Ducks Unlimited March, 2013 edition newsletter

INSIDE THIS ISSUE Cover, Contacts, Facts & Events / 2 “Chairman’s Chat” with Jim Franz / 3 “Notes from the Board” with Jim Prough / 4 “Back to The Basics” Dave Neal / 5‐6 Announcements & Social Media / 7 The “OFF” Season / 8 “At A Glance” Thermometers / 9 CY 2012 Acres Conserved / 10 Feather Society State Chairman Elections / 11 Gift & Estate Planning / 12‐14 DU Discover Card / 15 Top Flight Criteria / 16 10/30, GIG & Call Em’ In / 17 Photo Journal / 18‐27 Messages from the Editor / 28

1 Upcoming Indiana Events Cover Photo

Purdue University Banquet The Indiana State Newsletter cover will feature Saturday, April 06, 2013 photos contributed by DU volunteers from

Decatur County Sportman's NIght Out around the state of Indiana whenever possible. Saturday, April 06, 2013 Please submit your photo and a few words about the who, what, when, where and why ….. Whitewater Valley Dinner Saturday, April 06, 2013 “Northern IN Volunteer of the Year” Randy Armstrong – Crown Point Chapter Mud Lake Smoker Location: Northern IN. VCD Friday, April 12, 2013 Photographer: Unknown Anderson Annual Dinner Event Saturday, April 13, 2013 State Facts Indiana University Annual Dinner Saturday, April 13, 2013 2011 Accomplishments Completed Projects: 20 Three Rivers Banquet Acres Conserved: 569.5 Saturday, April 13, 2013 Acres of Technical Assistance: 5,911

Dollars Invested: $479,741 Daviess County SNO Saturday, April 13, 2013 State Contacts Indiana University Annual Dinner Saturday, April 13, 2013 Indiana State Chairman Jim Franz [email protected] Wabash County Banquet Saturday, April 13, 2013 Indiana State Treasurer Pam Harkin [email protected] White County Banquet Saturday, April 20, 2013 Indiana Public Policy Chairman Curt Lee [email protected] Blue River Chapter Sportsman's Night Out Saturday, April 20, 2013 Indiana Regional Director – North Dave Neal [email protected] Elkhart Gun Bash Thursday, April 25, 2013 Indiana Regional Director – South Joe Borders [email protected] Dekalb County Banquet Saturday, April 27, 2013 Indiana Director of Developement Doug Gorby [email protected] Porter County Banquet Saturday, April 27, 2013 Indiana Regional Biologist Michael Sertle [email protected] Fort Wayne Sponsor Banquet Thursday, May 02, 2013 IN State Recruiting Chairman – North Dave Heath [email protected] Terre Haute Sponsor Dinnner Friday, May 03, 2013 IN State Recruiting Chairman – South Dave Nienaber [email protected] Crown Point Gun Bash Friday, May 03, 2013 Indiana State Webmaster/Newsletter Randy Armstrong [email protected]

2 “Chairman Chat” With Jim Franz

As you can tell by the cover of this issue, I have had some of the best times I have had with Ducks Unlimited these last couple months. I have had the honor of awarding our volunteers in Indiana for all of their hard, successful work at our Volunteer Celebration Days. As I mentioned in the last newsletter, we had a terrific 6 months ending in December as we concluded our 75th Anniversary events. The first 6 months were phenomenal as well. We held two great Volunteer Celebration Days this year, one north and one south. If the photos in this issue are any indication, I think it is very fair to say a good time was had by all at these events.

We passed out several Top Flight awards and I believe most are pictured in this issue. There were also some most valuable awards passed out. There were too many awards to list in this portion of the newsletter, so please take a look at the photos with all the smiling faces. You may well see yours there. I hope you do! I can’t say it enough, thank you all for your hard work and I salute you all for your outstanding work in Indiana.

With the success of the VCD’s, some have asked how do we earn a Top Flight award or upgrade our Top Flight level? Dave Neal has provided a score sheet and some great tips on earning a Top Flight award. I hope I get to present one to you at our next VCD. The program continues.

We will have just one VCD in 2014, rather than a north and south. It will probably be held somewhere in central Indiana. Hope to see you there.

All good things must come to an end and my term as State Chairman is no exception. The past year has gone by so very quickly. The first year of my 2 year term is near at end. Therefore, it is time to start to search for my replacement. State Council Chairman Curt Lee has provided the selection process in this newsletter. Please read Curt’s article for details.

