At the end of April, the South Eastern TU rally was held at the Southwest Virginia 4-H Educational Center   in Abingdon, Virginia. Mary and Charlie Bagley and Laura and Robert Wilson represented the Appalachian Chapter.

Friday night, Bruce Wankel from the Virginia Creeper Fly Shop did a wonderful and humorous presentation on fly fishing in the Abingdon area. 

Saturday morning after opening presentations about the Upper Potomac Home River Initiative, and Eastern Brook Trout Status, the group divided into two areas, conservation and leadership. Charlie and Mary attended the conservation break-out sessions and Laura and Robert attended the leadership sessions. The conservation discussions focused on Eastern Brook Trout and the Home Rivers Initiative. The leadership discussions addressed issues with membership, leader support through the TU Chapter Toolkit, and fund raising. 

State councils met in the afternoon. The TN Council discussed issues with funding an educational Back the Brookie DVD, the need for new council leadership, and a leadership conference in the Fall. 

After the council meeting, the guys headed to the South Holston River to fish a few hours. The ladies headed over to the Virginia Creeper Fly Shop, went antiquing, and strolled around downtown Abingdon. The guys caught a few fish before heading back for dinner.

After dinner, the High Windy Band performed. They are great musicians, funny, and they put on a great show.  Be sure to check out their web site and download a few of their songs.

Sunday morning's meetings consisted of how to build a successful Back the Brookie program and "Using the Media for Trout's Sake."  

Being new leaders in TU, we found this event rewarding. We met several new friends,  learned about how different chapters work, and learned more about how National TU operates.