2013 Article -SCBS President Receives Honor from CA WSF
SCBS President receives honor from CA WSF
By: Debbie Miller Marschke
DE member Steve Marschke, President of the Society for the Conservation of Bighorn Sheep since 2005, was surprised with the honor of receiving the “Above and Beyond” award on April 27, 2013, was bestowed upon him by the California Wild Sheep Foundation at their annual banquet in Rancho Cordova, California.
Also known as the “ A & B Award “, the plaque is inscribed: “ A & B Award, Above & Beyond, Presented to Steve Marschke, For your dedication, leadership of SCBS, and many contributions to bighorn sheep in CA including: working with everyone to get the job done – Volunteers, Private Industries, Public Agencies…Building 14 wildlife water systems AND plans for MANY more…Working with CDFW to monitor sheep activity with an extensive camera program … Annually leading a group of volunteers in the San Gabriel Sheep Survey … Always leaving a site or the trail better and cleaner … Being a great example, which always brings out the best in others.”
“The award we are giving tonight should have been given a long time ago, but the person we are honoring tonight is the one that everyone turns to get the job done and forgets about it because they know he will get it done. He does it without help or complaint. He is the go-to guy that never gets recognized but SCBS would need at least 3 people to do what he does if he wasn’t there….If Steve sees a need for something, he just does it, usually with his money and time and never asks for reimbursement from the Board. He is the first one there with his time and money, and the last to leave. His love of the wild places is shown by trash he picks up every trip and work project he’s on. But the thing he does the best is his skill to keep his interest hidden and work with everyone to get the job done. His integrity brings the best out of everyone and is shown by his election year after year as President.” – Gary Thomas, SCBS.
Steve is a native of North Dakota. A scholarship to the prestigious science college California Institute of Technology (Cal Tech) brought him to California, and after graduating with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, he was recruited directly by Hughes Corporation (now Raytheon) where he has worked for 19 years in the field of Metrology (aka the science of measurement). It did not take long for Steve to discover California’s vast open public lands, which drew him out to the deserts. Volunteering with SCBS was a great marriage between enjoyment of the desert and making a meaningful impact on the land at the same time.
Steve believes in volunteerism, and virtually every organization that he benefits from receives a dividend of his service, with sincerity and conviction. With SCBS, he began by accepting the responsibility as an area Captain, then as Area Captain Coordinator, and currently is serving as President & Website Administrator. He has continued as the Area Captain for the two big game guzzlers located on the Twenty-nine Palms Marine Base (Cleghorn and Bullion guzzlers) . Steve is on the Board of Directors for the Burbank Rifle and Revolver Club, for which he contributes more time volunteering his labor than he does actually shooting at the range. Along with his membership in the Desert Explorers (DE) and the Mojave Desert Heritage & Cultural Association (MDHCA), he contributes his labor, and volunteers his expertise as a trail leader for these organizations as well. He is generous to contribute to many other organizations as well.
Being the wife of Steve Marschke, I am continually impressed with the level of integrity this Eagle Scout continues to serve. He treats everyone with respect, and is reciprocally respected by his peers. He possesses the skill to keep emotions separate in times of controversy, and the courage to make the tough decisions between what’s fair and what’s right. Steve is self-compelled to do the right thing, even when no one is watching. He’s the guy who will stop and pull a stranger’s car out of a ditch or fix their flat tire. He’s the guy who takes the time to make repairs on a historic cabin when he’s camping or four wheeling. He’s the one who will drag a junk car closer to the road so it can be hauled away easier, and makes it a point to stop and pickup roadside trash. He repaints signs in the backcountry when the existing paint has faded or peeled. He truly gives generously of his personal time, and he will always say that he has not done enough. Congratulations, Steve, on receiving this much deserved honor.
Originally printed in the “Society for the Conservation of Bighorn Sheep
Sheep Sheet-- Volume 2 – July 2013.”