by Don McCrory, Tennessee State Chairman
On August 25, 2006 the Tennessee Ducks Unlimited Long Range Planning committee met in Brentwood to continue their planning efforts for TN DU in the outlying years.
The meeting was organized and chaired by Jim Nixon, a former State Chairman in Tennessee and Dick Baskett the Director of Development of Fund Raising and Volunteer Relations. The key leadership from across the state attended to review the plan and make necessary adjustments for the coming year.
The focus of the Long Range Plan clearly is on recruiting new volunteers to bolster the active committees in the state and to establish new committees in areas where a committee doesn’t currently operate.
Further emphasis is placed on Major Gifts and Sponsors in the coming year. The District Chairmen will be encouraged to work closely with each local chapter to not only hold their regular Annual Banquet but to look for other opportunities to raise much needed funds to continue the DU mission to conserve, restore and manage wetlands and associated habitats for North American Waterfowl. Those habitats also benefit other wildlife and people.Long Range Planning is necessary for an organization like Tennessee Ducks Unlimited to carry out the basic function of the organization that is fund raising for conservation.
All members in attendance left with a better sense of purpose and direction.
We were fortunate to have two past state chairmen attending, Jim Nixon and Ed Hudgens, the two Tennessee RDs, Gary Goodpaster and Charlie Lowery, the state chair-elect Dennis Schaedle, the state sponsor chair Shawn O’Sullivan, the state Recruitment Chair and District Chairman Chris Autry and our Senior vice President Dr. Doug Burch. Both of our Regional Chairmen were there as well, Ross Malone and Dennis Schaedle. It was a good group and very serious about the matter at hand.
