Eighteen Friends and FWS staff turned out tonight for the intro session of our Strategic Planning retreat.  Joan Patterson (our facilitator from the National Wildlife Refuge Association) guided us through exercises designed to determine how we can carry out our mission, establish goals, and fulfill our mandates.  We also began the discussion on what actions, projects, and governance changes we want to see put into our five-year strategic plan.  Several members volunteered to be responsible for assembling the ideas and projects we decide on at tomorrow's session into a comprehensive plan to be presented to the membership within the next two months.  I think it was a great start to the Retreat with new and established members contributing.  Looking forward to tomorrow!