THE HAIL CALL VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH RECOGNITION VIEW FROM THE BLIND THE GREATEST VOLUNTEERS ARE IN GEORGIA! THE ROME, GEORGIA DU COMMITTEE

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1 THE HAIL CALL The Official Volunteer Publication of Georgia Ducks Unlimited George Erwin, State Chairman, Volume Two, Issue Four April 2007 VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH RECOGNITION THE WINNER FOR MARCH IS? THE ROME, GEORGIA DU COMMITTEE VIEW FROM THE BLIND If you are like me, your insulated Gore-Tex parka has not come out of the closet often in Georgia over the last several duck seasons. Recently, scientists participating in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change issued a bleak report on the changes we face with global warming. I see an opportunity here for GA volunteers on this issue. At the DU Masters in Williamsburg last year, Jim Young asked us to consider targeting other market segments such as nonhunting conservationists who would benefit from our efforts and would be receptive to our mission. Did you know that some waterfowl habitats may have potential to help remove CO2 from the atmosphere and thereby bring new funding partners for habitat restoration. Ducks Unlimited and its conservation partners are exploring opportunities for using wetlands, grasslands, and bottomland hardwood forests to take up, or sequester, atmospheric carbon. Restoration of bottomland hardwood forests seems tailor-made for such a program since trees use CO2 in photosyntheis. Here is a message we can use to recruit volunteers, event underwriting, and major donors to conserve and restore waterfowl habitat. DU is actively exploring these opportunities and facilitating research needed to guide the way. Here is a message that everyone can identify with and help us make a difference for the DUCKS! For years, the Rome committee has resisted changing venues. In this time they have crammed, and I mean crammed, 350 people into a room built for 250. They have made it work and they have been successful...but this was the year that they finally broke the mold and stepped outside of their comfort zone of doing what they have always done in terms of their D1 banquet. After months of planning, they began to move in a very positive direction for the good of the DUCKS. With an active committee of over 40 people, they converged on the LARGE space provided by the Rome Forum. With nearly 500 in attendance, the evening went exceptionally well. The crowd was very receptive to the new direction of their event planning and responded accordingly. This chapter is already poised to executed their 2008 banquet and expect 650 to be in attendance. This was truly a strong effort by a great committee that was organized, prepared, motivated, and hungry for success. This chapter is now knocking on the door of the Top 100 list. Leadership is always key, and this chapter is no different. With Area Chairman David Culp at the helm of the ship, nothing slipped through the cracks. I should also mention that this chapter hosts a shoot in October, a Sponsor banquet in November, a D1 event in February and a Greenwing event in the late spring. And to top it off for good measure, they are also running the SBA program quite successfully in their area. Their banquet grossed $71,000 and their final net/net was $44,000, which equals an excellent 62% efficiency. They have achieved such success because they have adhered to the guidelines of the Big 3...they effectively recruit numerous new volunteers each year, they fill the hall with attendees, and they keep a keen eye on the bottom line for net/net efficiency! THE GREATEST VOLUNTEERS ARE IN GEORGIA!

