NWTF Banquets in MN

[dewey]

Has anyone out there been to a NWTF banquet in the Twin Cities?  How are they and would you recommend going to them.  I was thinking about going to the Twin Toms NWTF banquet in Hopkins on March 26th, but the email address and the phone number of the guy to contact appears to be incorrect.
 
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
 
Thanks,
 
Dewey

[arrowsonly]

I am no longer a member of the NWTF! After a two year battle over a shot gun I won @ a banquet one year. Yes it took 2 years to receive a substitute prize, as you can tell by my screen name I don't shot guns. I now belong to the Wisconsin Bow Hunters only. The NWTF has done a lot for Turkeys & Turkey huntng so could I with the money they make. Rob Keck was paid over 100.000 per year as it's CEO !
I would look for some other smaller local organization that benifit turkeys in some way...  

[jnelson]

I'm not here to start a fight, and you definitely have a right to be upset. 

While I don't agree with all that comes down from National, the role that an active local chapter can play cannot be overstated.  Our local chapter is but one of hundreds in just the state of MN that oversees a local corn-seed program, gives away a $1k conservation scholarship, donates 100 turkeys to the local food shelf, etc.  Our corn program alone gets tens of foodplots totaling more than 100 acres planted.  This corn is left to stand all winter to benefit wildlife, esp. turkeys in our area.  We plant a few hundred trees a year and give away seedlings to whomever will plant them. 

I had a beef with the way NWTF did business for years, and sat on my thumbs.  After seeing what a dedicated local chapter could do, I changed my line of thinking and pitched in.

Joel 

[dewey]

Hey Joel,
 
What chapter do you belong to?

[jnelson]

Dewey:

I'm with the Sunrise Gobblers Chapter in Cannon Falls.  Wish I would've run into you sooner, I would've invited you to our banquet.  Keep it in mind for next year as we try to put on a special banquet compared to the others we've attended.  Typically we have prime rib, so the meal is also a draw.  March 13th next year I believe.

Joel

[Fan Club]

Hey guys, if I could be allowed to sneak into your forum.
 
I am very active in my local NWTF chapter here in Michigan and will echo the prior sentiments. Try to get past the bureaucrats and politics of what goes on at National. The real reward is in the faces of the kids at a Jakes event or to see a handicapped individual get a turkey at a Wheelin' Sportsman hunt. The volunteers at the grassroots level are the lifeblood. Your efforts count.
 
You get out of it what you put into it. After 13 banquets I finally won a gun this year. A Sweeeeeet Rem 700 SPS in .204 Ruger. Unlike the previous poster I picked up the gun within a week and it went off without a hitch. I'm breaking in the barrel now and can't wait to get to shooting it. I rekon good things come to those wait. Keep up the great work with the NWTF...the turkeys thanks you!
 
Jeff

[dewey]

Fan club/joel, thanks for the advice and I am going to try and find a chapter here in Minneapolis.  Joel thanks for the invite to your NWTF banquet next spring I will keep it in mind.

[dewey]

I have seen on the NWTF website that their are a lot of banquests coming up in March around the Minneapolis area so my question is does anyone on here belong to one? Recommend one? I would like to go to one but I am not very keen on the idea of going by myself.

Or is anyone on here planning on going to one or be interesed in going to one? It would be nice to know atleast one person there.

Dewey

[RNC]

I realize this was not the intent of the first post of this thread but I got to vent about the NWTF a little also. I have been a member for about a year now. When I signed up I checked the NWTF web page to see what chapters were in the St Paul area. I emailed the guy whose named showed up as the contact for several chapters, dont remember his name at the moment it was Tom something, and asked how to contact a specific chapter and what the chapters do. It took a long time to get a response but we eventually exhcanged a couple emails. I eventualy got a response that he would pass my contact info to several chapters so I could get a meeting schedule so I could go and check the chapters themselves. Well I never heard from any chapters so I emailed this Tom again and never heard from him again. All I wanted was some pretty simple information and got a whole lot of nothing at this point when my membership expires I wont be renewing it.

[dewey]

ORIGINAL: RNC

I realize this was not the intent of the first post of this thread but I got to vent about the NWTF a little also. I have been a member for about a year now. When I signed up I checked the NWTF web page to see what chapters were in the St Paul area. I emailed the guy whose named showed up as the contact for several chapters, dont remember his name at the moment it was Tom something, and asked how to contact a specific chapter and what the chapters do. It took a long time to get a response but we eventually exhcanged a couple emails. I eventualy got a response that he would pass my contact info to several chapters so I could get a meeting schedule so I could go and check the chapters themselves. Well I never heard from any chapters so I emailed this Tom again and never heard from him again. All I wanted was some pretty simple information and got a whole lot of nothing at this point when my membership expires I wont be renewing it.

Thanks for the information RNC. I am always surprised at how people can not return an email or phone call. I understand that you might be busy but are you that busy ALL the time.

Dewey