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Field Notes
2012 Arizona/New Mexico NWTF State Leadership Convention & Banquet
By
Brenda Valentine
First Lady of Hunting®
January, 2012
The 5th Annual Arizona/New Mexico State Leadership Convention & Banquet took place Jan.27-28 in Albuquerque, NM. Hosted by NWTF~DFS Michael Jasper and lovely wife, Anne.
These folks are smiling for good reason; they each received awards in varying categories for their individual or banquet accomplishments during 2011 for the NWTF.
Does this booth look familiar? This is the restaurant where much of the movie "Crazy Heart" was filmed. Anne Jasper, Teresa Carroll, Peggy Vallery and I just had to sit where Jeff Bridges did during the movie!
The local Kohl's loaned a group of their energetic employees to help set up the banquet. They were a great help and fun to be around.
At the Friday night Meet n Greet we were thoroughly entertained by a group of pickers jamming some of the best live music I've heard in a long time. I can't explain how much I enjoyed this and the memories it brought back. Thanks guys!
Cowboy poet Slim Farnsworth spun one humorous yarn after another. This guy is good!
Instruments were swapped around and the music played on. Notice Mike Jasper sawing down on the fiddle. He raised goose bumps at the Saturday night banquet when he played a haunting solo of the Star Spangled Banner on his fiddle while a local color guard presented our flag. That was definitely one of the high points of the weekend for me. I was so mesmerized I failed to get a picture.
NWTF National Board Chairman Peggy Anne Vallery was the key speaker during Saturday's conference meetings.
Teresa Carroll, NWTF-Women In The Outdoors coordinator gave an interesting presentation outlining various outreach programs particularly WITO.
Notice the colorful quilt in the background that was handmade by the Sierra Vista, AZ, Chapter members and offered for raffle.
NWTF DFO (Western USA), Mr. Mack Frazier, gave a National update during the morning meetings.
The backbone of the National Wild Turkey Federation is it's hardworking volunteers. Recognizing them with awards is one way of saying, thank you.
Every seat was filled when the auctioneer pounded his gavel for the bidding to begin. The new core package along with a variety of donated hunts and other items had hands in the air.
Each of these orange cap owners have fingers crossed hoping to be drawn for the grand prize of a NM Oryx hunt.
My friend and silversmith Edna Harper, from Coyote, NM, was the lucky winner of this fantastic hunt. To say she was excited would be a major understatement!
If you haven't attended an NWTF banquet lately you are missing out on a lot of fun and an opportunity to be a part of the most progressive conservation organization in the US. Find a Chapter in your area and GET INVOLVED for the future of hunting and habitat. Our motto: Hunt-Conserve-Share.
Read all of Brenda's Field Notes |
