Before anyone asks about raffle winners here they are.
Bighorn sheep - Madie Demaske, CO
Mountain goat - Alex Bourlakov, CO
Pronghorn - William Krall, CO
6.5 Creedmoor - Donovan Boudreaux, CO
.338 Win Mag - Garrett Campbell, CO
Optics #1 - Shawn Everett, TX
Optics #2 - Scott Slining, CO
Optics #3 - Rick Bumgardner, CO
Thank you to everyone who purchased tickets and made the raffles such a success this year.
Oh to be on that list above! Maybe someday.
Did you come to the banquet or buy any tix?
http://cosos.learnercommunity.com/products/4076/games-manager-bingo-and-raffles-training
I'm going to pay the $20 for Orion to take the class to be the games manager. Then I'm going to buy him an official uniform (probably already has one in his closet) and associated equipment needed to patrol the raffle drawing at the 2019 banquet. Complete with whistle and fake water pistol. If he spots any funny business during the drawings he can blast away and blow on the whistle.
We can all vote on uniform choices.
I'm sorry we have to have this exact conversion every year. I'm pretty sure you will never be satisfied with the raffle or draw results so I have quit trying to appease you. You may recall I personally offered to buy you a raffle ticket if you came to the banquet to see first hand how things are done. You did not take me up on the offer and choose to once again take pot shots at something you have very limited knowledge of.
I bet you'd even complain about the Free Dall Sheep hunt we gave away. The winner was a Life member and in the room!
Funny thing is we made those 2 things requirements. Yes, you heard right we gave away a free hunt to a Life member who had to be there. Guess what we not only sold an additional 45 or so Life memberships @ $600 to raise money for sheep we packed the room with more than 130 out of 500 attendees. Of course we have raffle winners in the room and surely many who buy tickets are members why is that such a hard concept for you to grasp?
Sandbrew
PS Dinkshooter you crack me up!
I do spend a few dollars on the Powerball every once in a while. When I win I'm not giving you any money. I will happily donate $1,000,000.00 to the RMBS in your name when I win.
As always we asked kids to line up to come on stage to draw tickets out of the bins. Random order of random kids, What difference does it make if kids draw? How or who would you like to draw the tickets? How would you propose we select that person or people? I am all ears and would be happy entertain realistic options.
Sandbrew
"The mc would always say make sure you dig down deep or reach down deep. The kid would go armpit deep in there and presto a board member would win a tag"
What the heck are you talking about? Would you prefer that the winner be plucked off the top? The bin is a clear Plexiglas bin that has been sitting on a table in public view for more than 6 hours. The bin gets spun and the tickets mixed, we have over 4000 stubs in the bin. How the hell do you think it's rigged?
I'd be very interested in hearing from anyone else that has any issues with how we are conducting our raffles. I'm not hard to find or contact. If they have issue please come to an RMBS BOD meeting and be heard.
For your information, over the years I have not won any of the sheep, goat, pronghorn or other $25/ticket raffles. The rules state that board members may purchase raffle tickets BUT, someone who does not have a vested interest in the outcome (ticket purchaser) has to draw the tickets. Kids cannot purchase the tickets so they make a perfect person to do the drawing. That said, I did win the Winchester model 70, 7MM Magnum rifle on Saturday night. I'm glad that I have an understanding wife that doesn't mind if I purchase anywhere from $500-$800 worth of tickets each year. Even if I don't win, the sheep herds do win! We don't purchase Lotto tickets at all but this is our one vice. Yes, I purchase several hundred dollars worth of tickets for her to get involve too.
I'm glad that we have volunteers that step up to make the organization successful and to help the sheep herds. Great people for sure!
Sandbrew- I only have one issue with how the raffle was conducted this year. I DIDN'T WIN! LOL.
Bighorn- as the thread owner you can use the "edit" function and clear out all the highjacking posts.
Bighorn-Thanks for all your volunteer time and coming to the banquets. You certainly understand the big picture.
I'm disappointed no one has voted for Orion's 2019 banquet uniform.
Many years ago (10 or more) I wrote an article about Sheep Karma and how those that help the RMBS and sheep in Colorado seem to draw tags. Maybe it's time to relook at that. It was based mostly on drawn tags but I bet if I looked closely at that we would see a continued trend of good luck for those that help.
Will you please answer the following questions-
How or who would you like to draw the tickets?
How would you propose we select that person or people?
I am all ears and would be happy entertain realistic options.
I am also willing to hear from anyone else that has concerns on how the RMBS conducts these raffles.
Sandbrew
I have been a RMBS member since my first sheep tag in 1996, and a Life Member since around 2011 I think. I have served on many local and national boards in my industry and community and I know first hand how much of your life can be consumed by the desire to help the cause.
