On Nov 8, 12:51 pm, wrote:
On Thu, 08 Nov 2007 03:16:01 GMT, wrote:

is in full swing. We have several generous donors but we could always
use more. Riverman has his wish list pretty much going and about half
subsidized...
You can send your flies to riverman , or... you can buy what you
would like to have sent to riverman, he

Or, if you'd really like to help:

www.stjude.org- St. Jude's

or

www.msf.org -- Medecins Sans Frontieres

or

www.somethingthatwillreallyhelp.whatever- Roll Yer Own



As the faculty sponsor of the Support MSF club that sends tens of
thousands of dollars to MSF yearly, I find it ironic that you included
them in your hate-post. But you're right; I hope that everyone here on
roff is contributing to a charitable organization that is making a
difference directly in the lives of people in need somewhere. I am
under the impression that you did some benevolent work for victims of
Katrina, and that is commendable.

But just in case anyone else misconstrued either Harry's post, or my
FF trip, let me clarify.

rdean is correct on another count: this is a very well-funded school
and the kids here are not in any way dying, starving or in real
financial need. If you are considering making a donation toward my
trip, I sincerely thank you, but if you have a limited budget for
donations of any sort, send it to MSF or StJudes. The impact will be
much more direct than sending it to me or Harry.

But please understand the spirit in which I first mentioned
contributions of flies. I want to influence these kids for the better.
They live in a very artificial urban world; many of them are the
children of CEOs, manufacturers and policial figures, and will grow up
to inherit their parents positions. They are all financially better
off than I am, and probably most of the rest of us here. But they are
not better off where it counts: a relationship with the natural world.
I want these kids to grow up with personal appreciation for a healthy
environment and make decisions that will preserve this. I think
flyfishing is one potentially powerful way to do this.

It will be very meaningful to them when I hand them a flybox and to
say "a bunch of fishermen from all over the world pitched in and got
these for you. Welcome to the community of flyfishermen...please help
us keep our natural world clean." My preference was for hand-tied
flies, but I understand that some folks felt it was easier and more
convenient to send cash to Harry to subsidize my order instead. In
either case, I respect the intent of Giving, and thank those who chose
to do so. Although it may not have the same impact as a hand-tied fly,
it is serendipitous that this will also benefit Harry, one of our own.
So again, thank you, and I will still deliver the flies with the same
message.

But don't let me misrepresent anything: I have a budget for this trip
and the parents have paid in full. I am not in financial need for
donations, and I certainly hope that no one was under that impression.
I think the emotional donation is both real and worth more than the
dollar amount, so I mean this deeply and truly: those who have
contributed; THANK YOU. Those who have chosen not to; no problem at
all, of course! The trip will still happen.

Anyway, for reasons that are hard to explain, I won't comment on this
any more, nor will I publicly mention anything about donations or
donors. If you wish to participate, feel free to do so any way you
choose, and know that it is deeply appreciated. If you choose not to,
know that it will not have any financial impact on my trip, nor any
emotional impact on how I feel about you or roff.

And thank god the world is not like the interior of rdeans mind.


Myron