Trout Unlimited, Strange Chapter Borders

[jifigz]

After many years of loving trout and fly fishing for them, I have decided to join TU. I met Gary (Penns Creek Chapter secretary) on Honey Creek one day in early spring and we struck up a conversation. As we talked, he asked if I'd join TU and get involved. I said that I would and we exchanged contact info. He mailed me a a mail in invitation with the chapter code already written in for the Penns Creek Chapter. I filled it out the rest of the way and mailed the application and a check in. In a couple of weeks I received my initial packet with the membership card which stated I was in the Spring Creek Chapter. I thought this was an error. I went on the TU website and used the "find my local chapter" feature and typed in my address. Lo and behold, right where I live in Mifflin county, there is a tiny slice of land that belongs to the Spring Creek Chapter and it is totally surrounded by the Penns Creek Chapter of TU. Why is this? If my address was 5 miles down the road I'd be in the Penns Creek Chapter. No offense to Spring Creek, but if I'm going to get involved I want to try to help my local waters.

They meet at Bender Park from time to time, way closer than Bellefonte of State College. The TU Penns Creek Chapter president lives up the road in Mcveytown as I had met him years ago, too..

It just seems so stupid why there is a tiny portion of the Spring Creek Chapter right where I live.....

 

[troutbert]

You can join the Penns Creek Chapter.

I know people who have changed chapters.

There is info on changing chapters on the TU website.

https://www.tu.org/faq/

 

[jifigz]

I was browsing the FAQ last night and didn't see it. But since it was registered as Penns Creek on the application I couldn't believe it came back as Spring Creek..and then that tiny area on the map astounded me.

 

[redietz]

Arbitrary boundaries, assigned by zip code, are an issue throughout TU. We have the same problems here in Maryland. As noted above, you can request that the national organization assign you to whichever chapter you choose.

That said, unless you you plan on being a chapter officer, it makes little practical difference which chapter you belong to. Your assigned chapter will get $1 back from your dues to the national organization, an insignificant amount. Chapters like to have more members, because they get rated on their "health" by chapter size, and that size may affect how many representatives they get to send to the state council (each council has different by-laws, so that may not pertain in PA.)

Other than that, you can attend meetings of any chapter you desire; you're not going to get carded at the door. You can participate in the activities of any chapter you desire, and donate money to any chapter.

Many of us are involved with more than one chapter.

 

[troutbert]

https://www.tu.org/faq

In the Categories on the left, scroll down to MEMBERSHIP.

Changing chapters is the 3rd item.

 

[larkmark]

I changed chapters then changed back. I am welcome at both. It doesn't make much difference as far as I know which chapter you are affiliated with. It all falls under TU.

 

[salmonoid]

redietz wrote:
Arbitrary boundaries, assigned by zip code, are an issue throughout TU. We have the same problems here in Maryland. As noted above, you can request that the national organization assign you to whichever chapter you choose.

That said, unless you you plan on being a chapter officer, it makes little practical difference which chapter you belong to. Your assigned chapter will get $1 back from your dues to the national organization, an insignificant amount. Chapters like to have more members, because they get rated on their "health" by chapter size, and that size may affect how many representatives they get to send to the state council (each council has different by-laws, so that may not pertain in PA.)

Other than that, you can attend meetings of any chapter you desire; you're not going to get carded at the door. You can participate in the activities of any chapter you desire, and donate money to any chapter.

Many of us are involved with more than one chapter.

Do you know why arbitrary ZIP codes are an issue? This is indeed quite bizarre. Spring Creek chapter has 17029 and 17066 as outlier ZIPs but fully surrounded by the Penns Creek chapter.

They do get North and South Dakota chapters correct..

For an organization that uses GIS and data to try and disseminate info about trout, this has me scratching my head..

 

[redietz]

Apparently, they looked at chapter membership at one point in time, and if members of that chapter had members in a particular zip code (and no other chapter did) then that zip code was assigned to that chapter. Here in MD, we've made attempts to sort it out at the council level, but I don't think that's it's viewed as an issue at the national level. There doesn't seem to be any incentive for them to change things.

 

[jifigz]

The thing is, it looks like it is only the 17029 zip that is the Spring Creek Chapter where I am. That zip is very tiny and is wholly surrounded by 17044..

17029 shouldn't even exist, I think.