2 MARCH TIP OF THE MONTH GEORGIA DU STATE OFFICERS State Chairman - George Erwin State Council Chairman Kel Long Assistant State Chairman for East Georgia Jay Roper Assistant State Chairman for North Georgia Scott Hansard Assistant State Chairman for South Georgia Bill Bouthillier Assistant State Chairman at Large Jason Wilson State Treasurer Ed Hackney State Sponsor Chairmen Tommy Griffin State Greenwing Chairmen Louie Maloy and Hunter Maloy State Recruitment Chairman Bill Bennett State Meetings Chairman Jason Denton State Campaign Chairman - Macon Cherp Life Sponsor Cumulative Giving Chairman Bryan Fobbus Special Fundraising Events Chairman Bill Teegarden Merchandise & Sponsor Print Chairman Hamp Russell State Feather Society Chairman Melvin Crawford RETAIN AND RECRUIT VOLUNTEERS WITH COMMITTEE COMMUNICATION I wanted to show you what Art Lorenz, Area Chairman for the Lake Oconee DU chapter, has been doing to increase communication among his volunteers. It is a simple follow-up by to their committee meetings that lets those not in attendence keep up with what was decided and when the next meeting will be so they can put it on their calendars. Here is a sample of what Art is doing to put on a successful banquet this Spring and I especially like his call for attendees to bring a prospective new volunteer with them since each new volunteer is worth on average $1,000 to the bottom line. The 2nd meeting of the lake Oconee chapter D.U. was compromised by the weather; however, 6 members were in attendance. We were able to solidify the menu as well as the seating arrangement. The auction will be upstairs and the food will be served downstairs. The same catering services that served dinner last year will serve again this year. Bottomless beer cups are being sold for $5.00 at the banquet. Ticket prices are $50.00 single pre sale, $60.00 at the door. Couples are $75.00 pre sale and $85.00 at the door. Corporate tables are $ The Tickets will be at the next meeting, so get them early. We are printing 125. Remember that the ticket price includes a membership to D.U. Posters will be at the next meeting. They will need to be put up at various retail/ public locations to tell folks when our banquet will be. We need help in finding and placing them. Dave Moore is the ticket chairman and will be in charge of collecting all stubs and money. Our next meeting is really important so I hope all of you will be in attendance. Please remember to bring a new member with you. Our next meeting will be on Thursday, March 22 at 7:00PM at the Lake Oconee Shooting Club. As you can see Art has given his volunteers all the information they need to be successful in pre-selling their tickets and marketing the event. This is the most important activity that any DU committee can accomplish since everything else falls into place when you fill the hall. So set up an distribution list for your committee and keep them involved even when they can t be there in person. This is how you retain and recruit for the future of DU.

3 WETLANDS FOR TOMORROW THE MALLARD CONSERVATION INITIATIVE DUCKS UNLIMITED Estate Planning News NEW TAX LAW CONCERNING CONSERVATION EASEMENTS 1) Raises the federal tax deduction a donor can take for donating a conservation easement from 30% of their adjusted gross income to 50%. 2) Allows qualifying farmers and ranchers to deduct up to 100% of their income, provided the land remains available for agricultural production. 3) Increases the number of years for a donor to take the deduction from 5 to 15 years. 4) ONLY APPLIES TO EASEMENTS DONATED FROM NOW UNTIL DECEMBER 31, 2007 For additional information about conservation easements, visit www. ducks.org/conservation or call David Marrone at (901) The Goal of the Mallard Initiative: Conserve vital breeding, migration and wintering habitat in the Great Lakes region, Chesapeake Bay, the Mississippi River watershed, the Columbia Basin and key areas of California. Found in all 50 states, the majestic mallard is North America s most popular duck. Mallards breed and migrate in all four flyways, but across the continent their habitats are under siege. Ducks Unlimited s Mallard Conservation Initiative is a comprehensive plan to conserve the vast landscapes that mallards call home. Research indicates that breeding success for mallards is limited by different factors in different areas. For example, nest success is important on the prairies, while brood survival is key in the Great Lakes, and water availability is crucial in California. DU s work is targeted to fit the conservation needs in each of these critical areas. Mallards are cosmopolitan ducks, so Ducks Unlimited is securing healthy habitat throughout all four flyways across the continent. Each year, millions of mallards gather in the bottomland forests of the Mississippi Alluvial Valley. Research by DU scientists enables us to know where in the valley mallards flock both day and night. Armed with this information, we re conserving the mallard s favorite winter haunts. In the Columbia Basin of the Pacific Northwest and the Central Valley of California, water quality and availability are the greatest challenges. Ducks Unlimited is working with partners there to find affordable, clean water for migrating mallards and other waterfowl to enjoy. In the Atlantic flyway, flocks of mallards annually visit the Chesapeake Bay to rest in mid-migration. Ducks Unlimited is conserving critical habitats and thereby restoring water quality in the bay. We know that sufficient habitat still exists to support large populations of America s favorite duck, the mallard, but sustaining those populations will require comprehensive and continental conservation of their most critical habitats. Chad Manlove, DU Manager of Conservation Planning, Southern Region

