Official Newsletter of the Louisiana Taxidermists Association March 2014

34th Annual LTA Convention,Competition & Crawfish Boil

May 2nd, 3rd, & 4th, 2014Alexandria, Louisiana

“Expanding Opportunities, Professional Growth, Support, Fun, Family-Oriented &

Guaranteed to be a Great Experience!”

Louisiana TaxidermistsAssociation

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President’s Message:

Dear Members,

It’s time for our convention once again, and final plans are being put together. We hope everyone will be able to attend the convention this year. The board and myself have been working very hard to make it one of our best, and with the members’ help, we think it can happen! Details on everything that will be going on at the convention are listed in this newsletter, so make sure to read the whole newsletter.

If anyone at this point has any suggestions or concerns before the show starts, please feel free to contact me and lets talk!! It is very much appreciated when someone can help with making arrangements an easier step!!

I would also like to welcome all of the new members that signed up with the LTA at the National Show last summer, we hope that you come to the convention this year and experience the Louisiana Taxidermy atmosphere and all of the Cajun Fun our show brings every year!!

Hope to See You Soon!Darren AdamsLTA President337-477-2223

2014 LOUISIANA TAXIDERMISTS ASSOCIATION BOARD OF DIRECTORS:

PRESIDENT: Darren Adams, VICE PRESIDENT: Timmy Daigle, SECRETARY/TREASURER: Rhonda Adams, andPAST PRESIDENT: Harry Vermaelen, Jr.

DIRECTORS: Korey Alleman, Tanya Broussard, Todd Broussard, Jake Degeyter, Ken Dugas, Kevin Johnson, Joe Leggett, Jason Mire, and Rhonda Rabalais

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SpecialIncentives

All Hands Incentive

The first 7 members that can sign up to help set up backboards on Thursday Evening, May 1st, areguaranteed 1 free Crawfish BoilTicket!! and help take down thebackboards on Saturday afternoon,will receive 1 free Banquet Ticket.Make sure to let LTA Secretary sign you up for this project!!

~~~~~Special Cash Awards

Special Cash Awards will be given as follows:Louisiana Cup Award $100.00Best All Around Taxidermist $100.00Best of Master Award $100.00Best of Professional Award $100.00

~~~~~Raffle Ticket Incentive

The person who sells the most raffle tickets this year will receive a $100.00 cash award.Keep selling!!! The winner will becontacted after the Convention.

~~~~~Judges for 2014

Billy Ollie -- to judge all birds & fish

Dan Heasley -- to judge all mammals & game heads

~~~~~Louisiana Cup Award

The native species for the 2014 Louisiana Cup is ***FISH***. The mount can be either a Wall or Table mount. To win, the mount must be the best representation of a LA species and/or Habitat. Please refer to the LTA Division Guidelines for the LA Cup Award details.

LTA CONVENTION SCHEDULEFRIDAY, MAY 2ND, 20149:00 am - 12:00pm Set up Competition and Supplier Backboards12:00pm - 2:00pm Suppliers Set Up1:00pm - 6:00pm CONVENTION REGISTRATION & MOUNTS ACCEPTED1:30pm - 3:30pm SEMINAR: Dan Heasley “Gamehead Mount”2:00pm - 4:30pm Supply Area OPEN3:30pm - 5:30pm SEMINAR: Billy Ollie “Duck Mount”7:00pm - Until CRAWFISH BOIL SOCIAL (now held at the Harold Miles Park, see the directions sheet at the registration table)

SATURDAY, MAY 3RD, 20148:00am - 11:00am CONVENTION REGISTRATION & MOUNTS ACCEPTED9:30am - 11:00am SEMINAR: Alan Easter (Micro Tan) “Whitetail Deer”9:30am - 11:00am SEMINAR: Ted Weyenberg “Caulking Wood Duck Head & Body10:30am - 12:00pm SEMINAR: Todd Broussard “Painting a Speckled Trout”10:30am - 1:00pm Supply Area OPEN12:00pm - 12:30pm COMPETITION AREA OPEN TO PICK “PEOPLES CHOICE”1:00pm - 1:30pm LTA MEMBER MEETING & ELECTION OF OFFICERS2:00pm - 4:00pm SEMINAR: Timmy Daigle “Turtle Mount”2:00pm - 4:00pm SEMINAR: Archie Phillips “Business Seminar”2:30pm - 4:30pm YOUTH SEMINAR: Tanya Broussard “Artwork on T-Shirts”2:30pm - 4:30pm SPOUSES BINGO: Rhonda Adams3:30pm - 5:30pm Supply Area OPEN…….LAST CHANCE!!!!5:00pm - 6:30pm LIVE AUCTION with Jim Ellis6:30pm - 7:00pm COMPETITION AREA OPEN FOR VIEWING!!! 6:30pm - 7:00pm Cocktails!!!7:00pm - Until AWARDS BANQUET