Not all we have done has just been fun and games. In January the state leadership team developed our state plan and goals for the upcoming year. We are looking to have 15% net income growth this next fiscal year starting July 1, 2013. It is an aggressive goal, but, based on our efforts this last six months, it is certainly obtainable.

When I started my term I wanted our area chairmen to focus on 2 things, event attendance and chapter efficiency. Both of these have a dramatic effect on Top Flight award achievement. Judging by the amount of awards presented, our area chairs were listening and focused accordingly.

Our 2 focus areas this year will be volunteer recruitment and Top Flight award attainment. If our AC’s will focus on finding volunteers and doing what it takes to attain a Top Flight award, Indiana DU will be nearer to our goal of being a million dollar state again.

Well, time to go. Thanks for listening. District meetings are just around the corner. Hope to see you soon.

Thank you for all your hard work. Jim

3 “Notes from the Board” With Jim Prough

Well, spring arrived with a late snow storm that covered 50% of the United States that most of us complained about in late March. However from a ducks standpoint that moisture helps recharge critical nesting habitat with early spring water which is critical for their success. So there is always a silver lining!

My comments maybe more rambling than normal, as I have lots of things I have seen, participated and heard from you and others about Ducks Unlimited, and the great accomplishment we have achieved together.

I was able to attend the volunteer appreciation dinner in early March. All I can say, is that if attending a volunteer appreciation event does not get you pumped up for working with volunteers in Indiana and nationally nothing will. I want to say as a DU “Board Member”……… THANK YOU! I am sure somewhere in the newsletter, you will see the list of what each chapter did for Indiana DU. I hope that those chapters that were close to achieving their goals, took away a few ideas from your fellow volunteers on how to get it done! There were a lot of people at the volunteer celebration to ask questions about how their chapters do things, and volunteers are always willing to share ideas that will make your events better, more fun and raise more $$ for the ducks!

As a senior leader for region 5 (KY, IN, IL, MO and IA) I get invited to attend various state DU functions. This year, Jean and I attended the Missouri State Convention (this is why we missed the volunteer celebration - we are planning to attend the next one). I think the take away from their event was, what a great job the state leaders did in recognizing the volunteers for their efforts. I thought about this, and we only have one way to do that -- by saying thank you and congratulating them. What I got the biggest kick out of was, when an area chairman came up to get a chapter award, and he or she invariably brought up the rest of the committee for a group picture because that is how they got to podium to begin with! I would challenge all levels of the DU family to say thank you more often. It might sound corny, but saying thank you to sponsors, volunteers, folks attending your event and donors is easy – unfortunately it is often forgotten on a busy event night. It doesn’t cost anything and its payback is huge for the ducks. I know we all get busy at our events -- making sure you sell raffle tickets, following up with silent auction, etc, but there is always time to say thank you. Put somebody in charge of doing this, so it doesn’t fall thru the cracks during a busy 3 or 4 hours. Keep up the great work!

Discover Card We need to get behind the discover card program. I know like most of you, I carry a credit card or 2, but we need to move more DU members to the Discover card. The benefits are huge and it’s a great revenue stream for DU. If you already have a Discover card, make sure you switch it to DU Discover Card. It is simple you can go online to www.Discover.com/DU or call 800-983-1275, and tell them you want to have a DU Discover card. To reach our national goals, we only need 4-5 people at every event in the United States, to switch to a DU Discover card. This will generate millions annually for DU! Please make an effort to push the Discover card. Be creative – i.e. extra ticket in a prize if, you have a DU discover card or sign up for one. It may not make any extra money that night but will have an annuity stream for the home team.

Volunteers It is fair to say that in our current society that everyone is over booked, over committed and short of time to do all that they want to do. So, how can you ask someone to help? Easy, be specific. I tell people all the time I can make time for about anything but, I have to know about it well in advance. If it gets on my calendar, and I will work around it however -- if you don’t give me advance notice or exactly what you want me to do, I may very well say no. This is not just DU but my work life looks the same, and I am sure I am not unusual in dealing with time issues. So if you have someone in mind that can help your chapter, region or state position; we need to say to him or her, this is when and what I would like you to do; and we need someone with your skills. That helps do 2 things: 1 --it tells them what it is you want them to do, and 2 -- what the time commitment will be. It is my opinion, that if you ask that same person to be a volunteer (in general), that leaves too much up to interpretation and spooks some great potential volunteers off before they know how great it is to be a DU volunteer.

