Illinois. Ducks Unlimited. Editor: Bill Sarafin

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1 Illinois Ducks Unlimited Editor: Bill Sarafin

2 Illinois Ducks Unlimited a word from our chairman galen l. johnson, state chairman The fall hunting season is officially here and some of you have already tried your hand at teal and dove hunting. Others have taken the big step and headed to Canada for some early duck and goose hunting. And we are all glad to see the Ducks Unlimited fall events back in full swing. I hope you have already attended a local event and are planning on attending others nearby. There is no limit to how many events you can attend in one season. I do several in the fall and again in the spring. The merchandise is very good this year and the attendees are having fun. If you enjoy attending DU events, then there are two main events you should plan on attending. The first is the Illinois state convention on February 7-8, 2014, at the Embassy Suites in East Peoria. This year s state convention will be like none you ve attended before. Friday night starts out with a speakeasy night full of fun, with a casino where you can play with duck bucks, have photos taken with the old cars, enjoy the live band playing the music of the Prohibition era and much more. Saturday we will hear from DU CEO Dale Hall on how Ducks Unlimited is doing as the world leader in wetlands conservation. Saturday night will end with a nice banquet with many one-of-a-kind, or first-shown items. The second event is the 2014 DU National Convention to be held in St. Louis, Missouri, May 28 June 1. This event has many side tours and trips offered in addition to the DU business meetings. Of course, the last night offers a October 2013 In this issue State Chairman message state facts State contacts National Convention I II III IV 2014 State Convention V What s New at the state Convention Upcoming events VI VIII special banquet and auction, and it is included in the registration. Lastly, I would just like to say, whatever your involvement with DU, I want to thank you for volunteering. Illinois is working hard to provide high-quality wetland habitat for the ducks as they migrate down the Mississippi Flyway. Your work and attendance make it all worthwhile. And please remember our men and women in the armed forces working hard to keep us safe. Galen L. Johnson Illinois State Chairman

3 II State Facts Total Membership 27,887 Greenwings 1,968 Legacy Greenwings 647 Sponsor Members 2,026 Major Sponsors Grassroots Total $2,852,096 Total Acres Conserved 45,545 Illinois State Contacts Senior Vice President Rex Schulz At-Large Member Diane Oberhelman Chairman Galen Johnson Treasurer Bob Burton Secretary Bill Sarafin Greenwing Chairman Pat Killian Webmaster Jonathan Fields NW Senior Regional Director Brett Brown Central Senior Regional Director Jim King Southern Regional Director Jon Sturgill

4 III Illinois State Contacts NE Regional Director Rodney Schlafer Regional Biologist Eric Schenck Illinois state chairman elect bill sarafin State convention chairman frank lempke State Convention Co-Chairman Bill harrter State e-newsletter editor Bill Sarafin director of fundraising and volunteer relations troy larue director of development steve kass James roberts

5 IV 2014 National Covention St. Louis, Missouri This will be the fifth time Missouri hosted the DU National Convention and the second time it has been held in St. Louis (the first being in 1945). Kansas City has hosted the convention three times in 1956, 1975 and DU President George Dunklin has appointed RVP Rex Schulz and Sr. RVP Jim Talbert as co-chairs of the 2014 National Convention Host Committee. This committee will be a joint venture with Missouri and Illinois volunteers and staff, in true Team DU fashion for Region 5. The responsibilities of the host committee are diverse, so a diverse group will be needed to meet them. The major functions of the host committee are to secure product, manage a merchandise room and provide goody bags for all attendees. Other functions of the host committee are to be a contact for attendees to identify points of interest for activities and to recommend restaurants and activities in the region. The committee is also expected to provide ideas and recommendations to the DU staff (Dana Barton, Pattie Kempka, Jim Boyd and Dan Thiel) developing and running the convention. The co-chairs have been charged by President Dunklin to make this the most- attended convention ever. Staff and volunteers will work to achieve this by creating a dynamic and diverse host committee. St. Louis is a great central location for our volunteers across the nation to congregate. Many will have the option of driving instead of flying, which will decrease travel costs significantly. We truly hope ILDU has a huge representation at this convention. Please start planning your attendance. It will be a great showcase for the host committee and a great time for all attending. We would love to see you there!!

6 V Chapters with fall events will be receiving a State Convention Promotional Raffle package that includes a Taber mallard decoy and 100 preprinted tickets. You will also be receiving a short promotional video to play at the raffle table or as a prelude to drawing the raffle winner. The upper (larger) portion of the ticket provides a quick overview of the convention and the website. Place the bottom portion of the ticket in the barrel. We suggest having someone who has been to the state convention sell the raffle tickets, so he or she can articulate the changes and that it will be a great time! No matter how you do it, please take a moment before the drawing to promote the convention. Be sure to tell folks that the website is on the ticket stub and ask them check out the details online at 2014.ildu.org. Remember, the purpose of this idea is to use the sales time to promote the convention!

7 VI What s new at this year s Stateconvention? DU Site Visit Travel via coach bus with Ducks Unlimited Illinois Biologist, Eric Schenck to a DU restoration site to be named later and see what DU is up to locally. Spa Services You deserved to look and feel your best during convention. So your Illinois DU team has arranged a special spa services package at a local day spa. Cooking and Wine Tasting Learn how to prepare some of the best wild duck you have ever eaten from Executive Chef and Restaurateur Allen Sternweiler. Peoria Museum, Illinois River Encounter Explore the history of the Illinois River as a living organism, from is rich tradition of hunting and fishing, to roll as a working highway for commerce. Videos, photographs, hands-on activities, and actual artifacts bring the history of the river to life. You also won t want to miss the Peoria Museum s world-class collection of antique decoys from the Big Five Illinois carvers. Catepillar Museum Experience Caterpillar through interactive displays and exhibits ranging from simulators to a movie theater in the bed of a truck. The Caterpillar Museum is sure to engage and entertain visitors of all ages. Par-A-Dice Casino Whether you re a serious gambler or just a pleasure seeker looking for a unique entertainment experience, Par-A-Dice has what you re looking for. Welcome Party, Squeaky s Speakeasy Join Squeaky as we celebrate Illinois DU conservation achievements on Friday night. You and your doll break out those glad rags, get all dolled up and get on down to Squeaky s juice joint. This is a real swank place, so dress accordingly. Prizes for best costume dress (no camo or jeans). We will have casino rooms with prizes, live music and dancing, raffle and silent auction, and gourmet appetizers. (Child care available at this event for a small fee.) Buy Duck Bucks Early and Save! Duck Bucks spend like cash on the auction, silent auction and raffles at our banquet: $200 gets you $240 in Ducks Bucks, plus one Duck Buck gun ticket $500 gets you $650 in Duck Bucks, plus 10 Duck Buck gun tickets

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9 VIII Save the date pike county annual banquet tuesday, october 22, 2013 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 stonington $100 dinner friday, october 25, 2013 white county du annual banquet saturday, october 26, 2013 williamson county saturday, october 26, 2013 Cass county annual banquet saturday, november 2, 2013 NE Il chapter fall classic gun bash (antioch) Friday, November 8, 2013 Flat branch-taylorville annual banquet saturday, november 9, 2013 sixth annual dux-n-bux monday, november 18, 2013 Waukegan, Elgin, Yorkville: Contact Rodney Schlafer at rschlafer@ducks.org We are also looking for additional volunteers for the following chapters: Edwardsville/ Glen Carbon, Streamwood, Grundy County, Naperville, West Suburban Area and Aurora For more info: il.ducks.org