Remembering Hunt Week

I worked at GOED (Governors Office of Economic Development and Tourism - and yes, I used to answer the phone like that and then added 'This is Mary") Every year the office hosts a pheasant hunting event and invites CEOs and company executives from all over the place to lure them into expanding and doing business in South Dakota. Half of the problem with companies not choosing the state is that, well, they'd have to live there. So, the hunt provides an opportunity to show off the good life on the prairie.

People going to the hunt are the governor and other state politicians and those who just think they are important, local company executives, potential company executives, landowners, and a bunch of others. Usually about 800 people total.

The GOED office takes a break from their regular office duties and gets the whole weekend event ready. It's "volunteer" if you work there, but really it was part of the job. During hunt week you work your 40 hrs and then you volunteer another 20 - 30 hours. They say that it is a pleasure to be a hunt volunteer and it is a job perk.

Really though, my duties for the hunt really were kinda fun. I carved pumpkins, decorated the banquet hall, drove people around (oh yeah, I was issued a brand new suburban every year and I got to keep it for the week), helped sew tablecloths and costumes for the wait staff, put together gift bags, and I had to go hunting and take photos of the day. It really was a lot of fun!

There were some drawbacks, I really didn't like peeing in the field, dealing with drunk men, or the one guy on my team who shot another guy and 2 vehicles. oops. Or riding in the back of a truck while a ten year old drove us through the fields, thanks little landowner's kid, glad you could see over the dash. And I really didn't like getting up early on Sunday morning to go clean the hotel.

So, it's hunt week right now and instead of working and going hunting, I get to stay home with my family. So much better! I am not kidding, I'd rather not be hunting and doing the event. Yay for not "volunteering"!!