ROSCOE – For the first time in the organization’s history, the Federation of Sportsmen’s Clubs of Sullivan County Inc. (FOSCOSC) named two individuals to the title of Sportsmen of the Year – the duo Ron Krom and Al Spence.

The two were honored at the annual dinner hosted by FOSCOSC at the Rockland House on Saturday. 

“They are an inseparable duo that I have known for a long time. I am sure everyone here has seen them out at the Trading Post in Liberty selling tickets on behalf of the Federation,” Van Etten said. “Every year they sell over $10,000 dollars worth of tickets. They do an amazing job.”

In addition to praising the awardees, winning prizes, like a $1,899 crossbow donated from All Things Accuracy of Liberty, and sharing a hearty meal, hunters, fishermen and lovers of all the outdoors gathered to celebrate recent achievments and charter a path forward to the embetterment of outdoor sporting.

To begin, the room hushed for a moment of sovereign silence for the recently departed and beloved outdoorsman, writer, pillar and friend, John “Jack” Danchak. Taking the podium afterwards on Saturday night were prominent figures including the Federation’s President, John Van Etten, Vice President Carl Lindsley, US Congressmen Marc Molinaro (NY-19) and guest Chip Roy (TX-21) and candidate for NY Assembly Lou Ingrassai Jr., among other county officials. Also present was representative of Senator NYS Peter Oberacker, Camille O’Brien.

The Federation’s Vice President, Carl Lindsley, spoke briefly on the necessity of reopening Camp DeBruce, a historic outdoor education center in Livingston Manor that offered skills and life lessons to youth that was shut down due to Covid-19 in 2020. He urged the politicians in attendance to bring these concerns back to Albany and to Washington D.C.

John Van Etten, The Federation’s President, noted that in place of their former biggest fundraiser, the coyote contest now disallowed by New York State, the Federation will be hosting a dinner on the first Saturday of February next year at the White Sulphur Springs Fire Department. Further information on this will be made available in the future.

Van Etten expressed his gratitude for those who not only made an apperance that night, but to those who continuously support the Federation, especially during recent events like the Youth Pheasant Hunt co-sponspored by the Sullivan County Long Beards.

He noted that they had 10 children and two veterans participate that weekend. The recent Youth Fair and the Grahamsville Fair Grounds saw 139 children involved as well.