Heritage Auction Final Digital 11-17

History of the Carolina Decoy Collectors Association
In 1977, the concept of forming an association of decoy collectors in North Carolina was first
envisioned by Malcolm Fleming and DC North, both residents of the Wilmington, NC area.
Collecting decoys in the coastal areas of the state was evolving and a common interest among
collectors was growing. The first meeting was held in 1978 at Malcolm’s house with 5 to 6 other
collectors or carvers attending. The next meeting was held at the Pleasant Oaks Plantation on the
Cape Fear River just outside of Wilmington. In 1979, Malcolm Fleming drew a sketch of a Lee
Dudley teal that was adopted as the logo. This same sketch was used to create the current association
logo that was designed and adopted by the association in 2010. Membership grew to around 50
members over the years and in the early 1980s Donald Mayo, an attorney and member from New
Bern, drafted bylaws for the group as a social association.
The association was named the Carolina Decoy Collectors and Carvers Association. The purpose
of the association was: to provide a medium of exchange of information about decoys; advance
knowledge and interest in decoys; organize and conduct educational meetings about decoys; assist
museums and other groups in advancing information about decoys, and finally to promote decoy
collecting and carving.
From the 1980s until 2005, the association’s activities were conducted as a social organization.
Membership grew to 150 members in the 1990s and many educational and social events were held
for the membership and public at large. With the evolution of the Core Sound Carvers Guild and
the Back Bay Carvers Guild, the focus of the membership narrowed to collecting decoys. The decoy
carvers evolved into two more specialized organizations, the Core Sound Carvers Guild and the Back
Bay Carvers Guild.
In 2005, under the guidance of then president, Kroghie Andresen and the board, the association
formally changed its name to the Carolina Decoy Collectors Association through its 501C3 filing
with the Secretary of State in North Carolina. From then on the contributions to support the
organization were tax deductible. The bylaws were updated and the purpose expanded to include
more involvement in decoy commerce. A code of ethics was adopted to provide a safe medium of
exchange for the sale of decoys by dealers and collectors alike. The association became more involved
in overseeing problems found in decoy sale transactions. Additionally, educational programs, support
of the Harkers Island Festival and participation with museums sponsoring decoy exhibits were
emphasized by the association. Today the association has over 120 active members, mostly in North
Carolina.
After the association became tax exempt, through the leadership of Lynn Wiggs, president and Jesse
Sorrell, secretary/treasurer the association membership grew again. Educational programs across
the state were well attended and the old decoy exhibit during the Harkers Island Festival helped
regenerate more interest in the decoy association and carver’s guild activities. In 2011, to further
support related museums and decoy festivals and specifically decoy education, the association
published its first book. The book is entitled: Master Decoy Carver: Mitchell Fulcher. Donations
from member collectors were made to produce the book. The Carolina Decoy Collectors Association
then initiated a book donation program where books are donated to two other decoy related entities
– the Core Sound Carvers Guild and the Core Sound Waterfowl Museum & Heritage Center.
Through this book donation program, three decoy related entities are involved in educating the
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