By By MIKE VOSS
mike@wdnweb.com
Contributing Editor
By MIKE VOSS
Although the East Carolina Wildlife Arts Festival and North Carolina Decoy Carving Championships may seem more or less a “man’s world,” it has a woman’s touch.
Actually, it has the touch of several women, volunteers who make the annual event possible. The event is organized by the East Carolina Wildfowl Guild, which makes use of volunteers from inside and outside the guild to prepare for and help run the festival.
Sandra Gossett, a guild member and the festival’s exhibitors chairwoman, knows first-hand the importance of the volunteers’ efforts in putting the festival together. She’s worked closely with those women and some of their husbands.
“We couldn’t do it without them. That’s not a cliche, it’s true. It could not be done without the volunteers,” Gossett said.
Joann Sullivan has long been associated with the festival.
“She takes care of the carving competition. That’s a big job,” Gossett said. “Joann and John Elliott are co-chairmen of the carving competition. … She keeps that part of the festival running smoothly.”
When it comes to a jill-of-all-trades in regard to the festival, Dee Mathiesen fills that position, Gossett said. Mathiesen is the guild’s recording secretary-treasurer.
“Everything. She goes in where we need her, anywhere in the show,” Gossett said about Mathiesen. “Wherever she’s needed, she’s there. She just does what needs to be done.”
Gossett also had praise for Pam Huss, who coordinates the Kidz Zone activities during the festival.
“She’s made herself invaluable. She takes care of the children’s tent. She’s done a fantastic job,” Gossett said. “Pam and her crew have a ball with those kids. They have a good time.”
Julie Hicks and her husband, Mike, are co-chairmen of the festival’s wildlife-arts auction.
“Julie and Mike are doing a great job with the auction. They’ve got that thing going good,” Gossett said.
Jane Fields and her husband, George, are involved with the auction, too.
“Jane and George are a big help. They usually pick up the auction items,” Gossett said.
Cathy Waters, a guild director, also has a hand in running the festival.
“She takes care of the guild items we sell during the festival,” Gossett said. “She does a real good job with that.”
Gossett said other volunteers such as Brenda Evans and Margaret Mallard, who is not a guild member, provide valuable assistance during the festival and other times.
“We work all year-long on the festival. … They help us during a festival and as we prepare for another festival,” Gossett said.
Gossett should know just how hard the volunteers work. For the most part, she supervises a majority of their work. As exhibitors chairwoman for the festival, it’s her job to recruit exhibitors and vendors for the festival. That means dealing with 120 vendors and exhibitors, if not more, determining where they will be located, and handling any problems regarding the vendors and exhibitors that may arise during the festival.
East Carolina Wildlife Arts Festival
and N.C. Decoy Carving Championships
Friday, Feb. 11
DockDogs Venue (Kugler Field)
9 a.m.: Registration Opens
10 a.m.: Speed Retrieve Competition 1
Noon: Big Air Wave Competition 1
2 p.m.: Big Air Wave Competition 2
4 p.m.: Big Air Wave Competition 3 
Main Festival
10 a.m.-5 p.m.: Exhibitor Set-up
Noon-5 p.m.: Registration for Carving Competition — Red Men’s Lodge
5:30 p.m.: Art Competition Judging
5:30 p.m.: Judging for Best Show Exhibit
7 p.m.-9 p.m.: Preview for Sponsors, Exhibitors and Invited Guests, Co-hosted by The East Carolina Bank and the East Carolina Wildfowl Guild
8 p.m.: Welcome, Recognition and Raffles
8:30 p.m.: Unveiling of the 2011 N.C. Duck Stamp and Announcement of Art Competition Winners
Saturday, Feb. 12
7:30 a.m.-9:30 a.m.: Registration for Carving Competition – Red Men’s Lodge
9 a.m.-10 a.m.: Registration for Southern Classic Duck, Goose and Swan Calling Championships — West End of Stewart Parkway
9 a.m.: Show Opens to the Public— Shuttles for Public Transportation to Different Venues Provided Free.
9 a.m.-Noon: Children’s Decoy Painting Contest — N.C. Estuarium, Free to Public
9 a.m.-5 p.m.: Learn to Carve Booth Open — Red Men’s Lodge
10 a.m.-until: Southern Classic Duck, Goose and Swan Calling Championships and Awards Ceremony — Free to Public
DockDogs Venue (Kugler Field)
9 a.m.: Registration Opens
10 a.m.: Speed Retrieve Competition 2
Noon: Big Air Wave Competition 4
2 p.m.: Big Air Wave Competition 5
4 p.m.: Extreme Vertical Competition
Main Festival
10 a.m.: Carving Competition Judging Begins — Order of Competitions Available at Registration Desk
10 a.m.: Retriever Demonstrations Green Area Adjacent to Estuarium on Water Street — Free to Public
2 p.m.: Retriever Demonstrations – Green Area Adjacent to Estuarium on Water Street — Free to Public
5 p.m.: Show Closes to Public – Shuttle Service Ends for the Day
5:30 p.m.: Silent Auction — Washington Yacht and Country Club
6 p.m.: Seafood Buffet Dinner at Auction— WYCC
7:30 p.m. until: Live Auction — WYCC — Cash Bar Available
Sunday, Feb. 13
DockDogs Venue (Kugler Field)
9 a.m.: Registration Opens
10 a.m.: Speed Retrieve Competition 3
Noon: Big Air Wave Competition 6
2:30 p.m.: Speed Retrieve Finals
3 p.m.: Big Air Amateur Finals
3:30 p.m.: Big Air Semi-Pro Finals
4 p.m.: Big Air Pro Finals
Main Festival
8:30-9:30 a.m.: Church Service at First United Methodist Church Across From Civic Center
9 a.m.-4 p.m.: Learn to Carve Booth Open — Red Men’s Lodge
9:30 a.m.: Show Opens to the Public — Free shuttles to Different Venues Provided
11 a.m.-noon: Registration for Southern Classic Duck, Goose and Swan Calling Championships — West End of Stewart Parkway
11:30 a.m.: Judging for the O’Neal’s Drug Store Carolina Gunning Decoy Division
11:30 a.m.: Judging for the East Carolina Young Guns Youth Division
Noon: Judging for NC Decoy Carving Championship Division
12:00 noon Southern Classic Competition Begins
1 p.m.: Judging for the East Carolina Young Guns Youth Division
2 p.m.: Retriever Demonstrations Green Area Adjacent to Estuarium on Water Street — Free to Public
2:30 p.m.: Judging for TRADE Carving Division
3 p.m.: Drawings for Door Prizes and Raffles — Civic Center
3:30 p.m.: Carving Competition Awards Ceremony
4 p.m.: Show Closes to Public and Carving Competition Checkout
4:30 p.m.: Shuttle Service Ends
Admission: One-Day Pass, $10; Three-Day Pass, $15