Join the CBC's 75th Anniversary Celebration!
Raleigh, NC Spring Meeting
Lena Gallitano and Gail Lankford
Seventy-five years and counting. Even our most senior members don't recall the early discussions of Charlotte Hilton Green, H. H. and C. S. Brimley, Dr. Carey Bostian, Harry T. Davis, Dr. John N. Grey, Jr. and one unknown participant when deciding to form the Raleigh Bird Club and at the same time pursue the idea to reach beyond Raleigh for a statewide club.
Seventy-five interested people from towns across the state attended an organizational meeting in Raleigh on March 6, 1937, and the North Carolina Bird Club was born. Eleven years later, Alexander Sprunt Jr. from Charleston responded favorably to an official inquiry from the N. C. Bird Club about a coalition with South Carolina groups, and in 1948 the two-state organization became the Carolina Bird Club we know today.
While our history does not reach back to the earliest days of birding organizations such as Audubon, it is still a memorable time to pause and reflect. Birding in 1937 certainly did not have all the modern conveniences that make it what it is today … a few field guides rather than dozens; heavy, large binoculars that were likely more appropriate for wartime use than birding; “party” telephone lines where several families shared one line rather than a cell phone or iPhone for instant sighting updates from a favorite refuge or birding hot spot.
We've come a long way, CBC, and in May we plan to take a look back, bird in the footsteps of our founding members and reflect on all the changes. We hope you'll join us the weekend of May 4–6, 2012 in Raleigh to do just that. We'll have the usual field trip schedule on Friday and Saturday to bird some of the local hot spots you often see mentioned on Carolinabirds.
Friday night's buffet dinner at our headquarters hotel, Sheraton Four Points Raleigh-Durham Airport, will precede an evening of reminiscences, reflections, and stories from past CBC presidents and other long-time members. Our emcee, Clyde Smith, CBC newsletter editor for 22 years, will no doubt have some thoughts to add as well! And who knows, maybe you'll even learn how The Chat got its name along with other CBC historic tidbits!
Saturday evening we'll meet at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences in conjunction with the Friends of the Museum to hear birder, naturalist and author Scott Weidensaul. Scott has written more than two dozen natural history books including the 2000 Pulitzer Prize finalist Living on the Wind: Across the Hemisphere with Migratory Birds. His most recent book, Of a Feather: A Brief History of American Birding, is an interesting and enjoyable look back at 400 years of ornithological history from native Americans to our present high-tech world. Scott is an excellent speaker and brings interesting perspectives to his topic, so you won't want to miss this opportunity to hear him. For more information, check out Scott's Website: http://www.scottweidensaul.com
We will have some of the early CBC documents on display at the Museum Saturday night including early bird records. We also invite you to participate by bringing to the meeting any pre-2000 photos you may have of field trips or meetings. If you are unable to attend, but have photos you are willing to share, please scan and send to Gail Lankford.
Please mark your calendars now for this historic weekend, a chance to bird, to renew friendships and to reflect on the last 75 years of the Carolina Bird Club. We're looking forward to seeing you in Raleigh.