DSC The Latest

[Philip Glass]

I go back almost to the very beginning of DSC. Only missed two shows in close to 40 years. DSC(Dallas) was not only a convention but a tradition for my family. I didn't go to Atlanta last year and will never go to another DSC event.
What they did was not only a bad decision but a gut shot to guys like me.
My prediction, TTHA will grow, my African outfitter buddies will attend and it will replace DSC. I will go so far as to predict DSC will die a quicker death than we realize. I feel horrible for all the past presidents and volunteers that made it a success only to see it implode.

I agree. Sad

 

[coreydb]

The SCI convention Is the best in my opinion. I wish it came before DSC's.

 

[pilar]

The SCI convention Is the best in my opinion. I wish it came before DSC's.

TTHA & SCI are one and the same in ownership! So IMHO going forward in support of the TTHA show accomplishes the same conservation, hunting lobby ,environmental
And still supports a local economy , community of like minded individuals
I am sorry DHC implosion of leadership caused them to move venue, where volunteer ship/ worker bee’s have to switch organizations to contribute to same basic services and goals, but what the hell , supporting TTHA/SCI funding and advocacy, attendance
Seems like the choice, imo it’s time to support SCI / TTHA, we didn’t abandon DSC ! They abandoned us , it’s beyond complaining about it, time to support the local organization

SCI POISED TO ACQUIRE TEXAS TROPHY HUNTERS ASSOCIATION - Texas Trophy Hunters Association

ttha.com

 

[ActionBob]

Thank you for your kind words about the SCI Convention! We are working very hard to make it the best it can be and Nashville has been great in so many ways.

Philip why is SCI so difficult to do business with? A couple years ago we thought we'd only have time for one day so booked ahead for the second to last day. We ended up getting into town early so thought we'd take in two days.... Nope! They would not sell us a ticket. Said we could buy a 3 day ticket but could not sell us an extra one day ticket. We had a hard date to leave so could not stay for a 3rd day.

Turned out we had a great day out on the town instead And just attended the show the next day. Why would SCI turn away that extra money?

 

[coreydb]

I like both, attend both; fly to one, drive to the other.

 

[mdwest]

Where did you hear that? Messy for sure

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://natchitochesparishjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Petition-for-Foreclosure-Russell-Mary-Edith-Stacy-Farms-A-Business-Partnership.pdf

the foreclosure is in the public record..

whether or not that was motivation for nudging McCanna out and assuming the interim ED role, I dont know.. but its certainly not a good look no matter what the reasoning was..

 

[pilar]

chrome-extension://efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://natchitochesparishjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Petition-for-Foreclosure-Russell-Mary-Edith-Stacy-Farms-A-Business-Partnership.pdf

the foreclosure is in the public record..

whether or not that was motivation for nudging McCanna out and assuming the interim ED role, I dont know.. but its certainly not a good look no matter what the reasoning was..

I personally don’t know crap about the guys financial situation or character , but he isn’t the first person to get a loan and have to go through foreclosure, money doesn’t make a man, character and leadership does! I don’t know the story behind this guy
Doesn’t make a difference! DSC is not DSC anymore anyway

 

[mdwest]

I personally don’t know crap about the guys financial situation or character , but he isn’t the first person to get a loan and have to go through foreclosure, money doesn’t make a man, character and leadership does! I don’t know the story behind this guy
Doesn’t make a difference! DSC is not DSC anymore anyway

I completely concur...

I guess my concern is...

his character and leadership have been under extreme scrutiny for the last 2+ years... with numerous people close to the DSC board and close to DSC executive leadership having very little good to say about either of those things.. (remember, he was the chair of the DSC board at one point, chair of the DSC foundation board, chaired the committee that plans/executes the annual show, etc..etc.. so lots of people have seen his character and leadership up close for quite some time)..

and now youve got the financial data point to consider as well..

we're not talking about a personal financial situation.. we're looking at a business foreclosure.. which would imply the business failed..

who knows what market conditions contributed, etc.. theres no way we'll ever know if the foreclosure was driven by poor leadership decisions, or something else.. its sadly a pretty common thing for farms to fail in the US though.. I think we do have to acknowledge that..

but.. at the end of the day.. you have someone whose character and leadership have been in serious question for a fairly long period of time, who very recently had a business they were in charge of fail.. who is now the senior leader of another business that most of us care (or perhaps cared, in the past tense) deeply about...

 

[pilar]

I completely concur...

