South Carolina Angus Association
December 8, 2005
Windy Bartee

Santa has made his list and checked it twice. I hope he found you on it in the nice column and that your Christmas was merry. (Can we still say that?) New Year’s resolutions are next. Wow, that is a long list!

Our news for 2006 is that our directory should be out and hopefully in your hands. As you well know it took months to get it all together.

Tom Burke from the Angus Hall of Fame should be around checking your cows twice for the animals eligible for the Carolina
Futurity on March 18th. The banquet and annual meeting will be on March 17th.

Our election process is under way so that you will meet your new officers when you go to the Futurity in March. Your officers and directors will meet on the Saturday in February of the Clemson bull test to finalize plans.

On Saturday, January 7, 2006, at noon, Dale Thompson of Hilltop Angus in Mt. Gilead, NC, will have the Pee Dee River Valley Genetic Advantage. Forty Angus bulls along with 25 Angus heifers and 25 Angus cows will be sold at the Stanley County Livestock arena. Call 910-439-5261 or visit hilltopangus.net to request a catalog.

February will bring in the Angus bull. A sale is scheduled every Saturday. Beginning on Feb. 4 the Clemson Bull Sale sets the tone and includes an opportunity for the SCAA officers and directors to meet to finalize the election and Futurity. Next follows the Black Crest Bull Sale. Yon Family Farm Bull Sale falls on February 18. And the Tokeena Angus Bull Sale is on the last Saturday of the month.

Now we can settle in to review some of the events in 2005. The Yon Family Farm had a sale on November 5. Things went smoothly with the Yons’ usual great hospitality. Kevin Yon recognized Dr. Dale Handlin in the crowd as having influenced many ag students at Clemson in his years as a professor there. Coming two-year-old bulls were the first group to sell, with 66 forage-developed bulls averaging $2927. Following the bull sale registered Angus females were next in the sale order. The 43 Angus female lots sold for an average of $3074. The Angus total was $325,364. Charolois were also sold.

The South Carolina Angus officers and directors met at Logan’s Roadhouse in Greenville on November 6 to work on the Carolina Angus Futurity and plans for 2006. Then they were Louisville bound for the American Angus Association annual meeting, which was tied in with the Angus show of the NAILE. The delegates representing South Carolina were Walter Shealy, Kevin Yon and Ted Bartee. The alternates were Evelyn Edmunds, Ted Bourne and Stephanie Clark. All the delegates were there however that did not keep Evelyn Edmunds away as an alternate.

At the same time in Louisville, two of our South Carolina Junior Angus members, John Petty and J.T. Price, were competing against other youth from across the U.S as members of the South Carolina 4-H judging team.

As this New Year begins we need to make a list of the many things we get for free and forget how lucky we are. The list is long. The air we breath, the rain, the sunshine, our bodies and most of the time our good health. This year SCAA plans to offer new members a one-year’s membership in SCAA for free. Can you name others?... A walk across a beautiful pasture with Angus cows in it.

This notice was seen in a farmer’s field on such a walk, “The farmer allows walkers to cross the field for free, ...but the bull charges.”

Happy New Year! We hope the bull does not charge too much in 2006. See you at a sale.