TU Members

[trout champ]

Just wondering how many people on the forum are TU Members and how many of you are TU Lifetime Members? They are running their Lifetime Membership $100 a month f0r 12 months deal and am considering signing up. Is it really worth it?

Thanks
Randy

 

[itchmesir]

Money going to a fishing conservation and habitat restoration group is always "worth it".

That being said... I currently am not a member of TU... Before the year is over I plan on finally paying my dues as couple different TU groups do do a lot of work on the streams around here and I am grateful for that... Unfortunately sometimes the saying "One bad apple ruins the whole bunch" and really have no interest in partaking with my local chapters because I have had some less than friendly encounters with TU supporters in the past... But I also understand that my money is going towards all current and future work that the local TU does and what TU does as a whole... Not how their members decide to act...

 

[nickj]

I've been a TU member since the mid-70's, I think. Annual member, send extra when I can. In today's economy $100 a month goes a fair way toward neccessities.

 

[coug]

Yes and yes, I am a TU life member. I bit the bullet a while ago. They were offering a rod/reel package at the time. Have since sold the rod, but try to contribute when I can. Also a member of the FFF (and osprey) and CCA.

 

[moucheur2003]

I am a member, but not a life member. I think of a life membership as a combination gear purchase and charitable contribution. I figure it's not worth it unless I was already planning to buy the "complimentary" rod and reel anyway. As far as I can tell, the only difference between a regular membership and a life membership is that with a life membership, you get (1) the rod and reel, (2) a Life Member pin that you can wear proudly at all your snooty high-society functions, (3) a Life Member decal (but it doesn't get you preferred parking at any secret TU honey holes), (4) a Life Member certificate suitable for framing (but don't hang it in your office if you want a long career -- gotta watch the ol' fishing-vs.-work-ethic thing), and (5) no more $35 annual dues. If I want to give them more than the minimum annual dues, I figure I'll just give them an extra contribution, rather than buy stuff I don't need.

 

[mbchilton]

Just joined this year, and am on the board of my local chapter. It's not a perfect organization, but I think my efforts to support conservation and promote the sport can go further by being part of TU.

 

[thewalker1013]

I'm a member, but haven't ponied up for the lifetime membership. I'm also very active on the Board of our local CCA chapter since I've been back in TX.

 

[Guest1]

TU has become involved in more than one thing I consider to be counterproductive. If you remember, there was a thread last year where I contacted the local fisheries office on one of those counterproductive things they were doing, and Fisheries said they were not contacted by them. They were aware of it and agreed it was someplace between stupid and destructive.

If it were an isolated thing I would dismiss it as a one off and move on. It is not. That's is why I dropped my membership and will not be going back in the foreseeable future.

 

[psychologicalperch]

I am a member of the Mianus Chapter in CT. Unfortunately I am often busy and cannot attend meetings (or i am fishing).

 

[whalensdad]

I'm a member of the TU Madison County New York Chapter 680. I found that regardless of what the National TU has done, our local chapter is instrumental in conservation and stream preservation in our area. We are heavily involved with stream improvements on our local waters. A few years ago we were able to get the DEC to establish about a 5 mile or so stretch of the creek as "catch and release". We support "Trout in the Classroom" and work with wounded veterans, through "Project Healing Waters". Through the chapter I have met a lot of great people who I can hang with and have a good time. So while I may not agree with everything National TU does, the grassroots efforts make it worthwhile in my book. Oh, and I only do the $35 a year dues.

 

[Guest1]

.... regardless of what the National TU has done, .....

Actually, the national has given me plenty of reason to drop them, but the incident that the fisheries I talked to was involved with was a local chapter. There is another incident going on right now that I have been informed of, but asked to hold off on identifying the situation just yet, and I will comply with the request, but I believe that is a local as well.

There are good locals I am sure. Yours may very well be one, and for that I commend them. But based on what has become of the national and many of the locals I will just wipe my hands clean of the whole mess till pressure from the good locals like yours get the rest of the 'wanderers' back with their feet on the right path.

If your local and the others like it, can't apply the proper steerage to fix what is becoming an increasingly bad direction for TU, then the only other way is to do as I did and walk away till such time as they cure their anal/cranial inversion.

Uno mas sacred cow successfully tipped.

