Osage Roost
General Forum => General Discussion => Topic started by: Old Geezer on September 25, 2011, 03:07:59 PM
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This year you will have to ante up if you want a premium view room at the convention. The NWTF will award premium view rooms to the first 400 attendees who purchase $275 or more convention event tickets. Of course, You won't know if you are one of the 400 until after you purchase the required amount to be in the pool.
The wife is not happy about it, and you know what that means.
While I'm at it, last Spring I sent two Emails to the NWTF concerning the lack of publicity participants in the call making contest received in Turkey Country. No answers. Yet they have room for lion hunting and trout fishing. What the call makers bring to the coffers of the NWTF is not small change. And here I thought member recognition was a big part of the organization. I guess you just have to give more, and more, and more before you receive.
Ralph
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They have out grown their roots. They are catering to a class of people and stars. That are vastly different than the good ole boys that started it back in the day in SC.
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The NWTF has been on this path for the past 15 years. I was hoping that new management was the answer, but it would appear that the new CEO is letting the foxes run the hen house, once again! When we called for our room reservations, we were told the same story that Ralph got, yet all you hear (which is pure lip service) is that the NWTF doesn't have the $$$ to spend. Funny how not having $$$ can equate to reserving a block of rooms to gouge the membership for another $275.00. *poo* *poo* *poo*
Bill
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What they are doing is wrong with the room reservations! We stayed there one time and now stay in an area motel. It is`nt the Gaylord but we do`nt get gouged! *cheers*
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i was looking forward to get one of the VIEW room this year BUT that out iam guessing . i donot have that kind of money.
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So now they are pre selling you more chit you don't need for the already high priced weekend, imagine that!!!
Ralph if it were not for JAKES day I would have quit participating more than 10 yrs ago. We just had our 15th annual JAKES event with 101 kids attending. We gave away 8 - .22 rifles and 2 - 20 gauge shotguns, 3 bicycles and 6 Rod-n-reel combos with tackle boxes full of tackle. We purchased over $700 in T-shirts as well so each child would have one.
I helped form this chapter 17 yrs ago and it was easy then to get someone to come to a banquet as they could see their dollars spent towards things like the trap and transplant program which was a good thing.
Now that turkey's are flourishing people ask what does the NWTF do in the area now? I can not say it is the JAKES event that they do as they don't provide pooh without charging you!
They provided us with a check for $350 to hold our event, pretty generous when you consider they charge us $10 for each JAKES membership (as I mentioned above we had 101 kids for a total of $1010.00 in membership fees which our chapter pays). :(
I mention the amount of items given away because we raise the $$ to purchase these items in outside raffles, chicken-n-beer dances etc.. In my opinion the total you spend on JAKES day should be deducted from the next years banquet net and deposited into an account for the expenses of the following years JAKES event. There should have to be no outside fundraisers to provide the things we do on JAKES day.
The annual Chapter banquet grossed just over $36,000 and our chapter's share was just under $260!!!!
Close to $10,000 was banquet expenses so the net was in the $26k range. It is a disgusting amount of money that goes to the National and State chapter to pay the big salaries for Regional directors and employees on up the ladder.
I went to the National convention in 2003 and again this past February of 2011 only because I enjoy being around other turkey hunters and seeing what is new in the turkey hunting world.
My biggest enjoyment though is meeting and visiting with all of you custom call makers. I agree that the calls you make and enter into the contest are a big $$ portion of the weekend revenue and most go without the credit deserved as it seems the NWTF only cares about the net $ they are making off of you and me!
As I mentioned previously, turkey's are now abundant in most areas of the country so the big question most ask is "What do we need the NWTF for now?". People are tired of giving when they can not see it coming back to the area.
I am sure it was a lengthy rant to read, thanks if you took the time as I am not a great writer and hope I got my point across.
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GSLAM95, Your point is well taken. I have heard similar stories from other chapters. How long before the NWTF kills all the geese that are laying their golden eggs. If it wasn't for the visiting, meeting old friends and making new ones we would not be there either. The price of the welcome dinner about covers the cost sitting down in Old Hickory.
Ralph
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I voiced my dismay, about the Diamond Life party the NWTF threw last Feb. in Nashville, on the NWTF forum. This was just two days after I returned home from Nashville. These folks have donated in excess of $10,000.00 in goods and/or donations over their time supporting the NWTF. It is a nice gesture for these people and usually the Wild Turkey distillary gives out a nice gift for those who attend. Well, they were not supporters of the event last year. Instead, they had a DVD of Craig Morgan's hunting show. OK, I like Craig's singing, but his hunting show.........well, and a DVD that cost may be $.97 cents to produce! Not what you would expect for a group of donors (including call makers) to show how much the NWTF appreciates their support. Just a guess, but I think there were over 200 people at that affair....times TEN THOUSAND DOLLARS! I caught holy heck for voicing my opinion on the NWTF forum. "Why the nerve, to even bring it up"!
Bill
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We usually don't stay at opryland. We usually stay at an area hotel that only costs us for the weekend what opryland costs for one night. But, this year we will have a 4 month old baby with us, so we decided to stay at opryland, so my wife can take her back to the room. My wife made our reservations this morning, and they told her all the premium rooms were taken.
Patrick
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MONEY ! MONEY ! MONEY ! Is that all the NWTF is about anymore ? The Opryland Resort has the NWTF in their back-pocket !
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MONEY ! MONEY ! MONEY ! Is that all the NWTF is about anymore ? The Opryland Resort has the NWTF in their back-pocket !
Bob, You are correct but I feel that the NWTF has the Opryland in their pocket. I`m sure the NWTF came up with the $275 ticket idea for the rooms! Opryland wants to please them so they will stay. I enjoy the convention center but I wont pay for their high price rooms!
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I agree the rooms are overpriced. But that's not the NWTF's fault. The $165/night actually is a discount. Not trying to defend the NWTF, because they are only about money. I will tell you all this for anybody wanting to stay there. Be careful, you are supposed to get free parking according to the advertisement in the new turkey country magazine. My wife said when she called today, they tried to charge her parking per day. She told them it said parking was supposed to be free. They told her bring the advertisement with us. So just a heads up, if you do book a room there make sure you get your free parking.