Why the background? Maybe just to state: while it's a very personal decision to be supportive and engaged - the two are not always concurrent activities for associations/foundations/societies. In my opinion, I am in the largest group of our RMBS membership - I am supportive. I have been going to banquets, buying raffle tickets, silent auction and live auction items to the tune of $200-$1000 on any given year. When my schedule permits, I make the banquet and when my budget permits, I buy more tickets and more auction items. While I participate in sheep counts almost every year, I have not committed the "real" time to be on the board.
I have also not committed the "real" time to prioritize the representation (outside of my personal "hunting persona") of the lifestyle of conservation and hunting for which I have tremendous passion. At the 2 day event we were fortunate enough to have two very ENGAGED individuals attend and speak to the group: Randy Newburg (who in my opinion represents the public land hunter well on a national platform for YouTube, Amazon, etc) and Shane Mahoney (internationally known hunter/conservationist). I know many of you will say, "hey, it's a business for them and they need to do these things for their brands and to make money." Really - do they? They work as hard as I do for a lot less money to speak on behalf of the lifestyle we all want to continue to enjoy.
While I would admit that Mahoney was a bit brash in his approach - he's onto something. And, if he completes what he's attempting to do with any reasonable amount of success at the Wild Harvest Initiative, (www.conservationvisions.com), we will all be the benefactors of the few who are truly ENGAGED.
For those who missed the banquet/speakers - visit their web-sites and see what you may have missed in the messaging. Maybe you'll be moved to be supportive for their organizations or their sponsors.... maybe you'll be motivated to spend more of that hard earned money supporting organizations like RMBS. And just maybe, you'll be one of the few among us that hit that release and truly get ENGAGED as a volunteer leader/board member of an organization. I believe sheep karma is a real thing - those kids pulling tickets are so excited to be part of the night that I think they channel the energy to dreams coming true.
What I didn't miss by attending is the great work (notice I didn't say perfect.... and that's okay) the RMBS board and volunteers did putting together a wonderful event to benefit all of us who are supportive. A BIG THANK YOU to the team. And, dang it - no raffle winnings for me... nothing in the general raffle, the gun raffles, the Sitka raffle, the sheep, the goat, the pronghorn, the bow.... no winning bids in the live auction either. What I did come home with was some freeze dried food and some truck claws thing that I decided were cheap enough to donate some more $ to RMBS through the silent auction.
At the end of the day, I've donated more than enough for a couple of great hunts over the years .... and I feel good about it - to each his own on the value of the use of money and time. The older I get, the less I judge and the more I reflect. I am learning to ask WHY.... a lot. Maybe I am headed back to diapers soon?
In all likelihood, I'll end up just like the majority here: as supportive as I can justify with my money and my time for my passion of the wilderness and hunting, but still not pulling the trigger towards fully ENGAGED. For my part, I left the rendezvous wondering.... what would motivate me and the rest of the public land hunters to stand up and be truly ENGAGED towards protecting our lands and our hunting rights vs. being self-perceived supportive?????
Orion, I don't quite follow your argument. It seems that you're complaining because only BOD, past or present, or their relatives, are the only ones to get drawn. But then you offer to donate $1000 in Sandbrew's name when a board member or their relative draws a raffle tag. Sounds to me that since you think they are the only ones to ever get drawn, you should just go ahead and make your donation now.
Agree there were not enough bars. Pretty sure it was the hotel that dropped that ball. As a raffle ticket booth volunteer I had a tom of fun all day and night on Saturday know raffle sales were hampered by folks spending way to much time in line to get a beer and whatnot.
I wish CBA banquets were half as fun as RMBS. Not sure why they are not equally fun to me but I look forward to RMBS and not so much the CBA banquet.
Adventurewriter wrote
"I have heard grumblings...get a DOW officer to draw...."
I'd be happy to discuss any grumbling. Please PM me if you'd like.
QUESTION - What would happen if the DOW officer drew another CPW employees ticket? Would Orion cry foul?
I'm still waiting for a response to these questions-
Will you please answer the following questions-
How or who would you like to draw the tickets?
How would you propose we select that person or people?
I am all ears and would be happy entertain realistic options.
Sandbrew
the overwhelming success of RMBS in raising funds for sheep via the raffles is beyond reproach. That is all that really matters, actually.
Sandbrew you are also smart enough to know that any successful organization that relies on donations and volunteers and such is responsive and open for ideas and thoughts....the point I was trying to make was it would quell any skepticism ( from others NOT ME!) and UPPP participation...which equals money which equals more sheep on the mountain and a stronger and stronger position for a great organization like RMBS,,,,
The most suspect looking raffle draw I ever saw was the CBA elk raffle draw one year. Nobody from 20 feet away could see at all if a single ticket cleanly came out of the bucket. Was it a clean draw? Yes IMO, but you could never prove it since it was so poorly performed in terms of visibility.
rmbs draw is done up on a stage with clear views of every move.
Is there another wildlife raffle anywhere with higher sales than the RMBS raffles?
Thanks again for the laugh.
