Problem binding parameters in DBD::ODBC

[Tim Howell]

My app uses the following statements to try and call a stored procedure running on SQL 
Server 7:

        #Execute stored procedure sp_FEFC_BudgetedFinancialStatement to organize data 
for report
        my $shelby3_sth = $shelby3_db->prepare("EXEC 
sp_FEFC_BudgetedFinancialStatement ?, ?, ?;");
        
        $shelby3_sth->bind_param(1, $fiscal_year_parameter, DBI::SQL_VARCHAR);
        $shelby3_sth->execute($period, $db_data{'DeptNu'});

Unfortunately, I always get the following error:

DBD::Proxy::st execute failed: Server returned error: Failed to execute method 
CallMethod: DBD::ODBC::st execute failed: [Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver]Invalid 
character value for cast specification (SQL-22018)(DBD: st_execute/SQLExecute err=-1) 
at C:/Perl/site/lib/DBI/ProxyServer.pm line 344.
DBD::Proxy::st execute failed: Server returned error: Failed to execute method 
CallMethod: DBD::ODBC::st execute failed: [Microsoft][ODBC SQL Server Driver]Invalid 
character value for cast specification (SQL-22018)(DBD: st_execute/SQLExecute err=-1) 
at C:/Perl/site/lib/DBI/ProxyServer.pm line 344.

I've tried several different options including not using bind_param at all, and trying 
$shelby3_sth->execute('5/1/2003', $period, $db_data{'DeptNu'}) with the same results.

DBD::ODBC is version 1.06.

Ideas?

Thanks!  =)

--TWH