Bass Fishing Feb - Mar 2020 | Page 81

advancement opportunities with paid entry fees. TBF anglers will also be eligible to win additional contingency prizes from national sponsors, with payouts to multiple winners. The champions on the boater and co-angler side will both win a boat to help them live their dream. $3 Million and Counting The 11th annual High School Fishing World Finals and National Championship dual event is scheduled for June 23-27, 2020 on the Mississippi River in La Crosse, Wis. The scholarship offers and prize pool are still building, but the total value of what’s available to be won currently sits at almost $3 million. Any Student Angler Federation (SAF) member can compete in the World Finals. National Championship competi- tors must qualify. Luckily, there’s plenty of time to fish your way in. To join SAF or sign up for an event, visit highschoolfishing.org. Make Yourself Heard: If you have TBF news you’d like to share with FLW and TBF readers, please email Robert Cartlidge at [email protected]. TBF DID YOU KNOW? Bass Fishing History – TBF is the oldest and largest organized grassroots fishing, youth and con- servation organization in North America. Member-Owned – TBF is 100 percent owned by its members and is the only 100 percent member- owned organization in the entire fishing industry. Everything we do or earn goes back to TBF member- ship programs. User Pay, User Benefit – TBF operates via a user pay, user benefit system, where adult dues support the adult program, junior dues support the junior program, high school dues support the high school program, conservation funds are used only for the conservation program, etc. Insurance to Protect Members – TBF has offered an industry-leading, comprehensive insurance cover- age program for all of its affiliated adult, junior and high school clubs since 1990. Funded entirely by a portion of each TBF member’s dues, the insurance coverage offers very inexpensive peace of mind in a very litigious world. It’s one more reason it pays to belong to TBF. Volunteer-Led – TBF has a 100 percent volunteer leadership structure. Obviously, as a large organization, TBF has excellent paid staff to conduct its day-to- day operations. However, all state and national offi- cers and directors, including presidents and youth directors, plus the TBF national board members and national president and CEO, are all unpaid volun- teers. Give them a well-deserved pat on the back sometime and lend a hand when you can, as they are working hard for you. Longevity – TBF’s volunteer leadership base is one reason the organization has been so successful for so many decades. In 50 years of service, TBF has always adapted, overcome and thrived, and it will continue to do so. Avoiding the overhead and layers of management salaries at local and national levels gives TBF a huge business advantage and makes it very financially stable for the long term. Learn More About TBF If you have a question or want to know something about TBF, which is YOUR organization, drop us a line at the national office via [email protected]. Staff will answer you and might even print some of the questions here for all TBF members to see. Above all else, THANK YOU for being a member of The Bass Federation. FEBRUARY-MARCH 2020 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING.COM | FLWFISHING.COM 79