Volume 4, Issue 7

December 2014

Silver Bulletin

Wrap up 2014 with a bang!

Keep rockin' your programs, start recruiting your friends &

check out the 2015 schedule!

In This Issue

Support Materials

Promo Materials

Upcoming Events

FIND US ONLINE

#TexasBrigades

2014 Campers

All Cadets - By Camp

All Cadets - By County

These two documents contain basic contact information for all 2014

Texas Brigades Cadets.

We hope you will not only contact your fellow

camp Cadets, but others from your area, and invite them along when doing programs!

Save the dates!

2015 Camps

June 13-17 - Rolling Plains Bobwhite Brigade

June 14-18 - South Texas Buckskin Brigade

June 26-30 - South Texas Bobwhite Brigade

July 7-11 - Bass Brigade

July 14-18 - Ranch Brigade

July 19-23 - North Texas Buckskin Brigade

July 19-23 - Waterfowl Brigade

2015 applications are available NOW!

2015 Applications and
Book of Accomplishments deadline:
March 16, 2015

Tips & Quick Reminders:

MONTHLY REPORTS - 3 months left to do programs
Remember to send Helen (hholdsworth@texas-wildlife.org) a monthly report of at least one activity, for an additional 50 points towards your Book of Accomplishments.
We also have the Educational Activity Values sheet and Activity Report Form online. You can find these documents, along with the camp PowerPoints on our Documents and Presentations page on our website.
For those of you participating in hunting and fishing trips - take pictures & share them with us! #TexasBrigades

We hope you continue to educate your communities, and we'll continue to offer our support. Please let us know how we can help you!

-Helen and Kassi

Congratulations to our Early Bird Winners!

RPBB	NTBB	RANCH
Isaac Carver Ike Garcia Laura Grahmann	William Flannery Ryan Helms Elise Hesseltine Trace Justiss	Reagan Ruddock Madison Walker
WTFL	BASS
Seth Chapman Christopher Childress	Jonathan Gray Tommy Johnson Abbie Lanier Hunter Merta

Even if you did not send in an Early Bird book,
you may still work towards submitting a Book of Accomplishments.

Your reward?

College scholarship money
and an invitation to serve as an Assistant Leader.

Support Materials

We try our hardest to equip you with everything you need to become conservation ambassadors. Please utilize the materials and technology we have worked so hard on:

DVD - sent to you in the mail within 2 weeks after camp, includes all the pictures from camp, the PowerPoint, and additional resource materials your instructors thought would be beneficial for you to have.
Texas Brigades website - please visit www.texasbrigades.org, you'll find information about earning program points for your Book of Accomplishments, camp PowerPoints, and much more!

Promotional Materials

E-mail us if you would like Texas Brigades brochures or posters!

Educate, Recruit, Research

If you're questioning whether a program will earn you points,
ask yourself if it meets one of the criteria listed below.

Educate others about what you learned at camp; wildlife, leadership, conservation, habitat management, land stewardship, etc.

Program examples: manned or unmanned display, presentation, article, wildlife expos, ag fairs. These are just a few examples of ways to educate!

Recruit others to participate in the Texas Brigades, both youth and adults.

Program examples: creating and displaying a new trifold, presentation, article, posting Brigades posters, radio interview. These are just a few examples of ways to recruit!

Research Texas' wildlife, conservation and management methods, and methods to become a conservation ambassador.

Program examples: ranch management plan, food plots, species census surveys, plant collection. These are just a few examples of research programs!

WE NEED YOU:

Former Asst Leaders/Future Special Agents

Becoming a Special Agent means not only doing programs but

coordinating programs for cadets as well. We could always use your help with upcoming events, but we REALLY need your help with the events below! You'll be representing the Texas Brigades, just as a staff or committee member would. Contact Helen for specific information.

Upcoming Events

January 15-18	Dallas Safari Club Convention-Dallas. Texas Brigades will have a booth at this world famous event. If you are willing and able, please send an email to Helen at hholdsworth@texas-wildlife.org. The sooner the better. Thanks!
January 24	HAC-GT 7^th Annual Summer Camp Expo for the Gifted/Talented- Klein. From 11:00am-2:00pm at Klein ISD Multipurpose Center, 7500 FM 2920. Contact Helen at hholdsworth@texas-wildlife.org for details.
January 25	Kids Gone Wild! at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo-Fort Worth. We need help staffing a booth and helping other exhibitors with their activities. Interested? Gate pass provided for cadet. Email Helen at hholdsworth@texas-wildlife.org.
February 7	SAGE: GT (Gifted/Talented) Summer Expo - Plano. Plano Senior High School, 2200 Independence Parkway, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Contact Helen at hholdsworth@texas-wildlife.org for details.
February 12- March 1	San Antonio Livestock Show and Rodeo-San Antonio. Booth space will be available during the entire show for you to set up your manned or unmanned tri-fold. So, if you are showing in San Antonio, you have no excuse! Contact Helen at hholdsworth@texas-wildlife.org for details.
February 19-21	Pond Boss Conference, Dallas. We have the opportunity to have a booth at this event and a speaking opportunity. If you are interested, please contact Steven Bardin (Bass Brigade Committee) at steven@texasprolakemanagement.com.
February 20-21	Texas Chapter of the Wildlife Society-Corpus Christi. This is going to be big. We are launching the Texas Brigade Network, a place to connect with Brigade cadets, graduates, instructors, volunteers, families, supporters, and donors. You may help by staffing the Brigade booth and helping people sign-up to be connected! Exhibits are all day Friday the 20th and 1/2 day on the 21st. Let Helen know if you are able to help (hholdsworth@texas-wildlife.org).
March 16	Deadline to apply as a cadet, Assistant Leader or Adult Leader for Texas Brigades. Online applications for cadets and Adult Leaders must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Mailed applications and Books of Accomplishments must be postmarked by 3/16/15.