4 JOIN US IN HISTORIC SAVANNAH GEORGIA DU HEADS SOUTH FOR THE 2007 STATE CONVENTION July 12 through July 15th UPCOMING GEORGIA EVENTS SEE FOR MORE DETAILS 04/13/2007 Macon Ladies Banquet 4/25/2007 Alpharetta Banquet 04/26/2007 Savannah Banquet 04/26/2007 North Georgia Mountains Banquet 05/03/ Smyrna Banquet 05/10/2007 Lake Oconee Banquet 05/10/2007 Pike County Banquet 07/13-07/15/07 - Georgia DU State Convention STATE CONVENTION DUCK CENTRAL The Inn at Ellis Square 201 West Bay Street Savannah, Georgia (912) (877) (toll free) VOLUNTEER RESOURCE PAGE There is a Volunteer Resource page that includes merchandise order forms, event documents, DU Letterhead templates, Volunteer business card templates and more! Go to VOLUNTEER MARKETPLACE 1989 DU Browning A gauge. This gun is NIB and has never been fired. Please contact Sam Wright at (478) and make an offer. LATE BREAKING STATE CONVENTION NEWS! Ralph J. McDonald, a recipient of DU s Palette and Chisel award and one of our country s most highly respected wildlife artists is joining us for the comraderie of the Georgia State Convention. You know Ralph from his successful Greenwing series prints at your DU banquet and this year s Got em Dad is number fourteen in the series. In 1981 and 2006, Ducks Unlimited named him its National Artist of the Year and the sale of his prints at D.U. auctions have raised millions of dollars Ducks Unlimited. Ralph is donating some of his artwork for our auction and will be doing some original sketches at the convention as an additional fundraiser. Ralph will be attending all of our events and is looking forward to meeting the many Georgia volunteers who have helped make Georgia Ducks Unlimited one of the top states in the nation. Ducks Unlimited founded in 1937, Savannah, GA founded in1733, and Ralph McDonald are making DU memories in Duck Central will be the Inn at Ellis Square on Savannah s Historic Riverfront 201 West Bay Street Savannah, Georgia (912) or toll free 1 (877) x 146 or 148 We have reserved a block of rooms and suites at the Inn at Ellis Square for your convenience. The rates are $ per night for a double or single king and $ for a suite which have a single king and a queen sleeper sofa. Please mention that you are with the Georgia Ducks Unlimited State Convention to receive these special GADU convention rates. Argentina Dove Hunt for four hunters at La Esmeralda Lodge in Cordoba. This hunt is good through the 2008 season and includes eight hunts, four nights lodging, ground tranfers from Cordoba airport, translator, bird boys, gourmet meals, open bar, and a case of free shells. Offered at $3,500 for this fantastic hunt, please contact Matt Starling at (912)

