President’s Column
August 2011
By David Tetzlaff

“Prodigal Son”

Yep, it’s true. Dave is back, but first things first. I know the entire TBOF membership will join me in giving a major shout out to the TBOF Board of Directors who have served the club for the past three years. Under Gregg Dudley’s leadership TBOF has continued to thrive. Gregg and his team, like their predecessors, have built upon our club’s successful model while incorporating new ideas of their own. During my previous term as club President one of my dreams was to host a banquet. I never pulled it off but Gregg did and did it well. Other new concepts have been added such as the Masters Stake on the competition ranges, the Iron Man Range, and novelty shoots have made a welcomed comeback. And I also noticed the little things like changing up colors on TBOF t-shirts. Brown, burnt orange, royal blue, and pink (for the ladies) are hot sellers!

But as we know, running the club is not a one man show. Vice President, Jeff Hester and Secretary/Treasurer, Buddy Oswald were right beside Gregg making it all happen. I also want give a club wide thank you to Gregg’s Board members: Wayne Carter, Andy Love, Mel Bulger, and Karl Green plus all those numerous folks who volunteered their time and talent over the past three years. Well done, my friends.
 
Before I push into what’s next for the club, I will answer the question that I have been asked the most, “Hey Dave, where the heck have you been?” Admittedly, my participation in club activities recently has been unpredictable at best. After “retiring” as club president I made a few Board meetings, two Charity Shoots, and gratefully accepted the Keebler/Merritt award last year. Quite frankly, I was tired. Not tired of TBOF, just plain tired. As the first two term club President I just needed a break. And yes, I planned on coming back. I missed the club and the many friends I have made through membership in TBOF. 
 
So, yes, I have returned, but why as club President again? To answer that I will take you back to a conversation in hunting camp last fall. Lazing around the campfire one evening were three Past Presidents: Ron Weatherman, John McCormick and me, and one Vice President, Chris Brodeur. With our collective service over the years, TBOF runs in our blood. We had heard that Gregg was concerned about the club’s future when his term expired this past March. Who would step up to take his place? The answer was unclear.
 
Our club has prospered for two decades now. TBOF is a respected, successful, and beloved organization that has a life of its own and is bigger than any one individual. But it does require individuals to run it and that was the heart of our conversation. All four of us were capable of hopping back in the saddle if needed but who would, who could, or who should was a topic that remained unresolved that evening. 
 
Weeks later John and I traded several e-mails and one long phone call. We discussed our current and future personal responsibilities, what role in club leadership we each would fill, and who would or could be on the Board. This resulted in more discussion with Ron and Chris and I also consulted with Gregg and Jeff Hester for their thoughts as well. In the interest of brevity, here is how weeks of phone calls, e-mails, begging, pleading, and cajoling shook out into your leadership team for the next three years:

President- David Tetzlaff
Vice President- John McCormick
Secretary/Treasurer- Jim Zetwick
Past President-Gregg Dudley
Director- Wayne Carter
Director-Mel Bulger
Director-Casey Green
Director-Chris Reed
 
A single glance at this talented roster reveals over forty years of collective club leadership with the first six names. Casey and Chris are relative newcomers in a Board role but they have the passion for the club to match their peers. I am in the best of company. It is an honor to serve with these folks. 
 
A fact that is sometimes overlooked amidst all the fun that TBOF offers is that our club is a not for profit business. Over the past 20 years TBOF has been a successful model that other clubs near and far have hoped to emulate. We have come far since our humble beginnings and we owe our success to competent leaders back then, today, and those of tomorrow. 
 
When I was in the throngs of piecing together our new board of experienced veterans I told everyone that other than managing the club, our primary job will be to train our replacements. My goal is to have a new board prepped and ready to run the club a year before our current terms expire. These folks will be primed and confident. Running the club will be as second nature for them as it is for us long timers. 
 
But it takes more than a dedicated Board to run the club. It takes a hard working core of volunteers, too. Some of our current volunteers may well be tomorrow’s Board of Directors. Others must fill the gaps left by their advancement. So if a Board member sees you hanging around between shooting and supper you may just be asked to do a simple chore. And guess what, we may not take “no” for an answer! As a matter of fact, that is how I got started. Back when we shot at Crooked Lake I was bumming around the registration tent checking out the shoot scores and merchandise. John McCormick walked up and said, “When it’s almost dark, take these break lights and stick them in the targets on the Coon Range.” I did. And then by the next shoot I was helping his Vice President, Rich Nichol, set the competition ranges. And before you knew it, I was the next Vice President. And the rest is now part of club history. 
 
At risk of self-deprecation, I am no genius by anyone‘s definition, but I think I have the three main pre-requisites for club participation: love of the club, ambition, and a little sweat doesn’t scare me. I am sure most of you have at least those attributes and probably much more to contribute to our club. My personal road map to success whether it be my full time job or TBOF is pretty simple. I surround myself with talented people. The work gets done and they will make me look good!
 
I know this is not the first time you may have heard this sales pitch from me, nor will it be the last. Bank on it. But for now, let’s talk about what’s next.
 
You are reading my very first goal which is bringing The Stickbow News back in print. Several years ago I was one of those who thought “going green” and posting The Stickbow News only on www.tbof.org was the correct choice. We were wrong and many of you have told me so. I heard you! 
 
Producing this newsletter just a few times a year takes a lot of work and it is not cheap to do so but John and I feel it is the fabric that holds this club together. This simple publication is our campfire. Through it we talk hunt stories, tips, techniques, politics (the ones that affect hunting that is) and we celebrate our successes on the range and in the field.
 
I may have been absent from your eyes at club shoots, but I often share hunting camp with current and past club leaders to keep up with club activities. TBOF is never far from my heart and mind. I have also, behind the scenes, kept up my relationships with leaders in the FWC. Many of them learned to trust me as a passionate advocate for bowhunting and I enjoy timely and honest responses on my hunting related questions and concerns. I want to grow the advocacy aspect of the club even further. Such activities can only serve to grow awareness and respect for TBOF. 
 
TBOF made its mark on bowhunting’s national stage with our past involvement in the North American Bowhunting Coalition. Chris Brodeur, my Vice President last time around, and I were there for the initial meetings back in 2005 and I was a member of the NABC’s first steering committee. Sadly, the NABC has lost steam lately but there is new leadership now and I would like TBOF to once again be there on the national level to protect and promote bowhunting. 
 
Our club is wonderful, but we are not an island. We all enjoy our freedom to pursue our passion of pursuing wild animals in wild places. But we need to do something to pay it forward, for ourselves and for the bowhunters of the future. I will work to support those individuals and organizations that feel the same. Whether it is a single mom who wants to send her child to Hunter Education Camp or respected clubs like Pope and Young or Compton, we should do our best to support their interests because we share them as well. 
 
In the mean time, we will continue to offer fun and challenging bowshoots and opportunities to spend time with old friends and make new ones. So thank you all for coming along for the ride, it’s going to be a good one!

David Tetzlaff
David@napleszoo.org