Illinois Ducks Unlimited [October 2012]

In This Issue

State Chairman Message 1 Contacts 2 Save the Dates 2 State Facts 3

Calendar Bash 3

Chapter Spotlight 4

Events 4 The Back Page 9

A Word from Our Chairman Galen L. Johnson 2012-2013 State Chairman

With waterfowl hunting season upon us, it’s the perfect time to attend a DU event. There are still four to five weeks of scheduled events in Illinois. If your event is over, why not drive to another chapter’s event and support them? You know how much more fun it can be when you attend an event and don’t have to work! If you are planning an event, why not reach out to another committee and ask them to come and bring a few of their friends? We all have the same goal—raise funds for the ducks! For those who had an event recently, I hope it was successful. I hope you had a good time and learned something you can do to make the next event even better. Please review the survey forms you got back from members and reach out to those who wish to get involved. As you know, adding new volunteers each year and getting them involved is how we fill the halls and keep members coming back. As the leaves are falling, I am reminded that it’s time to start planning the next state convention. In fact, the first meeting of the planning committee is this week. If you have any interest in helping with the convention or just have a suggestion, please reach out to Todd Livengood at bigt61546@hotmail.com or me at gljohnson@speednet.com. We welcome your help and/or ideas. Please mark your calendars for February 15-16 for the 2013 state convention. It will be held again at the Par-A-Dice Hotel in East Peoria. I hope the hunters among us enjoy this year’s season and are successful at filling their bags. Thanks for all you do for the ducks, and please remember our veterans and members in active duty military stationed around the world who are committed to protecting our freedom. Also remember to exercise one of the many rights they protect—the right to vote—on November 6. Galen L. Johnson Illinois State Chairman

[October 2012]

Illinois State Contacts

Chairman Galen Johnson

gljohnson@speednet.com

Treasurer Bob Burton

burtonrs@aol.com

Secretary Bill Sarafin

wjsarafin@gmail.com

Greenwing Chairman Pat Killian

pkillian@eastsidesupply.net

Webmaster Jonathan Fields

jfields@jfields.com

Regional Staff

NW Regional Director

Brett Brown

bbrown2@ducks.org

Central Regional Director

Jim King

jking@ducks.org

Southern Regional Director

Jon Sturgill

jsturgill@ducks.org

NE Regional Director

Rodney Schlafer

rschlafer@ducks.org

Regional Biologist

Eric Schenck

eschenck@ducks.org

DU Chapter Chairman Frank Lemcke and Regional Director Rodney Schlafer celebrate the release of the 2013 Illinois Weekly Gun

Drawing Calendar.

Save the Dates!

February 15 - 16, 2013

Ducks Unlimited Illinois State Convention

Par-A-Dice Hotel

East Peoria, Illinois

May 22 – 26, 2013

Ducks Unlimited National Convention

The Hilton Portland

Portland, Oregon

[October 2012]

Ducks Unlimited Chain-O-Lakes Chapter hosts 2013 Calendar Bash

The Smith brothers of Pride Custom Art and the James W. Smith Printing Company are glad to see such enthusiasm for the Ducks Unlimited calendar project they produced in conjunction with Regional Director Rodney Schlafer.

In support of the calendar fundraiser, Chapter Chairman Frank Lemcke and his committee hosted the Chain-O-Lakes Chapter Bear's Bash and calendar release party on Sunday, October 7, at Chain-O-Lakes State Park.

Schlafer approached Matt Smith, who serves on the committee, about the idea of producing a high-end 2013 fundraising raffle calendar. Within a month, the idea rapidly became a concept, then a design, and now it’s being printed and distributed. The handsome calendar is designed by www.SmithandSalter.com and features colorful waterfowl images and firearm photos, which serve as the weekly gun drawing prizes.

The individually numbered calendars rely on the Illinois Pick 3 lottery numbers to award weekly winners of firearms manufactured by the likes of Browning, Mossberg, Smith & Wesson, Marlin and Remington. Illinois Ducks Unlimited will award one gun every week throughout 2013.

Although they are nearly sold out, the $50 fundraising calendars can be purchased by contacting Rodney Schlafer at 815-403-3597, while they last.

