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The Decatur Audubon Society 
By Mrs. C. F. RUSSELL 
THE DECATUR AUDUBON SOCIETY was just one year old in February, 1953. 
Our officers are: Mrs. C. F. Russell, President; Dr. A. T. Held, Vice- 
President; Mrs. L. J. Beal, Secretary; Mrs. O. T. Banton, Treasurer. 
Several years ago I had my first glimpse of the Audubon Magazine at 
an exhibit of the St. Louis Audubon Society at a flower show in St. Louis. 
I signed a card at that booth and soon received literature about the Screen 
Tours. I immediately sent my subscription to the National Audubon Society 
for the magazine and began to day dream about an Audubon Society in 
Decatur. 
Many months ago I wrote to the Illinois Audubon Society for helpful hints 
on programs, and received an informative reply. Soon we had created in- 
terest in our society and in a few months our club grew to 75 members. We 
have doctors, teachers, business and professional men and women, and 
knowing the ability of our membership, we sponsored the Audubon Screen 
Tours in our first year of organization. At our first Screen Tour our at- 
tendance was approximately 400 and we felt highly gratified at the response. 
I sincerely hope that Decatur will always be listed with some 200 cities 
who now sponsor the Screen Tours. 
This year we have had many outdoor meetings and one outstanding field 
trip. In September, 1952, we went to Havana, Illinois and made a tour of 
the Game Refuge on Lake Chatauqua. Mr. Frank Belrose, game specialist, 
gave us a very informative talk and led us on a tour of the grounds. In 
November we had an outstanding program on Conservation in Southern 
Illinois. The two speakers, Mr. Eugene Comte and Mr. Walter Whitehead 
of Murphysboro, Illinois, gave an interesting illustrated lecture. These men 
are engaged in private business and spend their own money to further the 
cause of conservation in their beloved southern part of the state. 
In October we went on a field trip to Allerton Park. Numerous field trips 
have been made to homes of our suburban members who have extensive 
grounds that attract birds. In December we participated in the annual 
Christmas Bird Count under the direction of Mr. Paul Rivard, who is the 
Program Director of our Y.M.C.A. Among our membership we have several 
ornithologists, including Mr. Rivard. 
We have had such a record attendance at our meetings that private 
homes no longer have sufficient capacity, and already we have taxed the 
seating capacity of one small auditorium that was offered to us. From one 
to five new members have joined at each meeting. In January we had a 
celebration meeting open to the public. It was held in our beautiful new 
Y.M.C.A. building and Mr. A. C. Kadow of Elgin, Illinois gave his lecture 
and film, ‘Many Wings.” We are a new society, small but enthusiastic, 
and I feel confident the National and the Illinois Audubon Society will 
have reason to be proud of the Decatur Audubon Society. 
P.O. Box 287, Decatur, Illinois 
