Kansas Governor’s One-Shot Turkey Hunt YOUTH HUNTING PROGRAM           A Youth Hunting Program has been incorporated into the Governor’s Annual One-Shot Turkey Hunt, headquartered in     El Dorado, in April of each year.  The Hunt is held in Butler County and surrounding counties.            Six youth from around the state of Kansas will be selected to participate in the hunt.  Youth participants in this hunt must have successfully completed a state hunter education course; the applicant must be between the ages of 12 and 18.  They must be accompanied to the hunt by a parent or an adult sponsor who will stay with them except during the time that they will be hunting with a guide.  In addition, candidates for the hunt must complete and submit an application form by January 1st of the year.   From the applications, a committee that represents the Governor’s Annual One-Shot Turkey Hunt organization will select six participants.  Application forms may be obtained by contacting Mr. Gene White, 218 West Central, Box 308, El Dorado, KS 67042 or telephone 316-321-1710.  Click here for application.  The Governor’s Annual One-Shot Turkey Hunt will provide the following:  q       A guide for each participant. q       Tickets and passes to all the events for the youth & parent/sponsor. q       Motel accommodations for the youth & parent/sponsor. q       Wild turkey tags. q       Hunting license, if required. q       Youth group will be introduced at the Get Acquainted Social, which is held at the Prairie Trails Country Club. q       Youth recognition at the One-Shot Banquet. q       When a participant reaches their 21st birthday, they can choose to join the Past Shooters & Guides Association.  An application will be required. q       The Youth will not be in competition for the Top Gun award.  Any youth that meets the eligibility criteria is encouraged to apply for participation in the hunt.  This is a great opportunity to experience turkey hunting at its finest and further. To experience the hospitality of the great folks in Butler County and El Dorado who put on this hunt.  The Kansas Governor’s Annual One-Shot Turkey Hunt has become recognized throughout the United Sates as one of the finest such hunts in the nation.  Traditionally, the Hunt is held during the 2nd weekend of April.   Willis Scholarship Foundation, Inc.   One of the major purposes of the Governor's One-Shot Turkey Hunt has been the formation and founding educational opportunities. The Past Shooters and Guides Association started a scholarship fund several hunts ago. They started by funding two $1,000 scholarships for students who plan to attend a four-year college and major in some type of an outdoor resource degree. A selection process was established and applications were solicited. To help with the funding of this program, the hunt dedicates some of the One-Shot Banquet auction items to the scholarship fund. This has grown over the past few years. In the 1998-99 school year, there were five students at four Kansas colleges receiving monetary help with their education. Incentives have been established which regulate the amount of scholarship money awarded to each student. A minimum 2.5 GPA must be maintained to receive at least $500 per semester. For every tenth of a point above 2.5, the student can earn an additional $50. It is possible for a student to be awarded $1,250 per semester, or a total of $2,500 per year, for a 4.0 GPA. With the success of this educational program, it was necessary to establish an organization within the hunt which would permit supporters to make donations. These donations also provide supporters with some tax relief. The Willis Scholarship Foundation, Inc. is a 501 C 3 organization. The foundation is capable of receiving contributions from private sources, businesses, auction items and their profits, and from other foundations. There have been many contributions to this fund, however a very special thanks needs to be given to Slim Flinchum, Koch Industries, Inc., Mark Elliott and Jeanette Rudy for their generous support. We are very grateful for Slim Flinchum who really jump-started this program by bidding on a gun the last four years, the same gun which he has yet to claim and take home. For a scholarship application, contact the Governor's One-Shot Turkey Hunt at (316)321-3835. WILLIS SCHOLARSHIP FOUNDATION, INC. In conjunction with the Kansas Governor’s One-Shot Turkey Hunt              An annual scholarship fund will be made available, based on availability of funds by the Foundation, to benefit a student attending a Kansas regent’s institution.  APPLICATION CRITERIA q       Applicant must have indicated an interest in pursuing a career in wildlife management or conservation of natural resources.  q       Applicant must have proof of completing the previous school year with a grade point average of 2.5 and who intends pursuing at least a bachelor’s degree. q       Applicant must provide coursework completed that shall include those science courses indicating a STRONG interest in wildlife management or conservation work. q       Applicant must provide a student class schedule for the semester in which the student is applying for the scholarship. q       Selected applicants must commit to attending the Kansas Governor’s Annual One-Shot Turkey Hunt in April and provide assistance where necessary. q       Selection of recipient will be made without regard to race, color, sex, religion or national origin. q       Selection of recipient will be made without regard to financial need. q       Selected recipient must supply the name and address of the college they attend and payment will be made directly to the school from the Willis Scholarship Foundation, Inc.  MAINTAINING ELIGIBILITY  q       Initial selection is for only one semester at the rate of $500.00. q       For remaining semesters, student must maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.5 and provide a copy of the transcript to the Selection Committee Chair, Darrell Whitney.   q       For every tenth of a point above 2.5 the student can earn an additional $50.00.  It is possible for a student to be awarded $1,250.00 per semester for with a grade point average of 4.0.  INTERVIEW PROCESS  q       Two teams of 2 or more individuals each will interview each applicant.  (Approximately 30 minutes for each team.) q       Applicants will be judged on philosophical orientation, scholastic history & potential, community involvement, work experiences, appearance and leadership potential.  Click here for application form     Juniors Acquiring Knowledge, Ethics and Sportsmanship (JAKES)   In 1997 we started another exciting feature to the hunt. A few years back, the National Wild Turkey Federation established a youth program (JAKES) to provide the next generation of leaders with the values of our natural resources. At the national level, this program currently has over 34,000 young boys and girls starting very early in life through 17 years of age. The program is designed to put our youth in touch with our great American heritage and resources and to teach them how important it is to continue to nurture our outdoor resources.   In cooperation with the One-Shot Turkey Hunt, the NWTF selects, from their program, a youngster between the ages of 12 and 17 to attend the hunt. Mark Elliott, who is one of our celebrities and is associated with IBM, agreed to fund air transportation and motel rooms for such a youth and a parent or guardian. The process requires that a member from the JAKES program write a 500 word essay about his or her involvement in the JAKES program and the accomplishments they have experienced. The essays are reviewed by a selection committee at the NWTF in Edgefield, South Carolina. In 1997 the first year's winner was Logan Lewis from Ruston, Louisiana. The 1998 winner was Matt Klebacha from Dubois, Pennsylvania, the 1999 winner was Jesse Fielder from Gilbertsville, Kentucky,  the 2000 winner has been named Tyson Moore of El Dorado, Kansas, the 2001 winner was Nathan Cooley from Williamsfield, Ohio the 2002 winner was Michael Gault of Johnsville, South Carolina,the 2003 winner was Andrew Mollhauer of Andover, Minnesota, the 2004 winner was Tim Hoffman from Monrovia, California the 2005 winner was Steven Smith from Reidsville, Georgia and Brielle Eaton of Sierra Vista, Arizona was the winner in 2006.  The 2007 JAKES essay winner is Alyssa Hall, Siloam Springs, AR.,  the 2008 winner was Dylan Hansen of St. Charles, MN. P.O. Box 32 El Dorado, KS 67042 (316)321-3835