Board Meetings: The board of directors meets four times per year. All meetings begin at 10:00 AM EST(EDT) and are held in the Board Room at Gates Au Sable Lodge. All members are welcome to attend. Members are welcome to attend. Non-members that wish to attend should send a request to: info@ausableanglers.org at least one calendar week in advance of the meeting. Meeting dates set at the September board meeting are as follows:
- 09 September 2012
Anglers of the Au Sable Annual Meeting
The Anglers holds its annual membership meeting each September on the Saturday following Labor Day. It is held as part of River Clean-up at Gates Au Sable Lodge located at 471 S. Stephan Bridge Road, Grayling, Michigan. Members and the public are welcome to attend. The Annual meeting will commence at approximately 3pm. The purpose of the Annual Meeting is to report on the year's activities. Approximately half of the 24-member board of directors' terms expire each year (they were staggered at the organization's founding so a new slate of directors would not be required to be proposed each fiscal year); candidates to fill these positions are nominated by the Nominating Committee, which also solicits nominations from the members in attendance. The slate of candidates is then accepted and a vote is taken. The next day a board meeting is held. At this meeting new officers are elected, as well as members of the Executive Board and meeting dates for the upcoming fiscal year are set.
Annual River Clean-up:
The Au Sable River clean-up is held the first Saturday after Labor Day. Saturday is the culmination of activities; beginning early in the morning when beat signs are placed in the casting field, Anglers merchandise is displayed, tables and grills for the luncheon appear, the riverside cafe is constructed, friends gather, and at 10 AM volunteers gather for a few words and a group picture. Volunteers comb the Main, North and South branches of the river. There is another crew based out of Mio, scouring the lower river to remove the remains of the summer. The George Alexander memorial luncheon is held at Gates Au Sable Lodge following the clean-up. The crew based out of Mio also hosts a luncheon.
Sign-up for clean-up starts with members receiving post-cards in August announcing the clean-up and asking for volunteers. Besides between 250 and 300 volunteers that clean-up the river, there are those that build cages for the Cedars for the Au Sable, procure and prepare the food for the luncheons, repair the "poker sticks" and cook the meals. Volunteers bring baked beans, cookies.
Our thanks to Josh and Katy Greenberg for providing the workspace at the Lodge, for all the work in making clean up crew assignments and to countless others who donated their time and money for a great cause.
GLC-FFF Fly Tying Expo:
The Great Lakes Council of the Federation of Fly Fishers (GLC-FFF) has sponsored a fly tying exposition at the Mason County Fairgrounds since 1999 and the Anglers have been there for each one. This event is held the first Saturday in December. This event brings together close to 100 skilled fly tyers under one roof. There are also vendors so you can procure tying materials, books, fly rods and more. Many fishing clubs are also featured. Please go to www.fff-glc.org for further information. Once again the Anglers will be there to sell merchandise, but more importantly to update you on issues that affect the Au Sable River.
Since 1988, the Anglers have regularly participated in the Michigan Fly Fishing Club's Midwest Fly Fishing Exposition. The two-day weekend event is usually held the first weekend in March each year at the Macomb Community College Sports & Expo Center (12 Mile & Hays, Warren, MI). Its a great way to re-establish contact with our members as well as expose prospective members to the organization. The Anglers bring merchandise and the latest information on Au Sable River issues. The weekend events include seminars, a casting pond (test drive a new rod), fly tyers, the newest in everything and free parking.
For more images at the Midwest Fly Fishing Expo visit the photo gallery. (photos by Joe Reed)
The Great Lakes Council of the Federation of Fly Fishers holds an outstanding three-day conclave each June coinciding with Father's Day weekend. The GLC summer conclave held at the DNR's Ralph A. MacMullen Conference Center on North Higgins Lake. This is a great event for the entire family, and the Anglers urge everyone to consider attending. The conclave is also a great way to introduce fly fishers to the Federation.