I guess my concern is...

his character and leadership have been under extreme scrutiny for the last 2+ years... with numerous people close to the DSC board and close to DSC executive leadership having very little good to say about either of those things.. (remember, he was the chair of the DSC board at one point, chair of the DSC foundation board, chaired the committee that plans/executes the annual show, etc..etc.. so lots of people have seen his character and leadership up close for quite some time)..

and now youve got the financial data point to consider as well..

we're not talking about a personal financial situation.. we're looking at a business foreclosure.. which would imply the business failed..

who knows what market conditions contributed, etc.. theres no way we'll ever know if the foreclosure was driven by poor leadership decisions, or something else.. its sadly a pretty common thing for farms to fail in the US though.. I think we do have to acknowledge that..

but.. at the end of the day.. you have someone whose character and leadership have been in serious question for a fairly long period of time, who very recently had a business they were in charge of fail.. who is now the senior leader of another business that most of us care (or perhaps cared, in the past tense) deeply about...

Point taken, but I am not sure why anyone would care , DSC absolutely abandoned their base members locally, I am not supporting them in the future.
If anyone wants to take a ride on the sinking ship so be it , either you choose to be emotionally invested with them or not , they filed for divorce so financially and emotionally invested time is a waste of resources that should not be wasted
Maybe it’s time to just move forward with a different group
This is almost akin to worrying if your ex girlfriends new “ baby daddy “ is a good guy
And will treat his kid right , not my baby not my problem

 

[coreydb]

I know DSC lost their lease or didn't renew it quick enough and lost out on their usual venue. Atlanta was its Plan B until it could return to Dallas. Don't know why any of that occurred, but at least someone stepped up to maintain a continuous a presence and alternate location for its members during such a "fluid" time period. To me, that's good leadership and it says a lot. I for one, won't jump ship. I'll stay with them while they re-group, because this major of an undertaking/change management is far from easy and takes a leader with extraordinary experience and business acumen. Don't sell anyone short here. They did Yeoman's work. P.S. I don't know anyone at DSC.

 

[mdwest]

Point taken, but I am not sure why anyone would care , DSC absolutely abandoned their base members locally, I am not supporting them in the future.
If anyone wants to take a ride on the sinking ship so be it , either you choose to be emotionally invested with them or not , they filed for divorce so financially and emotionally invested time is a waste of resources that should not be wasted
Maybe it’s time to just move forward with a different group
This is almost akin to worrying if your ex girlfriends new “ baby daddy “ is a good guy
And will treat his kid right , not my baby not my problem

We are far more in agreement than in disagreement for sure...

LOVE the location description in your profile by the way.. made me laugh..

 

[mdwest]

I know DSC lost their lease or didn't renew it quick enough and lost out on their usual venue. Atlanta was its Plan B until it could return to Dallas. Don't know why any of that occurred, but at least someone stepped up to maintain a continuous a presence and alternate location for its members during such a "fluid" time period. To me, that's good leadership and it says a lot. I for one, won't jump ship. I'll stay with them while they re-group, because this major of an undertaking/change management is far from easy and takes a leader with extraordinary experience and business acumen. Don't sell anyone short here. They did Yeoman's work. P.S. I don't know anyone at DSC.

@Dave Fulson was heavily involved in the research and was privy to most (maybe all) of the information and the decision making process tied to the Atlanta decision.. he probably understands that piece of the puzzle better than anyone else..

What people have voiced concerns about Atlanta about really isnt that the convention moved, or even that Atlanta was where it moved to.. Its been more about how the move was communicated (it wasnt well communicated at all)..

As I understand it, much of that has to do with DSC firing the marketing firm that had helped them build the convention for the past several years prior, literally just a few weeks before all of the communication and marketing surrounding the convention was scheduled to begin..

So.. not great planning... not great leadership..

Do a web search for "Save DSC".. an action that took place in 2020 (long before the decision to move to Atlanta).. and consider all of the things that happened (and didnt happen) as a result of that action and over the course of the next 3 years before the Atlanta decision was made.. and consider who the people behind "Save DSC" were, and what role they play in DSC today..

Atlanta (being poorly marketed) and a large number of the board members leaving in protest, and then a CEO leaving in protest, followed by another CEO leaving in less than a year.. all have the hands of the people that pushed "Save DSC" all over them.. Those are the people that are in leadership positions today... so.. no.. not great leadership..

This isnt something thats just occurred over the last 2 years.. its something thats been in motion for 5 years... and in my opinion ALL of it results from incredibly poor leadership that is driven by personal agenda rather than the good of the organization..

Ive said it a hundred times.. I absolutely hope that at some point the organization will self right and move back in the direction it once was moving.. I truly do.. we need an organization like what DSC used to be to fight for conservation and hunting..

