14 - 17 January 2011
Tybee Island, GA

meeting summary. . .

The Distinguished Guests Provide Their Reflections on the Evolution of GOS and on the 75th Anniversary Meeting
By Bob Sargent

The story of the 50th anniversary meeting, which took place in Macon in December 1986, was wonderfully described by Betsy Phillips in the lead article of Volume 51 (No. 4) of The Oriole. Tommy Patterson, president of GOS at the time, elected to write just a few remarks about the meeting for the GOShawk, mainly thanking those who were responsible for organizing it. Anniversary meetings are significant in the history of an organization such as ours, and they should be captured in print and photographs within the pages of long-lived publications such as journals. Some people have encouraged me to also write a long article about the recent 75th anniversary meeting for publication in The Oriole, rather than penning the usual meeting summary for this newsletter. In keeping with the precedent established by my friend Tommy 25 years ago, this is what I’m going to do. I hope you’ll look for the full story in the first issue of Volume 76 of our journal.

As for this newsletter, I thought it would be more interesting and appropriate to print reflections from many of the meeting's distinguished guests – the former presidents and the recipients of the Earle R. Greene Award who graced us with their attendance. Counting Todd Schneider, the newest award recipient, there were 18 of them at the meeting, representing a remarkable collection of talent, as well as a wealth of knowledge about the history of the society and ornithology. Their thoughts follow these words. I hope you enjoy them as much as I did.


One thing that Peggy and I enjoyed so much was seeing so many of our friends that we hadn't seen for such a long time. We had so much fun talking to them and also finding new friends during the meeting. We promised each other that we would try not to miss any more GOS meetings if humanly possible.
Terry Moore (Earle R. Greene Award, 1992)


Though there were many interesting field trips birds were secondary for us at this special meeting. (Well, we did catch up with Purple Sandpiper at last!). Primary for us were the members from way back that we had not seen for so many years - a reunion! The highlight without question was the spontaneous and prolonged standing ovation for Dick Parks, a great friend to all of us.
John (Earle R. Greene Award, 1998; GOS President, 1999-2001) and Kate Swiderski


What a magnificent meeting! Not only about ornithology and birding, but renewing friendships established over half a lifetime. Visiting with people such as Doris Cohrs, Ken Clark, Dick Parks, John Swiderski, and Terry Moore and many others that Joyce and I looked up to and respected when we were very early in our birding endeavors was one of life’s great moments. Looking at the picture of the past presidents and Earle Green Award recipients makes us realize we were in the company of Georgia’s ornithological greatness. This meeting, and the number of dedicated younger birders in attendance, also confirmed that the Society is in very good hands. To Bob Sargent and all that had a part in orchestrating the outstanding 75th Anniversary meeting, a very resounding – Well Done!
Sincerely,
Don Duncan (GOS President, 1987-1989)


It’s always a pleasure to attend anniversary meetings of groups like this, and this 75th Anniversary Meeting of GOS was no exception! The weather was nice, and lots of great birds were found on the slate of interesting birding trips. The lectures ranged from an interesting overview of Georgia birding now and into the future by DNR’s Todd Schneider on Friday, and the fascinating keynote by bird guide legend David Sibley on Saturday. The best part of these meetings is catching up with birding friends from all over the state, and in this case getting to see so many famous GOS personalities and talents from earlier as well as current times. From founding member Dick Parks through all the former Earl Greene award winners and GOS Presidents, it was great to have so much accumulated experience and sheer expertise in one place, so kudos to all those who worked so hard to make this such a wonderful meeting. I will never forget talking history with Dick again, as someone who has been there since the proverbial beginning, birding with David, and just plain rubbing elbows with so many special, accomplished and fun folks.
Giff Beaton (Earle R. Greene Award, 2004)


I thought it was the best meeting we've ever had. Just like the 50th in Macon, the birding was great if not better, the crowd was a combination of truly birders and those wanting to see a celebrity artist, birder, writer. Like Peterson, David Sibley was so real, normal, just a guy without an obvious ego and he seemed to enjoy being there. Thanks go to Steve Holzman for inviting him to share a great weekend with all of us, both regulars to a GOS meeting and those who were pulled out because of Sibley, his book and his presentation which was extremely thought provoking especially for those of us that teach bird identification skills.
Georgann Schmalz (Earle R. Greene Award, 2010)
Ornithologist
Dawson County, GA
Birding Adventures, Inc.
http://www.birdingadventuresinc.com


The whole experience was a great pleasure. The planning and execution were outstanding. The facility chosen for the occasion was able to accommodate us gracefully (the little jam-up for dinner Saturday evening just added spice to an otherwise faultless schedule and program), but the high point was renewing acquaintance and visiting with wonderful people I hadn't seen in a while. The GOS pioneers would have been immensely proud of what the organization has become. Thank you ever so much for inviting me.
Ken Clark (GOS President, 1995-1999)


The Tybee Island Winter GOS Meeting is the best of the Society's meetings which I have had the occasion to attend. Everything went like clockwork and all those that were involved in the planning and implementation are to be congratulated for an outstanding job. My wife, Joan, and I thoroughly enjoyed the entire affair. Bob, I congratulate you for all your valiant efforts during your term of office as president of GOS and for conducting such a fine meeting. I thank you and all those that helped with this memorable gathering of kindred spirits.

