THE HAIL CALL VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH SUPPORT TEAM DU IN 2012! And the winner for December is... From the Duck Blind GEORGIA DU NEEDS YOUR HELP!!!

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1 THE HAIL CALL The Official Volunteer Publication of Georgia Ducks Unlimited Tommy Griffin, State Chairman, Volume Seven, Issue One January 2012 From the Duck Blind Tommy Griffin, GADU State Chairman Happy New Year! I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas and a happy new year s holiday. Pam and I enjoyed a few days off to relax, hunt and enjoy family as I hope each of you did too. Now that the holidays are behind us, its time to start planning for I received a special gift (the new Ducks Unlimited book celebrating 75 years of DU) this Christmas, which reminded me why we volunteer for the ducks. Every time I read this book, I am proud to be a part of Ducks Unlimited. I would encourage every volunteer to purchase this book to learn more about DU s proud heritage of conservation. Ducks Unlimited is celebrating its 75th anniversary in 2012! Seventy five-years of conserving wetlands for future generations. Just take a moment and reflect where our waterfowl population might be without DU s efforts. I wonder if we would still be enjoying America s rich history of waterfowl hunting. Georgia Ducks Unlimited had a great 2011, as our volunteers continued to help us grow despite the economy. We saw increases in members, volunteers, Bronze Sponsors, Major Donors, new chapters and dollars raised. I encourage each of you to renew and reenergize your commitment to DU in What better way to wish Ducks Unlimited a happy 75th anniversary than by helping raise more funds to support DU s mission to conserve our nation s wetlands. VOLUNTEER OF THE MONTH And the winner for December is... THE SAVANNAH GA CHAPTER Area Chairman Travis Timms, who just became the father of a healthy baby boy, led the Savannah DU committee to one of the most successful events in its history. The whole chapter came through to put on an event that had approximately 200 attendees and raised more than $40,000 for the ducks. They also signed up 22 Bronze Sponsors at the event for future second-event opportunities. The committee created a fun atmosphere for everyone at a new venue, the Charles H. Morris Center, and implemented new tactics for fundraising that will grow the event. They have an awesome committee of hardcore duck hunters, but also include their wives and girlfriends to help in the planning and execution of the event. Thanks, Savannah, for a great couples event and a successful night for the ducks!! THE GREATEST VOLUNTEERS ARE IN GEORGIA! GEORGIA DU NEEDS YOUR HELP!!! We need help in the following communities, so if you know someone there or can help give your time for the ducks, please contact GADU State Recruiting Chairman Martin Anderson at Feetdown@bellsouth.net to volunteer or refer a volunteer. Buford, Cairo, Calhoun, DeKalb County, Douglas, Dublin, LaGrange, Statesboro and Tifton SUPPORT TEAM DU IN 2012! From the Duck Blind (continued) Let s start planning to make 2012 a banner year for Georgia Ducks Unlimited by congratulating Ducks Unlimited for 75 years of conservation success.

2 WHY WE VOLUNTEER FOR GEORGIA DUCKS UNLIMITED UPCOMING GEORGIA EVENTS SEE FOR MORE DETAILS 1/29/12 - DUCK SEASON CLOSES 2/3/12 - Rome Banquet 2/3/12 - Quitman Banquet 2/3/12 - Waycross Sponsor Banquet 2/9/12 - St. Simons Banquet 2/23/12 - Adel Banquet 4/26/12 - Hahira Banquet GEORGIA QUICK FACTS Total DU Membership: 15,750 General Members: 13,730 Greenwings: 947 Legacy Greenwings: 74 Sponsor Members: 678 Major Sponsors: 321 Grassroots dollars raised last year: $962,658 Total acres conserved: 22,949 GADU STATE INITIATIVES FOR ) Net five (<25 existing sponsors) or 10 new Bronze Sponsors (25 or > existing sponsors) and earn a free Remington 887 or equivalent and be entered in a drawing for an Arkansas duck hunt. 2) Net one new Life Sponsor in your chapter and earn a free Stoger 2000 or equivalent for your next event. 3) Net $3,000 (new SBA) or $5,000 (existing SBA) in your chapter and GADU will pay for your D1 banquet dinner gun. 4) Net/Net $2,500 with an additional new event and earn a free Remington 887 or equivalent for your next event. The Forsyth County chapter purchased and planted a tree in Cumming to honor long-time sponsor and committee member Jerry Cline, who passed away last fall. Shown at the planting are committee members Lance Walker, Brett Bowlin, Jerry s wife Cheryl Cline, his daughter Tami Roberts and committee member Scott Hansard GEORGIA DUCK/GOOSE SEASONS Duck-Dec Jan. 29-Limit 6 (12 in possession), of which not more than 3 may be wood ducks (6 in possession); 4 mallards (8 in possession), of which 2 may be hens (4 hens in possession); 2 scaup (4 in possession); 2 redheads (4 in possession); 2 pintail (4 in possession); 1 black duck or mottled duck (2 in possession combined for both species); 1 fulvous whistling duck (2 in possession); and 1 canvasback duck (2 in possession). The season is closed for harlequin ducks. Canada Geese-Dec Jan. 29-Limit 5 (10 in possession) Snow Geese-Dec Jan. 29-Limit 5 (10 in possession) Sea Ducks-Dec Jan. 29-Limit 7 (14 in possession) (eiders, long-tailed ducks, scoters), of which not more than 4 may be scoters (8 in possession). **NOTE: Sea ducks count toward the total bag limit of 6 ducks except in the sea duck zone, which is defined as any tidal waters more than 1 mile offshore. VOLUNTEER FOR DU THIS YEAR AND PUT MORE BIRDS IN THE SKY!