ON-GOING ACTIVITIES

For events in your area, visit the Texas Parks & Wildlife website calendar section at

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/calendar/.

Find a Ducks Unlimited banquet in Texas at http://www.ducks.org/texas/events.

Find a Delta Waterfowl banquet in Texas at http://www.deltawaterfowl.org/events/.

Any cadet is invited to speak to the Big Country Master Naturalists (Abilene) who meet on the third Thursday of each month - call Rodney Sturdivant (Rolling Plains Bobwhite and Waterfowl Brigade) at home, 325-625-2715.

Anyone live near Riesel, Texas? If so, let Helen know. One of our School Leaders from Bass Brigade teaches at the high school in Riesel and has invited any Brigade cadet to speak to his classes.

Get on the radio!

There are several radio stations across the state which host outdoor radio shows. Call them (or email) and ask to be on to promote Brigades!

Lone Star Outdoors Show (KHYI 95.3) www.lonestaroutdoorshow.com
Rusty Baker Outdoors (KZNE 1150) rusty@rustybakeroutdoors.com
Texas Fishing & Outdoors Show (KRLD 1080) www.texasfishingandoutdoors.com;
888-256-1080
Big Billy Kinder (WBAP) billkinder@bigbillykinderoutdoors.com; 877-820-2256

Thanks to the Texas Parks & Wildlife Hunter Ed Instructors for their support!!

Rodney Sturdivant (Rolling Plains Bobwhite & Waterfowl Brigade instructor) teaches Hunter Ed classes several times a year. Contact him at 325-625-2715.

Kim Price (Covey Leader and mom of Brigade grad, Faye Price) is also a Hunter Ed instructor from Iowa Park. She'd love to have you speak at one of her classes since Faye has left for college! Contact her at kprice@ipcisd.net.

TEXAS QUAIL YOUTH PAGE!

Find instructions on this webpage http://wildlife.tamu.edu/quail/northern-bobwhite-kids-reverse-quail-decline-initiative/) for conducting experiments with scent stations and dummy nests. Share you results on Facebook. Contact Kristen Tyson at Kristen.tyson@ag.tamu.edu if you have questions.

Texas Trophy Hunters Magazine

Publishes a Texas Brigade story in every issue. We are looking for stories about your Brigade camp experience or about your experience on a Brigade hunt. Articles should be 500-1000 words and submitted to hholdsworth@texas-wildlife.org by the following deadlines:

Jan. 29th
Mar 29th
May 29th
July 29th
Sept. 29th
Nov. 29th

Texas Youth Hunting Program

They sponsor introductory, instructive youth hunts for deer, turkey, hogs, javelina, exotics, dove, small game, waterfowl, varmints and other species. Normally, they provide mentors, lodging and meals.

To participate as a Youth Hunter in the Texas Youth Hunting Program, you must. . .

Be 9 to 17 years old.
Complete the Hunter Education Program.
Have a valid Texas hunting license and appropriate tags or stamps when required.
Be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

Visit http://texasyouthhunting.com/ for more information!

Texas Big Game Awards

If you harvest a white-tailed deer, mule deer, pronghorn or javelina this hunting season be sure to enter the Texas Big Game Awards.

Visit http://texasbiggameawards.org/ for more information!

Contact Info

Helen Holdsworth

Executive Director

hholdsworth@texas-wildlife.org

855-TXBRIGS

(855-892-7447)

210-884-3712 - cell

I have some important news to share with you. Effective January 1, 2015 Kassi Scheffer will be working full-time for the Texas Wildlife Association and no longer working for Texas Brigades. We are so appreciative of everything Kassi has done for the program since she came on board in 2008. She has been vital to the advancement of the Brigades' mission. We will miss having "Scheffie" work side-by-side with us, but there is good news! Kassi will be joining the Bass Brigade committee as a volunteer, so she will still be involved with the Texas Brigades.

On behalf of all the Brigade volunteers, we say "Thank you!"