State Facts

Total Membership

28,110

Greenwings

2,061

Legacy Greenwings

650

Sponsor Members

1,806

Major Sponsors

406

2011 Grassroots Total

$1,891,258

Total Acres Conserved

44,712

[October 2012]

rice. Contact info will be

Upcoming Events

Jackson County Gun Bash October 19, 2012 Stonington - $100 Dinner October 26, 2012 Herrin's Annual WHP October 27, 2012 Williamson County Ducks Unlimited Banquet October 27, 2012 Beardstown- Cass County DU Dinner November 03, 2012 BCK River Bottoms Sponsor Event, November 03, 2012 Taylorville Annual Dinner November 10, 2012 White County Annual Ducks Unlimited Banquet November 10, 2012 Meredosia- DUX-n- BUX Event November 12, 2012 Central IL District Meeting- Lincoln KC January 17, 2013

For more information go to

http://www.ducks.org/illinoi

s/events/

Chapter Spotlight Williamson County DU Chapter

Crab Orchard Lake Blind Rebuild

Williamson County DU Chapter members Josh Tabor, Lyndal Peebles, Steve Martin and Lynn Glover spent the last weekend in September rebuilding Draw Blind #9 at Crab Orchard Lake. The Friends of Crab Orchard Lake run the pay-to-draw hunts during the season. The money provided to redo the blind was provided by The Friends of Crab Orchard. The pictures show the condition of the blind before they started, during the repair and after the blind was finished. Hunters pay to hunt out of the blinds on the lake and the money raised helps maintain the blinds. The Williamson County Chapter will be having their banquet on October 27 at the K.C. Hall in Marion. Doors open at 5 p.m., and dinner is included with the ticket price. Contact Eric Blades at 618-364-5456 with any questions.

The condition of the blind before the repairs

(pictures continued on next page)

[October 2012]

The view from

the inside looking

out… pretty bad

shape!

Steve Martin’s son

wonders how Dad is

going to fix this!

Josh Tabor gets to

work with the Sawzall.

[October 2012]

Illinois Ducks Unlimited still has a few areas without local chapters. If you know anyone in these areas that would be interested in participating in a local DU chapter, contact the Regional Director for that area, your local RD or the state chairman. Bloomington, Carlinville, Danville:

Contact Jim King at jking@ducks.org

Robinson, O’Fallon, Olney:

Contact Jon Sturgill at

jsturgill@ducks.org

Monmouth, Galena, Galesburg:

Contact Brett Brown at

bbrown2@ducks.org

Steve Martin works on the

front of the blind.

Finally finished! Lookin’ good in

the neighborhood! Great job, folks!

[October 2012]

Ducks Unlimited is excited to announce that your chapter now has the chance to earn a handgun

with the official DU logo to use in your fundraising efforts, with zero cost to your committee! The

new Call ‘Em In program officially kicked off on January 1, 2012.

The members you recruit to DU are critical to our mission. In addition to their commitment to

wetlands and waterfowl conservation, they increase DU’s ability to attract advertisers and afford

us critical influence with state and federal legislators.

DU’s Board of Directors recognized that we should be rewarding our chapters that are best at

bringing members in and keeping them coming to events. The new Call ‘Em In program does just

that by giving events the ability to qualify for a no-cost handgun featuring the official DU logo.

In order for an event to qualify, it must:

Generate $5,000 net/net for a dinner event or $2,500 net/net for a non-dinner event

Generate a minimum of 70 members

Have no net loss of members from the prior year’s event

AND have 60% member retention from the prior year’s event members

Events that qualify in 2012 will be awarded the no-cost handgun for their 2013 event!

If you need help with your membership retention and recruitment, you can download a copy of

DU’s Membership Recruitment Manual by clicking here: Recruitment Manual. This guide was

developed by your fellow volunteers across the country, and is full of ideas to help you fill the

halls at your event. More resources are also available at volunteergear.ducks.org or through your

Regional Director.

Thank you for all you do and good luck in this new, exciting program!

[October 2012]

[October 2012]

The Back Page

Hi folks! The fall banquet season is hot and

heavy, with many events scheduled

throughout the month. Everyone is pitching

in to help make their event the very best it

can be. Remember our top three priorities for event success:

1) Fill the Hall

2) Add Committee Volunteers

3) Increase Net/Net Efficiency

These are the keys to successful fundraising and ultimately lead to

more habitat on the ground and birds in the air.

Speaking of birds in the air, don’t forget the youth waterfowl season

in your region. It’s a great time to take a kid out to experience

waterfowling and the great outdoors before the start of the season.

Ensure they practice gun safety, bring plenty of shells and make

some memories that will last you and the youngster a lifetime.

Till next time….

Bill Sarafin Editor 815-440-5494 wjsarafin@gmail.com