BY DUCK PATERSON
A Ladysmith man heads a worldwide forestry organization, meaning he has earned the lofty title of B次元官网网址榮nark of the universe.B次元官网网址�
Paul Beltgens is assuming leadership of the Concatenated Order of Hoo-Hoo for 2024. The organization, founded in 1892 and based in Gurdon, Ark., has nearly 10,000 members in 23 countries.
Hoo-Hoo came to the Cowichan Valley in the 1960s when Herb and Gordie Doman decided to initiate a chapter in the area. Today Hoo-Hoo No. 229 Cowichan has more than 65 members who are all involved, one way or another, in the forestry industry.
Beltgens is owner of Jemico Enterprises and Paulcan Enterprises and has been a member of the Cowichan ValleyB次元官网网址檚 Hoo-Hoo club since 1983.
B次元官网网址淭he spirit of Hoo-Hoo is expressed in nine fundamental values which encourage members to be fraternal, helpful, grateful, friendly, tolerant, progressive, industrious, ethical and loyal and those are all important to me,B次元官网网址� Beltgens said.
B次元官网网址淭he Hoo-Hoo believe that these nine points are the building blocks of our golden rule and members are expected to practise these in their business and personal lives for the betterment of themselves and society.B次元官网网址�
Since finishing school, Beltgens has been involved, one way or another, in the B.C. forestry sector. He spent time working clean-up at Schon Timber at the head of Ladysmith Harbour, then went to work at Harmac, owned by MacMillan Bloedel at that time. After nine months, he decided to return to school, enrolling at the B.C. Institute of Technology in the forest product diploma program and graduating in 1976. He then went back to work for MacMillan Bloedel as a supervisor at the Chemainus sawmill.
B次元官网网址淭hat was different,B次元官网网址� he said, B次元官网网址渕y dad was a lumber grader there and I ended up being his boss.B次元官网网址�
In 1981, Beltgens make a decision that would change his life and that was to buy a portable log chipper and go into business for himself
B次元官网网址淚 started cleaning up 17 acres of wood debris that was floating in First Lake, at Nanaimo Lakes, and after that I moved the equipment to Lake Cowichan and started chipping log, etc., that had accumulated on that lake,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淎t that time the B.C. Forest Discovery Museum was looking for a big spruce log to show off, and I had spotted a couple on the lake that were too big to be removed due to bridge restrictions, so after some libations and chatting with other Hoo-Hoo these logs were removed from the lake and transported to the museum.B次元官网网址�
His company Paulcan provides customized mill work to global markets, manufacturing any size of wood product, building material, and kiln-dried lumber for domestic and international customers. The Jemico mill produces products such as hardwoods for furniture, doors, mouldings and frames, and Beltgens said itB次元官网网址檚 the largest producer of alder and maple B次元官网网址� and at times cottonwood B次元官网网址� products in all of B.C.
Another side of BeltgensB次元官网网址檚 business is mill deconstruction. He started to buy equipment from other mill shutdowns in 1985 and convinced the local government to rent him a piece of industrial property.
B次元官网网址淚 continued to buy and sell mill equipment, and that led me to travel all over the world and meeting people and continuing to learn,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檒l tell you one thing, all of this would never have happened if it wasnB次元官网网址檛 for the support from many people, with so many of them being members of Hoo-Hoo all over the world.B次元官网网址�
He was Hoo-Hoo CowichanB次元官网网址檚 club president for a couple of years and an area director before becoming vice-president and now snark of the universe. As head of Hoo-Hoo International, Beltgens intends to continue to promote the forestry sector and its benefits.
B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檝e been involved in forestry for over 53 years and the story of forestry is almost as long as mankindB次元官网网址檚 story. We all use wood, in one way or another, every day.B次元官网网址�
A huge part of the organizationB次元官网网址檚 reason for being is to spread knowledge around the world.
B次元官网网址淭here are different kinds of forests and different kinds of products, so at times you run up against something that can dumbfound you, but then it comes,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淚t comes to you that, B次元官网网址榟ey, I know a guy and heB次元官网网址檚 done this before,B次元官网网址� so you call him, and he could be in New Zealand or Florida or anywhere and the answer is there.B次元官网网址�
Part of the snark position involves visiting Hoo-Hoo clubs in various locations. So far Beltgens has visited Boston, Detroit, Minneapolis, Houston and Gurdon headquarters, and has plans to visit other clubs in the U.S., Australia and Asia. He pays for his own travel, but said heB次元官网网址檚 B次元官网网址渓ooked after incrediblyB次元官网网址� in the places he visits.
Aside from leading to business connections, Hoo-Hoo also has an impact in communities, donating to post-secondary institutions and forestry museums, and providing wood products for school woodworking courses, for example.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 the promotion of the forest industry, because itB次元官网网址檚 had such a bad rap, lately. ItB次元官网网址檚 not true,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淲e are a big part of all communities and a big part of the countryB次元官网网址檚 economy. We are as environmentally friendly as the next guy. We want to see the forests grow as our business is sustainable and if we donB次元官网网址檛 take care of it, then it only hurts us, so we do all we can and not just in the forest but in our communities as well.B次元官网网址�
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