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It is a safe bet that when most local chapter members pick up their newsletters or attend a meeting each month, that they have an understanding of how Trout Unlimited in general is organized in Massachusetts . Here is a quick primer as background, along with some current issues facing the broader statewide organization.
There are currently ten chapters of TU in Massachusetts and one in Rhode Island , which comprise the Massachusetts/Rhode Island council of Trout Unlimited. The chapters cover a defined geographic area in the state. Generally, each state in the country has its own council. Ours is one of the few that contains two states. The council serves as a loose coordinating body for the entire organization. It has no power to dictate anything to the chapters.
The function of the council is to coordinate activities among the chapters, to provide information and interaction about what each group is doing and to address issues of concern to all TU members in both states when a common voice is needed. A recent example is the work the council did to oppose the withdrawal of funding for the Division of Fish and Wildlife last fall, and the closure of fish hatcheries. Both decisions were eventually reversed.
The council has a set of officers, elected from its membership. Each chapter can select a defined number of representatives to the council, based on the number of members. Greater Boston , being the largest chapter, has the most council delegates. If you are interested in getting involved with TU at the council level, contact Brad Voight, President of the Greater Boston chapter at 781-455-6905.
This is an exciting time for the council and TU in Massachusetts and Rhode Island . The two biggest issues facing the organization are developing a better system of communication, primarily through a new web site, and defining the direction of the council over the next three to five years.