The TFA?

[Guest David Waldrip]

Let's go back to the issue of finances for a minute.

I was looking up information on a couple of other organizations and see that the TFA tax return for 2006 is now available.

Total assets at the end of 2006 were $49,027, a 66% increase over the $29,606 in assets at the beginning of the year.

Those are OUTSTANDING financial results.

-David

[Marswolf]

Yeah, they have to make the financial info available.

But since you bumped the topic (thank you!) lets now go back to their secret Constitution and Bylaws.

[Guest 2HOW]

I need to know everything about a group b4 I join, I live in mooresburg. I will be at the next meeting if possible to get the information I need to make an informed decision.

[TGO David]

There's not much to know about the Nashville chapter at this point. If you live close to Memphis, Knoxville or Chattanooga you stand a better chance of getting something out of your local chapter.

[Guest David Waldrip]

Well, the Chattanooga chapter is in limbo for the time being.

[TennFire]

I was on TGO today looking for information on other topics and wanted to comment briefly on this old thread.

Like David noted, TFA's financial status is reviewed annually by a CPA (not a TFA member to eliminate any bias issues) who prepares the tax returns. As I have indicated in the past, TFA's resources are protected and allowed to grow largely because the bulk of its office operating expenses are absorbed without reimbursement through my law practice. Sure, we have been open to considering a wide variety of avenues (such as the logo on a race car) to get the TFA name out before Tennesseans who have not heard of us but the fact is that considering those options and spending money are two different things. We will most likely be spending funds to update and expand the web presence, to add more interactive features to the TFA web site and to look against at prospective mailings to firearms owners, hunters and others who may be interested. For example, I made a presentation in December at the annual meeting of the Tennessee Military collectors Association to inform their members about what TFA and what TFA has done and can do that impacts their special interests (such as Class III transfers).

As for local chapters, there was a comment made here about the evolution of the "brick and mortar" meetings versus internet communities such as this. Each have their place and some may prefer one over the other. I think both are important because some people excel at one over the other.

As I have said and as others have noted, I have struggled for years with the need to find a chapter leader in Nashville who will take on the project as other leaders have done across the state such as Rich Mason, David Waldrip, Bill Noll, Tim Nunan, James Fortner and others have done at present and in the past. I can think of at least 4 who have tried and quit in Nashville and when that happens it just falls back on Buford or me.

I admit I do not have the time to be responsible for the Nashville chapter as I really don't have the time to do much of what TFA needs (for example, I have spent more than 20 hours this week interviewing web site developers and researching content management systems and bulk mail alternatives because of the need to upgrade these issues). I would really like to have the help of a TFA supporter to work on these projects but when I ask and don't get volunteers the work still needs to be done. I look at the comments and complaints in threads such as this but then I also see that not one of those complaining (with the exception of David Waldrip who worked tirelessly for several years as TFA's Shelby Chapter leader before he become the NRA's EVC for that area) has really taken on any of the load willingly.

I don't really need people standing on the side of the road just telling me I am not doing a good job cleaning the street - I can see that for myself. What I am looking for is people willing to take a broom and help. Those kind of people are hard to find because it takes someone willing to commit and to sacrifice for a goal.

When TFA formed with 12 of us in 1994 and 1995, it was not 11 people saying "you go get it running and if I like what you accomplish I will join". No, back then it was 12 of us who pitched in and divided up the work. That original 12 over the years has pretty much gone on to other issues and left Buford Tune and me as the 2 remaining founders. Unfortunately, what I hear and read quite often these days is the "you prove to me that you are worthy of my $35 and I will send it in but I want to know what you are going to do for me if I join...." That mentality is what John K. Kennedy spoke against and he was right on that point.

TFA is a grassroots organization which exists to help people who want to be personally active and to effect change and improvement. It really does not fit at all with the needs of those who primarily want to be served. Maybe that is why so many look at it in terms of what it "gives" them and say "not enough to warrant my investment of time or a few dollars a year."

John