Safety Education Instructor Newsletter

Updated: October 2026

Wow! Summer was here and gone. Harvest is upon us, as is allergy season.

Did you know we held 271 classes last fiscal year. That’s a lot of classes with many, many students, and amazing instructors making those classes happen.

The Safety classes could not happen without the instructors, and we are very grateful that you are making a difference in the lives of our youth…and some older folks, too.

Please know that you are appreciated. The coordinators can tell you the stories we hear from people calling in with Safety Ed questions. The stories often begin “I took hunter safety when I was 12 with my grandpa…and I want to share that with my son or daughter.” It is heartwarming. Each one of you make a difference to the students in your classes. Thank you!

• Quick Access
• Fall Class Planning
• CPO Attendance
• Returned Time Forms
• New Coordinator in Region Four
• Field Day Events at the DNR
• New Administrator Joins Safety Ed

Now is the ideal time to plan your late fall classes. 

Before submitting your class notice:

• Confirm dates with your facility
• Communicate with your team about dates
• Check your class supplies inventory
• Notify your VSC using the Class Notification Form

Quick Action: If you know your dates, notify your VSC today. Five to ten minutes now helps prevent delays later.

As a reminder, please provide 45 days’ notice for classes.

This allows time to:

• Request a CPO
• Allow the CPO to contact the instructor
• Ensure materials and class supplies orders are processed

Please remember that CPO attendance may vary based on operational needs and emergencies.

Please remember to review your class materials shipment upon arrival and contact your VSC immediately if any materials are missing or incorrect.

The auditors have requested some changes to our volunteer forms. All volunteer forms, until notified otherwise, should have a notation of (rev. 9/24) on the bottom of the page, end of sentence. This is the correct form and what all of our time should be submitted on going forward. If that is not the form you have, you can download the correct form on the DNR website, under Instructor Resources.

You may receive forms in the mail that need your signature. Please sign and return those to us ASAHP. (As Soon As Humanly Possible) :)

With regard to the previous signature form we sent - we are now only able to make minor changes to the paperwork and we will always send major changes or need of a signature back to you. 

Thank you for your patience with this extra step. 

Aaron joined us in August during the State Fair, spending much of his first week at the BB Gun Range - not a bad way to start a new job! Since then, he has been learning the ropes, making calls, and getting to know some of our Region 4 instructors. 

Originally from Lincoln, Illinois, Aaron recently separated from the U.S. Air Force as a Technical Sergeant (E-6) after six years of active duty service. He’s happy to be back in central Illinois and starting this next chapter with his family.

Aaron lives in Chatham with his wife and their three children under 6, though they’ll soon be moving elsewhere within Region 4. He enjoys hunting, specifically white-tailed deer archery but “gets out anytime he can”. Most evenings, though, you’re more likely to find him fishing with any combination of his kiddos – one of his favorite ways to end the day. Although as of late he usually he ends up doing chores with one hand and a baby in the other. 

Aaron looks forward to meeting more of the instructors and hearing their stories. He appreciates the time they give to these programs and is excited to get to know everyone and help support their classes. 

Many thanks to all the instructors who helped to make the first Field Day in March of 2026 a huge success. Special thanks to Scott Schuetz, who took lead, and to Art Schuetz, who brought the idea to us. It was a good day with beautiful weather. 

Recently we held a second Field Day. Joe Bauer took lead on this go-round. We moved the second field event to one of the Ag buildings out of fear of rain. Though not as aesthetically pleasing as Conservation World was the first time, it made for a better set-up.  

These events were part of a Region 3 and 4 initiative to hold centralized field day classes, making it easier for students to attend and ensure a high-quality, hands-on learning experience.

We did have a few Region 1 instructors come down to assist at the events. It was a great collaboration. Thanks much!

If you want to join in future DNR Field Days we need you to:

• Lead or assist a station for the full day
• Bring your expertise, teaching skills, and enthusiasm for hands-on Hunter Safety
• Let Shelli Jones know of your interest. 

Previous instructors will be invited back. We will notifiy all of the next scheduled date. 

If you're available to help, please contact Shelli Jones at shelli.jones@illinois.gov or 217-494-7320.

Menard County Master Instructor is Now Safety Ed Administrator

For several months, Safety Education had been under the supervision of John Williamson, retired Captain with the Conservation Police. John brought years of experience with him through his work in law enforcement, but because he still wants to be retired, we have been searching for a new permanent replacement for the Administrator. AND we found one. He is one of our own. A Master Instructor in Menard County, Franklin Williams, joined the department on July 16th.

Frank has quite a background that makes him uniquely qualified for the role of Safety Education Manager. A portion of his background includes service in the United States Marine Corps and as a law enforcement officer. As an Illinois state employee, he has worked as a telecommunicator with the Illinois State Police and most recently, comes from the role of the State Exercise Officer at the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security.

He is an experienced outdoorsman having been taught at an early age to enjoy hunting, fishing, and trapping and to respect the animals that he was pursuing. Whether it is deer hunting with a bow, shotgun or handgun, taking upland birds over English Setters, waiting in a duck blind with his labs, or running around the timber with his coonhounds, Frank still enjoys the variety of outdoors that Illinois provides. Some the of the credentials Frank maintains is also as a certified instructor for several firearm-related courses and credentialling as a Chief Range Safety Officer.

Still owning a portion of the family farm homesteaded in 1841 by his great-great grandfather, his roots to west central Illinois run deep. The old house is gone but the barn from the early 1900s remains, a testament to the strength of familial bonds that have held fast for almost two centuries. Some of the landscape may have changed with horse-drawn equipment being replaced by modern implements, but the hunting and farming culture remains.

As an active Master Instructor for the IDNR Hunter Safety Program, Frank brings unique perspective to the role of the manager.

“I’m looking forward to this new role” Williams said. “As a hunter and an instructor, I have an understanding about the challenges related to being an instructor but also the rewards.” He continued, “I’m looking forward to meeting more of our instructors and having discussions about ways to improve the program. What’s working and what’s not. Recognizing that is key.”

Frank Williams

Thanks for all you do! That sounds like a simple sentence to reflect the gratitude we have for the instructors, but "all you do" encompasses so many things. It can include all the time you spend preparing for class, team meetings, bringing in special guests to talk about their experiences as a hunter or their specific expertise in a subject, and the headaches that inevitably happen because of unforeseen issues. And all that is above and beyond teaching the class! Thank you for all you do!

This newsletter is sent to volunteer instructors to share important program updates and resources. If you know an instructor who is not currently receiving these emails, please share this page with them.

Send an email to: subscribe-dnr-volunteerinstructors@lists.illinois.gov

• No subject line or message needed
• You will receive an email and must click the link in the email to confirm your subscription (be sure to check your junk or spam folder)

Send an email to: unsubscribe-dnr-volunteerinstructors@lists.illinois.gov

• No subject line or message needed
• You will receive a confirmation email (be sure to check your junk or spam folder)