THE BASS FEDERATION
Edited by Mason Prince
TBF STATE LEADERSHIP MEETINGS
PARIS , TN
COVER A LOT OF GROUND IN PARIS , TENNESSEE
KENTUCKY LAKE
As the largest grassroots fishing organization in the country , there ’ s an institutional expectation of the leadership of The Bass Federation ( TBF ) to keep things running smoothly while also continuing to grow its base of participating anglers . TBF is a 100-percent memberowned company , with each state affiliation owning one voting share of stock . That ’ s why the annual state leadership meetings – this year held in Paris , Tennessee – are so important to the livelihood of TBF .
At this meeting , the state affiliates and TBF leadership review formats for tournaments , rules , membership details and events , and discuss the long-term goals of the federation and its membership . This year , more than 50 state leaders from across the nation joined sponsor representatives , the majority of the TBF National Board members and much
of the TBF staff for a three-day meeting of minds at the 2022 Junior World Championship in late July .
Many important steps are taken at these yearly meetings , this year with state tournament directors and presidents . TBF performs corporate governance functions , participates in team-building sessions and shares best practices for both business and tournaments . Networks are built between states , and training / continuous improvement workshops are held on a variety of subjects .
“ These meeting are critical to TBF ’ s long-term health , as they have been for 50 years ,” says TBF President and CEO Robert Cartlidge . “ When you can get 40 or 50 state leaders in a room , that ’ s a lot of knowledge , brain power and diversity to solve problems and make decisions by consensus . After that , we usually come out with a solid product .”
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2022 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM 91