Dave, I greatly enjoyed our call, even though much of the subject matter is still difficult to discuss, and at times still hard to believe as it relates to an organization I, my company and so many good people worked so hard to support and advance a Mission we so strongly believed in. As you said, our company Safari Classics Productions enjoyed a 20+ year business relationship with DSC which began with their Title sponsorship of our Tracks Across Africa TV series on Outdoor Channel. It then grew to include sponsorship of our two subsequent series Hornadys Dark and Dangerous and Trijicons World Of Sports Afield series on Sportsman's Channel.
Eventually that business relationship grew to include a marketing and messaging contract with the DSC Foundation, soon followed by a similar contract with DSC proper that started soon after the hiring of Executive Director Corey Mason, who's job description eventually became CEO of the organization. Over the last twenty years we have served approximately 15 different Presidents, several Executive Directors and eventually one CEO, Corey Mason. Our relationships with each, as well as their boards has been intimate, well documented and successful on many levels. During those times, Safari Classics has never been referred to by any other title than 'Inseparable Partners" to DSC.
I have given heart, soul, time, treasure and talent in support of DSC and its Foundation through work on boards and comitteeies. I served as a featured writer in their publication Game Trails, and conducted countless seminars and appearances at DSC events.
Our relationship with CEO Corey Mason was as close on a professional and personal basis as any we have ever enjoyed. DSC hit the lottery when they chose Corey to lead the organization. Under his leadership SCP worked tirelessly to grow from what was seen as a statewide hunting organization to an International leader on the worlds Conservation stage. It was he who approved the now famous tagline CONSERVATION THROUGH HUNTING, which became the centerpiece branding message of much of our successful messaging campaigns. Corey Mason had a clear vision, and worked tirelessly to turn the Queen Mary ( those who wanted the 1980 DSC 'Good old boys club that dominated the boards year after year, to a board that brought a diverse and professional perspective to their board positions. He desired, sought and eventually created the finest board that DSC had ever enjoyed.
This new generation board consisted of several outdoor industry leaders, CEO's of major outdoor brands, business professionals with immense board experience, lawyers, and entrepreneurs who understood marketing. Under Coreys leadership, new boards became WORKING BOARDS, with goals and expectations. This upgrade in board positions, all voted on by the membership bye the way, began to rankle past leaders, some of who, in my personal opinion, were far more interested in maintaining a sense of power and relevance, over supporting the clubs new direction and upwards trajectory to a leadership position on the world conservation stage.
During these years of inspired leadership, DSC became a powerful influence on Capitol Hill, and in the halls of power of many foreign countries who not only courted, but counted on DSC's leadership at international stages such as CITIES, CIC, FACE and many others. I will forever be proud of our companies participation in that growth. Under Coreys direction, we brought our stories, Mission and successes to life for the world to see. I will always be grateful for those years of collaboration!
But even as this unprecedented growth was underway, old resentments, underfed egos and thirst for personal power and recognition began to grow into the cancer that has now crippled the DSC, and many of you loved.
The tipping point came as Corey, at the strong recommendation from their excellent Government Affairs Director in DC, decided to distance from a Hunting Achievement Award long called the OHAA ( Outstanding Hunter Achievement Award) long presented at DSC Conventions. As stated in their own literature, this award had no conservation component, it is simply a body count, score driven award. DSC has for several years began focusing on Conservation based awards, including awards to recognize outstanding service in that field, as well as recognizing legislative leaders who support outdoors people and hunters.
As the Japanese Admiral famously said after the attack on Pear Harbor, " I am afraid we have awakened the sleeping giant." DSC and Corey, by attempting to distance from a body count hunting award had now "awakened the sleeping giant egos." A board meeting was called, and suddenly people who were rarely seen came out of the DSC woodwork to howl down the separation of DSC from the OHAA award. Corey made a passionate plea, supported by opinion polls and statistic data that showed the complete lack of support for such awards had with the public, most hunters as well as lawmakers.
It came down to a hard fought vote. It was obvious that the swing vote would belong to a man that today I see as the epicenter of the downfall of the DSC I loved. Five minutes before the meeting, this man told both the CEO and myself, and I asked him to look me in the eyes when I asked for his word on it, that Corey had his vote. He said YES. Forty-five minutes later he voted NO, in favor of the screaming minority supporting the OHAA.
I am a very direct man. I would make a terrible poker player. My friends know where I stand, at all times... so do my enemies. After hiding in the boardroom for 45 minutes, I confronted this man in front of several of his friends who were congratulating him for his vote. My words were neither pleasant, or professional. I remember saying "I hope you just sealed your lying ass in the Alamo, as I think you are a cancer in this great organization and you have my word that I will do anything I can to cut you out." He was, of course, perfectly within his right to cast his vote as he saw best. But this came on the heels of so many times I saw his votes and actions as self-serving, foolish, and far outside the interest of DSC.
Battle lines were now formed between the 'Good old boys, and girls DSC" and the DSC we knew until recently. We fought for Coreys vision, and no matter the cost I am proud of our decision.
While this situation simmered, the CEO, President and board began preparing for the much discussed, but unfortunately necessary move to Atlanta. A move that was in fact VOTED FOR UNANIMOUSLY despite what many in the current leadership have said when stating "we were against Atlanta from the start!" That is bullshit of the highest order. Our company, SCP made several trips to Atlanta, and on top of our vast preparation during the Dallas Convention, began preparing for the largest marketing effort ever launched in support of a DSC Convention. The mountain of material Safari Classics produced, ready and 'in the can' was scheduled to launch July 1, with no let up until the convention opened. The scope was immense, as would have been the delivery! Radio, TV, interviews with sports and outdoor publications, including a massive social media campaign targeting the entire South East Region was locked and loaded to advertise and promote the DSC Convention to an region that has 3.1 Million Hunting Licenses sold...BUT AS YOU KNOW IF YOU ATTENDED THE CONVENTION, IT NEVER HAPPEND.
Our company had also set up a program with Anheuser-Busch, through relationships with my partner Tim Danklef, who spent years in upper management at AB and still has powerful friends there, to advertise the DSC Convention in 9,000 AB retailers from big box outlets, to Mom and Pop stores within a four hour drive loop of Atlanta. This plan was executed by, and known only to Corey and SCP, and it would have introduced to the board for approval upon signing. And the price to DSC would have been... ZERO!!! And every vendor that attended the Atlanta Convention paid the price in order for a small, but powerful handful of DSC leaders to promote a personal vendetta against our firm, despite the cost to the convention and to you!
None of the scheduled advertising created by SCP was ever deployed, as we were fired July 1st, the exact date the advertising blitz was scheduled to begin. We were replaced with a company with seemingly zero knowledge of the hunting or conservation space. They were pushed as they have a close working relationship with a current DSC Foundation board member. I will let attendees and vendors tell you if they thought the marketing, if there was any, worked to your satisfaction?
As the factions splintered, the board that had helped steer DSC toward the future began to tire of the continual need battle the egos and near-sighted nonsense that were driving the organization backwards. What I will ever refer to as 'the hostile takeover' began when a past president, who by our by-laws is in charge of the powerful nominating committee, unexpectedly died. This was seen as an opportunity for the take-over faction to get busy.
The DSC Admin committee had, as per the DSC by-laws, researched and nominated 5 highly qualified candidates to put up for the vote in March. The Admin Committed then took that to the DSC Board for approval. The Vote of the board was unanimous in favor of the 5 candidates.
In late November the Admin committee found the DSC Foundation was out of compliance on a couple of important issues. At that point, the DSC Foundation President responded back and copied the entire DSCF board, the DSC Board and DSC Staff. Around the first of December, 5 non-directors got together and requested a Directors Only Meeting, of which the DSC Foundation President was one of the five included. That Directors meeting was held shortly after, and attended by the Nine Directors Only. At that meeting it was discussed by the directors to re-do the Nominating Committee, and throw out the five previously unanimously approved candidates.
Four of the nine sitting board members were completely opposed this action. It was then decided to delay this process until the completion of the 2024 DSC Convention. The four directors in opposition thought cooler heads would prevail as this appeared to be the beginning of a hostile takeover. Shortly after the Convention, the Directors re-conviened and voted five to four to throw out previously, unanimously approved candidates, and instead appoint the living past President, certainly aligned with the take-over faction, as the Chairman of a NEW Nominating committee to select 5 new candidates of their choosing.
Between that action and the next meeting of the new Nominating Committee ( Prior to the schedules Feb 13 board meeting) three of the four opposing directors resigned in protest, as did the DSC President-Elect and members of both the DSC, and DSC Foundation board, leaving the President and one of the four opposing directors to assist with the Nominating Committee through the next board meeting. Five new candidates were chosen, of which three of the five were opposed by not only the current DSC President, and the fourth remaining Director, but also the CEO of DSC and DSCF.
