Pee DU BON BULLETIN 
Published Quarterly by the 
Pele ie Opi AU Die Bb OyNi SeO. Cc bil. Y: 
ROOSEVELT ROAD AND LAKE SHORE DRIVE, CHICAGO 5, ILL. 
Number 87 September, 1953 
The President’s Message 
By PAUL E. DOWNING 
Mr. HArRRy SMITH was forced, by reason of ill health, to relinquish the 
Presidency of the Illinois Audubon Society. I deeply regret his decision to 
retire, as Mr. Smith has served the Society for a long time in various 
capacities and has done an outstanding job in each of his offices. Although 
he will be available for advice, the Board of Directors will miss his leader- 
ship. 
It was with misgivings that I finaily agreed to accept the duties Mr. Smith 
so reluctantly laid down. The coming year will be impaired by the new Presi- 
dent’s lack of time to conduct the business of the organization. Before I 
agreed to the presidency, the members of the Board suggested that they 
could assume many of the duties of this office. And this, of course, is as 
it should be. We should not have a one-man Board. 
By the same token, we should not have a one-board organization. Only 
to the extent that each member of the Society contributes his time, thought 
and effort will the organization be a success. Can You donate something 
beyond the mere payment of dues, important as that is, to the cause of con- 
servation? There are many ways in which non-board members can help 
increase the value and scope of this Society. 
Here are a few suggestions. Interesting articles for the Audubon Bulletin 
will greatly help our editor, Mr. Lobik, as well as the membership at large. 
Can you do stenographic work? Such assistance is urgently needed at times. 
Are you willing to help organize field trips? If we knew of capable leaders 
in various parts of the state, we could schedule field trips which could be an- 
nounced in the Bulletin. If you give lectures, do you tell your audiences 
about the Society and its work? Or do you tell your birdloving friends 
about the Society and try to secure their membership? One of our aims is 
some day to establish an Illinois Audubon Bird Sanctuary. Do you know 
where a suitable tract could be obtained—and maintained? Do you help 
our treasurer by remitting your dues as soon as the first notice is received? 
Did I hear someone say: ‘Why should I go to all that trouble for the 
Illinois Audubon Society? ‘They’ should be doing those things for me; that 
is ‘their’ job.” 
The word, “they” refers to the officers. It should be remembered that the 
officers of the Society are regular members who pay the same or higher 
dues than you, but who, without salary, devote many hours of their valuable 
time and many dollars of their own money in travel, telephone and postage 
toward the operation of our Society. The only compensation received or 
real, 
