MEMBERSHIP SERVICES NOTE
T
o fellow Illinois Hereford Association members,
At the writing of this letter, we are (hopefully) on the backside of keeping cattle fed and cared for during perhaps one of the biggest snowfalls and cold snap combinations the southern part of the state and United States has seen in quite some time. It is easy to grow weary caring for our animals during times such as these. It takes a special person to be caretaker of God’s creatures and it is, I am sure, by design that the personalities of those who do care for the land and for animals is one that does not give up easily. So, remain true to your mission fellow Hereford breeders – this weather shall pass and soon we will be on to brighter, warmer, sunnier days (preferably like low 70’s sunny with a slight breeze). A few important updates/remarks, the board wants to pass along to the membership regarding the upcoming year. I have bulleted them as I want them to be easily read and not lost in the jargon. • The board has made the decision to forgo holding an annual sale during the Illinois Beef Expo. The sale will be taking on a new format, online bidding with a live closeout, and will be held in conjunction with the IHA Annual Tour in the fall. • The 2021 IHA Tour is targeted for central Illinois on the weekend of Aug. 28-29. The IHA board will be disclosing more information on both the schedule and the sale at a later date. • Lauren McMillan completed her term as the IHA Membership Services intern in December. She was integral in keeping up with the Facebook and Instagram accounts during sale season! We did our best to “share” each of our member’s sales and dates. We are working through the next round of candidates for the 2021 year. We look forward to working with the junior association, particularly newly retired junior members, as we are hoping this role will help facilitate a transition for involvement in the senior board. Thank you, Lauren for playing a HUGE role in the success of the IHA Membership Services intern program! • We are still living in the world of COVID-19. As vaccinations increase and COVID-19 numbers decline, we are starting to ramp up our efforts as a state board. Because of COVID-19, all board members have agreed to serve an extra year in their current positions. We will be looking for candidates to take expiring positions towards the end of 2021. This will allow board functions to continue as seamlessly as possible. As with anything, if you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to reach out to one of the board members listed on the contact page. We are extremely excited to unveil more information about the NEW sale format and timeline and, God willing, look forward to seeing everyone out and about this summer and fall. God Bless,
- Dr. Ta mar Cru m IHA Membership Services
March/April 2021 - Illinois Hereford Bulletin
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