Invited to Join

[Flatwater Falconer]

Hello Fellow Falconers,

Please allow me to cordially invite you to join the North American Falconers Association.

You may send me a message here if you have any questions. Also check out our excellent web site www.n-a-f-a.com for detailed information about many topics. There's a downloadable membership form too.

I have been Corresponding Secretary now for about 1 1/2 years and have seen first hand the hard work and dedicated work that goes on literally every day for all of us.

North American Falconers Association is a fine association and one I am proud to belong to and proud to recommend.

Cheers,

[oldguy]

I would love to join NAFA. I am a life member of the NRA and a member of Idaho Falconers Association.
Neither of these organizations required a resume, references or anything other than membership fees.

I asked the late Kent Christopher about this years ago and he said they were looking into changing their requirements.

Part of me resents having to name-drop and list my achievements to join.
I'm not much of a "joiner" but feel there is strength in numbers.

Change the restrictive entrance requirements and I will join NAFA.


Respectfully, Dan S. aka oldguy.

[FredFogg]

I would love to join NAFA. I am a life member of the NRA and a member of Idaho Falconers Association.
Neither of these organizations required a resume, references or anything other than membership fees.

I asked the late Kent Christopher about this years ago and he said they were looking into changing their requirements.

Part of me resents having to name-drop and list my achievements to join.
I'm not much of a "joiner" but feel there is strength in numbers.

Change the restrictive entrance requirements and I will join NAFA.


Respectfully, Dan S. aka oldguy.

Dan, you don't have to drop names or list achievements to join. If you look at the membership form, you will see that is says References can be one current NAFA member or 2 in your local falconry community. I don't think this is dropping names. It then says to provide a brief bio about yourself and your involvement in falconry. You don't have to put a complete bio about yourself, it does say brief. To be honest, I think all I put I was an apprentice falconer and had flown 2 red-tails and that was it.

Oh yeah, I forgot to plug that I am currently working on an online application for the NAFA website where you can fill it out and make payment through PayPal. You won't instantly become a member but the application and payment will be done online and then you will recieve an email when you are approved.

[Eagle Owl]

I agree with Fred. It is very easy to join NAFA. I have signed applications for people that simply said they were pre-apprentices wanting to support NAFA. And their application was accepted. When I was doing registration for the 2008 NAFA Meet, I had people mail me their application along with their registration form. They included an envelope and I was happy to sign their application and mail it out for them. I think NAFA just wants to make sure there is at least some effort on the person's part to try and keep the antis out. Personally I think people use the reference thing as an excuse.

[tking308]

I mailed my application and dues about a month ago. How much longer should I expect to wait before hearing something?

[frootdog]

I mailed my application and dues about a month ago. How much longer should I expect to wait before hearing something?

Larry Dickerson explained the process at the recent THA Campout and picnic. The apps are collected and then monthly the board is presented with a list of names and asked if there are any objections. The members are then approved, so I would think you should be good any day now.

[everetkhorton]

I mailed my application and dues about a month ago. How much longer should I expect to wait before hearing something?

Todd:
Your application was sent to the board on June 1,2010 for approval. I will send out the New Membership packets on June 21, 2010.

[everetkhorton]

I would love to join NAFA. I am a life member of the NRA and a member of Idaho Falconers Association.
Neither of these organizations required a resume, references or anything other than membership fees.

I asked the late Kent Christopher about this years ago and he said they were looking into changing their requirements.

Part of me resents having to name-drop and list my achievements to join.
I'm not much of a "joiner" but feel there is strength in numbers.

Change the restrictive entrance requirements and I will join NAFA.


Respectfully, Dan S. aka oldguy.

Dan:
I guess the difference is that DU and NRA take any and all members. The NAFA board of director have to approve your application for membership. I guess it is a big deal for some.

[hawkstir]

I really don't see why they need the reference signatures. Can they even check to tell if it's real?

[FredFogg]

I really don't see why they need the reference signatures. Can they even check to tell if it's real?

Fred, I agree! I don't see any need to have someones signature. I think you should just have to write down two folks and their phone numbers that will vouch for you. That way, if needed, they could call your references. Hey, we have to give references all the time, giving 2 to join NAFA isn't going to kill anyone. But having their signatures isn't needed and I am going to see about having that changed because when I create the online membership application, how is anyone going to have someone else sign that? Duh!

[frootdog]

I really don't see why they need the reference signatures. Can they even check to tell if it's real?

Would this be considered "policy" that we could get changed (as steted in agenda 8.3 thread)or is it by-law related?

[oldguy]

I guess my problem is I don't want to bother folks who have been more than nice to me, let me go hawking with them, etc.
I am a situation where I don't know when I'll be getting a bird again, and I don't wish to be a nuisance. It's just me. There's a bit more to it, but nothing I want to go into here.

[Eagle Owl]

I guess my problem is I don't want to bother folks who have been more than nice to me, let me go hawking with them, etc.
I am a situation where I don't know when I'll be getting a bird again, and I don't wish to be a nuisance. It's just me. There's a bit more to it, but nothing I want to go into here.

Well you wouldn't be bothering me, so if you want to send me your application, I will be happy to sign it and forward it to NAFA for you! I will even pay for the stamp to get it there!

[rmayes100]

So where's the sales pitch? Thanks for the invite, but lets hear some more about what NAFA has to offer those of us who aren't members. A lot of the stuff on the website is pretty vague; NAFA's a big family blah blah... Let's hear what NAFA members have to say, it may be years before I have the time to attend a national meet sooo what else have you got (and yeh I know about the Journal and Hawk Chalk I've got a box full of them in my basement)?