FAQs

Why are you a “Christian” club?  Why aren’t you just have a generic club or are a club without a title that potentially offends prospective members?

We are a Christian club because our purpose is:

• To share the joy and experience of hunting and fishing with other Christian Sportsmen
• To encourage Christian fellowship
• To challenge men and women to establish and maintain a personal relationship with Jesus Christ
• To encourage serving the Lord Jesus
• To encourage fellowship in a local church that teaches the Bible is literally true

There are many clubs/organizations that focus on a particular animal or cause (e.g., Ducks Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, The National Wild Turkey Federation, The NRA, U.S. Sportsmen’s Alliance, etc.).  We choose to focus on hunting, fishing, shooting, and similar activities in a Christian atmosphere.  We are not ashamed of the Gospel (Good News) of Jesus Christ and that we are His disciples.  We are not going to attempt to hide who we are just because it might offend some who are perishing (destined for hell because they do not belong to Jesus) or Christians who are ashamed to let people know that they belong to Jesus.  On 1/19/09, the officers unanimously agreed that we should be up-front about who we are and that sportsmen who are put off by our name would also be put off by the things that we do (Bible studies and praying) and not do (drinking, gambling, etc.) even if we changed our name to a more generic one, such as The Hill Country Sportsmen’s Club.

What types of events does FCS host?

We host dozens of quality and affordable family events year round throughout the state including, but not limited to:

• Big Game Hunts (deer and hogs)
• Clay Target Shoots (5-stand, flurry, skeet, sporting clays, trap, and wobble trap)
• Concealed Handgun License (CHL) Classes
• Dinners
• Dove Hunts
• Duck Hunts
• Fishing Trips (fresh and saltwater)
• Meetings
• Ministry Events
• Promotions
• Shooting Range Shoots
• Upland Bird Hunts (chuckars, pheasants, and quail)

We have hosted many other events, including:

• 24-Hour Sporting Clays Shoots
• A Kayak Trip
• A Texas Hunter Education course
• A Turkey Shoot
• A Varmint Hunt (bobcats, coyotes, and foxes)
• Camping Trips
• