I've uploaded two pdf documents to my site here that you can review that are the actual Powerpoint presentations BASS and TBF (The Bass Federation - covering Bassfan and FLW Outdoors) that were presented to the federation presidents at the national meetings. I have included some supporting notes below too.
You will need Adobe Reader installed to open and look at these document files. The BASS pdf is over 2MB so give it some time to load if you want to look at it. I'm not endorsing either, just providing them to you for your review.
BASS / Federation Nation Powerpoint pdf file (http://www.greatlakesbass.com/fishing/BASSfedppt_2.pdf)
TBF (FLW / Bassfan Powerpoint pdf file (http://www.greatlakesbass.com/fishing/TBF_Offers_Public_Over_View.pdf)
Some of this information may be changed since these presentations. This was the effective summary of the presentations at the national meetings (around January 12, 2006). The BASS divisional and Fed Nation events seem to be still evolving for example.
Additionally, FLW is offering insurance. Irwin Jacobs will pay the approx. $185,000 cost the first year for the federations. FLW will also give TBF $1,000,000 per year for staff, operations and to support state federation programs too. No further details exactly how that will be used other than the details already out.
BASS reinstated the memberships of the 7 TBF representatives on 1/12/06 they originally kicked out for life. I'm glad to see this. I spent some time with Chuck Rolfsmeyer of Wisconsin on a number of occasions in the past. He's a longstanding activist in bass issues.
There are sponsorship challenges and questions either way we were to go because the Michigan federation is its own company with its own contracts.
Key speakers for the organizations at the national meetings were:
B.A.S.S.
Christine Godleski, ESPN Outdoors Vice President and General Manager
Don Rucks, B.A.S.S. Vice President and General
Gary Jones, Federation Director
FLW
Erwin Jacobs, Chairman FLW
Forrest Wood, Founder Ranger Boats
Randy Hopper, President Ranger Boats
Charlie Evans, President FLW
BassFan
Jay Kumar
The Michigan federation is working on an update to post officially to the Michigan BASS federation website. (http://www.michiganbass.net) We have no paid staff, so hang in there. It is being worked on. Federation board members have been reading your posts on this site too.
I'm very happy to see the seven reinstated that is definitely a step in the right direction.
I saw on one of the Saturday morning fishing shows that they don't get paid, they do it because they care.
They are volunteers voted on by the participating federations. Most are or were federation presidents from other states. Some have been both presidents and conservation directors like Chuck Rolfsmeyer from Wisconsin - very active in Wisconsin outdoor issues for a long time.
So Dan, guys over here on the west side are wondering how all this will shake out. How does this situation affect the Classic Series. It looks like I read it as the State Championship is still on, but are we waiting for the Feb 5 meeting to shake it all out??????
The February 5 meeting will be discussion mainly. To officially go with either plan, we probably need bylaw changes which can't be proposed and voted on at the same meeting.
The Classic Series is our own separate tournament circuit. It doesn't really have anything to do with BASS.
The State Championship is to decide who gets to go to the BASS Regionals / National Championship. It could be used to send members somewhere else, but basically, if there is nowhere to send someone afterwards, it wouldn't be the same.
I don't know what will happen. I think I have lots of company. We should have enough information to discuss the issues fairly well on Feb 5 anyway. Our state sponsors are affected by all this too which means contractual agreements we have at the state level. That has to be considered too.
I confirmed that we are not changing the president's meeting date/time/place. It will be informational only and much of the information is already available to clubs.
We can't vote until April at the earliest due to bylaws, so clubs that can make the meeting will have a chance to discuss at the state level before taking back to their clubs any changes proposed in writing at the Feb 5 meeting.
The Bass Federation has a new document posted (pdf again - you need Adobe reader installed on your computer to view) that details the latest on their FLW/Bassfan divisional tournament format along with a brief mention of conservation. Go to The Bass Federation website (http://www.bassfederation.com/index.html) and click on the TOURNAMENT and CONSERVATION document here link to read.
