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National Wild Turkey Federation starts local chapter.No doubt about it, the world is different for kids now than it used to be.Ray Cobb thought he could relax once his two kids were raised and through some of the difficult teen years, until his son became a law enforcement officer. The horror stories of his job and the people he takes to jail really made the senior Cobb think, especially in light of the fact he now has a grandbaby.

“The only thing I know to do about it is give them something positive to focus on,” Cobb said. “Some kids don’t have the opportunity to get involved with wildlife and the outdoors, except for what they see in books.”

Cobb is referencing the National Wild Turkey Federation, which is starting a Navarro County chapter. Paul Ferrell, East Texas regional director, met with interested parties last week to organize and plan. The NWTF is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit agency whose focus is to conserve wild turkeys and preserve hunting traditions.

Since it was founded in 1973, membership has grown from 1,300 members to 584,000 today. Along with programs like JAKES (Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship) for age 12 and younger, Xtreme JAKES for kids 13 to 17, Women in the Outdoors, and Wheelin’ Sportsmen for disabled outdoorsmen, the organization also raises millions of dollars which goes toward upholding hunting traditions and conserving wildlife habitat.

“Our fund-raising banquets dedicate 56 percent of the funds raised to that particular state for hunting heritage and conservation,” Merrell said. “We will also use part of the proceeds to purchase food for needy families in Navarro County. The banquets are our fund-raising mechanism for each state.”

Kids also benefit from education curriculum “in a box,” which is provided for elementary teachers, and uses conservation and turkeys for teaching tools. Scholarships for high school students are another part of the fund-raising, with each recipient receiving $500 toward college.

“We are losing kids to the immediate satisfaction of computers and video games and other bad stuff,” Merrell said. “Many kids don’t have this opportunity to get involved in outdoor activities … the National Wild Turkey Federation gives them some positive alternatives to some of the social pressures in today’s world.”

The first banquet is scheduled for May 2008, but meetings will be held on a monthly basis starting in November. The Corsicana Daily Sun will be given information for meeting dates and times, or you may call Ray Cobb at (903) 872-8434.

“We are trying to give kids something positive to do, involving the outdoors,” Cobb said. “There are a lot of positive ways to give back, and kids can get involved, too. We want to give them some positive goals, and who knows? They may find a career field they have interest in, as well.”

By Deanna Plemons

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