The last thing, do more fun things as a chapter. I see some chapters that have a pitch in, go fishing, be family friendly, have a card night, etc. in the off season as way to attract new members and to get better aquatinted. Have some fun when you are not planning your next event. Being involved in DU should be fun! I know from meeting lots of DU folks you know how to have fun! I have a shameful plug as a Purdue Alumni and Ducks Unlimited supporter -- the Purdue DU chapter has their annual event on April 6th. The Purdue Chapter is one of the top college chapters in the country. There are about 150 college chapters nation-wide, and Purdue is annually in the “Sweet Sixteen” which means they are in the top 10% in the country. So, if you are alumni, friend of the university and want to support Purdue DU -- we have lots of ways to do it, even if you can’t make to their event. Also, if you have a son, daughter, grandson or granddaughter at Purdue, let us help introduce them to the Purdue chapter members, as they are always looking for volunteers (as they graduate members every year).

Keep up the great work!!!

Thank You for all you do for ‘the DUCKS’. Jim

4 “Back To The Basics” With Dave Neal

By Dave Neal, IN Regional Director

With both Volunteer Celebration Days behind us, several volunteers/chapters have asked, “How do we get a Top Flight award or get a higher Top Flight award and be recognized on stage by our peers?” I love this question, because it’s the first step in the right direction to success…… the desire to succeed!

My answer usually involves something around getting back to the basics! As you all know, the #1 requirement to achieve Top Flight is 10/30. 10/30 is DU’s financial requirements for event proceeds. A portion of your proceeds (credit cards) and memberships (tickets) should be received at NHQ within 10 days following your event. The remainder of your event proceeds (checks and monthly payment options) and any outstanding tickets should be received at NHQ within 30 days following your event. More on 10/30 requirements later on in this newsletter.

Once 10/30 is achieved, 50% efficiency is the second requirement (efficiency = net/net income divided by gross income) and third is combined growth in net/net income and adult membership over the prior year’s results. The full Top Flight criteria are also outlined later on in this newsletter.

These are the basis for achieving the minimum Top Flight Award. Each increase in Flight level is represented by a 5% increase in efficiency. Here are some ways that you can get back to the basics.

Efficiency

To break it down in simple math, if you spend $1.00 you've got to make $2.00 to have 50% efficiency. It goes for the entire event. If you spend $10,000 on hall rental, food, beer, invites, raffle tickets, printing costs, door prizes, hats, guns, preferred vendors, DU merchandise, sponsor prints & decoys, etc (EVERYTHING), you have to make $20,000 gross to achieve 50% efficiency. Most chapters do really well on doubling their money on most items (particularly on raffles), but then they don't double their money on other things (typically auction items, hall rental and meals). If you set a goal to triple your money on everything, you set a cushion for those things that don't double their money. Set reserves on items. If they don’t sell, the committee keeps the item to use at a future event/raffle or you send it back for credit (DU national merchandise only). Joe and I would rather move an item to another chapter/event or put it back in our inventory for future use, than to lose money on it! Everyone is looking for a bargain, but we're not in the bargain business. We’re in the business of fund-raising, not fund-losing!

“Right-Sizing” Your Event

The biggest example where I see chapters hinder their efficiency is they plan for 150 people and only actually have 110-120 people. You've got too many meals and too much merchandise. "Right-Sizing" your event with meals and merchandise is key. Base your actual event budget on actual money in-hand, pre-sold tickets. Don't count on the “maybes” if they don't pay in advance.

For example, we had 205 people register for the North Volunteer Celebration Banquet. I told the caterer 200 for meals, not 230- 240, hoping for a bunch of “walk-ins”. Most good caterers will account for a 5-10% cushion in their number of meals (giving room for another 10-20 “walk-ins”). I had 10-12 “no shows” and 5-6 unregistered “walk-ins”. We ended up with 191 actual attendees thru the door. So we only paid for 9 uneaten meals, not 30-40 wasted meals. Those extra meals cut into the profit that was raised on the raffles and silent auction.

You'd be surprised how many chapters over estimate by wishful thinking. Please use realistic numbers. We need to change the culture and base decisions on pre-sold tickets. This is key to the success of the event. If attendees won’t buy ahead of time and then show up at the door, maybe you should buy them a happy meal at McD's or order pizza. They may think twice about buying their ticket in advance next year. Please, please make sure you thank those that purchased their tickets in advance. Their pre-purchased ticket set the stage for the success of the rest of the event. Let’s see if we can change the culture!

The biggest thing is to not blow your budget. Use an average spending of $100/person as your starting point. If you have 125 people in attendance, that's $12,500 (125 x $100) gross income. You have to deduct ALL of your expenses from the gross. And if you want 50% efficiency (profitability), your expenses need to be 50% of the gross income or $6,250. So that means $6,250 in total expenses and $6,250 profit for the ducks. And those expenses are for everything purchased for the event as mentioned earlier.

