I was sitting here reminiscing today and I remembered something about Coon Hunters for Christ I thought y'all might enjoy.
As some of you may know, I grew up in the Flora Coon Club in Flora, Illinois. From the time I was about 12 or 13, the highlight of my summer was the PKC National Championship which moved to Flora in '96 or '97, I think. I made a lot of good friends and got to see a lot of great dogs work over the years guiding and helping out at the Nationals.
Every year Mr. Joe Brooks would come and set up a table for Coon Hunters for Christ at Nationals. During one year in particular, I got to know Mr. Joe fairly well and spent a lot of time hanging out at his table. I was a coonhunter, of course, but also a Christian and had surrendered to the call to preach the summer of 1997.
Mr. Joe was a great encouragement to me that year. Just the fact that he was willing to have adult conversations about God, the Bible, coondogs, and God's Will with a 13 or 14 year old kid meant the world to me.
I think Mr. Joe packed up his booth that Saturday evening after the casts were called out. I remember helping him carry everything out of the old 4H building we were using for headquarters (this was long before the much-needed remodel of the REA building that they use for major event HQ now). When we were done Mr. Joe reached in his truck and brought out a brand-new Coon Hunters for Christ hat and gave it to me. It was one of the classic ones I used to see guys wear a lot; maroon with a green bill (I think the bill was green) and white lettering with the CHFC logo. I literally wore that hat out and wish I had another like it.
Sorry for the long post, guys, but I'm sitting here today as an Assistant Pastor and preacher and, though God gets all the glory for any feeble attempt I've made at serving Him, I think Mr. Joe will get some credit when God is handing out awards for encouraging a coondog-loving kid to serve the Lord with my life.
A CHFC Story
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- Starting Member
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- PKC Name: Paul A. Frederick
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A CHFC Story
Last edited by Paul A Frederick on Tue Jan 12, 2021 1:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Paul Frederick
Laurel, Indiana
319-371-6362
Laurel, Indiana
319-371-6362
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Re: A CFC Story
Great story Paul! Joe was the best!
Prepare yourself and your hound. Hunt the dog, read the Blue Book, and your Good Book!
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