Sadly, much like the NRA, until there is a massive upheaval in the board and the way the organization is being led, I dont believe there is any way thats going to happen..

They definitely wont be getting any more of my money or any more of my support...

Thats coming from a life member that literally attended dozens upon dozens of monthly meetings for years.. attended the organizations Christmas and New Years parties.. attended additional banquets and events.. and that volunteered at every single show since becoming a member until the January 2025 show in ATL.. a guy that spent hundreds of hours supporting the organization and thousands of dollars...

That time and money gets spent elsewhere now..

 

[coreydb]

I just learned to take a sterile view at the things I love. Things exist that I like until they don't anymore,, then I move on. I go for the hunting opportunities, merchandise, and comradery-nothing more. I don't join an organization just to say I belong. I do engage in the organizations I care about, to affect the change the organization strives to achieve. When they began to flounder I engaged to end it soon as possible.

 

[mdwest]

I just learned to take a sterile view at the things I love. Things exist that I like until they don't anymore,, then I move on. I go for the hunting opportunities, merchandise, and comradery-nothing more. I don't join an organization just to say I belong. I do engage in the organizations I care about, to affect the change the organization strives to achieve. When they began to flounder I engaged to end it soon as possible.

Concur... Generally speaking, when Im "in" on something... Im all in.. I will dedicate time, money, and other resources.. I certainly dont join any organization just for the purpose of saying Im a member.. I value my time far too much for that..

The issue here is actually just that.. I value my time a lot... so when an organization refuses to fix itself (all organizations will fail, make mistakes, etc.. I dont judge them by the mistakes.. I judge them by their recovery).. I disengage.. I take my time and money elsewhere..

 

[jpr9954]

I just re-read the DSC bylaws. Nominations for the Board of Directors have to come from the Nominating Committee. While members can suggest people to serve as directors to the Nominating Committee, there is no provision for getting on the ballot by petition of the members unlike the NRA.

Thus, by my reckoning, if you want to regain control of the DSC board and thus the DSC, it will take three years to do it.

Year One - you have to get a bylaw amendment approved to allow for nomination by petition. This won't be easy as you have to both get it on the notice of the meeting for which I'm sure you'll have pushback and you have to get a 2/3rds vote of those present or voting by proxy.

Year Two - you have to get three reform candidates on the ballot by petition and then get them elected.

Year Three - you again get three reform candidates on the ballot by petition and then get them elected. This will give you a majority of the Board with which to make the changes.

From my own experience at the NRA, in 2024 we got four candidates on the ballot by petition and they all won overwhelmingly (3 in the top 5). This was a shock as petition candidates were rare and never got elected. This spurred those pushing for reform on the board to come out of the closet, elect a reform EVP/CEO, and the 1st/2nd VPs. In 2025, we got 12 candidates on the ballot by petition and combined with those nominated we elected 20 reformers. There were 30 open seats and we took 20.

BTW I was one of those 20. This year, we controlled the Nominating Committee and only genuine reformers were nominated. Three of the "Old Guard" were able to secure spots on the 2026 ballot by petition and more power to them for actually reaching out to the rank and file voting members to ask for their support.

My point is that you can force change but it does take time, effort, and some investment of money. I would also say that the NY Attorney General's trial helped more than it hurt in forcing this change.

 

[mdwest]

Year One - you have to get a bylaw amendment approved to allow for nomination by petition. This won't be easy as you have to both get it on the notice of the meeting for which I'm sure you'll have pushback and you have to get a 2/3rds vote of those present or voting by proxy.

Thats the long pole in the tent.. Youve got a lot of pissed off people out there... but.. at this point most of the old guard that left in protest a couple of years ago simply want nothing to do with DSC any longer..

they definitely dont want to sit on boards (DSC, DSC Foundation, etc) and have to deal with everything that would have to go on in year 2 and 3.. and REALLY dont want to have to deal with everything that would have to go on in year 4..

Theyve essentially walked away and decided to dedicate themselves to other organizations moving forward.. The few that Ive talked to are of the "I told you so" mindset.. they walked in protest.. said the organization would self destruct in a matter of just a few years.. and now they are watching it happen.. fully vindicated.. anyone that sat on the other side of the aisle back in 2020-2021 when the whole Save DSC debacle went down that threw stones at them has been proven to have been in the wrong and chosen the wrong side.. (FWIW, I sat on neither side in 2020.. I didnt even know all that BS was going down until after it was pretty much over with)... Its not worth it to them to attempt to put DSC back on track.. not when organizations like Wild Sheep, SCI, TTHA, DU, Pheasants Forever, etc. are out there and welcome them (and their money) with open arms..

