ACWA Welcomes You

The ACWA Board of Directors, its officers and members would like to welcome you to the online home of the American Chuck Wagon Association, a 501.c.3 organization.

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About Our Association

Get To Know Us

The American Chuck Wagon Association started out as a small group of Old West enthusiasts and has expanded to world wide association preserving the American past through competitions, demonstrations, charity and school events and other venues.

Check out our Facebook Page
Check us out on Facebook

Our work is funded by sponsorships, tax-free donations, honorariums and memorials; (We are a 501.c.3 organization); cap sales in our General Store (go shopping); as well as membership dues. For donations, honorariums and memorials, you may send a check or money order to:
ACWA, P.O. Box 626, Belton, TX 76513. For Honorariums and Memorials, please include the name of the person remembered/honored, and an address for a thank you card.

Youth & the ACWA

ACWA knows our future lies in our youth and we support them by offering scholarships, helping with youth cook offs, demonstrations and other educational activities at cook offs, schools and other events. Check out the YOUTH page for more information.

ACWA Scholarships

Each year ACWA awards scholarships (read more) to individuals for up to $1000/year. You can download the application and instructions here. Applications and all supporting documents must be completed and postmarked no later than February 28, each year.

Scholarship recipients for the 2023-2024 school year are Levi Reinhardt from Eaton, Colorado and Trista Bowen from Amarillo, Texas.

Youth Cook Offs

For more information about youth cook offs, see our page. If your organization would like to request up to $150 and other ACWA supplies for a youth cook off, download the form and submit to

Brian Frankum
via email at wishbonewagon@yahoo.com
or
via mail to PO Box 85, Axtell, TX 76624

Education

The American Chuck Wagon Association is always looking at ways to involve and educate our youth. Another way many involve the youth are through chuck wagon demonstrations. If you or your organization have hosted a chuck wagon demonstration, please send the information on your event along with any pictures to acwa@chuckwagon.org so we can post it onto our ACWA Facebook as well as feature your event in the next edition of the ACWA Monthly Update or ACWA quarterly newsletter, Under the Fly.

Expansion

Currently ACWA has limited funding for these activities but through your generosity we want to expand our funding of scholarships, youth cook offs and other events! Please consider giving donation or memorial (specify on your gift YOUTH) so we can continue and even expand ACWA's involvement.

General Store

ACWA provides quality merchandise so check it out! Whether you are wanting to cook up some authentic chuck wagon meals or show off your support of ACWA through the purchase of a cap or apron...we have something for everyone! Click here to check out what we have!

Chuck Wagon Catering

Many of our members offer catering services. Check out the link above to contact one of them about bringing some of the finest chuck wagon cooking to your next event.

 

ACWA News & Events

For upcoming events, click on the EVENTS tab.

February 2024, President's Message

Dear ACWA Friends,

I don't know about you guys but I'm ready for old man winter to go away already. It has been very cold in our part of the country the last few days. I have stayed busy breaking ice in the horse trough, feeding and keeping a fire going in my shop trying to keep things from freezing up.

We are starting to see more announcements for events in 2024. If you have a wagon, please consider attending one or two events in 2024. It's a great place to make new friends and catch up with old friends. If you don't have a wagon, attend a few to help support the fundraisers and meet new friends as well, we can't do this without your help.

If you know people that might be interested in joining ACWA, please tell them about us! We need your help to grow our membership. Also, remember we are a 501.c.3 organization. If you have a business and would like to make a tax-free donation, we greatly appreciate the help in continuing the effort to "Preserve the heritage of the chuck wagon."

See you down the trail,

Terry Green
2024 ACWA President

A Little History

In 1996 at a chuck wagon competition in Amarillo, Texas, a small group of Old West enthusiasts and wagon masters talked about an association. The mission would be to preserve the heritage of the chuck wagon and its use in the short, but significant, era of the cattle drives. In 1997, in Bryson, Texas, by-laws and articles of operation were adopted and the American Chuck Wagon Association was off and running. Today there are members in 31 states, Canada, Germany and France.

Mission statement - Revised 2020
The mission statement of the American Chuck Wagon Association is:
To preserve the heritage of the Chuck Wagon.
This will be accomplished by the following Core Values:

  • Integrity.
  • Education on historically correct aspects of Chuck Wagons and its importance to the beef cattle industry.
  • Fair competitive events and the promotion of youth cook-offs.
  • Fun for people passionate about chuck wagons.
  • A desire to support our communities through various outreaches and educational scholarships.
  • Inspiring future generations to embrace the chuck wagon and western heritage.

*****************

Effective October 1, 2020 - ACWA Contact Info:
ACWA, P O Box 626, Belton, Texas 76513
Email: acwa@chuckwagon.org
Phone: 940-532-1788



Latest News............