5 “Back To The Basics” With Dave Neal

Continued …

Many chapters forget about the DU national package merchandise expense or their invitations or sponsor prints expenses, etc. All expenses need to be factored into that 50% efficiency budget. Joe and I provide each chapter with their Event History and Planning Sheet, with our suggestions, months before the event. That's our best attempt to help you set a budget for your chapter/event. We base these on your past 5 year average attendance and per person spending. That should be your starting point. Stick to the budget up until 2 weeks before the event. If attendance is looking to be up or down, adjust the budget up or down accordingly. If attendance is up, add a little more merchandise, food, beer, etc. If attendance is looking like it’s going to be down, adjust your budget down a little by cutting back on merchandise, food, beer, etc.

Live and Silent Auctions

Auctions are not doing as well as they did in the glory days when spending was great. I remember a time when prints and decoys sold for $500-$1,000 in auction – those days are long gone! Base your auction on prior history. If auction income is trending down, decrease the number of items and build a demand for your best items. Use the 1 in 10 rule for silent and live auctions. 1 item for every 10 attendees you expect. So if you have 125 people in attendance you should have 12 items MAX on your live and on your silent auctions (I usually cap it at 18 items). Limit your items. If people want an item, they need to pay for it.

Also, another example is the silent auction. Too many times, I see a silent auction sheet starting the bid at $10 or $20, when the item costs $65 or $70. It takes an hour for the bidding to just reach and cover the cost of that item, and then you're lucky to make a $10 profit. Remember your goal is to take in double your cost. On the silent auction bid sheets, you start the bidding at or over the cost of the item. That way if you don't get a bid, you don't sell it, which is way better than losing money. It's just like running any type of business. You don't sell items for less than what you pay for them. We're not in the business of giving the farm away, we're a charity fundraising organization and we double or triple our money on everything we possibly can.

The new red-line silent auction is a great way to help generate additional funds. I strongly suggest implementing it at your event. If you don’t know about the red-line silent auction, ask us! I’ve noticed income on silent auctions triple since the red-line silent auction has been added to events.

Raffles

Raffles, raffles, raffles! Its way easier to get a majority of your crowd to buy a $5, $10 or even $20 raffle ticket for a chance to win a great item than it is to try to get a minority of your crowd to pay top dollar for an item in auctions. Offer a wingspan worth of tickets wherever you can. All you’re doing is providing an option for individuals to spend their money (i.e. 1/$10, 5/$20 or wingspan for $50). By raffling an item, you just made $250-500, as opposed to $100-150 by auctioning it, ultimately raising your efficiency! It works – believe me!

Donations and Sponsorships

Donations and sponsors are another way to help boost your efficiency. Just because you have a lot of donations or sponsors, doesn't mean you need to spend more money for a lot more merchandise. Use this additional income to your advantage simply for what it is, and that is additional income. By doing this, you are building that cushion mentioned earlier. 60-65% efficiency is very obtainable. Most of the chapters that were awarded Canvasback Top Flight awards (65% efficiency or higher) had large numbers of donations and sponsors, without utilizing those additional funds to add more expenses.

These are just a couple examples of ways to get back to the basics. Your District Chairman or Joe or I can work with you and your chapter on many others. Some of these may seem like harsh suggestions, but that is not the intention here. Just trying to encourage chapters to work smarter, not necessarily harder! If every chapter ran at 50% efficiency or higher, IN DU would already be a $1 million dollar state again, without raising a single additional dollar on the gross income end of the equation. Contact your District Chairman or your RD if you want to discuss any of these suggestions. Sometimes change is difficult, but it's necessary and can bring on a new era and add new excitement to the "same old, same old" event. Take these examples as your starting point and I promise you will see positive results. We'll get you up on stage amongst your peers next year by getting back to the basics!

6 Announcements INDU Social Media

Get connected with Ducks Unlimited Ducks Unlimited Sealed Bid today and get exclusive updates, tips Auction (SBA) Program and tricks and other insider info online now. You can find DU on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Myspace The SBA Program provides volunteers with a wonderful opportunity to generate extra and more. revenue and earn incentive firearms for their respective chapters. In addition, by placing SBA easels throughout local communities, volunteers are spreading the message Facebook of Ducks Unlimited to members of the public that may not Check out DU's official Facebook page for the be familiar with our wetland and habitat restoration latest updates on conservation, hunting and efforts. Many individuals completely new to Ducks Unlimited have gained their first membership into more. "Like" Ducks Unlimited today and you can the organization through the SBA Program! Starting and join the conversation on our Facebook wall, maintaining a SBA Program in your area is easy. upload fan photos and more! While you're there, show your support by joining DU's official Cause. Your Chapter can find additional information on how More than 100,000 fans and growing! to set up a SBA site by going to www.ducks.org/sba or contact me.