 

[coreydb]

Concur... Generally speaking, when Im "in" on something... Im all in.. I will dedicate time, money, and other resources.. I certainly dont join any organization just for the purpose of saying Im a member.. I value my time far too much for that..

The issue here is actually just that.. I value my time a lot... so when an organization refuses to fix itself (all organizations will fail, make mistakes, etc.. I dont judge them by the mistakes.. I judge them by their recovery).. I disengage.. I take my time and money elsewhere..

Fair point. I know nothing about DSC politics, just the venue

 

[pilar]

Thats the long pole in the tent.. Youve got a lot of pissed off people out there... but.. at this point most of the old guard that left in protest a couple of years ago simply want nothing to do with DSC any longer..

they definitely dont want to sit on boards (DSC, DSC Foundation, etc) and have to deal with everything that would have to go on in year 2 and 3.. and REALLY dont want to have to deal with everything that would have to go on in year 4..

Theyve essentially walked away and decided to dedicate themselves to other organizations moving forward.. The few that Ive talked to are of the "I told you so" mindset.. they walked in protest.. said the organization would self destruct in a matter of just a few years.. and now they are watching it happen.. fully vindicated.. anyone that sat on the other side of the aisle back in 2020-2021 when the whole Save DSC debacle went down that threw stones at them has been proven to have been in the wrong and chosen the wrong side.. (FWIW, I sat on neither side in 2020.. I didnt even know all that BS was going down until after it was pretty much over with)... Its not worth it to them to attempt to put DSC back on track.. not when organizations like Wild Sheep, SCI, TTHA, DU, Pheasants Forever, etc. are out there and welcome them (and their money) with open arms..

I agree , there are many different types of organizations that need support to improve the quality of life and health, conservation through education, and it’s money well spent
I think I can contribute more by helping the hunting community and industry by focusing on the organizations you mentioned and sisters of St Frances with water.
The too big to fail mentality DSC took could be $$$$$$ spread across smaller less dysfunctional organizations

• Water Wells For Africa (WWFA): Since 1996, this organization has been drilling sustainable and reliable hand-pumped wells in rural Africa.The wells are designed to last over 20 years and are maintained by a local, trained community-based management committee.
• Innovation: Africa: This group uses solar power to pump water from deep aquifers to communities that would otherwise not have access to clean water.
• The Water Project: This organization works in sub-Saharan Africa, providing access to clean water through projects like building new wells, rehabilitating old ones, and installing rain catchment tanks.
• African Water Facility (AWF): Hosted and managed by the African Development Bank, the AWF provides grants and technical assistance for the preparation and implementation of water infrastructure projects across Africa.

More water resources for livestock , wildlife, agricultural products = less poaching IMO!!

I will pray that DSC can recover from their dysfunction and become successful.
As crumbs make loaves in progress and prevention in undeveloped countries.

 

[coreydb]

Thats the long pole in the tent.. Youve got a lot of pissed off people out there... but.. at this point most of the old guard that left in protest a couple of years ago simply want nothing to do with DSC any longer..

they definitely dont want to sit on boards (DSC, DSC Foundation, etc) and have to deal with everything that would have to go on in year 2 and 3.. and REALLY dont want to have to deal with everything that would have to go on in year 4..

Theyve essentially walked away and decided to dedicate themselves to other organizations moving forward.. The few that Ive talked to are of the "I told you so" mindset.. they walked in protest.. said the organization would self destruct in a matter of just a few years.. and now they are watching it happen.. fully vindicated.. anyone that sat on the other side of the aisle back in 2020-2021 when the whole Save DSC debacle went down that threw stones at them has been proven to have been in the wrong and chosen the wrong side.. (FWIW, I sat on neither side in 2020.. I didnt even know all that BS was going down until after it was pretty much over with)... Its not worth it to them to attempt to put DSC back on track.. not when organizations like Wild Sheep, SCI, TTHA, DU, Pheasants Forever, etc. are out there and welcome them (and their money) with open arms..

what a can of worms.......

 

[Green Chile]

what a can of worms.......

The crazy thing is you can sit back and watch it coming from a LONG ways. @mdwest has kindly restated a lot of things but there are pages and pages of this topic from last year. You could tell that the new president was going to have a lot of issues and here it is unfolding (again). I was really hoping for better outcomes but so far it isn't happening and TTHA (SCI) is shortening the gap.