NWTF Grand Nationals

[CDCorder]

Most people that care about this have already seen it at this point as it has made its way around the callmaking circles the last few days. It has been sent to me numerous times at this point. I have thought long and hard about whether or not to make this post, but at the end of the day, I cannot help but feel like a big portion of this was due to me speaking up on a post in October. There are several things that stand out here, and being as it appears I have already been blackballed, I figure I'm pretty much free to speak my mind at this point.

I will preface all this by saying that I love and have loved the GNCCC. It has been great to me and I am forever indebted because of that. That said, as someone who no longer competes, I was very excited and passionate about making a difference and helping make it the best it could possibly be. I still am. I want to see it succeed and thrive. I said in my aforementioned post, I took the time to gather my own concerns and those of many other people who judged and competed last year, compile them, and make suggestions for improvement. For some reason, everyone seemed to think I was the guy who could make some headway with the contest commissioner, and I was asked by several to try to do such.

1.   I did just as the first sentence stated, I took my concerns to Bob Fulcher. At first I was met with a full blown pity party of how everyone was telling him he did a bad job. "Nobody is hoisting me up on their shoulders telling me what a good job I did." (I'd like to point out here that I have never once named a single person in any of my concerns, but since he's listed here as the proper contact, I want to point out I followed their desired protocol.) I'd also like to question that if your motivation for being involved with the contest is to be "hoisted up," are you doing it for the right reasons? Additionally, if you aren't receptive to feedback, are unwilling to change for the betterment of the competition, ignore the voice of the people, refuse to hear there are problems, then you aren't suitable to be a leader of anything. At first he was not willing to even hear the concerns, and then I feel I was pacified on 03/16/22 with "Write your full proposal and I will present it at our next meeting." On 06/28/22 after talking to several callmakers and compiling thoughts and ideas, I submitted this to him. On 07/01/22 I checked back in and asked if he had looked at them yet. He responded no, that he was traveling. On 07/14/22 I checked in again and did not receive a response. On 07/17/22 I reached out again asking if I should take his lack of response as an "F you" and he responded that he had looked at them but hadn't deciphered everything yet. On 08/24/22 (over a month later) I reached out again and he said he was waiting to hear back. At that time I asked about being on the committee in which he replied, "You can't be on it. Only my staff are a part of it." I told him I was willing to be a part of the staff and he replied, "Positions are filled brother." I asked how many positions there are and how many are callmakers and received no response. The next day I reached back out and explained I only wanted to help him help the competition improve and was trying to give him the voice of the people. He replied, "I'm on the road traveling to Wisconsin. I can't look at my phone. When I get home from my trip I will get back to you." On 09/20/22 (almost a month later) I reached back out. He replied, "I had to resend them to one person. Waiting to hear back." I asked what the reasoning was and who "everyone" was. Silence. I was pretty frustrated at this point to be honest and gave up trying to communicate. On 10/29/22 I commented on a FB post about everything. I thought maybe then, it would get attention, and I think it now has. I only did so because the people that are supposed to be listening were not talking to me or giving me feedback. It was complete disrespect given the effort I put in. As evidenced by the dates listed here, that I can back up with texts and messages, I feel I was overly patient. And to witness what I witnessed and then be told there would be no changes, it's completely unacceptable. Integrity and organization should matter in a contest that means so much to so many. Both are lacking. How many people reached out to me from the NWTF after my post to see what was going on? Zero.

2.   Who is the competing organization referenced here? This statement wreaks of fear and is a very embarrassing moment for the NWTF. I can only assume they are referencing TFT. Shouldn't we welcome all groups that claim to have the same mission? Should these groups not be allies if they are after the same end goal? Is someone else trying to protect the wild turkey a bad thing? Now we are calling them out as competition? How is this beneficial to the wild turkey? All I see TFT doing is investing in the wild turkey. How is this a bad thing? For the life of me, I can't understand the need to put this statement in the rules.

3.   What organization threatens its members? We are now censoring what our members can wear and threatening them for speaking out when they see something wrong? Give us your money, donate thousands of dollars worth of calls to us every year, pay our salaries, but keep your mouth shut......or else. Is this seriously the direction we are headed as an organization? If so, then I want no part of it.

4.   Again, who is this secret designated committee mentioned here? I've asked over and over to talk to them, to schedule a meeting to discuss concerns and how to fix them, and I never get a response. According to Bob, it's "his" staff. Can someone tell me who is on "his" staff? Because he certainly doesn't seem to be willing to. But such is it when you desire the control and are in it for your own selfish reasons.

If I get the dreaded ban that is warned about in these rules because of this post, I can live with that. I will gladly go down knowing that I did so trying to help improve the integrity of the competition for everyone. This great competition and its competitors deserve better than what they are getting. If through all this they want to prevent the next "Clint Corder situation" and decide to pay attention in order to avoid it, then it was very well worth it to me. If the powers that be don't want negative things said about the competition, they should take steps to improve the integrity of judging, listen to the people's concerns, and give feedback when people try to go through their desired channels – not ignore them and then threaten them when you're tired of being ignored and speak out publicly.

Clint

[turkey stew]

Mr. Corder, I can understand your frustration. They act like politicians .....ignore and it will go away! That is another reason Unicoi is now the number 1 callmaker show in North America!

[ChesterCopperpot]

Sounds to me like the new Grand Nationals should take place at Unicoi absent the hand outline turkey graphic. NWTF and their gadget convention has been little more than a money grab for quite awhile. A shame, but it is what it is. Thanks for trying, Clint. And I'm serious about Unicoi, and a callmaker driven competition.


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[Sir-diealot]

The more I read the more I am glad I chose not to renew my membership. They are no longer for the turkey from what I can tell.

[packmule]

I know almost nothing about the situation, but really appreciate your willingness to post here. I like Chester's Unicoi idea. I would hope you wouldn't get "banned" for clearly documenting what you've been working on for several months and the resistance you've encountered.

[ol bob]

Mark has stated many times that Unicoi will never be a competition, he just wants it to be what it is, the best custom call maker show anywhere.

[slicksbeagles1]

Clint, I agree with everything you said! I want to say couple of things a friend of mine told me once if you speak up for what is right
for a group of people that has concerns when it is said and done you can't find a one to back you up for fear of repercussions. Brother don't worry about what others say for one you have done it all as well as your daughter! When in this situation it all boils down to jealousy and power. Integrity is something no one can take away from you and when the others want stand behind you they have no balls or integrity.


Keith


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[ol bob]

Clint  Thanks so much for speaking out, The NYWF treating call makers like dirt has been going on for many years and getting worse, don't see one making any difference, but if enough get on board it may help before it to late.  They killed Unicoi, and are headed the same way with the nationals,as its not about turkeys and call making anymore but all about corporate America.

[West Augusta]

Clint  Thanks so much for speaking out, The NYWF treating call makers like dirt has been going on for many years and getting worse, don't see one making any difference, but if enough get on board it may help before it to late.  They killed Unicoi, and are headed the same way with the nationals,as its not about turkeys and call making anymore but all about corporate America.

They killed the original Unicoi.  Mark and Russell have breathed life into it again.

[Clovis67]

Thank goodness you have tried to make positive changes and bring a better competition for all the party's involved. No response is a response....Mr.Fulcher and his staff need to get with the program and quit stonewalling attempts in improving this GNCCC..

[ferocious calls]

Super egos help none.