Thanks Twitter Frank Wolka Jr. Special Project Coordinator If you're looking for quick tips on the go, follow DU on Twitter! You'll get updates from DU's national headquarters and across the country about the latest DU news, conservation projects, hunting and migration information and more. You can even subscribe to receive DU tweets on your mobile phone.

CALLING ALL ARTISTS!!! YouTube The state is looking for artists who are Ducks Unlimited's official YouTube channel has interested in submitting a design for the 2014 a great collection of videos to help improve your state pin for the Indiana Ducks Unlimited! shooting, set up your decoys, clean your gear, This opportunity is open to everyone of all train your dog and much more. Check out all ages!! Please submit your design(s) to Pam these videos and subscribe to DU on YouTube Harkin, State Treasurer, today! at [email protected] or mail to: 1753 W

172 Lane, Lowell, IN 46356. Please

include the designers name, address, and phone number. The submissions must be Websites & Social Media for received by WEDNESDAY JANUARY 01, Local Chapters 2014. The state committee will select a Check the updated Indiana pages on the Ducks winner & announce it in the January 2014 Unlimited website for links to local chapter web newsletter! sites, Facebook pages, Twitter accounts & more. GOOD LUCK to all of the artists!!

Click here to get connected!

7 The “OFF” Season (Things to do & read … When we’re not hunting)

WF360 DU‐TV

This season's wide range of hunts is sure

to get you fired up as you witness rich waterfowling

traditions, cupped wings and amazing retrieves.

View air dates & times » www.waterfowl360.com

INDU State Roster

James Franz State Chairman Pam Harkin State Treasurer Dave Heath Northern IN State Recruitment Chairman David Nienaber Southern IN State Recruitment Chairman Randy Armstrong State Webmaster/Newsletter Editor Curt Lee State Public Policy Chairman Thomas Quarandillo State Major Donor Campaign Chairman James Prough State University Chairman Jean Prough State Leadership Development Chairman Frank Wolka Special Projects Chairman Jason Kleine District 1 Chairman Thomas Quarandillo District 2 Chairman Paul Minar District 3 Chairman Joel Hoehn District 3 Zone Chairman Matt Kraushar District 4 Chairman Matt Wright District 4 Zone Chairman Kevin McDougle District 5 Chairman Randal Coffin District 6 Chairman Frank Wolka District 9 Chairman Matt Rodriguez District 10 Chairman Fred Loehr District 11 Chairman Troy Moyes District 11 Zone Chairman Frank Wolka District 12 Chairman Joe Borders Southern IN Regional Director Dave Neal Northern IN Regional Director

8 “At A Glance” Thermometers

Major Donors

20

15 Goal 10 Current Short 5

0 Life Sponsors Upgrades Feather Society

Income Goals

$1,000,000.00 $900,000.00 $800,000.00 $700,000.00 $600,000.00 FY2012 $500,000.00 FY2013 Goal $400,000.00 $300,000.00 Apr‐13 $200,000.00 $100,000.00 $0.00 Event Income Event Based Income

How 2013 stacks up to 2012

8,000 7,000 6,000 5,000 4,000 2013 YTD 3,000 2012 Same Day 2,000 1,000 0 Total Total Major Total Event Total Sponsors Sponsors Greenwings Attendees Volunteers

