TDHA Recruitment

[nosightsneeded]

Truthfully alot of people only associate the TDHA with hog dogging. I have heard of Mr. Mason working with coonhunts and I hope that keeps going on. If the TDHA sponsored bird dog trails or squirel trails and not just bay competitions and Hog hunts I think they could shake the feeling as being a hogdogging assc.. As I look at the events on the TDHA webpage every thing I see is hog related.

  There are questions I have, is there/ why isnt there zone reps? I believe that It would be great to have a zone rep. Just to be able to set up at local events. The one booth with mr. mason cant be all over texas at one time. This spring would have been a great opportunity for getting the word out with all the springfests and rodeos that went on. The way things are right now the TDHA seems too far for most of the members and non-members in north and west texas. I would guess that the majority of the members are from SE texas. I may be completly inncorrect about that but that is the feeling I get. Events like The Wild Boar Expo and most of the bayings go on down there. By only setting up booths in around that area you are in fact giving the immpression that it is you Area of Operation. Before I joined I thought the That the TDHA was more of a regoinal club. If there was a local/zone rep that people could get to know and be able see every once in a while it would no doubt make a stronger group. A person is more willing to hand over his money to someone that is local opposed to a guy that lives on the other side of the state.


   If I am completly wrong about this then who is my closes rep to mineral wells?, and why havent I seen booths or seen the fliers saying that the TDHA will be at any of the local events. I just believe if you want more members you will have to expand. You dont see every Recruiter that the Army has employed all packed into one tiny office in a mall. They are in every town! If you dont have one in your town there is one within driving distance. You dont see them just waiting to for people to come to them they go and look for recruits in schools and mostly they have there booths set up at every time yu turn around. They may not sign up people everytime they go out, but in fact they have at least put the word out there and plant a seed in peoples brain.  There is a baying in Waurika soon and if there was a rep around there and set up I bet that more than have of the people would not know what TDHA is and what is about. Now I understand that TDHA doesnt have the financial backing as a larger group and cant be every where all the time, but It does have alot of guys that dont want something they love to go away.

Dont get me wrong I love what the TDHA is and what it stands for but I just dont think making people who hunt with you join just is the answer in the grand scheme of things. Iam just asking that The TDHA BOD just think about it.

[catchrcall]

This is the type of constructive discussion that will cause YOUR TDHA to grow, and be more informed as a whole.  Hopefully I can provide an answer to your questions, and if not hopefully some of the other BOD's can help me out. 

Zone Reps-  As of now, we do not really have zone reps, or chapters that separate one part of texas from another.  What we do have is a panel of BOD and Advisors that are distributed throughout the state.  The BOD profiles on the TDHA site should give you a location so you can figure out which one is closest to you, and you can contact us on the boards, by PM, or by email with any questions or suggestions.  As you stated, by getting to know your closest BODs and communicating with them, we will be a stronger, more active organization. As far as setting up at more events, if you see something around your area that, in your opinion could benefit TDHA or help spread the word, PLEASE feel free to bring it up.  I'm not going to tell you that we can hit every event that comes to light, but the more we know about, the better off we'll be, and the more likely we are to set up more booths, especially if it means signing up new members, or making face to face contact with current members that would like to be more active in the organization.  The more active members we have, the easier it will be to set up at more events, be it a rodeo, gun show, fair or whatever. 

You are not wrong in stating that TDHA's membership, right now, leans pretty heavily toward hog hunters.  We are starting to try and make TDHA more accessible to other dog hunters.  One thing we have done is to modify the website to include boards for coon hunting, waterfowl, upland game, tracking, small game, and cow dogs.  We would like to see an increase in traffic on these boards, so that they will hopefully draw hunters to the site, and to the membership.  We are open to any suggestions on how to attract more groups to join.  We need to get the word out to more disciplines of dog hunting, if they don't know we exist, they cannot join. 

[Eric]

We are flat out short-handed. The organization has gotten too big for BOD and Advisors to do all these things being talked about alone. If Tdha is going to continue to grow.. members are going to have to take on more active roles. Any Tdha member can set up a booth, any Tdha member can be a Zone Rep..... those things do not have to be done by the BOD.

Another thing to consider is what it costs the BOD to go to events like that.. Fuel, meals, hotel room... you can easily drop a couple hundred dollars per event.... that you do not get reimbursed for. Ask some of the people like Paul and Jo Lynn what it costs to get to the Expo alone, ask Mr Mason how much in fuel alone he spends in a years time, ask Lance about going to the T-N-T Bayings every month ... Not to mention having to go on a weekend after you have worked 40+ hours at your real job and were on the computer every day that week dealing with day-to-day Tdha issues.

There is alot that goes into being at those events.

[Black Gold]

Wild Boar USA is currently working with TDHA to incorporate an "ALL STYLES" hunting dog show with next years EXPO.  This will hopefully cover bird dogs, coon dogs, cat dogs, blood trackers, and other dog related hunting sports. 

