IAF AGM and DFO International Field Meet 2018
The Deutscher Falkenorden (DFO) International Falconry Field meet together with the International Association for Falconry and Conservation for Birds of Prey (IAF) was held in Bamberg from 21.-28. October 2018.
The DFO Field Meet together with the 50th anniversary of founding IAF was held under the patronage of the Bavarian Prime Minister Dr. Markus Söder and the UNESCO. It was organized in the spirit of the UNESCO's recognition by practicing and celebrating falconry, regardless of national origin, social status or religious beliefs. This was impressively demonstrated by more than 400 participants and falconers from 41 nations.
Beforehand of the Field meet, the IAF held its annual general meeting to celebrate its 50th anniversary. Because the IAF was founded 1968 in Germany, it was obvious to hold this event in the founding country Germany with more than 150 international participants, on the occasion of the International Field Meeting of the DFO.
Two highlights for the international guests were a reception at the Mayor of Bamberg at the Rococo hall of the Old Town Hall and the invitation from the district of Middle Franconia to Gunzenhausen, Ansbach and Triesdorf, the home of the most famous falconer of the Rococo, the "Wild Margrave" Carl Wilhelm Friedrich of Brandenburg -Ansbach
As a guest gift, all IAF participants received the yearbook 2018 from the DFO, which was provided for this occasion with an English summary behind each report.
Public relations work was covered by attending a junior high school and a bird of prey demonstration on the last day. The printed DFO coloring books were sponsored by Allianz Umweltstiftung "Blauer Adler” and Allianz Versicherung Heyne, Niedermaier u. Schreyer OHG, to provide it for free to interesting children.
The hunting community provided more than 100 hunting grounds, and more than 80 hawks were used to hunt a total of 83 small games. The horn blower section of the Jagdschutz- und Jägerverein Kreisgruppe Bamberg framed the event with traditional hunting call.
At the official opening ceremony at the WELCOME Congress Hotel the Mayor of Bamberg, Andreas Starke, Enno Piening, Vice President of the Bavarian Hunting Association, Hartwig Fischer, President of the German Hunting Association, Mark Ryan, Deputy Managing Director of the International Council for the Conservation of Game and Hunting (CIC ), Dr. Adrian Lombard, President IAF and from the Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture Julia Klöckner a video greeting were addressed to the participants.
The patron of the event, was unfortunately prevented because of coalition negotiations, but he sent the Secretary of State of the Bavarian Ministry of Interior and Integration, Gerhard Eck, who himself is a hunter. His greetings contained an unmistakable message to those present: "Our evident commitment to hunting: Hunting is simply the basis of existence in the cultivated landscape".
The ceremonial address was given by the historian Robert Seidenader on "1300 years of falconry in Bavaria". An entertaining excursion through the Bavarian history and it roots of falconry.
The traditionally AGM of the DFO, held on Friday evening, aroused the mind especially at the point of increase the membership fee of 20 € and the consent of the budget. The discussion was not ended until a committed member compared the price hike in comparison of a swivel of the value of about 20 €, to the work of the Board.
With the elections and honors the AGM ended around 10:20 pm. The new board is composed as follows:
President: Elisabeth Leix
Vice President: Niels Meyer-Först, Dr. Olaf Sander, Ulrich Kreutz
Secretary: Anke Bormann
Deputy Secretary: Stephan Wunderlich
Treasurer: Thomas Hornung
Honorary members were appointed the outgoing president Mr. Hans-Albrecht Hewicker and Walter Bednarek. Other departing members of the board and extended council were Ferdinand Baer, Alexander Prinz, Prof. Dr. Thomas Richter. New appointed to the extended council was Dr. Ruth Kothe for Chairlady of animal Welfare.
The week-end event of IAF and DFO was concluded with the "Gala Evening" at the WELCOME Congress Hotel in Bamberg with over 400 guests, in a colorful, convivial international company with acknowledgments and gifts for the organizers and a raffle.
The organization of the DFO field meeting and the IAF was hosted by the board of the Bavarian DFO and their members.
The warm thanks of the organizers goes to the city of Bamberg, the generous support of the hunting district owners, the horn blower section of Bamberg and the many helpers. All helpers will be named and thanked at the spring meeting of the Bavaria DFO and a detailed report will be published in the yearbook 2019.
We also thank the already mentioned sponsors, as well as the Bavarian Hunting Association, S.A.T GmbH- VIP-Shuttle Service, Waffen Rost and the Allgäuer landscape service Heisig, A.C.Weiß GmbH&Co.KG, Gaststätte Breidenstein, who supported the conference financially or with commodity contributions.
Our thanks to the following people who contributed to the success of the conference (in alphabetical order)
Björn Eilers, Johannes Brehm, Nicole Filser, Dr. Dominik Fischer, Anja Früh, Jürgen Hattel, Konrad Kohlert, Julia Kramer, Jürgen& Reinhold Kreitmeier, Valentin Lang, Elisabeth-Laura und Klaus Leix, Corinna Linsner, Barbara & Michael Mickisch, Matej Mezovsky, Julian Mühle, Dr. Roman, Volker Roth, Dr. Olaf Sander, Tobi Santl, Heike Schneider, Frank Seifert, Sylvia Urbaniak, Georg Weigler, Katharina Weinberger, Severin Weybora, Stephan Wunderlich
as well the den Bayerische Jagdverband und der Waffen Rost.
Last but not least, many thanks to all donors of the raffle.
If someone has been forgotten, please apologize.
A gallery with many photos you can find here.
