(07/15/22)

By Lance Cherry, Council to Advance Hunting and the Shooting Sports

Lance Cherry, ACI President

Last week I packed up my bags and boarded a flight to North Carolina. It was the first flight for me since the pandemic emerged and public health orders grounded us. It was also the first visit to North Carolina for this western-stater and got me thinking about some of the great firsts.

Firsts like:

• In 1839, Long before Instagram was even a concept, Robert Cornelius snapped his place in history, striking the famous pose that became the world’s first selfie. 
• Corporate television sponsorships are central to many of the great advertising campaigns, but only Gillette can cash in on the bragging rights of being first, with their June 19, 1946, sponsorship of the boxing match between Joe Louis and Billy Conn. I can’t help but think it was the networks that claimed the real championship that night.
• When the words, “I’m ringing you just to see if my call sounds good at your end?” rung loud and clear, Motorola employee Martin Cooper swiped the honors for successfully completing the first cell phone call. His April 3, 1973, words not only stand in infamy, for more than five decades they have been mimicked when callers ask “Can you hear me now?!”
• The gift of SMS was given Dec. 3, 1992, when Neil Papworth tapped out “Merry Christmas!” and scribed his place in history with the first text message.
• On April 23, 2005, “Meet me at the zoo” not only provided 18 seconds explaining that elephants are “cool” because they have really, really, really long trunks, but also taking its place in history as the official first video posted to YouTube.

Still, none of these can compare to the first that is on ACI’s horizon. Okay, it’s not really a first, but the first following an unreasonably long stretch of closures, cancellations and disappointments.

In just nine days, ACI members hit the streets of Nashville, to gather face-to-face once again for the Annual ACI Conference. It will be a thrill to see our colleagues, learn new things and honor the great work of conservation communicators across the country.

The country roads are calling us home for this historic return to our roots, and I look forward to the creative recharge only ACI can deliver.

For those who unable to attend, know you are not forgotten, and we look forward to your return at future events.

For those attending, now is the time to recapture the spirit of our great organization. It’s time to put ACI’s history back on track and once again establish the pillars that make this organization special.

I wish you all safe travels and as we eat, drink, and celebrate everything in Nashville!