At the next board meeting the five newly proposed names were approved by a majority of the board. At the conclusion of this board meeting, the sitting DSC President and the fourth opposing Director resigned in deep protest.
As expected, these five overqualified board member and officers resignations, complete with scalding letters of disdain for new 'leaderships' methods and direction were far from being considered or viewed as alarming loss of confidence, but instead celebrated by the folks now in control of DSC\ DSCF. Predictably a new slate of 'pet candidates', loyal to the new bosses and grateful for their sudden ascent to board posts, replaced the board members who resigned in protest and disgust. I being one of them, as I resigned as the senior member of the DSC Foundation board.
Moments before the vote on our Safari Classics Productions contracts, with us knowing we were dead men walking with the new hand selected board, Corey Mason gave the board his insight and opinion on the SCP \ DSC relationship. He told then none of the choices that had been presented for the marketing\messaging contract had his confidence, or were in SCP's league in their ability to produce the immense workload he and the organization had counted on year to year. He gave his opinion that if they voted SCP out, it would have catastrophic negative impacts on marketing of DSC, its Foundation, the upcoming Atlanta Convention, and finally his ability to lead in the direction he believed in.
Ten minutes later, in a vote that was not close, the board fired SCP, and in my, and countless opinions of vendors that know us and have told us so, doomed the Atlanta Convention, as well as their revenue, all to sooth the wounded feelings of the man, and his wife, who I called out over the OHAA vote. It may not be a coincidence that 15 minutes after that vote, Corey announced his resignation as CEO of DSC \ DSCF....
And that group has now arranged the board, the nominating process and the power structure in such a manner that their wishes, whatever time proves that to be, will be in place for years to come. In other words, if you are not on board with their plan, you will never be allowed to serve on a board or as an officer. And folks, I am not alone in that bold statement, I an just the first to put it in print.
In the vacuum left by Corey, an acting Chief Executive Officer was appointed until a new CEO was appointed. My very inside opinion is that this fellow is 'hand in glove' with the new leadership, fought against SCP from Day 1, and will continue to serve the powers that be, and by no means do I consider those powers to mean the new CEO.
I do not know the new CEO. I hear he is a good guy, but has a limited, if any background in international conservation. Regardless, I wish him nothing but the best. I actually feel sorry for him because I know the issues, and some of the people he inherited. But I doubt he will 'Rock The Current Boat' as he works now fora board who really runs this version of DSC.
I will share a final, but cryptic exchange between the incoming DSC President and my team that happened in our office shortly before we were terminated. He told us, and this is only a couple of words from an exact quote " From now on, this board does not want to hear the term Conservation Through Hunting' on our branded TV shows, in your articles, on any messaging or social media posts. We ARE NOT A CONSERVATION FIRST ORGANIZATION. We do some conservation work, but we are going to get back to being exactly what this club was designed to be in the first place...A Hunting Club." After looking at the shocked faces of my partners , I believe I said something to the effect of " Well. good luck with raising money for your Hunt'n Club! I meant it then, mean it now.
If a Hunting Club is what you're looking for, than today's DSC is for you. Corey Mason was not fired, he, like all of us at SCP did not see a future of leading, in his case, or working for, in our case, a Hunt'n Club. As most of you know now Corey has taken his wealth of talent and energy to The Wild Sheep Foundation and his impact is already being celebrated there.
The above are my views alone. I am speaking for no one else, yet I know many in-the-know folks share my views and have pushed me hard to tell the truths I have now highlighted.
Some will say, " Fulson is just disgruntled because he was fired. I get that, even though it is far from the truth. This group now in charge of DSC could not hire my firm back at any price. We have, as Dave West indicated, now partnered with SCI who is today far and away more aligned with our companies mission and vision. We could not be more excited to be representing the group that is most dedicated to promoting and preserving our hunting heritage in a world increasingly hostile to our beliefs. We are more than a production company, we work so passionately in the hunting and conservation space because that's who we are, hunters and conservation warriors.
I do and will always have dear friends at DSC. They know who they are. My days of involvement at DSC are over, but I \ we will always cherish the memories made, and take pride in the many accomplishments we had a hand in. The same for the friendships we will still enjoy in the years ahead.
The ire you see from me is due to a very small, but obviously powerful group of ego-driven types that I feel will laugh as the kingdom burns...as long as they can still rule over its ashes.
Best Regards, Dave
