Outlook and Duties for 1937 
A Message from the President 
After the election of federal and state officials has been amicably 
disposed of, we may again concentrate on what should be the prime 
objectives and purposes of the Illinois Audubon Society and wildlife 
conservationists in general for the ensuing year, 1937. For the true 
bird-lover has long since passed the stage of confining his conserva- 
tional interests and endeavors to birds alone. 
The prime necessity of the I. A. S. at this time is the recruiting of 
new members. That is urgent and essential. Along with many other 
societies, ours has suffered a serious depletion in membership during 
the hard years of the depression. Our ranks have been thinned woe- 
fully. Therefore, let each present member consider himself or her- 
self a committee of one to gain at least one new member this year. 
Let those members that have fallen away during the past strenuous 
years, and who may see these lines, consider this a cordial invitation 
to renew their membership in the society, ignoring any past dues. Let 
us all pull together in this. 
A still more valuable accomplishment of our members, especially 
those outside of Chicago, would be the starting of local Audubon or 
wildlife conservation societies. We should have a larger and more 
efficient membership in the central, western and southern parts of our 
state than we have or ever have had. Our representative in the west- 
central part of the state is Mr. T. E. Musselman of Quincy, a well 
known ornithologist, conservationist, and lecturer. 
Then, what has been said in former years in this connection, needs 
to be repeated: viz., enlarge your sphere of influence and activity 
by taking up the cudgels for wildlife protection in your local paper, by 
giving talks before school classes, boy and girl scouts, men’s and 
women’s clubs of all kinds, such as garden clubs, Kiwanis, Rotarians, 
Lions and others. Many such small efforts and results must ultimately 
lead to complete victory for the cause so dear to our hearts. 
One annoying feature of the situation at present is the fact that 
wildlife is now frequently harmed or destroyed by its friends, or by 
people having no ulterior designs at all. The efforts of the C. C. C. 
boys and the W. P. A. workers have often unintentionally resulted in 
damage to plants and animals where only good was intended. By ad- 
vising the officials in charge or their regional directors about such 
occurrences, a change for the better may usually be brought about, be- 
cause the men at the head are nearly all conservation-minded. Or, 
write to the headquarters of the Society, Academy of Sciences, Lincoln 
Park, Chicago, being sure to specify exactly where the locality in ques- 
tion is. 
Even well-intentioned, supposed public improvements now turn out 
to be devastatingly destructive to wildlife: namely, the work of the 
many local mosquito-abatement setups. These good people develop an 
amazing activity which they deem purely beneficial to everybody. And 
Zi 