3 JANUARY TIP OF THE MONTH GEORGIA DU STATE OFFICERS State Chairman - Tommy Griffin State Chairman Elect -Neely Raper State Council Chairman Bill Bouthillier State Membership and Recruitment Chairman - Martin C. Anderson State Treasurer Jeff Hutcheson State Sponsor Chairman Tracy Green State Feather Society Chairman Marc DeMott State Greenwing Chairman Louie Maloy State Shoot Chairman Barry Zuckerman Life Sponsor Cumulative Giving Chairman Open State Campaign Chairman - Kel Long State Marketing and Publicity Chairman - George Erwin GA DUCKS UNLIMITED WILL FILL THE HALLS, INCREASE OUR EVENT EFFICIENCY TO 60 PERCENT OR MORE AND SEEK MORE UNDERWRITING IN THE 2012 BANQUET SEASON! SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISING REQUIRES SOME NEW IDEAS FOR YOUR EVENT THE BASICS FOR A SUCCESSFUL EVENT 1) Fill the hall by pre-selling all your tickets. 2) Watch your expenses to increase your efficiency to at least 60 percent. 3) Pursue underwriting for your meal, bar, raffles, and auction to raise your net/net. 4) Build up your chapter s Bronze Sponsor attendance for profitable second-event opportunities. BANQUET IDEA FOR JANUARY - Increase your net/ net with old school DU merchandise Just about every DU event I have heard of or attended has numerous old-timers who have been around since the chapter was formed. Your regional director can get you a list of the old-timers in your chapter and they can be a gold mine for donated merchandise. I am willing to bet most of them have DU merchandise gathering dust under beds or in closets. Why not contact them and ask them for a donation of these items in return for a tax deduction. You will be amazed what a treasure trove this can be, with prints, decoys, and dinner guns that your attendees have never seen and are willing to bid on when they know it is a part of history. This is an especially effective fundraising strategy as we celebrate 75 years of Ducks Unlimited this year. BANQUET IDEA #2 FOR JANUARY - Classic guns are a real winner at auction Classic guns, especially duck guns, can bring some new excitement to your live auction or gun raffles. Start early and solicit some underwriting for your FFL holder to begin shopping the market. A Browning Sweet 16 or Winchester Model 12 duck gun could set off a bidding frenzy for you.