I suggest starting with the next meeting, that a group photograph be taken
(and all participants named in the photo with their respective hometowns) at
all GOS Meetings for the historical record of the Society.
Paul Sykes (Earle R. Greene Award, 2002)


Bob: I thoroughly enjoyed the 75th anniversary meeting of the GOS. The friendship, presentations, and banquet were terrific. I particularly enjoyed having a chance to visit briefly with Richard Parks Saturday evening. As a fellow bird artist we have much in common. I was delighted that we sat next to each other for the photograph of Past-Presidents and Earle R. Greene Memorial Award Recipients.
Sidney A. Gauthreaux, Jr. (Earle R. Greene Award, 2010)
Centennial Professor Emeritus
Department of Biological Sciences
Clemson University


The 75th anniversary meeting of GOS at Tybee Island was definitely a success. Many thanks go to all those involved in organizing the event. All too often we forget to thank those who work hardest to insure everything goes smoothly. Consider yourselves thanked! You know who you are.

Don and I joined GOS in 1971 or thereabouts. We attended the 50th anniversary meeting. It would be difficult to adequately summarize the progress that GOS has made over all these years. Don would have been especially thrilled to see all the young people and their enthusiasm for birding, banding, and research projects. Scholarships, workshops, competitive birding. So many good things happening. We’ve come a long way, baby!!

Best of all was seeing so many friends, mentors, fellow birders. Some of us won’t be able to attend the centennial meeting, but hopefully, some of you will think of us then.
Doris Cohrs (Earle R. Greene Award, 1990)


The 75th Anniversary Meeting on Tybee Island, GA was fabulous in every sense of the word. It showed what a dynamic, thriving organization GOS has become. Over 200 participants attended the meeting! The meeting was of the highest caliber from the stimulating speakers, the fabulous fieldtrip, poster sessions, the first ever photo contest, and anniversary Tee shirts.

It was a marathon weekend with breakfast beginning at 5:30am and activities often lasting until 10:30pm. However, everything was energizing and stimulating---no tiring, boring stuff here. Board members and others at Happy Hour infused the gathering with plenty of humor.

The meeting was educational and fun. It demonstrated the enormous amount of expertise in the organization. The awards recognitions highlighted the extraordinary contributions made by so many members over so many years. Plus the meeting reflected the enormous amount of work put in by so many to make it such a success. I enjoyed meeting old friends and making new ones.

It was good to see such a vital organization promoting the interests of ornithology in Georgia. With this kind of momentum I’m sure that GOS will have another 75 years of spectacular success.
Gail Russell (GOS President, 2001-2003)


Soon after I arrived on campus at the University of Georgia to begin my graduate studies under Dr. Eugene Odum, he was quick to tell me, as he did all of his graduate students, particularly transplanted “Yankees” such as myself, that as a student at the University there in Athens, the state of Georgia was, both directly and indirectly, contributing to my education. He then went on to point out that after graduation, he certainly hoped therefore that wherever my career might later lead me, I would remember to “pay something back” to the state of Georgia that helped to educate me (M.S.-1965 and Ph.D.-1967).

I later came to learn that this was an issue that was deeply ingrained in Eugene Odum’s own life, since he grew up as a child in Georgia but was forced to move to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, with the rest of his family, when his father, who was a faculty member at the University of Georgia, was forced to leave the state because his professional discipline was considered to be too sympathetic with respect to the plight of minorities at the time. In Chapel Hill, he found the nation’s first school of sociology at the University of North Carolina. Years later, however, Gene Odum returned to the University of Georgia in fulfillment of his father’s hope that some day his home state would be ready to support a state university with academic programs of recognized excellence.

That is surely why, after later being hailed as the Father of Modern Ecology, Gene Odum would never even consider the many offers that continued to come his way to move to other schools of greater perceived academic standing (i.e., in the Ivy League). In a very real sense then, I guess I did exactly the same thing as my former major professor, by continuing my entire professional career as a member of the research faculty there at the University of Georgia until my retirement in 2005.

All of these thoughts have long been in the back of my mind since the GOS first honored me with the Earle R. Greene Award in 1996. When I attended the GOS winter meeting at Tybee Island in January 2011, they were particularly in my thoughts during my reunion there with so many of my old friends, colleagues, and fellow Georgia ornithologists who knew Gene Odum (or knew of him). Knowing that Gene Odum was also a winner of the Earle R. Greene Award, as was also Dr. Ron Pulliam (who was an undergraduate while I was at the university and served at that time as my lab technician), made all of it even more meaningful for me.

Yes, loads of fond memories came flooding back to me during that banquet and the meeting that followed there on Tybee Island, but none of these thoughts were fonder than the realization that we were all “paying back” the state of Georgia, as Gene Odum had hoped we would, by helping to promote a better understanding of our state’s birdlife and hence providing some of the information needed for the future conservation and management of this magnificent natural resource – yes, even including the chickens of downtown Fitzgerald, Georgia!