9 Total Income Raised & Acres Conserved per Chapter in CY2012 Total Acres Rank Chapter Income Conserved 1 Fort Wayne Sponsor $45,435.46 182 2 Evansville $39,841.70 159 3 Kankakee Valley $38,461.86 154 4 Daviess County $38,246.18 153 5 Indy Sponsor $36,479.57 146 6St Joseph Valley* $32,302.87 129 7 Crown Point $29,370.30 117 8 Noble County $28,164.57 113 9 Elkhart $26,452.13 106 10 Posey County $25,451.00 102 11 Big Lake $24,124.19 96 12 Adams County $22,823.78 91 13 Whitley County $22,131.38 89 14 Porter County* $21,962.93 88 15 Wa‐Nee $18,792.46 75 16 Lowell $18,778.83 75 17 Hamilton County $18,557.40 74 18 Tell City $17,642.02 71 19 Crawfordsville* $17,047.51 68 20 Crystal Valley $16,918.51 68 21 Muscatatuck $15,652.44 63 22 Terre Haute $15,374.47 61 23 Purdue University $15,219.83 61 24 Laughery Valley $14,124.97 56 25 Tipton County $13,023.77 52 26 Hendricks County $12,645.70 51 27 Demotte $11,291.01 45 28 Whitewater Valley $11,075.00 44 29 Dekalb County $9,881.77 40 30 Wawasee* $9,869.96 39 31 Mud Lake $9,575.59 38 32 Three Rivers $9,331.44 37 33 Howard County $9,149.63 37 34 Huntington Hills $9,118.57 36 35 Blue River $8,841.15 35 36 Lagrange $8,750.12 35 37 White County $8,554.33 34 38 Lafayette* $7,738.65 31 39 Bluffton $7,204.43 29 40 White River $6,322.85 25 41 Wabash County $6,304.02 25 42 Goshen $6,216.47 25 43 Decatur County $6,135.94 25 44 Goose Pond $6,060.31 24 45 Fort Wayne Stag $5,921.67 24 46 Pigeon Creek $5,892.76 24 47 Young's Creek $5,719.32 23 48 Anderson $4,071.00 16 49 Indiana University $3,849.61 15 50 Clinton* $2,347.00 9 51 North East Indiana DU $2,245.63 9 52 Muncie $1,154.26 5 53 Hoosier Hills $1,020.01 4 54 Summit Lake $257.12 1 CY2012 Totals $800,376.00 3,202 Increase of $193,704 over CY2011 Congratulations and Thank You!!! * indicates SBA sales included

State Chairman Elections

It’s hard to believe that it has been almost nine months since I stepped down as State Chairman. I am glad to say that under the leadership of my successor Jim Franz, IN DU has continued to excel in fundraising for conservation. Just as difficult to believe is that Jim’s term is nearing the half way mark and it’s time to begin the process of selecting a new State Chairperson. I would like to take a little space in the newsletter to explain the nomination process. As described in the DU Operating Manual the State Chairperson typically serves a two year term. The State Chair Elect is ideally named midterm of the sitting State Chair and assists the State Chair as required. This is also an opportunity for the incoming State Chairperson to meet volunteers across the state, begin developing the state plan for the coming term, and become familiar with how the State Committee functions and the fundraising efforts across the state. The State Chair is selected by a nominating committee made up of the Outgoing State Chair who serves as nominating committee chairperson, the current State Chair, State Treasurer, Past State Chairs (Active) and the Regional Directors. This committee screens applications from volunteers interested in holding the office of IN DU State Chairperson and interviews the top three candidates. After the interviews are complete the nominating committee makes a selection and provides the name of the candidate to the Senior Vice President – Flyway who makes a recommendation to the President of DU for appointment.

Now that we have an idea of the process let’s put some dates on it as they relate to the upcoming selection process.

April 15: All volunteers interested in holding the position of IN DU State Chairman should notify the Nominating Committee Chairman by this date. Notification may be made to Curt Lee: email – [email protected], phone – (812)583‐7067 or U.S. Mail to 2037 13th Street, Bedford, IN 47421.

April 15 – May 1: The nominating committee reviews all candidate submissions and selects the top three candidates.

May 1 – June 15: The top three candidates are interviewed and final selection is made by the nominating committee. The State Chairman then forwards the name of the selected candidate to the Senior Vice President – Flyway who makes a recommendation for appointment to the DU President.

I encourage anyone who is interested in leading IN DU in our fundraising efforts for the Ducks to throw your name in the hat. If you aren’t sure of what the duties of the State Chairman are, or would just like to talk more about any of the other offices on the state committee please feel free to contact our State Chairman Jim Franz, either of the RD’s, or myself. We are always in need of new leadership talent in the state and welcome the new ideas and energy you bring to the State Leadership Team. Please consider stepping up your commitment of talent to DU by volunteering for a state office, and as always thanks for all you do for the Ducks.

Thanks, Curt Lee

10 Feather Society Gift and Estate Planning at Ducks Unlimited

What is the Feather Society? The Feather Society is DU’s recognition program designed to distinguish those members and supporters who have included Ducks Unlimited in their estate plans. [See What is the Feather Society?]

Studies have shown that donors are often more generous with non- cash gifts than other gift vehicles because of the added tax benefits. You should also know that gift planning is not just for the ‘older’ crowd. . 15% of all deferred gifts DU receives are made by people age 45 or younger. . 43% of bequests are created by people who are age 55 or younger.

