Mike Berard

The Troutsmen International Club of Leisure raises cash for others…in as leisurely a fashion as possible.

By Mike Berard

It’s a sunny afternoon in July and Rainbow Park is alive with the mid-summer energy it’s infamous for. Children play in the shallows of the lake, a plethora of dogs raises ruckus at Canine Cove, and RCMP officers hand out drinking in public fines to drunken mobs of Aussies. Sometime around noon the first oddly shaped, double-hinged bicycle swings down the Valley trail. The rider, clad in a white singlet with a fish emblazoned on the ribs and a straw hat, steps off and gingerly leans the custom-built swing bike on its pedal. Soon thereafter, another is lined up beside it, and another. Bar-B-Qs are produced and a 150-ft long slip n’ slide is set up on the grassy lawn. Within an hour, the group has taken over the southern side of the park. Music plays. Hot dogs are consumed. Big smiles permeate the crowd. Almost all of them sport mustaches. This is just another day in the Troutsmen International Club of Leisure. No, there are no fish involved.

The Troutsmen are a loosely organized yet tightly knit group of men with a common goal—increasing social capital and charitable spirit through togetherness and leisure. How they manage to raise donations to charity while doing this is often a mystery to the people who attend their events. After all, the leisure part of the equation always comes first, a mindset put in place by club co-founders Sheldon Steckman and Myles Ricketts.

“I wanted to do something better for the community but figured there must be a way to do it that was fun for everyone involved,” says Steckman, over a late-morning spicy Ceasar at the GLC. “Plus, it gets a younger demographic of people interested in being charitable by appealing to their casual lifestyles.”

This philosophy has prompted the club to come up with events that promote a cause everyone has an interest in—being laidback and happy. The first event put on by the Troutsmen was a “Cheeseburger Picnic” in 2006. The self-explanatory event brought together hundreds of members of Whistler’s active outdoor community to eat mini cheeseburgers, drink beer and enjoy great music. After five successful picnics, the club stepped up the event. The sixth incarnation, the Sushi Village-sponsored Cheeseburger 1000, raised an impressive 500 items for the Food Bank. The club suddenly saw big promise in their efforts.

“We were shocked that so many people showed up,” recalls Troutsmen member Rich Glass. “Suddenly we realized the potential that was there—people were more than happy to give donations in exchange for a couple free cheeseburgers and a good time. That’s when the wheels really started turning.”

Four years later and the group has raised over $11,000 for charities such as the Whistler Adaptive Sports Program, as well as sending eight underprivileged kids to summer camp. The best part is, they’ve done it without losing the club’s initial focus. Poker tournaments, food- and drink-based soirees and golf tournaments (disc, whiffle, mini and regular) still figure prominently in the charity efforts, making the 35 or so members of the club happy to be a part of the bigger purpose.

“I’m honoured to be a part of the club” Says TK “It’s been a great way to get in some serious socializing while doing something that makes me feel good about the community. I think we can do even more in the future.”

Indeed, the club has big plans to do more. Over the morning meeting at the GLC, several members discuss opportunities that involve everything from a complimentary designated driver service, a legitimate clubhouse and a plethora of events to deliver even more charity to more organizations. This winter, the club will host a movie night aligned with the Whistler Film Festival, as well as the Troutsman’s Ball in February 2011. This means that the end result will remain the same—to enjoy thyself while providing for others.

The Troutsemen would like to thank all who have helped them in their efforts: Monster Energy, Wayne Katz, Sushi Village, Maxx Fish Nightclub, and anyone else who has donated prizes or otherwise. Learn more at www.troutsmen.org.

How to Become a Troutsmen 101

The number one asked question is how to enter the International Club of Leisure. For a supposedly leisurely club, the process is actually quite exclusive. Here is the standard induction process, which may or may not be followed stringently.

1. Get asked – There is no application process. Your best bet is to show up at Troutsmen events and be awesome. Be a gentleman. Pitch in, help out, donate big. Get the attention of those who matter. How do you tell who they are? They are the drunk, funny, loud ones behind the BBQ or on the swing bikes.
2. 2. Discover what a swing bike is.
3. Attend a meeting – Troutsmen meetings happen at Midnight on the third Saturday of every month at an undisclosed location. During your first pledge meeting you must show up with a clean upper lip.
4. Be Leisurely – Over the month, be seen being leisurely. If you need to ask what being leisurely is, you probably haven’t made it this far.
5. Attend another meeting – The second meeting requires that you show up sporting the best damn mustache you can, and make a speech for why you want to be inducted. Criteria for inclusion is based equally on facial hair fortitude and level of leisure.
6. Contribute, Fraternize, Relax – One of the key elements of being a Troutsmen is being a part of the Troutsmen. Members must contribute with volunteering, monthly dues and by not missing more than six meetings a year. Naturally, none of these tasks should eclipse your pursuit of the leisurely lifestyle.

Mike Berard is an Olympic Asphalt Village-based writer with a huge bias for the Troutsmen. After all, he is a member. He also owes $70 in dues.

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