As far as spreading things to other/new areas of the state.....it will take members from that area to step-up and volunteer to organize things in their area and areas of knowledge. 

[jls41]

nosights -
Mineral Wells is about 280 miles from me (I live in Lubbock), but if you know of any events that would be of interest for TDHA to set up a booth , please let us know!!  We are actually trying to put together an events calendar - so any and all suggestions are welcome!!
TDHA's grass roots began with hog doggers realizing that there needed to be an organization put in place to help protect their way of hunting.  After looking at the big picture, they realized that not only did the hog doggers need it but ALL types of dog hunting could benefit and that is our goal for the future of TDHA.  We hope to bring all aspects of hunting with dogs together in the not so distant future.   As BG stated, we are working on that aspect with WBUSA for the 2010 Tournament and Expo.
TDHA is growing!!  In the last 3 years, you would not BELIEVE how much it has grown!!  We are working to make TDHA a benefit to ALL dog hunters.  We love suggestions like yours - keep 'em coming!!  We appreciate all of them...the good, the bad, and the ugly!!

[Txmason]

Nosight,
We have zone areas, we have Board of Directors all over the state of Texas, North, South, East , and West.  We try to set up some local events and attend but we're limited to the membership support.   Ever dog hunter should be a member and support TDHA but they want step up.
We have Coon hunters, Bird hunters, Squirrel hunters, Rabbit hunters, Cow hearders, and hog doggers, what ever we get passed or defent in Bills all benifits from it no matter if they are a member or not.
Bottom line is we would be stronger if all dog owners and hunters were members.

We seek other support like US Sportmens Alliance, RPOA, and Texas Out door partners to help us fight bills in Austin because we can't get enough support from the Dog Hunters.
We do what we can local and will be having more events across the State in the future but with out strong membership we can only do so much.

I have on my desk 4 memberships from people off ETHD board that signed up but didn't send in their $25.00 dues so they are still not a paid member.

We need help so we can do more in local areas.

I travel about 3600 miles a year for TDHA, going to Austin, on Laws,  and other events across the state. We need local members to help out at some of these events.

Stand up and be counted, check out the TDHA board and see what you get for your $25.00 dues.

Thanks for all that do support.

[nosightsneeded]

Mr mason I understand, I know you do alot. Iam not saying spend more,  but demand more. I am saying maybe using what you all ready have. Capitalize on some the Senior respected members of the TDHA and use them as the local face of the association. Not only setting up booths but just having a local GO-TO-MAN. Someone knowledgable that can be the poster boy of what the TDHA is in the community. Like around here the only person I can think of is Justin Bullock. The guy is a respected member and Dog hunter no doubt. Iam not volunteering him just an example of the caliber of person that would be needed to pull it off.

The BODs should be just that.... Directors. The Local guys should request for permission to do any event and  report to the respected Director and Director to You.
I dont clearly understand the Stucture as it stands right now. I think the key is delegation. Everyone stays in their lane and knows at all cost what their duty is.


MEMBER > LOCAL REP> AREA DIRECTOR> PRESIDENT.

As it stands for most regular members they dont have a mission statement. They do just as I do read all the posts and call there reps when needed and are satisfied with that. Which is great but more can be done. We just dont know what to do to help more. I know we as a whole need to become more involved and not have to be prompted to make calls and desicions.

I also believe that the quality of the members is no doubt an issue. 1 great member is worth more than 2 guys that join for the sticker. Kinda like the 4 memberships on your desk, that alone should tell you something about their character.

Sorry for being so long winded Just trying to understand.

[Txmason]

Justin has been a great help but he needs to get the other people he hunts with involved also, you'll could have a great group of members up that way, including Brian Dobson, Anthoney, Kevin, and many more. 

Just in my area I set up a table at the wildlife meetings, plan to have a trailer in the Christmas parade, lot of things you could help out with in your community to show awareness for dog hunting.

We need people to step up and get incharge of things in their locat area.

Nosight thanks for your support.

[fatboy outfitters]

Mr. Mason do you have a central texas division for TDHA?  If so Me , Abel and the crew would be willing to help out. Give me a call If yall are planing something in the future.  Also we need to get you to come hunt with us. 

Clayton

[Eric]

The BODs should be just that.... Directors. The Local guys should request for permission to do any event and  report to the respected Director and Director to You.

You are exactly right. It could work like that... all members have to do is step up and say they want to be in charge of an area. Any member, at any time, can come up with an idea or plan.... present it to the board.... we will vote and move foward. Come open minded though because we are trying to act in the best interest of Tdha.

I also believe that the quality of the members is no doubt an issue. 1 great member is worth more than 2 guys that join for the sticker. Kinda like the 4 memberships on your desk, that alone should tell you something about their character.

Every one does what they can... no one is better than the other. It takes the cash from the memberships and the work from members to make this work. We just need more leaders right now, people to step up and follow thru with an idea.

[catchrcall]

Fatboy outfitters, if you're in central texas I am probably your closest BOD, I live in Kempner, between Lampasas and Copperas Cove.