The main qualification you need to promote gift planning is the ability to tell people why they should support DU.

Simple Gifts are the Best Gifts The good news is that gift planning offers several easy ways for people to make an impact on the DU mission. Many of the options are “no hassle” gifts that don’t affect lifestyle and require little or no professional tax or legal advice.

The following gift types make up over 80% of all planned gifts that DU receives. They are inexpensive and easy to complete.

 Simple Bequest: We know we should have one, yet more than 70% of us will pass away without having a will in place. Once we die, neither we nor our family has control of our assets; the courts take over. It makes no difference if you have supported DU for 5, 10, 15, 20 or 30 years, the only way to give to DU after death is to make provisions in your will or trust. DU has simple bequest language we can provide your attorney to make this simple. [See Sample Bequest Language Form]

 Retirement Plans: Most of us can change the beneficiary designation on our IRAs, 401k, and qualified pension plans without a trip to a lawyer. This is a great way to provide for DU or other charitable organizations. These are great assets to gift to DU (in whole or in part) and 100 percent of their value will benefit the organization. If you leave these to your family members, the tax bite can be up to 70% of the value! The value of this gift is deducted from the value of the estate, reducing the taxes owed. With online access, you might be able to change your beneficiary in a matter of moments. You can also contact your plan’s administrator to request a beneficiary form. [See Sample Retirement Beneficiary Form]

 Appreciated Assets: The gift of an asset, often common stock or mutual fund shares, is a valuable way to make a gift to DU and receive tax benefits based on the value of the asset(s). Some of these assets, when given to a charity, have a greater tax value than the cash value they provide.

 Life Insurance: One of the easiest “no hassle, no cost” ways to benefit DU is to add DU as a beneficiary on your life insurance. As with retirement plans, you can give DU any percentage of the asset up to the whole asset. At the death of the donor, the amount left to DU is excluded from the federal estate tax owed.

If you transfer ownership of a current plan (excluding term insurance) to DU, you can receive a current tax deduction on any past premiums paid.

Another way to enjoy a current charitable tax deduction is to take out a new policy and name DU as the owner and beneficiary. You will be able to use the premiums as a charitable deduction. [See Sample Life Insurance Beneficiary Form]

In summary, the Feather Society program is achievable for nearly all DU members; it is an excellent way to “endow” your DU giving beyond your lifetime. One of our Feather Society members said it best: “Ducks Unlimited is as important to me as my family, and therefore I have elevated DU to family status in my estate planning by making provisions to provide DU with money when I’m gone.”

For assistance, please contact Sarah McCallum, Director of Gift Planning in the GLARO region at [email protected] or 734-623-2031 or visit our gift and estate planning website at www.ducksgift.org.

Attachments: A. What is the Feather Society? B. Sample Bequest Language Form C. Sample Retirement Beneficiary Form D. Sample Life Insurance Beneficiary Form E. Feather Society documentation form

Ducks Unlimited is pleased to announce Program Overview: • Applicants may apply for a DU Discover card by visiting Discover as its official credit card provider. www.Discover.com/myDU or by calling 1-800-983-1275 and referencing invitation code:KB6L. Through this new partnership, Ducks • Each new activated account will result in a $75 credit to the qualifying local chapter. The qualifying local chapter is Unlimited Discover card holders will be determined by matching the zip code provided by the ap- plicant to the zip codes assigned to the chapter. able to support wetlands conservation • An additional $75 credit will be awarded to the qualifying local chapter if the card holder spends $100.00 within the with every purchase they make. Moving first 90 days after activation. • Applicants may choose any of three Ducks Unlimited forward, simple and ordinary purchases themed card designs. • Current Discover card holders may opt into the program will help make extraordinary differences. online or by calling 1-800-983-1275. Chapter Benefit: • Qualifying chapters will receive a credit on a quarterly basis (when applicable). • There is no limit to the amount of credit that a qualifying chapter is eligible to receive. • The monies derived from this program will count toward state rankings and annual chapter awards presented at the National Convention.

