PBS Biennial Gathering & COVID-19 - Message From President and Dr. Tom

[IndianaBowman]

Thanks for a great meeting.

[Wudstix]

General hand hygiene  and have a great time.
                           

[stagetek]

Great to hear. On a plane first thing in the morning !

[Bow man]

Have a great time everyone. Wish we were heading there.

[Walt Francis]

I am sitting in the Denver airport waiting on the connecting flight to Springfield.  Looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new ones.

[thumper-tx]

Today congress was briefed to expect 70-150 million cases.  Do the math on the over 2% fatality rate.

[valleysniper]

Stock up on TP also, heres one doctor telling everyone the exact opposite of the rest of the medical community.  In my mind putting yourself at risk to go to any banquet is not playing the safe odds. But, like the Dr. Said if you don't know someone who died from it you probably dont remember it. Maybe this time around alot more of us will.....just my honest opinion

[JohnV]

We can enjoy life and take limited risks with proper precautions or we can all hide in our houses surrounded by the toilet paper and purrel that we have hoarded. Your choice.

[IndianaBowman]

Based on the information at the time, PBS made a decision to continue with the event. It was entirely an individual decision to participate or stay home. I personally value and respect the choice everyone made to attend or not. Only you can judge what is best for you.

I personally weighed the pros and cons and made the decision to attend. Intelligent risk taking is what we all do everyday. You are more likely to die in a car accident getting to one of these banquets than to die of COVID-19. I chose to attend and had a fantastic time. I won't fully know if the risk was warranted or not for a couple weeks, but I will also willingly accept any future consequences of MY decision.

My prayers are with all who attended or chose not to attend, that you stay healthy and happy.

[Bigriver]

Agree with Terry, and you guys put on a hell of a banquet. It was the best banquet I have ever been to, kudos for all the hard work. I was impressed with everything, and a side benefit, I aint dead.

[Wudstix]

Glad things worked out, I need to make more of these.

[R.V.T.B.]

It was an excellent banquet, as usual.  I had a great time and as a huge side benefit, we were insulated from all of the hype that was melting down the rest of the country.  While everyone else was in full panic mode, we had three days of just enjoying ourselves, rekindling old friendships and making plans for upcoming hunts. No one was glued to the t.v. news shows or feeding the frenzy.  It was disappointing to have to come home to this mess.

[Tim Finley]

I had a great time my jaws were sore from yaking and laughing . I seen a lot of old friends I hadn't seen in a while and met some new ones . I hope nobody gets sick and there was a lot of older people there that are more vulnerable. A lot of people flew in and breathing everybodys air in a plane might not be good although I understand it isn't air born . If someone gets sick I hope they let the rest of us know so we can be tested .

[2wfstlhunting]

I am both a physician in NJ, and a longtime member of PBS.  Given the independent nature of the members of the club and bowhunters in general, as well as the timing of the event as things have been playing out.... I am really not surprised that the Gathering went on, and was not cancelled.  We each have our own opinions as to risk exposure and risk taking on a daily basis and certainly with the current viral pandemic.  My concern here is that there will be a lack of appreciation of the reality of what is going to happen within the US over the next few months.  Everyone from here on out needs to do the most that they can do to block the spread of this infection.  It puts older people (and guys there are one heck of a lot of older archers/bowhunters  amongst us) at a disturbingly high rate of death.  The efforts to stop the viral spread will have major financial impact on many people, particularly service workers. Nothing like this has happened in the world and this country for 100 years but it is very real.
When people decide not to participate in Public Health efforts, in hurts everyone in the long run.  You would not like your child to get mumps and end up sterile, or your pregnant wife get chickenpox resulting in your new child being born with birth defects just because people in the community did not vaccinate their child. Polio was once the scourge of the earth but we beat it back with science so that we no longer even think about it.  The faster this contagious illness is checked, the less damage it will do within our culture and society.  Don't for a moment believe that it can't come to your community.
I am not in panic mode, although the East coast has certainly taken aggressive actions. Out of "nowhere", this infection has now been identified in all 50 states.
I write this to tell you straight out, that you need to be part of the solution and not the problem.

[IndianaBowman]

Dr. Goldsmith, I am 100% in agreement. Things have progressed to the point now where it would be negligent to not "social distance". We all need to adhere to the recommendations and do what we can to help our fellow man. Things and information are very different now than when the decision was made to hold the event. My hope and prayers are out for all to remain healthy.