| Dear TOWA members, |
| Hope all is well and that everyone is gearing up for summer.The TOWA 2025 Annual Conference, held May 2–4 in Rockport, Texas, was a resounding success. Attendance is returning to pre-pandemic levels, and thanks to the support of our contributing members, this year’s event ended well in the black.
A huge thank-you to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Dallas Safari Club, Coastal Conservation Association, Safari Club International, Texas Trophy Hunters Association, Mossberg Firearms, the Bob Hood Scholarship, and TOWA’s monthly PRS Precision Long Range Matches. Through their support, we raised approximately $11,000 for student scholarships, adult awards, and conference social events. We must also extend a big thank-you to Craig Griffin, our generous host at the Inn at Fulton Harbor. Craig has consistently gone above and beyond—keeping room rates and meals affordable, offering flexibility with accommodations, and even booking world-class entertainment. This year, Grammy Award Winner Shawn Camp entertained TOWA members with songs he’s written for Guy Clark, Willie Nelson, Garth Brooks, and more. Tommy Moore added to the fun by taking a boatload of members on an afternoon birding tour. We’re also grateful to this year’s excellent lineup of speakers, who polished the conference to excellence: Another special thank-you goes to Chester Moore for his ongoing social media contributions to TOWA. We also proudly reintroduced a tradition with the Gavel Presentation to Past Presidents. Thank you to Greg Berlocher for reviving this and providing 20 beautifully crafted gavels. Six were presented this year, with the remainder scheduled for the 2026 conference. At the General Membership Meeting, new officers were installed: We’d also like to thank board members Sam Caldwell and Jenn McNaughton for their invaluable contributions to the 2025 Annual Conference. TOWA remains proudly youth-centric, and with that focus, we are introducing a new writing contest for 2026. A new “Spirit of Texas Award” will be added to the existing EIC categories. Unlike the others, this category allows only one entry per member. The entry fee will be slightly higher, but the cash award will be significantly larger, and the winner will be announced at the 2026 conference. Entries may be news reporting, a feature story, or humor (no fiction or editorials), and should best capture the essence of Texas. Another thank-you goes to our board members and to D&C Designs (Dennis Crawford) for donating art prints, paintings, books, wine, and matching antler lamps to the TOWA Fundraising Raffle. TOWA is growing. Fifty plates were served at Saturday night’s banquet, and overall attendance doubled from 2024. We’re excited to keep that momentum going. Mark your calendars for the TOWA 2025 Fall Stampede, October 10–12 at 1173 FM 1890, The Shaw’s Bend Social Club in Columbus, Texas. The event will feature live music, the four shooting competitions of the Texas Challenge, World Senior Pro Bull Riding, a Chili Cook-Off, and more. Looking ahead, the TOWA 2026 Annual Conference will once again be hosted by Craig Griffin at the Inn at Fulton Harbor. The board will continue exploring new venues when fiscally prudent, but in the meantime, we’re thrilled to return to our happy home in Rockport with our outstanding host! Thank you,
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