It was humbling and a real honor to be a part of this with all of those who were there.
I.Lehr Brisbin (Earle R. Greene Award, 1996)


GOS had me hooked from first contact, in the early 1970's. This was via
contact with friends in the Atlanta Audubon Society: Dick Parks, John
Swiderski, Terry Moore, Joe Greenburg, Anne Mursch, Jeannie Wright, and many others. While serving on the AAS board, leading field trips, and giving bird
talks, I became "that birdlady who talks about GOS." Yes, I admit to
proselytizing.

We were young, eager, impassioned bird chasers, hungry to learn more and wanting to share that knowledge with others. We were in awe of our mentoring elders, and were fortunate enough to occasionally cross paths with the likes of Roger Tory Peterson, Athos Menaboni, Chandler Robbins, and others.

Most impressive to me about GOS was the emphasis on the birds themselves: identifications, vocalizations, behaviors, needs, and habitats. How exciting it was, meeting state wide and, occasionally, with adjoining states. We experienced different habitats and met both local birders and imported experts. We got involved with bird censusing and with banding. There was the quest to submit scientific papers, and the ever-frustrating process of editing and publishing in a timely manner.

On a personal note, becoming president of GOS was a bit daunting. I'd served in various positions on the board but wasn't a degreed scientist. GOS goals involved some projects on decidedly scientific levels, certainly above MY level. I didn't know the names and backgrounds of all those in the scientific community, but Branch Howe did. Together we discussed names and respective abilities. I was very grateful both to him and to those who agreed to serve. Each one was the first person I had called upon to chair a particular committee. Choosing strong, competent committee heads, I think, is the most important first step a new president takes. Obviously, having the past president serve on the board, for transition's sake, is invaluable.

Many people I was privileged to have known have passed on. Those of us remaining are now the white-haired elders. (Except for John Swiderski, whose hair remains stubbornly full and dark. Must be some Polish gene.)

I am as much in awe of our current GOS leaders as I was in the past. Our organization has been extremely fortunate in continuing to have very talented, dedicated, and responsible members on the board. They have been generous with their time, labor, and expertise. And it shows. The papers, poster presentations, and programs delivered by young scholars and student members prove the value of the scholarships. Bringing in established ornithologists and other scientists, artists, photographers, writers, and even an occasional "big name" in the birding field is exciting and motivating. The well-organized and professionally conducted field trips are educational, and are a big drawing card. The logistics of juggling all this to culminate in a meeting one to three years in advance is a huge job. The publications are well done and provide excellent contact with members. Younger members, experts in this technological age, are using technology for our benefit.

Who wouldn't be proud to be a member of such an organization? Carry on,
kids!
Helen Ogren (GOS President, 1993-1995)


There were so many wonderful moments at the 2011 GOS winter meeting on Tybee Island last month it is difficult to select just one highlight! Catching up with friends and colleagues I haven’t seen in a long while; birding new places with the upper echelon of GA birders; scanning the ocean for ducks, grebes and gannets; seeing my first Georgia Ash-throated Flycatcher…. and I must admit getting a full night sleep without my 3-year-old daughter crawling into our bed at 2AM… All of these events and more made for a wonderful weekend that I will not soon forget.

Of these many highlights, one does rise above the rest. The highlight for me was seeing both the founding fathers of GOS at the same meeting as our young future leaders. It was a great pleasure and honor to see and meet many of the significant figures in the history of GOS - including Dick Parks, an original founding member of the organization. It is all too easy to be so caught up in the present, that we overlook the amazing depth of contribution, skills, and knowledge of our predecessors. This meeting presented wonderful opportunities to meet and visit with the legendary individuals who created the rich history of GOS.

And just as exciting, was seeing the youngsters who may well become the future legends of GOS. In recent years, many GOS members have made a concerted effort to engage, encourage and mentor young birders. I have had the pleasure of getting to know and bird with some of these young birders over the last few years. It was truly a thrill to have them join what is typically an adult affair.

I hope that GOS will continue to thrive for another 75 + years – expanding our efforts to nurture young birders in Georgia to ensure that our future is as bright and exciting as the rich GOS history created by its’ founders.
Tim Keyes (Earle R. Greene Award, 2009)


I was able to attend the banquet and keynote presentation on Saturday. What a nice evening with friends, some of whom I have not seen in many years. I thought that David Sibley's presentation was thought provoking and fun. Steve Holzman set the stage for David with humor, and David stepped right onto it, interrupting himself with giggles several times. The star of the evening however, overshadowing Sibley's contribution, was Richard Parks. What a great thing to have him there. He has been a steady anchor for the organization over the years. He must have been overwhelmed to see how his fledgling GOS from the 1930's has grown to what it is today. Thank you Bob and GOS for a great 75th.
Brad Winn (Earle R. Greene Award, 2006)

Steve Holzman & Bill Lotz, Compilers
185 species observed

The following table contains a combined list of the species
reported from the all of the field trips:

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