This is a “different” sort of fishing contest. The winners (6 in all) will be chosen by volunteer judges from the ranks of TV and Radio personalities. Judging will be completed at the end of the contest, September 30, 2009. (You don’t have to be a member of the SW Region Squadron to compete in the contest ! ) There are 2 fishing categories - fresh water fishing and salt water fishing, with 1-2-3 winners in each. Entries are limited to 1 entry per category for each contestant. Entries must be received between June 1 to September 30, 2009. Any photo date is OK.

How to enter: Send an e-mail to Richard Anderson ( a5feed@consolidated.net ) containing the words, “Fishing Photo Contest,” your name, SAFBVA member number, postal address, preferred eMail address, the contest category (salt water or fresh water), and a very brief description of what is shown in your photo entry. Alternatively, you may send your entry with the above information via regular postal mail to SW Region Squadron, PO Box 1741, Bellaire, TX 77402. In either case, state your ownership of the photo and provide your permission for us to use your entry to publicize the contest and the organization(s).

Send your photo: Attach your photo to that eMail as a “jpg, jpeg, or gif” format file. The file may be a digital camera photograph to which you own the rights or from a photo image that you have scanned into a computer system. Your photo may be in color or black and white. Alternatively, you may send your photo with your letter via regular postal mail. (If you have no computer, remember that you can use the one at the library.)

The winners: As chosen by the volunteer judges, the winners will be those who submitted photos that the judges enjoyed the most in each category in 1-2-3 order. The size and beauty of any fish counts for less than does the fun and enjoyment that a photo gives to the judges. In other words, a photo of a minnow (or even no fish at all) can win over a photo of a whale - but who knows?

The Prizes: We are obtaining suitable and valuable prizes from various sources at the time this notice is being written. We can, however, guarantee that the winners will be delighted with their prizes. Perhaps the biggest prize of all will be the publicity this contest will bring to the Sampson Air Force Base Veterans Association, to the regional squadrons from coast to coast, and to the TV/Radio folks and prize providers.

Questions: Richard Anderson ( a5feed@consolidated.net) or Southwest Region Squadron, PO Box 1741, Bellaire, TX 77402. Use those same addresses to join our squadron. We have a place for you here.