The first time Terry attended a meeting of the Tahquamenon Sportsmen's Club, they made him vice president—and he wasn't even a member. By his second visit, the few members left in the dying organization had put him in charge of the whole thing.
The club began in the 1920s. Back then, hunting and fishing were pastimes in rural areas. The culture, however, is different now. When Terry took over the century-old club, it was on its last legs. Only a couple dozen members remained, and most were older than its new 68-year-old president. They were no longer doing the things they'd been known for. Worst of all, their famous fishing tackle party had been canceled twice, once just because they simply didn't have enough members to pull it off.
He wanted to push hard to keep the organization going, because it is one of the things that make up the heart and soul of Newberry. He had to look for new members. He needed to broaden the club's offerings to attract younger people. More than anything else, he had to make sure the tackle party for kids took place once again.
Little by little, Terry's efforts worked. People began asking about memberships. Some sent contributions. Others offered their time. A local company donated new siding for the clubhouse. Someone else said they would put a new roof on it. Someone came and mowed the lawn (草坪) when it got long in the summer. Others cleared the snow in the winter. All over town, people and businesses promised to help the club survive and succeed.
On the day of the annual Kids Tackle Party, hundreds of kids and their families appeared. Terry started the event with a speech. A local fishing expert gave tips on how to catch fish. Then, one at a time, each of the 245 kids was called by name, and every one of them got a fishing pole and a tackle box. It took more than three hours to get through everyone who showed up. It was a big event, one that came close to dying, but was finally back.
Terry fought to keep the club and party for kids, a longtime tradition in the Newberry community, going. Traditions are dying these days, but he was able to get people to hold onto this one.