Chapter Resources: • Full color, one and two page PDFs; are available on www.Volunteergear.ducks.org • Full color, one and two page fliers; item numbers Q0020 and Q0020A. • Program covers; the back page of the cover is a full color advertisement promoting the partnership. • Underwriting panel on the DU event invitation; the default underwriting panel on all DU invites will now be a full color advertisement promoting the program. Indiana Ducks Unlimited Committee Top Flight Awards

Presented to a committee for achievement according to the following benchmarks; Award: A personalized decoy representative of the flight attained along with a pin for each committee member, also representative of the flight attained. Awards are based on achievements during a single calendar year, January 1 to December 31. Awards will be presented at the annual State Volunteer Celebration Day Event(s). In order for a committee to be considered for these awards they must meet all 10/30 requirements. Teal Flight: A committee attains combined growth over prior year in dollars and adult members from 2-4% for all combined "qualifying" events and produces a 50% or greater net- net/gross efficiency. Mallard Flight: A committee attains combined growth over prior year in dollars and adult members from 5-9% for all combined "qualifying" events and produces a 55% or greater net- net/gross efficiency. Pintail Flight: A committee attains combined growth over prior year in dollars and adult members from 10-14% for all combined "qualifying" events and produces a 60% or greater net-net/gross efficiency. Canvasback Flight: A committee attains combined growth over prior year in dollars and adult members 15% or greater for all combined "qualifying" events and produces a 65% or greater net-net/gross efficiency. COMMITTEE BONUS POINTS Committees can earn bonus points that will propel them into the next higher flight. For example, if a committee achieved the Teal Flight Award, they can improve their recognition to the Mallard Flight by earning bonus points through the following categories. A total of 6 points is required to move up in Flight. Teal Flight must be achieved before bonus points are calculated.

Categories Points Annual District Meeting attendance (1 Chapter member minimum attending) +1 Volunteer Celebration Day Attendance (1 Chapter member minimum attending) +1 Volunteer Growth (increase 2 net new committee members) +2 Second "qualifying" event: New Events = 2 points/Existing Events = 1 point +2/1 Greenwing Events: New Events = 2 points/Existing Events = 1 point +2/1 SBA: New SBA Easel = 2 points/Existing SBA Easel = 1 point +2/1 Sponsor Growth (points per 10% increase) +1 Recruit a new Major Donor or Major Donor Upgrade +6 Sponsor and Volunteer numbers based on correctly marked banquet tickets. Qualifying Events – FREE Gun Incentives (Opportunity to earn up to three (3) FREE guns for your next event)

1) 10/30 a) Requirements i) “D” (Dinner-Banquet/Sponsor) event must raise $5,000 net/net and have 50 adult members (tickets) ii) “M” (WHP, SNO, Ladies, Golf, Gun-Bash, GW etc) event must raise $2,500 net/net and have membership (tickets) iii) 10 day requirement – portion of proceeds (credit cards) and membership tickets received at NHQ iv) 30 day requirement – remainder of proceeds (check) and financial report received at NHQ b) Incentive Gun FY13 i) Remington M597 .22 Semi-Auto Rimfire Rifle

2) Growth Incentive (GIG) a) Requirements i) 5% increase in net/net income over prior year b) Incentive Gun FY13 i) Stoeger Uplander SXS 20ga Shotgun

3) Call ‘em in Club a) Requirements i) “D” (Dinner-Banquet/Sponsor) event must raise $5,000 net/net ii) “M” (WHP, SNO, Ladies, Golf, Gun-Bash, GW etc) event must raise $2,500 net/net iii) 60% retention of members from prior year (same members) iv) 70 adult member minimum b) Incentive Gun FY13 i) Single Action Revolver made in USA – Heritage Rough Rider .22

ii) Program begins January 1st, 2012, guns to be received in 2013

*Worth mentioning – if there are outstanding payments (i.e. sponsors) or incorrect ticket information (i.e. bad address), the chapter can still qualify for 10/30 by sending in what proceeds and tickets they do have correct/complete with a “regular” financial report within the 30 days and then send in an “amended” financial report after outstanding payments and/or finalized tickets are received. There is no penalty for sending in an “amended” financial report!

Messages from the Editor

The Indiana newsletter belongs to all of us! I would hope that everyone can realize the value in chapter participation and consider asking a committee member to volunteer as a newsletter chairman, so to speak, to send in material to be included in future issues. The more we get to know each other the more we (and the ducks) will benefit.

In order to make this happen I will need your help. I encourage ANYONE & EVERYONE on your chapters to submit news, stories, photos, accomplishments and recognitions no matter how big/small to share with the rest of your DU family. I promise to make every effort to include everything you send me and space is not an issue ... I guarantee you can't send too much (that is a direct challenge).

Thanks, Randy Armstrong INDU Newsletter Editor/Webmaster CPDU Secretary/Webmaster

Send questions, comments and article submissions to:

[email protected]

Your headlines should be in here!

Volunteering takes special efforts from special people and Ducks Unlimited is full of both! Highlight what your chapter is doing and be proud of the difference you make every day.

What we have today wouldn’t be much without what you’ve done yesterday.

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