meetings, clearing trails, etc.

    So what BCHA does for you is what you do. Fred Dehner once said, "The best helping hand that you will ever receive is the one at the end of your arm". And that is very true in this organization. All of us working together, and sometimes as individuals, help each other to accomplish the mission statement of BCHA and become the 'we' in Steve's article. We are only as good as you.

    Happy trails and ride safely.

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