I have another document from BASS on their interpretaton of a comparison that I hope to post up sometime in the next two days on my website.
I am glad to hear it is stictly informational, That makes me feel mucher better about it falling on super bowl sunday.
Not ideal I know, but we do the best we can.
Is it true that the meeting has a time costraint, due to by-laws? If so (i heard it's 2 hours) will there be additional meeting outside this one, or a special meeting called to deal with this?
Isn't the Bass Anglers Sportsman Society (B.A.S.S.), no longer called that. I believe ESPN took over and changed the name, thus making our by-laws null. It is now called BASS or Bassmaster, and our by-laws do not reflect this.??????????????? And aren't we associated to the TBF (The Bass Federation Inc.) anyway??
The Michigan BASS Chapter Federation was one of the states involved in starting up the TBF although I don't believe we have any kind of existing contract with them.
It is important to be clear that the Michigan fed board is aware that whether we go with BASS Fed Nation OR TBF/FLW, we need bylaw changes. That is why we can only discuss Sunday to be voted on at the earliest in April.
I don't know if we have any bylaw about a 2 hour meeting limit. That is just the time we've tried to stay with in scheduling our meeting rooms. I don't know if we will have additional time or setup additional meeting(s) at this time. This issue will be the main issue at the meeting. We are trying to keep the rest of the business to a minimum (yep, they'll yank me if I talk too much :)).
President Doug Hedberg has added additional comments and documents recently received from BASS on the official Michigan fed web site (http://www.michiganbass.net).
If you have specific concerns about the meeting length, it might be best to contact him by email: dhedberg@michiganbass.net
For some additional review of what BASS Federation Nation is about check out the website for Ohio.
http://www.ohiobassnation.com/
You do realize this a completely new group, not the Ohio BASS Chapter Federation (OBCF), who this new group replaced. There are now two bass federations in Ohio.
The original OBCF has notified us that they had not given BASS any official notice of their intention to leave BASS, yet BASS apparently signed a Federation Nation deal with this new group.
This has concerned a number of us in Michigan because we need more time yet due to our bylaws to make a decision. Today was just discussion on proposed bylaw changes. We've tried to make sure BASS knows we can't make a decision for at least 31 more days and it is up to the clubs, not the board. I hope they are patient since I don't know what the outcome will be.
I just don't want anyone taking the decison away from our Michigan members. I'm not 100% sure that is what happened in Ohio, but that is what we are being told by some Ohio members.
Apparently, Texas and Maryland are mostly staying with BASS. I've heard New Mexico is too. There are two apparent 'federations' in Pennsylvania and Ohio. I expect this may become more common as things progress.
News Release from FLW Outdoors today:
FLW Outdoors announces hiring of Simmons for Federation relations
New position to help manage youth and conservation programs in conjunction with The Bass Federation
06.Feb.2006
BENTON, Ky. ? FLW Outdoors announced the hiring of David Simmons to help manage relations with The Bass Federation and to help spearhead the organization?s youth and conservation efforts in cooperation with The Bass Federation chapters nationwide.
Simmons, who has served with Yamaha Motor Corporation USA for the past six years, brings extensive experience and credibility to his new position, which is the result of a historic alliance between FLW Outdoors and The Bass Federation. As a field promotions coordinator for Yamaha, Simmons helped grow the company?s pro staff from 11 members in 2000 to more than 100 members today. Most recently Simmons served Yamaha as freshwater promotions supervisor with responsibility for managing all aspects of the company?s bass and walleye promotions as well as grassroots marketing programs for Federation anglers.
