Project Healing Waters

stan coop chapt is a DAMN good chapter.  They do a lot of work on Bowmans, especially the winter feeding program.  Keeps those brookies fat and healthy through the "lean time" of winter.  They pretty much handle all the WB VAMC Project HW stuff since 2008.  I get to service the VAMC Sayre Outpatient Ctr (since 2009).  We have a few good tyers.  Ken Wolf is one of them...   the man can tie the most intricate small stuff, like #22 and #26 midges.. and they are PERFECT!  He's only been tying since 2007?  Maybe 2008?  Anyways...   he picked up tying and just RAN with it.  I keep telling him he should sell his flies as show or display flies!  They are that good!
 
BTW, where should we send the weenies?  PHW HQ in MD?  or will they go to WB VAMC?

The Van Zandt Veterans Hospital here in Altoona is partnering to start a Project Healing Waters as well.  I don't have a bunch of detail yet, but may try to get involved with this organization here in Central Pa.  I do know that Donny Beaver has been involved in the past, and although I don't like him or what he stands for in his business, I do appreciate his work with our veterans.  I am of the belief that this time the activities will stretch past the SRC.  Stay tuned.
JM

Dave- I spoke with Heidi Cebrick.  It seems she and her Husband do most of the Healing Waters stuff.  She said we can take them down there or they are willing to come up here to pick them up or meet us half way.  So we can just get them to the Cebricks.  They do fly tying classes with the vets every Wendnesday and they are the ones organizing the outings.

I think we should take them down on a night they are tying with the vets.  We could tie with them and offer our skills to the Cebricks for the evening.  I also would like to go on an outing...  I bet they wouldn't turn down the help.

If you want we can plan a tying session with the vets at the Sayre Outpatient Clinic?

Sounds great.  When I spoke with the Cebricks they said they could use help with the outings.  They usually end up relying on the same folks everytime so,  they are going to send out emails to the other TU chapters inviting anyone that is interested in helping. 

She told me about one Vet that has memory problems.  They have been teaching a tying class for a year, every Wednesday for two hours.  There is a Vet that has been to every class and he won't know her name until about the second hour of the class and that's because she continually, tells them all her name.  I guess there are several that have short term memory loss but this guy really stands out to her.  She actually said that the biggest problem they have is the short term memory loss because they (the affected Vets) get, understandably, frustrated.

Yeah, I think it would be nice to do something at the Sayre Clinic. 

I spoke with Fred Kuepper today.  Fred is the Mid-Atlantic Regional "Boss" of all the PHW chapters.  Fred advised me that the Sayre VAMC Outpatient clinic has never had an "official" chartered chapter of the PHW.  He sent me a program guide that shows how to charter a new chapter with the PHW HQ group.  I'll drop it off in your mailbox.  I'm in... if your in, Todd.  I can't do it all alone!  Read the program guide over, and if you feel up to it free feel to start on some of the stuff to get a chapter going at the Sayre VAMC while I'm out in Fla playing with the peacock bass.  When I come back we can brainstorm through any ideas we both come up with.  While I'm down in Fla I plan on contacting a few chapters near Orlando and Tampa to see how they operate.  Feel free (anyone from TTA that is...) to give me a call at 607-377-2014 so I chat on fishing.  I'll only have my kids and "The Colonel".  She won't want to talk fishing all that much...  [sigh!]

DP

If you get a Sayre chapter started, perhaps the scouts could help with a fishing outing?