SUNDAY, MAY 4TH, 20147:30am - 8:00am FELLOWSHIP: Robert Dukes8:30am - 11:00am SEMINARS BY: Darren Adams & Timmy Daigle “CrabMountandaCrawfishMount”9:00am - 11:00am COMPETITION AREA OPEN TO THE PUBLIC11:00am - 12:00pm PICK UP MOUNTS (please be on time!!)12:00pm - Until Take down backboards……ALL HELP WOULD BE APPRECIATED!!! MANDATORY Board Members Meeting before leaving!!!!!!

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New Competition AwardsWalnut Creek Award: Four of these awards will be awarded to the Highest Scoring Mounts that are on the Walnut Creek Panels or Bases. Divisions accepted are: Masters, Professional, Commercial, Novice, and Best Out of State.

Ducks Unlimited Award: This Award will be awarded to the Highest Scoring Mount of a Puddle Duck.

Second to Nature Award: This Award will be awarded to the Highest Scoring Mount of any animal that is mounted on a Second to Nature Form.

Polytranspar Award: This Award will be awarded to the best FISH!!(either replica or skin mount) that is painted with Polytranspar paints.

President’s Challenge Award: The LTA President has chosen a picture of a Raccoon that he would like to see mounted as close to the picture as possible,(picture was sent in the last newsletter and is posted on the LTA’s website). The mount that comes closest to the President’s eye!, wins this Award.

Commercial Division Award: This division piece is judged from 10 feet away, It will either be a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd place Ribbon.

Archery Quest Award: This Award will be awarded to Whitetail and Gamehead entries. The mounted piece will be judged by Richard Leavins.

Competitors Division Award: This Award will be awarded to the Highest Scoring of any 4 Mounts entered only by 1 person.

Travelers Award: This Award will be awarded to the Highest Scoring Mount that was entered by LTA members in good standing & entered in Masters or Professional Division and the Award must be returned to next year’s Competition.

REQUEST TO SELL TICKETS!! Call LTA Treasurer, Rhonda Adams

(337) 477-2223 orEmail:rhondaavon396@yahoo.com

Tickets are still available by mail untilthe Convention, just remember to

bring the remaining tickets, stubs, andmoney to the Convention so we can put

tickets into the Drawing Box!!

RAFFLETICKETS

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CALLING ALL HANDSAll members who are willing to lend a hand are welcome to help!!! We will start setting upbackboards and tables on Friday Morning,May 2nd, starting at 9:00 a.m. Your efforts are always greatly appreciated.

PICTURES Pictures can be taken in the seminars at any time. However, video cameras cannot be used unless the seminar instructor gives permission to do so. Each instructor sets their own rules

ELECTION Youth SeminarWe do have some elections to take care On Saturday May 3rd will be theof this year, the Secretary/Treasurer youth seminar, time will be 2:30 p.m.position is up for election, on the 2-year til 4:30 p.m. - Tanya Broussard will term, also the Vice President position be doing “Artwork on T-Shirts”. is up for election for the 2-year term. so bring all of your children to the And a couple of Board Members will convention for a fun time.be up for election, so start thinking ofsome nominees you would like to seeserve on the board of directors.

YOU MUST BE PRESENT TO RUN FOR OFFICE!!

No Mounts Removed Absolutely no mounts can be removed from the competition room

before 11:00 on Sunday, May 4th, without good reason and prior

consent of LTA President, Darren Adams.

People’s ChoiceThe competition room will be open during the judge’s lunch break so that LTA members can quickly view the mounts and pick People’s Choice.