4 MAJOR DONORS MAJOR DUCKS The key to philanthropy is asking nicely STRATEGIC PLAN UPDATE Goal #1: Landscapes capable of sustaining North American waterfowl populations. (Ducks) Volunteer Role: Fundraising and policy action. The key to achieving this goal is conservation delivery and policy. DU volunteers impact both by raising funds to conserve habitat and being a voice for North America s waterfowl when policy decisions are being made that could affect the future of our wetlands, waterfowl and hunting heritage. Goal #2: A strong and lasting waterfowl hunting tradition and growing public support for the North American Model of Wildlife Conservation. (People) Volunteer Role: RECRUIT new DU members, RETAIN existing members and INTRODUCE someone to duck hunting. Find a friend (or two) who has never been duck hunting and take them. Bring a buddy to your next DU event. Or, better yet, do both. Not only will you enrich their lives, you ll help ensure the future of wetlands, waterfowl and our hunting traditions, because hunters are (and always have been) the conservation leaders of America. Goal #3: Long-term sustainability for DU s mission delivery. (Dollars) Volunteer Role: Have fun, hold a GREAT event and spend wisely, because money saved conserves just as much habitat as money raised. As an organization we need to have an operating surplus each year to be successful. For Ducks Unlimited, the difference between success and failure is how we ask for investments in wetland sconservation. Here are some tips for approaching Major Donors the right way and raising major dollars for the ducks. 1. People Give to People Your success is enhanced when the person making the appeal has a relationship with the potential donor. An introduction to the potential donor from an exisiting supporter is seen as more credible in the eyes of the potential donor. 2. Consistent Fiscal Leadership Breeds Donor Loyalty Ducks Unlimited has a great fiscal story to tell, with at least 80 percent of our funds supporting the mission for the past 75 years. You need to let the prospective donor know how his or her money will be spent and then follow up on how the investment was put to work. 3. Teach, Don t Sell You will have a much higher chance of success when you educate your prospective donor about the mission of Ducks Unlimited, rather than simply pitching the DU cause. Teach your prospect about the issues facing North America s wetlands and it will resonate more with them. 4. Tap the Passion Ascertain where their passion for wetlands and the duck hunting tradition lies. Some prospects are conservationists and others are hunters, so find out where their particular passion is. 5. Start Early Talk about the greenwing program to see if they have children or grandchildren for our next generation of donors. Families typically pass along a tradition of charitable giving. Make your commitment to SAVE THE BEST for Georgia ducks. Contact Kel Long at AKL3PC@mindspring. com to invest for the future of Georgia ducks and save the prairie breeding areas. It is a conservation fact that more money in the ground means more birds in the skies!

5 Sharing Duck Camp with Neely Raper Georgia DU State Chairman Elect Ducks Unlimited - The Greatest Story Never Told Until Now 1990s until today I would like to begin by wishing Ducks Unlimited a Happy 75th Anniversary and by wishing each and every one of you an incredible, prosperous New Year! With the 75th Anniversary National Convention practically in our backyard in the Music City of Nashville, Tennessee, and the celebration continuing into the Georgia State Convention in Pine Mountain at the beautiful Callaway Gardens, this is truly an exciting time to be a part of Ducks Unlimited. As a supporter of Ducks Unlimited, it will be hard not to get excited about This will be an excellent time to share the passion and recruit others to come see what the excitement is all about! Thank you for all you have done and all you do each and every day to make Ducks Unlimited the success it is. This installment of the history of Ducks Unlimited will be the last. My column, Sharing Duck Camp With Neely Raper, will bring something new and hopefully exciting into your computers, iphones and laptops beginning with the February newsletter. For the past several months we have explored the history of DU from its beginnings in 1937 through its accomplishments today. I hope the column has been informative and enjoyable. Thank you for allowing me to share our incredible story with you. The 90s began with cyclical drought, and the duck numbers reflected the tough times. During the spring of 94, wet weather finally returned to the drought-stricken prairies. As a result, waterfowl populations surged as conditions on the breeding grounds improved. The Prairie Pothole Region showed the greatest increases as farmers within the region returned more than 8 million acres of cropland to natural cover through the U.S. Department of Agriculture s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP). Many DU members, volunteers and staff were highly influential in the effort to reauthorize CRP in the 1996 Farm Bill, ensuring that large areas of grass cover will be available for waterfowl and other wildlife into the 21st century. The 90s also saw change with DU s national headquarters moving from its long-time home in Long Grove, Illinois, to its current home in Memphis, Tennessee. Construction of the facility was completed in Funding of the new facility was made possible by major gifts from individuals, corporations and foundations. DU s Southern Regional Office in Jackson, Mississippi, was established in Its main purpose was to deliver conservation programs to states in the Central and Mississippi flyways, which winter about two-thirds of the continent s waterfowl combined. We have truly come a long way as an organization. But there is still much we can and must do. We need to continue to establish goals for growth and sustainability if we are to succeed. Our thoughts need to be focused on the present and the future. Yesterday is gone, along with millions of acres of wetlands, and we continue to lose thousands of acres a year. Therefore, it is imperative we continue to function as a team and challenge ourselves to raise the bar for the preservation of existing wetlands and the restoration of those lost. We are members of the greatest conservation organization in the world. We are TEAM DU and we are 75 years strong! Let s get out there and pound the pavement and rattle the bushes to make 2012 the best year yet for the ducks in Georgia and across the country!