Simmons? association with the Federation dates back to his teenage years, when he joined the Capital Area Bass Association in Lansing, Mich. Like many anglers, he credits the Federation with cultivating his lifelong passion for the sport. More... (http://www.flwoutdoors.com/article.cfm?id=143839)
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(http://www.greatlakesbass.com/images/wds_stclairv.jpg)
(A picture of David from my 'archives' - a 5-2 St. Clair River smallie he caught with me (http://www.greatlakesbass.com/fishing/davidsimmonsbass.htm))
I've known David since he was a teenager here in Lansing. He is a good friend who has also helped me advance in the industry. He loves to fish and he's a great friend to the federations having already been working with the Michigan federation on our Yamaha dealings. With his enthusiasm and drive, he'll be a great representative for bass fishing, youth and conservation.
this is great news! i've got to say FLW has been stepping up and handling the issues that have kept anglers from immediately siding with them. they have now addressed and provided provisions for 3 of the major concerns I had...insurance, conservation, and youth programs. at least we are getting closer to being able to make a decision based on apples for apples.
I'm trying to find out and post everything of value that I can accurately provide exactly for the reason you mentioned - so the Michigan federation can make the best decision with the best available information for our future.
As I see it, I completely understand that the MI federation had rules and bylaws as to how any decisions must be made. But, I think there is a bigger underlying issue: what is the Objective or goals of the current federation - without a political choice like this in the past, this could be a little cloudy? I think if the objectives are applied to both proposals, they should be able to put a value on each item and develop a clear cut direction to go - the bes tone to bring forward the objectives of the federation. Seems, either way someones not gonna be happy, and someone is. I just hope the federation goes forward either way with a clearcut direction and gets stronger, rather than dividing and weakening the bass anglers voice in the state.
I think the objective is to keep the federation as intact as possible and to try to avoid losing our valuable contracts and sponsors so we end up as stable as possible.
The board only recommends. The club presidents/reps make the decision.
http://www.bassfan.com/docktalk.asp?archive=c
New information/clarification! The last comment from Irwin is eye opening. I doesn't sound like he is interested in having the Federation split. I don't see any other outcome????
wow, i had interpreted it to be based on 80% as well...but I understand Jacobs not wanting to split the Federation, I hate to see that happen too. My reason being we lose the strength of our organization as a whole, if its split there will always be controversy in my mind. Bass Fishing will suddenly turn into the Republicans VS the Democrats!!
Trying times are ahead.. :'(
I think everyone expects some split - and it has already happened to some degree. I think the issue is will the split be large or small. It seemed early on that it would be fairly small.
As people read more, their thoughts and opinions evolve. Timing in when they read and comprehend various parts will play a big part in where the end up deciding they stand.
Obviously, some people are diehard BASS almost no matter what; and some are mad enough at BASS to leave no matter what. I think what should happen is members put aside their emotions enough to look at the benefits and future plans, and make the best business decision because our federations are businesses. They need to be run like a business to be viable and effective.
Change is always hard for many people. Always! But it keeps on happening anyway and we have to get around that somehow and look at it as clearly as possible.
Members can choose to just say ?we?ve been with BASS forever so we can?t even consider leaving? or they can say ?this isn?t the same BASS we started with and we don?t like the way they are doing things? so let?s leave ?em. Either of those thoughts don?t have a lot to do with What is best for the future of the Michigan Bass Chapter Federation, Inc (this is apparently our registered corporate name I?m told)?
What we should be considering first should have to do with our success and viability as an organization (which does includes considering how many members may only make emotional decisions and will enough do this to cause us harm anyway i.e. splitting):
-Are our present state contracts valuable to us?
-Is there an opportunity to keep and even improve our existing state contractual relationships if we choose one path verses the other; and conversely could we lose or lessen them by choosing one path? Can we even legally choose to leave the contracts early?
-Can we afford to lose or lessen them?
-If our choice does that, is/are there an alternative choice(s) to replace them with equal or greater value?
-What activities might be harmed or lost depending on our choice?
-What activities might be gained or improved depending on our choice?
-Will a particular choice harm or help all clubs and the elected board, or just clubs, or just the board, or just some clubs/members?
These are the kinds of questions I?m trying to concentrate on as I think about this important decision to try to lessen my own fear of change and an uncertain future (and I don?t have that just by thinking about going to TBF/FLW because things have definitely changed at BASS/ESPN too and continue to change), all the ?what ifs? that come to mind when I think about what will happen to members, the federation and even myself if we stay, or if we go.