Many organizations assemble committees to develop & refine statements of their mission, the B-CC IWLA has the benefit of a circumspect chapter president, Royal Carlock, who codified an excellent mission for our newly purchased conservation farm property (in 1949), as well as for our chapter as a whole
Royal Carlock’s letter reads as a proper legal statement, perhaps a little dry, but his words capture many of the ideals still embraced by the B-CC IWLA over 70 years later
Royal Carlock Mission Statement
Bethesda – Chevy Chase Chapter
Izaak Walton League of America, Inc.
A RESOLUTION
Whereas, natural resources made this a leading, powerful and a free Nation, therefore the conservation of these rapidly diminishing resources is our greatest national problem, and
Whereas, The Izaak Walton League of America, Inc., a non profit corporation, was organized to defend the soil, woods, waters, and wildlife by instructing and educating the public, and
Whereas, The Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chapter of The Izaak Walton League of America, Inc., in order to better carry forward our motive has purchased a large parcel of poor, deserted, semi-arid, sub-marginal land on the Sycamore Landing Road, three miles south of Poolesville, Maryland, which it intends to develop as a model farm using methods as advocated by the State as best suited to raise the water level, increase the fertility of the soil so that crops may be grown full of vitality and wild life may again become abundant, and
Whereas, it is planned to construct ponds so as to have water all year around. to rotate crops, to plant in contours and strips, to grow cover and food for wildlife, to protect dens and nesting areas from predators, to cut all full grown timber, thin out and protect the woodlands especially from fire; to cover all exposed land so as to prevent erosion and return to the land a little more than is taken from it, and
Whereas, it is the intention of this Chapter to erect a large guest house on the property and to invite groups of school children, clubs and the public at large to see our “movies”, to swim and fish in our ponds, to join in conducted tours over the estate so as to observe at first hand the results of a united endeavor to keep America great and to save for the future generations the heritage that should be theirs, and
Whereas, access to this place is by a county road which is poor and at times impassable
Now, Therefore Be It Resolved by The Bethesda-Chevy Chase Chapter of The Izaak Walton League of America, Inc., that the county be requested to co-operate with this worthwhile undertaking by placing the roads adjoining this farm in good condition as soon as practical and that copies of this resolution be sent to The Montgomery County Council and the Montgomery County Roads Department.
Royal H. Carlock, President
Mailed 7-1-49
Transcribed November 21, 1996 by William B. Gordon from a copy located in the B-CC IWLA Chapterhouse