6 Georgia DU State Convention Sponsors Callaway Gardens, July 20 to July 22 PRO DRIVE BOATS GEORGIA DU CONVENTION CONTRIBUTORS

7 MONTHLY PAY OPTION YOUR BRONZE SPONSORSHIP OPPORTUNITY Were you aware that you can fulfill any sponsorship with a monthly pay option? This means any sponsorship level such as a $250 bronze sponsorship, a $500 silver sponsorship, or a $1,000 gold sponsorship can be paid via MPO. In fact, you can even use MPO to fund your life sponsorship or other major donor gift to spread out the payments on a monthly basis. The way it works is simplicity itself in that it allows Ducks Unlimited to debit you around the 15th of each month. The debit can be charged to a credit card, which is also a great way to rack up rewards points, or it can be debited from a checking account. IMAGINE SAVING AN ACRE AS A BRONZE SPONSOR FOR LESS THAN ONE DOLLAR PER DAY! Bronze Sponsor = $20.84 per month Silver Sponsor = $41.67 per month Gold Sponsor = $83.34 per month Life Sponsor = $ per month over five years This will allow you to help those ducks that wing their way in front of your blind. In Georgia, our priority is the Prairie Pothole Region, since approximately 50 percent of our ducks breed on the Great Plains. Here is a great idea for your next banquet or sponsor function, the Sponsor Thermometer A Sponsor can have his or her name applied to a line on the thermometer once for every $250 of sponsorship (Bronze = 1 line, Silver = 2 lines and Gold = 4 lines). You then give something away for every five lines. The ideal situation here is for 100 percent of the merchandise to be underwritten or donated, but the total absolute cost for the committee on merchandise should never exceed $200 for every 10 sponsors since this is NOT designed to be a trading-dollars-for-dollars program. When used correctly, this program will add valuable dollars to the bottom line of your event and add crucial acres of habitat on the ground. For more information, contact GADU Sponsor Chairman Tracey Green at (478) or wtgreen@gfb.org

8 HELP SAVE THE PRAIRIES Volunteer Recruitment with Martin Anderson Committee Recruitment We are always trying to come up with ways to recruit new committee members. Seems that is a never-ending project for any successful committee. I was looking over some information from past DU district workshops and found a publication from 2004 that was all about recruiting. I wanted to share something from that publication with you today. Here are some ideas that successful committees incorporate into their recruitment programs: * Formally invite participation from your local membership. Include an invitation to serve on the committee with your event announcements. * At your event have someone announce that everyone is welcome to join the committee and extend an invitation to all present to further explore participation on the committee. * Host a committee gathering for candidates, to introduce them to others and the organization. Keep business to a minimum, with the emphasis on the new faces. * Encourage all committee members to bring at least one candidate to the first committee meeting of the event-planning period. These four ideas could help your local committee grow and be more successful. As we all know, a strong committee can raise more money for the ducks year in and year out, and that continues to be our goal. Please think about incorporating some of these ideas into your committee recruitment plan. We all need to make a priority out of growing our local committees. New volunteers help you sell more tickets, fill the hall and bring new ideas to the committee. We always talk about making our banquets and fundraising efforts more successful; committee growth is the way to do that. Good luck with your fall banquets and don t forget to recruit, recruit and recruit some more. This is how we will grow Georgia Ducks Unlimited and make it even better. Martin C. Anderson Georgia Ducks Unlimited State Recruitment Chairman Feetdown@bellsouth.net

9 AN EASY GEORGIA DU ACTION STRATEGY FOR SEALED BID AUCTION FUNDRAISING - THIS IS THE ONE SEASON THAT NEVER CLOSES! The Sealed Bid Auction Program is another fundraising tool available to Ducks Unlimited chapters. While DU hosts approximately 5,000 dinner and outdoor events every year, the SBA program provides volunteers with an opportunity to raise grassroots funds year round. With the ability to reach a broad audience, participation is sure to benefit your local chapter. Businesses that choose to participate can demonstrate to the public their commitment to environmental conservation and proudly show their DU support. For information about bringing SBA to your community, please contact your regional director or Ducks Unlimited national headquarters today.

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12 GEORGIA DUCKS UNLIMITED SAVE AN ACRE RAFFLE Celebrating 10 years of partnership between Anheuser-Busch and Georgia Ducks Unlimited One lucky person will win the first 10 #1 Budweiser Decoys and a 75th Anniversary DU Gun of the Year, a specially engraved Browning Maxus. Only 75 chances will be sold so buy your chance and help conserve an acre of wetlands, forever. The Save an Acre raffle drawing will be held at the GADU state convention in July 2012 and you need not be present to win.