Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
A new forestry club at Sweet Home High School will focus on developing leadership skills, raising awareness about the forest products industry and exposing high school students to career opportunities in the industry.
The District 55 School Board approved creation of the club during its regular meeting Monday night.
The club will be one of 12 chapters of the Associated Oregon Forestry Clubs, which coordinates statewide forestry and leadership activities for high school students.
The club will fit into Sweet Home High School’s Certificate of Advanced Mastery in natural resources, club adviser Dustin Nichol said.
“Our next step is to get it funded,” said club advisory board member Karla Burcham. Weyerhaeuser has offered $5,000 along with verbal commitments from local logging companies. They also offer the use of their property for use as “land labs.”
AOFC Director Dick Sherman said development of leadership skills and confidence can prepare the students for careers in forestry on and off the college path.
“My thrust is leadership training,” he said.
Nichol said organizers hope the club will lead to better employment opportunities for students.
Cascade Timber Consulting has surveying jobs among others, Burcham said. The Forest Service has a wide variety of possible career opportunities. The local logging companies need skilled workers.
The club will help provide career-related learning experiences, which are needed for students to earn their CAM, Nichol said. The forestry products industry has many respectable job opportunities that don’t require degrees.
“Sweet Home is a community with many wood products-related job opportunities and it is our goal to create more interest in natural resources and forestry-related careers and to encourage high standards in scholastic achievement,” the advisory board said in a letter. The advisory board includes Burcham, Nichol and Jim Cota.
“Through the forestry club, students will be involved in leadership and skill development activities in their school, community and at statewide events,” they said. “They will develop confidence, a sense of responsibility, the ability to work cooperatively and safely and also gain an increased knowledge of skills related to natural resources and forestry.”
Among activities, the club will participate in leadership workshops, career development events, Arbor Day events, fire school and a variety of programs to develop skills, from choker setting to tree identification, map reading and chainsaw bucking.
The club’s goal is to promote and develop good work ethics, high safety standards, good public relations within the community and state, leadership skills, character and citizenship, participation in improvement of natural resources and interest in environment- and forestry-related careers.
The advisory board is trying to raise a total of $20,000, which will be used for equipment and other expenses. It also will need volunteers.
For further information, to donate or to volunteer, call Burcham at 401-3339.
In other business:
– Supt. Larry Horton announced that elections for five board seats will be held on May 15.
Deadline to file is 5 p.m. on March 15.
Open seats include Holley, held by Dave Kem; Foster, Scott Proctor; Cascadia, Leena Neuschwander; Crawfordsville, David VanDerlip; and Sweet Home, Mike Reynolds. All terms are through June 30, 2011 except Holley, which expires on June 30, 2009.
To file, a person may pay $10 or collect at least 25 valid signatures. Forms must be mailed to the County Elections Supervisor, Linn County Courthouse, P.O. Box 100, Albany, OR 97321.
For information or forms, contact the Central Office, 367-7126 or the Linn County clerk’s office at (541)967-3831.