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The NTA is the largest and oldest active non-profit organization of taxidermists. Founded in 1972 to further the taxidermy profession as a whole, the NTA has grown to encompass not only the United States, but countries such as Canada, Mexico, Japan, Norway, England and South Africa. There is at least one affiliated state association in almost all of the fifty states.

News & Notes
2000 NTA Convention Major Award Winners
2000 NTA Convention Complete Ribbon Winners Listing
Between Friends: Brain Rubbish -- The useless stuff that's stuck in your head
What's for Dinner? by Tina Jones
A Star is Born -- Turkey Boy, Zachary Hoover
Board Member Spotlight -- John Janelli
Welcome Home North American Champion by Mike Ross
Share Your Blessings
C.Y.A (Cover Your Assets)
Expanded Insurance Benefits for NTA Members

NTA Elections 2001: Make Your Vote Count
According to NTA bylaws you must have paid your membership on or before May 10th. to receive an election ballot. A CPA will mail out the ballots between May 20th and May 31st. You are urged to participate in the election process and cast your ballot for your NTA officers and board members. Look over those running for election. Read their resumes carefully. Select the persons you feel have the best interests for the NTA now and in the future. The positions that are held are important and require individuals who are willing to make small sacrifices and donate time. They will also be spending some of their personal funds to serve you.

Requirements: All officers and board members are expected to participate in the early board meeting as well as the national convention. The early board meeting is usually held 4 to 5 months ahead of our convention. The board votes 18 months in advance on what those dates will be. We meet on Friday, Saturday, and return home on Sunday. For the national convention, we meet on dates selected by the board two years in advance. Our meeting is on a Tuesday, Wednesday, and the convention follows from Wednesday evening through Saturday. Aside from the time and energy required by those meetings, they will also cost board members money. For the early board meeting, they will be provided with air transportation and a room to share with another board member. Their meals, airport parking, or any other expenses they incur are their responsibility. For the convention, they will be provided with a room on Tuesday night and a complimentary convention registration. They are responsible for travel expenses, additional room nights, meals, etc.

Any individual who cannot attend the necessary association functions or complete the projects appointed to them without valid reason is encouraged to step aside. The association cannot function properly with officers and board members who contribute on a partial basis. There are those individuals in our membership that are able to spend the time and effort required to make our association something we can all be proud of. It is far more gratifying to be a member of a great association than to be an officer or board member of a mediocre association. The NTA has a 17-person board because it takes that much effort to make it work.

Elections will be held for president, vice-president, secretary and board members. Please consider your decision carefully as you cast your vote.

Attention 2001 Exhibitors
Thank you to those suppliers who participated in our 2000 convention. The 2001 convention Columbia, Missouri is rapidly filling up. If you have not selected your exhibit space at this time, please contact Greg at NTA Headquarters to secure your space. Dates for the show are July 12, 13, 14, 2000. Exhibit space is limited, so call now at (504) 641-4NTA (4682) to receive your exhibitor's packet!

Attention Affiliate Representatives
During the president's meeting in Lubbock, Texas it was discussed that a request would be made that each affiliate mail in their rules or procedures for obtaining a taxidermy license in their respective state. Howard Whitten, president of our Maine affiliate has offered to have these mailed to him in order that they be tabulated and made available to those interested members. Contact Howard Whitten, 3464 West River Road, Sidney, ME 04330, (207) 547-4194

Distinguished Taxidermists Competition Information
The NTA Distinguished Taxidermists Competition is open to those NTA members who have won a Judges Best of Show award at an NTA sanctioned competition since the 2000 NTA Convention in Lubbock, Texas this past July. Entrants must be registered members of the NTA Convention, be present at the convention, and pay all appropriate entry fees plus an additional $35 entry fee for this award. Entries in this competition will also be eligible to win all other awards in their proper division.

