You Can Be Proud of Your TSCRA By Joe Parker Jr.
C
ONGRATULATIONS TO THE MEMBERS OF TEXAS AND SOUTH- western Cattle Raisers Association (TSCRA) for
doing such a fine job on membership recruitment and retention this year. At the end of 2012 our member- ship was 16,209 ranching families and businesses, and we’ve grown since then. Even though the drought has reduced income
in 2012 compared to 2011 and 2010, we ended 2012 financially strong. This is because of our growing membership and because of your loyalty. While many of you are still struggling through the drought and struggling to keep your herds intact, you’ve voluntarily paid your normal rendition. We appreciate that loyalty and that love for TSCRA very much. TSCRA hosted 21 ranch gatherings in 2012 and
more than 2,300 members and guests attended. TSCRA conducted 10 Ranching 101 programs, 5 Beef Quality Assurance meetings, a Cattlemen’s Field Day and a webinar on the market outlook. Your support for the ranch gatherings and TSCRA
events has been really strong all over the state. It is very much appreciated. At all of these events, attendees have been presented
with the new membership marketing campaign with the theme “To honor and to protect the ranching way of life.” The messages in these materials have been very successful in recruiting members. Besides congratulating you on a good job in mem-
bership, this is a good time to remind our directors about some of your responsibilities. Last year your association adopted a board of directors position de- scription. It spells out that you as a director are ex- pected to serve on a Regional Association Promotion team, be actively engaged in membership retention and recruiting, and represent TSCRA at local activities, events and tours as well as attend the board meetings.
All of these efforts
paid off really well this last year, and we appreciate your hard work very much. Besides being active in membership, meetings and committees, you are asked to be engaged in state and national issues that affect our industry and to be a supporter of our Political Action Committee. That support has been strong this last year, also. Our Austin office tracked more than 600 bills in
the 2013 session of the Texas Legislature. During Cattleman’s Days at the Capitol Feb. 19 and 20, they organized TSCRA member meetings with many state senators and representatives and their staffs as well as with the Governor’s office on important issues. Water and the budget pretty much led those issue discussions. Many TSCRA members volunteered their time dur-
ing the February visit to the Capitol in Austin: Joe Leathers, chair of the Natural Resources and
Environment Committee, and Jay Evans, chair of the Water Subcommittee, recommended that TSCRA sup- port a one-time appropriation from the state Economic Stabilization Fund, or the rainy day fund, to help fund the state water plan. It has been suggested that $2 billion be moved
from the rainy day fund to support the state water plan. It has also been suggested that 10 percent of that amount, or $200 million, be used in agricultural areas. You can see how important it is that TSCRA members be engaged in this discussion to make sure sufficient money is spent wisely. John Cantrell, chairman of the Marketing Commit-
tee, led efforts to represent TSCRA member interests in the discussions about a state animal disease trace- ability program. Dennis Webb, chairman of the Brand and Inspec- tion Committee, led the effort to increase trucking
26 The Cattleman June 2013
thecattlemanmagazine.com
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