State Taxidermy Associations

[George Roof]

After we have exhausted all attempts to contact many of you, I feel forced to use this public forum to inform you of an NTA issue.

In September, the NTA sent out letters to all affiliated states reminding them that November would be the month when renewal notices would be mailed.  This was a service provided free to affiliated states to save them postage and $2 per membership each year.  It informed each of you that unless you notified the NTA of anything different, the NTA would send our renewal notices for your states that would include the requisite NTA dues in the total amount.  Only one state responded that it was dropping its affiliation and that the NTA should not send out those renewals.

Since only one state responded in any way, a second mailing of the initial  notification was made in October.  Still no responses were received.

Recently several NTA members from certain states have called the NTA questioning why they were receiving such notifications when their state had decided to no longer be affiliated.  Yesterday, I attempted to contact two state associations and on one the telephone had been disconnected and was not in service while the other had no such number listed.  Today, the remainder of the renewal letters were mailed out.

I had asked one state president just a few months back what their status was and was told here that the issue had not been acted on yet.  One of their members called the NTA yesterday to note that they'd just received their renewals from the state itself with no NTA dues and no explanation.  The NTA could not answer the members questions since we had not been notified either.

Now if you are an NTA member and you live is a state that is looking at discontinuing NTA notification, please take note that you will soon get a letter from the NTA telling you that your dues are due and that you should send that amount of money to cover both state and National membership fees to a local state address of the person listed as your secretary/treasurer.  If you pay the NTA dues to you state, the NTA certainly can't keep up with your membership if your state does not have a plan in motion to forward NTA dues to NTA Headquarters. 

Again, this is just to let you know what's going on.  There's no "threats" or ill feelings involved in this issue.  It's just so you can insure that if you intended to keep your NTA membership current, it will have to be dependant on the actions of your elected officers forwarding the current information to NTA headquarters.  If it is not done in a timely manner, you risk a lapse in your AD&D insurance policy.

[RJ Simington]

As for Oregon,
We have had a long transuition in installing our new Secretary/ Tresure this year.
Everything from the officers being gone ,to major computer problems.
I can assure you that Oregon is still an afiliate state & intends on staying so.

We all have to remember that we are all volenteers for our associations & will do our best to keep things runing smoothly, BUT, we all have Businesses & Lives that take presidence over what we do.

Not all of us have the same work load or the same turmoils in our everyday schedules.

If its not working the way you want it to , By all means VOLENTEER to help get things done & you will see just what I am talking about.
I am not trying to be dirogatory to you at all George. I am saying this for any members of any associations that like to sit back & complain about the way things are being ran or handled but not willing to be part of the solution.

[George Roof]

I didn't take it that way either RJ and you're absolutely right.  The only point here is that with affiliation comes a bigger responsibility on both sides.  I had to have my wife run the shop last Tuesday night so I could sit through a NTA conference call board meeting and take minutes.  This right at the peak of my 8 day deer season.  Not looking for sympathy here, just some things have to be done in timely manners.  The NTA ends up spending membership money to cover the perks of affiliation and we certainly don't need to be squandering it away on groups that neither want nor are entitled to those services. Oregon members should be getting their notifications soon if they haven't already.