Spouses BingoAll spouses of taxidermists can attend the Bingo!! We will begin playing on Saturday, May 3rd from 2:30 p.m. til 4:30 p.m., there will be prizes given!! Donated gifts that are wrapped are very much appreciated for this seminar. Pleasefilloutthepre-registrationandmailit in to me so I can get a count on how many participants to expect!!

AUCTION ITEMS NEEDEDPlease be generous and donate those items that have been lying around your shop unused. They might be helpful to someone else. Donations of new or slighty used taxidermy supplies, tools, or craft items are needed to help raise money for the LTA Auctions.

SUPPLY AREANew members will especially enjoy having the opportunity to meet the many taxidermy suppliers attending, view the supplies on display, and pick up catalogs from other suppliers who were not able to attend. Members will have the opportunity to visit the supply booths on Friday, May 2nd and Saturday, May 3rd.

NEW BACKBOARDS!!Members, this year we are needing to build some NEW Backboards for the Convention, so Darren Adams is going to have a “Building Party” on Saturday, March 29th at his house. We will need volunteer members to come help build backboards for the day, so if you are available that day, please call Darren and let him know that you are coming over!!

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HOTEL UPDATEAs some of you knew, the LTA was going to have to move our convention to another facil-ity. The Hotel that we have used for over 10 years, has made renovations to their facility, so therefore, they have raised our yearly convention fee to $1200 MORE than what we have beenpaying!ThelastminutesupdatefromtheHotel,wehadahardtimefindinganotherplace for this year, so we have decided to go ahead and have the Convention one more year at the Best Western Inn & Suites Hotel & Convention Center, but because of more expense to the Association, we will have to sign a Contract somewhere else for next year, so please keep this note in mind.

Go ahead and start making your Reservations at the Hotel.Again, hotel name is Best Western Inn & Conference Center,2720 North MacArthur Drive, Alexandria, LA 71303Telephone: 318-445-5530 (ask for the LTA Group rate!)Directions from I-49: Take Exit 86 onto MacArthur Drive, go South ¼ mile, hotel is on the left. (do not take the first MacArthur Drive Exit, this will take you all the way through downtown).

CRAWFISH BOIL UPDATETheCrawfishBoilSocialhaschangesthisyear!!!ThehotelwillnotlettheLTAhavethecrawfishboilinthehotelanymore.So,therefore,wehadtobook the Harold Miles Park (which is the same park that we had the craw-fishboilatacoupleofyearsago).DirectionstotheParkwillbegivenoutat the Convention Registration table. There is also a pre-registration form in thisnewsletterfortheCrawfishBoil,pleasefillitoutandmailitbacktomeso I can get a head count of how many people to expect!!

Invite your friends to the Public Viewing on SundayAgain this year, the competition area will be open to the public free of charge on Sunday, May 4th from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. At that time the ribbons, trophies and plaques will be on display with the winning mounts.

All LTA members are urged to invite their family and friends to come!!! This helps to pro-mote the art of taxidermy in the eyes of the general public.

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Crawfish Boil Pre-Registration Form

NAME: _______________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS: ____________________________________________________________________

CITY, STATE & ZIP: ____________________________________________________________

PHONE:______________________

Please Register X _____ Adult Tickets; & ______ Youth Tickets

Spouses Bingo Pre-Registration Form

NAME: _______________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS: ____________________________________________________________________

CITY, STATE & ZIP: ____________________________________________________________

PHONE:______________________

Please Register number of participants: ________

MAIL FORM BACK TO:Rhonda Adams7569 Clara LaneLake Charles, LA 70607

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Crawfish Boil Pre-Registration Form

NAME: _______________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS: ____________________________________________________________________

CITY, STATE & ZIP: ____________________________________________________________

PHONE:______________________

Please Register X _____ Adult Tickets; & ______ Youth Tickets

Spouses Bingo Pre-Registration Form

NAME: _______________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS: ____________________________________________________________________

CITY, STATE & ZIP: ____________________________________________________________

PHONE:______________________

Please Register number of participants: ________

MAIL FORM BACK TO:Rhonda Adams7569 Clara LaneLake Charles, LA 70607

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