Save the date! March 16-18, 2012
Save the date! March 16-18, 2012
Bill Green started to collect decoys in 1963 when he was looking for one decoy for a mantel decoration. He answered an ad and bought one of the 300 decoys a man was selling. He paid $10 for his first decoy.
In 1972 and 1973 Bill Green ran an add in the Toller Trader asking those with decoys as a hobby to contact him. Only Joe Smith responded to the add. Bill saw an article in 1975 about Vic Bracher collecting and carving. . He contacted him and told him what he had in mind. In 1975 Vic provided names of hunters and collectors.
In early summer 1975 he contacted Tom Wistel, Dick Mader, Bill Feasel, Jim Kocher, Tom Gradel, Joe Smith and they gathered at the old Hotel in Mt. Vernon, which was a centrally located town. They met at 10 AM and broke for lunch at 12:30 PM. All people were enthusiastic and encouraged Bill to “GO” with the idea of forming a club of collectors.
The planning committee of fourteen people met at the Natural History Museum in Cleveland on Sunday, May 21, 1976 to officially formulate the Ohio Decoy Collector’s Association. Bill was elected as Chairman, Ann Taylor, Treasurer and Larry Taylor was named Secretary. The fourteen charter members were Bill Green, C Vic Bracher, Ralph Meinckie, Nelson Thomas, Joe Smith, Jim Lancer, Larry Taylor, Gene & Linda Kangas, Dave White, Jim Kocher, Allen Haid, Ellen Walters, Roy Ahlers, and Jack Atzinger.
The next get together was at held at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History for first Decoy Seminar which asked that every one bring a decoy for identification. Charter members were asked to bring two decoys. First prize ribbons were available to those who brought decoys. Nelson and Phyllis Thomas discussed carving and painting a decoy.
Bill Green wrote a letter to collectors stating as a result of putting a notice in the Decoy World, which said in part, Anyone desiring to get together to talk about decoys three times a year contact Bill Green, inquires I am certain that there are enough people interested to get started and make it worthwhile. So I have arbitrarily set August 20th, Saturday as the “D” Day. The purpose of this get-together is to primarily provide an opportunity to meet others who have the same interests, also to share, to learn, to have some fun, and especially to get rid of the feeling of ‘here I sit all alone, looking at my decoys!’ To make it more interesting, bring a few to swap or sell, also share with us your experiences and even ask questions. The notice was sent on June 22, 1977 to thirty nine people. It all began at the Holiday Inn, Strongsville, OH.