Winner of the ACWA Scholarship Chuck Wagon Raffle...The drawing for the chuck wagon raffle was held December 15th live on the ACWA Facebook page. The winning ticket was purchased by Brianna Kirkland of Rye, Colorado! Congratulations to Brianna and we hope she will create a lot of memories under the fly of her new chuck wagon! Thanks to everyone who supported the ACWA Scholarship funds by purchasing a ticket!

Historical Committee Releases New Chuck Wagon Judging and Suggestions and Tips for Wagon Judges and Wagon Owners...
After years of work, research, travel, publishing pictures for feedback from chuck wagon owners as well as the public and of course, hours spent on this project, the Historical Committee has been approved by the 2024 ACWA Board of Directors to release the following two documents, ACWA Wagon and Camp Score Sheet, December 2023 and ACWA Suggestions and Tips for Wagon Judges and Wagon Owners, December 2023. The second document, ACWA Suggestions and Tips for Wagon Judges and Wagon Owners is 84 pages long so be aware if you wish to print out the file. The reason for the length is based on the text as well as pictures and the vast list of resources used to support the content.

The Committee was made up of the Chair Ronnie Sexton of Temple, Texas and team members: Brian Frankum of Axtell, Texas, Darryl Jacobs (Board member) of Texarkana, Arkansas, Glenn Moreland of Fort Davis, Texas, Jack Ramey of Mustang Oklahoma, Jim Patrick of Watertown, South Dakota and Russ Richins of Phoenix, Arizona. Lynn Shackelford of Choctaw, Oklahoma also served for one year as a team member. Ex-officio consultants were Doug Hansen owner of Hansen Wheel and Wagon Shop of Letcher, South Dakota and David Sneed owner of Wheels that Won the West of Flippin, Arkansas.

The Committee states these two documents are 'living documents' and will be modified as needed if new information or research is found or provided. If you have any new information to share with the committee, please send your information along with pictures and/or the resource for the information to Chair Ronnie Sexton via email to: wgoldwing04@hot.rr.com. Upon receipt, the Committee will review the information and if substantiated by your resource(s) the document will be revised as needed.

2024 Officers and Board Members:
During the November 2023 ACWA Annual Meeting, the following Officers and Board Members were installed:
Terry Green -- President Email: tgreen@quantumna.com
Justin Jackson -- Vice President Email: justincole75@gmail.com
Scott Tibbets -- Secretary Email: tibbets.s@gmail.com
Leon Fischer -- Treasurer Email: leonf@pldi.net
John Conway -- Director Email: conwayjb@sktc.net
Shirley Creacy -- Director Email: cobblergalsc@gmail.com
Darryl Jacobs -- Director Email: avinger994@yahoo.com
Marcus Reed -- Director Email: mreed@airmail.net
Homer Robertson -- Director Email: hrobert676@gmail.com

2024 Committee Chairs
The following individuals were elected at the 2023 ACWA Annual Meeting:
Audit Committee -- Sam Howell of Odessa, Texas
Award Committee -- Jack Ramey of Mustang, Oklahoma
Historical Committee -- Ronnie Sexton of Temple, Texas
Nominating Committee -- Homer Robertson of Granbury, Texas
Scholarship, Education and Youth Cook Offs -- Brian Frankum of Axtell, Texas

Think about joining up...

2024 ACWA membership fees will remain the same as 2023 as Single Membership - $35/year and Joint Membership - $50/year. You may pay online by going to the Membership tab of this website OR by printing off the 2024 ACWA Membership form and mailing your check or money order to: ACWA, P O Box 626, Belton, Texas 76513. You do NOT need to complete a new membership form UNLESS your contact information has changed, i.e., street address, email address, etc.

Website Ad: Cost will remain the same as 2023 as $120/year; Newsletter Ad: Cost will remain the same as 2023 as $100/year. You may pay for your ads online by going to the Membership tab of this website and use PayPal to complete your purchas, or you may mail your check or money order to: ACWA, P O Box 626, Belton, Texas 76513.

Resources:

ACWA Trifold Brochure
Chuck Wagon Round Up Guidelines
Recommendations for a Chuck Wagon Event and COVID-19
Acquiring Liability Coverage for My Chuck Wagon Team -- Paul Geeslin
Thanks for your continued support of the American Chuck Wagon Association!


Read the latest by-laws here.


Members participate in Cook off competitions, demonstrations, catering, charity events, school visits and many other activities to fulfill that original mission and even surpass the dreams of those organizers. Thank you for visiting our site and we hope you will visit one or more of our chuck wagon events.     Read More?



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