 

[stl_geoff]

Life member here. I like getting the magazine, the calander is always pretty nice and I really enjoy the rod and reel combo I got. Mainly the way I looked at it was I wanted a very nice rod and reel, and at the same time it always nice to help out a conservation group. So why not?!

Our local chapter is meh, the meetings they have are a good 1.5 hours away so i never go to them, but they have done some good work with funding and creating habitat for the local streams.

 

[Vans]

TU has become involved in more than one thing I consider to be counterproductive. If you remember, there was a thread last year where I contacted the local fisheries office on one of those counterproductive things they were doing, and Fisheries said they were not contacted by them. They were aware of it and agreed it was someplace between stupid and destructive.

If it were an isolated thing I would dismiss it as a one off and move on. It is not. That's is why I dropped my membership and will not be going back in the foreseeable future.

My wife is a principal level fisheries biologist and has done a lot of restoration work for coal mines, state govts and the national govt. She has a similarly dim view of the restoration work that TU has has done.

I however am a member but just an annual one. I like to think that TU does the best they can with the financial resources they have. I think their best work is done with making our people and politicians aware and applying pressure and lobbying where needed.

 

[trout champ]

I too am just a regular member. I am also on the Board of Directors for my local TU Home | Cheyenne Mountain Chapter of Trout Unlimited. I know the money would go to good use. But how much of that money really goes to TU? On the website only the amount after your gifts are taken out is tax deductible. MSRP on the rod is $795 and the reel is $200. That leaves only $200 for conservation. I don't know if TU and Sage have something worked out or not.

And $100 is a little steep for most of us these days. Here is what I was thinking: I would sign up for our Preferred Membership at $10 a month or $120 a year. No gifts so theoretically more would go to TU.

Just bouncing things around.

I don't like The One anyway.

Randy

 

[shotgunfly]

I was an annual for a year or two then let it lapsed. I recently (3 weeks ago) dropped the $1200 to become a lifetime member.

The local chapter (Massanutten Chapter Virginia) has done a good bit on the waters I fish (public and private) so I felt like I should do my part. The rod and reel was an incentive but not something I really needed. I also wanted to give myself a few bday presents since I'm turning forty.

Glad I did it.

 

[wt bash]

I'm a member but annually. I've seen TU do good and some not so good, here I don't see them do anything but really what can they do it Ohio. My Chapter stocks a lame creek with oversized bows and a once a year stream clean up but I know the Mad Men Chapter are a little more involved in riparian repair. Guess you gotta take the good with the bad.

 

[Guest1]

My wife is a principal level fisheries biologist and has done a lot of restoration work for coal mines, state govts and the national govt. She has a similarly dim view of the restoration work that TU has has done.

And they seem to never ask any local fisheries if some crackpot idea they have is a good one or not. I think in a short while you will hear from someone else where what they are doing is actually quite destructive. I said I would stay quiet for a while till more information is gathered. In fact I will wait for the other parties to speak first, but unfortunately when you give them money, you fund these crackpot things they do. And it really is bad in a lot of cases. If some of you who think they are doing good in your areas, called your local fisheries and asked if they are helping or hurting you would be quite surprised. One thing that would help would be start asking the area fisheries before they go in and do detrimental stuff.

And it doesn't end with their efforts on the waters. They are just wrong on a long list of things. Funding them only encourages more of the same. Cutting them off will either straighten them out or end them. Works for me either way.

 

[woodrivertroutbum]

I am not a member, but am friends with people on the "inside" so I am at least able to keep tabs on them haha. I would much rather give my money to the Eastern Brook Trout Joint Venture or the Sea Run Brook Trout Coalition.

Not all TU chapters are "bad" but I do have a bad taste in my mouth.

 

[plecain]

Despite my reservations about any group that says it's a 'conservation' group, I'm a TU annual member.

The 'free' rod last fall was a Winston BIIIx (it changes about every 3-4 months). I almost gave that a shot.

The local chapter so far hasn't done anything I'd consider counterproductive. The newsletter is informative. So, I'll keep my membership for now.

 

[stl_geoff]

Yesterday night when I made my post I complained semi about the "local" chapter Im in is 1.5 hours away. Well, this morning I got an email that I have been reassigned to a new chapter, that is 100% actually local haha. they are going to have a drift boat/new chapter party in a couple weekends, guess I'll go and see who I know.