The mount entered in the Distinguished Taxidermists Competition must be the exact same mount that won in the state or regional affiliate competition and NO substitutes permitted. Any mount that has been entered in any previous NTA National Competition is NOT eligible. Entry into the Distinguished Taxidermists Competition is allowed only if members fulfill these requirements and present an official registration form. Forms have been mailed out to all affiliate presidents or secretaries. These forms may also be obtained from NTA Headquarters upon request. NO ONE will be allowed entry into the Distinguished Taxidermists Competition unless this form is presented at time of entry.

Deadline For Competition Points
Wesley Touchstone, Chairman of the Competition Points Committee, wants to remind everyone that May 15th is the deadline for your competition points to be counted for those persons wanting to receive their 2001 Award of Excellence in Columbia, Missouri. Those that have completed the requirements will be notified by June 1st that they will be receiving their NTA Award of Excellence. If your state has not turned in their points for your competition, remind them to do so promptly.

Requirements for the Award of Excellence:
1. Earned at least 5 points at the NTA Annual Competition including one first place ribbon beginning with the 1982 competition.
2. Earned at least 16 additional points at a national, regional or state level in NTA sanctioned competition using NTA score sheets, criteria, and judges.

Note: One must be an NTA member prior to a competition before points will be credited. The competition must be an NTA Affiliate and follow NTA requirements for sanctioned competitions. It is the responsibility of the affiliate to complete the standard NTA forms for proper credit of points earned in competition. For information on competition points you may contact Wesley Touchstone at 5011 East Texas, Bossier City, LA 71111 or call 318-746-5792 or FAX: (318) 746-5878.

Who picks those judges anyway?
One of the areas that the NTA receives many comments and questions is the area of competition judges. The following information has been published several times but due to the numerous comments, new members and the annual shows that are scheduled we felt that this information should be published again and hope that it proves helpful -- Editor

Members have asked, "How do the judges get chosen for the NTA convention?" It certainly is important that they are respected as competent opinion givers to the work that each competitor puts into their mounts. So how are they chosen? Well this year the same as before, the president appoints a board member to chair the judges committee. This years chairman will again be Rodney Holmes of Texas. Rodney was told the importance of a Democratic selection that would be made up of competent judges that would serve the competitor well and keep politics out of the picture. In past years the NTA has been fortunate to have outstanding individuals chair this important committee. Several of those chairmen of the past include Tony Gilyard, Greg Crain, Skip Skidmore, Mike Kirkhart, and Ron Reynolds.

The competition and judges committee consists of several NTA members, judges, and board members and in all committee work is NTA president Mike Kirkhart. Phone calls usually start right after the close of the NTA convention to start work on the following year. Those individuals contacted are asked for names and input for each of the categories. A lot of things are considered when trying to come up with three names for each category. This gives the committee a list of qualified judges from several sources. Each member is then called and asked to vote in order 1-2-3 of their choice for each category. Each of the possibilities is then scored.

The lowest score was the first selection for that category. None of the selection committee knows how the other voted. It works out pretty well. At the February Board Meeting the directors approve these selected judges. So there you have it. A simple and democratic way of deciding who the lucky individuals are that will be judging the NTA competition.

The NTA's Purpose
The purpose of the NTA is to further contacts and better understanding among taxidermists, tanners, taxidermy suppliers and sportsmen; to disseminate information and meet in conventions; to lobby for fair legislation on state and federal levels; and to function as a non-profit educational organization dedicated to the conservation of wildlife through the preservation of specimens to the highest standards of the art of taxidermy.

Through the NTA, all taxidermists have a voice in our future as conservationists. The NTA supports lobbyists involved with the National Rifle Association, Congressional Sportsman's Caucus, Safari Club International, United Conservation Alliance and the Governors Symposium on the American Hunting Heritage.

NTA members automatically receive a $10,000.00 life insurance policy. NTA educational scholarships are awarded to qualified students for college or for continuing taxidermy education.

The NTA hosts an annual convention and competition that rotates to different regions of the United States. In 2001 it will be held in Columbia, Missouri. The national convention includes various seminars that are presented by some of the top taxidermists in their field. There is a large competition that is judged by nationally sanctioned taxidermy judges. The public is invited to view the entries on Friday evening and Saturday morning, after the judging is completed.