2026 Pre-Show Newsletter

Next Year’s Show Planning Review

The board reviewed show dates for next year (April 9-12) and discussed various competition categories including ichthyology, avian/mammal challenges, and whitetail divisions. Lexie reported progress on website improvements, including trying to automate packet generation for registration, and confirmed she has editing access alongside Grant. Clifford noted the guild’s current financial status, with approximately $118,000 in total bank accounts, and mentioned he would transfer $22,100 for gun calendars once back from vacation. The guild has sufficient funds to finance the next three shows without raising additional money, and there was discussion about potentially increasing prize money for the live mounting contest and seminarians. 

Gun Calendar Fundraiser Revenue Discrepancy

Clifford reported that the gun calendar fundraiser generated $63,474 in total deposits, with expenses of $4,000 for printing, $110 for permits, and $500 for shipping, resulting in a profit of $16,807.51 before accounting for some missing funds. Clifford also confirmed he would pay the remaining $20,000 to the vendor after returning from Oklahoma and would submit the required financial information to the state authorities. The group discovered an approximately $1,800 discrepancy between expected and actual revenue, which Clifford attributed to potential unaccounted Venmo payments and a $100 bill flagged by the bank as counterfeit. (This has since been resolved). 

 Raffle Print Error

A discrepancy was identified regarding a Stoger black synthetic shotgun, which was listed on the raffle stubs but not in the calendar, leading to a debate about how to handle the situation. Lexie suggested adding the gun to the end of the winner’s list, while Clifford preferred donating it back to the guild to avoid potential appearances of impropriety.

Gun Calendar Raffle Resolution

The group discussed how to handle a misprint in the gun calendar raffle where one firearm wasn’t printed on the calendar, ultimately deciding to award the Benelli to the 103rd winner and add the unprinted gun to the 104th winner. They agreed to explain the addition of the 104th gun as a calendar oversight rather than a mid-year change. 

Live Mounting Competition Planning

The group discussed organizing a live mounting competition inspired by South Dakota’s format, agreeing to hold it on Saturday instead of Friday due to logistics and auction scheduling. They decided to follow South Dakota’s 3-hour timing format and confirmed it would replace a seminar session, with the competition to be held in a sectioned-off area downstairs. The group discussed prize structure for their upcoming show, agreeing on a $10 registration fee with a 50-50 split between entry fees and prizes. They decided to offer a added cash prize of $300, split between first, second, and third place in a 50-30-20 distribution. The group also agreed that participants would need to provide their own 12×12 tarp for floor protection, as the guild would not supply equipment or materials.The guild will supply painter’s poly for table coverings. 

Show Planning and Auction Strategies

Concerns were raised about the quality of food at Arrowwood, but the group decided to give the new ownership one more year before considering alternative venues. They also confirmed plans for a women’s seminar and children’s activities, with Holly tentatively agreed to lead the former and Cassie potentially the latter. The group left open the question of how to compensate state champions.The group discussed plans to award $100 to state champions, but not BOC winners to incentivize people to move up to master’s when they’re ready. They agreed to implement a new practice of announcing seminar presenters at the start of their sessions. The group also confirmed they would continue with the potluck dinner on Friday and discussed strategies to increase auction participation, including advertising auction items in the newsletter and displaying the daily schedule on whiteboards near registration. The group agreed to maintain the same scholarship requirements as last year and confirmed that Patrick would again handle photography at the upcoming event