nctaxi

How many taxidermists on here belong to their state's taxidermy association? If you do or don't, tell why? I am working with the president of our state association and am curious why some join and others don't. For myself, it was the best money I could have spent, short of learning. The pres. of our assoc. wants me on the board to help boost memberships. Would having access to discounted bus. cards, shop forms, t-shirts, etc. make you want to join? If not, what would be of interest? Just trying to get some feedback

M.Magis

I think you'll have better luck getting people who are new to taxidermy to join, rather than trying to get some of the veterans to join. That being the case, to me it's the seminars that are so appealing. To have the opporitunity to learn from some of the great names in taxidermy is worth more than the annual dues. The freebies and discountsmay appeal to some folks, but probably not enough to sway many into joining for that reason only. Folks who have been taxidermists for years, yet have never joined, may already have made up their minds that they can't gain anything from joining. I think most of us would agree that they're wrong, but it may be tough to change their mind. I think one of the biggest keys to getting new members would be to make it more known that these associations are available. When I started, I had no idea that they even existed. If it weren't for some randon internet searches, I still wouldn't know, and and the PTO championships were only 5 miles from me! Not everybody uses the internet like we do, so not everyone knows about the state associations. If there were some way to make it more known, I think there would be an increase in member numbers. That's my thoughts anyhow.

nctaxi

That's what I have been experiencing. The ones who have been doing it forever, think they don't need it. But I appreciate the input.

Alex The Hawk

They have never done anything for me, so why pay a fee to belong to a group that doesn't do anything for its members, except put on shows.

Do they work with legislators in your state ,to pass laws to protect hunters and fisherman and taxidermists ?
They don't here in Fla

nctaxi

Our association does work to stop laws and help other taxidermist. Right now in NC they are trying to stop hunters from bringing in deer species (elk, mulies, Canadian deer) from other states, and the association is right there fighting it. If your association isn't fighting this kind of stuff, contact them and ask them why?. That's the great thing about the associations, they are for us, the taxidermists. IF they had great membership numbers and joined with others like the NWTF or DU they would have a really loud voice. If you don't like the way the association is run, do something about it. A few years back our association lost members due to some kind of disagreement, those people eventually were replaced and now we are trying to build the memberships back up. Alex , contact your association and talk to them, things may have changed or may be changing. The great thing about it is it's members have a say so, it's all about the members. Get on the board and then have a voice, that's what I am striving for. It's like voting - if you don't vote then how can you complain. From the day I joined, I have talked to just about every board member, for one thing or another.

M.Magis

That's the sort of attitude I was talking about, the "What can you do for me" attitude. Let me ask you this, what can they do for you if your NOT a member? How can they have any voice if the taxidermists don't back them up as members? To me, it's just having pride in your work and your profession. In my opinion, the shows themselves are all that should be needed. As withmost professions, taxidermy requires continual training. How can a taxidermist expect to keep up with modern techniques if they're still doing the exact same things they learned 5, 10, or 30 years ago? I've seen work from a lot of taxidermists that never attend any type of show, and quite frankly, their work shows it. I surely wouldn't expect every single taxidermist to join their state association and attend the shows, but I would think that anyone who's proud of their profession and their work, would.

Alex The Hawk

I was a member for 20 years and did more about changing laws and help taxidermists than any association.
Which included changing the Fish and Game Commission to a part of the DNR instead of an autonomous police body which dictated crazy laws as they felt like it.
They now respond to an elected body.

Bill Yox

The associations are very helpful and beneficial for those who see the positives within. Its all in how it is used. They can also mark failure if you misuse it, too. An organization can only be as strong and successful as its members will allow. For instance, maybe Im not going to learn stuff at the same rate as say, a new taxidermist would in my state org...but look at the networking I still can gain, or just to get away and make it social. But, when CWD hit our state, I could grab my membership list and immediately have a bunch of taxidermists ready to help me get us through some tough legislation. To me, a state organization is priceless.