"Preserve our Heritage and Protect our Future"

Archived President's Message 2008-2009

Photo of CattleWomen President,
Merrilee Doss 2008 - 2009

We have had a full spring:  Ag Day at the Capitol, Legislative Breakfast, Beef Ambassador competition, Earth Day, implementing what we discussed at the Spring Beef Promotion Meeting.  Remember there is a membership competition going on to win two free hotel rooms for your members to use at the 2010 Beef Promotion Meeting.  Beef for Father’s Day is on our calendar too.  We have a lot to share at the MidYear Meeting. 

The staff at CCW has been very busy putting together a good, informative time for all of us with tours of Harris Ranch available, combined receptions, and, as always, meetings of interest to each of us (legislative, production, environmental issues, memberships, etc.).  We CattleWomen will be involved in all of the above but the focus for our days will be the environment.  We have two great speakers scheduled:  Kim Stackhouse about Green House gases and Mark Lacy about Animal Welfare.  Kim has won the UC Davis Outstanding Graduate Student Teaching Award in 2009, and Mark is chairing the CCA Animal Welfare Committee. We have also invited members of other beef related industries to come share their missions and to find common ground with them.  It is time for us to verify that “We Are Not Alone” in this endeavor that we so passionately embrace.

Our Board Meeting Agenda holds some important decisions:  Final steps for working the National Beef Cook-Off will be announced.  Our photo sharing board will be featuring our Ranching Friends (pictures of our ranch animals, cattle, dogs, horses working with us).  It is important that you be there to have your voice heard.  Each one of us has an idea or perspective that needs to be considered as we create or refine our efforts in Beef Promotion.

At the Beef Promotion meeting Gordon Elliott shared some very provocative insights about the four generations and what they need and what they can contribute to a group.  Each one of us found ourselves in his definitions of Civic, Boomer, and Gen X.  And I think we saw our children or grandchildren in Gen Y, but they were not sitting there with us.  For us to be most effective, to reach out to our total population in our beef promotion efforts, we need to welcome our Gen X and Gen Y members with opportunities to give us their best.  With that in mind, we will be upgrading our technology efforts for the newer, younger members, and looking for events that attract the younger mind.  They will give the California CattleWomen the opportunity to “Preserve our Heritage and Protect our Future”.

-Merrilee Doss, CCW President