5 GEORGIA DUCKS UNLIMITED STATEWIDE NEWS Bryant Clarke, 63, of Waycross, died Wednesday evening (March 28, 2007) at Satilla Regional Medical Center after a sudden illness. Bryant was a good friend of the Ducks since he served as the long time treasurer of the Okefenokee Chapter Ducks Unlimited. He was born in Waycross to the late Henry and Sarah Thurmand Clarke and lived here all of his life. He was a 1961 graduate of Waycross High School where he was the captain of the 1960 state champion football team. He graduated from the University of Georgia on June 5, While there he was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity and served as its president. He served in the Air National Guard. He served on the Waycross City Commission from 1976 to 1983 and was mayor of Waycross in He served on the Ware County Planning Commission from He was a partner in Clarke-Darden Insurance Agency and served on the Grange Insurance Agents Advisory Board, Clarke was chairman of the Waycross-Ware County Development Authority in 1982, chairman of the Waycross-Ware County Camber of Commerce in 1986, past member and president of the Board of Directors of the Okefenokee Golf and Country Club and he served on the Peoples Bank Board of Directors. He was a member of the Waycross Fishing Club, a member of the Clements A. Evans Camp, Sons of Confederate Veterans and was a member of Grace Episcopal Church, where he had served on the Vestry and as junior warden. Jim Corbett, a long time supporter of the Okefenokee Chapter of Ducks Unlimited in Waycross receives a Certificate of Appreciation for his support of the Waycross Greenwings by sponsoring two classes and instructors at Patterson Elementary School. Shown with Jim are State Recruitment Chairman Bill Bennetts granddaughters,. Sydney (r) and Brittany (l). GEORGIA DU QUICK FACTS There were 19,197 hunters in Georgia during the duck season. Only 5.57% of them are DU volunteers... In Georgia we have about 18,743 members, which is fairly close to the number of people that went hunting. This tells me that we re getting the duck hunters to the banquets, but we re not getting them on the committee. This is the reason that I think our new volunteer recruitment slogan should be: DUCK HUNTERS WANTED!! h t t p : / / w w w. d u c k s. o r g / G e o r g i a / GAContent/3169/DUCKHUNTERSWANTED. html

6 CALL MATT DUBNIK AT , OR Gainesville DU Presents a Special Weatherby SAS 12 gauge shotgun raffle Ducks Unlimited and Weatherby have joined together to create a limited edition collector s shotgun! This special production of only gauge semiautomatic shotguns chambered for 3-inch shells is sure to invoke envy within anyone that sees it imagine that you can now own one for yourself! *28 inch high polished blued barrel, with three interchangeable choke tubes and wrench *Polished silver color finish receiver with gold-filled engravings of ducks and geese *Stock and forearm are made of highly select walnut wood in a satin finish *Self-compensating gas system *DU Logo strategically placed on the pistol grip cap *Gold trigger and low serial numbering *Custom DU case included $100 per ticket only 25 tickets to be sold Act now or lose your chance forever!! Drawing to take place on June 21 st, 2007, or upon sale of last ticket. Winner will be drawn by an unbiased third party at DU HQ. Need not be present to win.

7 Georgia Southern University Ducks Unlimited 2-man 4-day Argentina Dove Hunt Raffle Call JOHN WOMACK at (912) or at Winner receives: Two person, 4-day hunt (8 hunts total) $2,000 CASH 1,000 rounds of ammo Additional hunters can be added for $1,595 each; 6-8 hunters allows for exclusive use of the La Esmeralda Lodge 8 high volume dove hunts (Sunday afternoon, Mon., Tues., Wed., Thurs morning) Ground transportation to and from Cordoba Airport English/Spanish translator throughout trip 4 nights at La Esmeralda Lodge All meals chef prepared with appetizer & open bar; Field refreshments included Bird Boys provided; Nightly gun cleaning included Multiple references are available upon request $300 per ticket or 2 for $500 ONLY 40 TICKETS TO BE SOLD! Visit or for pictures Not included is gun permits, and tips for bird boys and house staff. The local lodge will assist you with travel arrangements and gun permits. New Beretta (20 gauge) shotguns are available for rent at a rate of $50 per day. Extra ammo can be purchased for $9.50/box (25 shells). Expect to shoot an average of 1,000 shells per day. Hunt must be taken by July 1st, 2008; Argentina dove hunting is open year-round. *Drawing to be held on July 1st; Need not be present to win; 25 tickets must be sold, or raffle is 50/50 cash raffle Ticket Number: Name: Address: City: State: Zip: Phone: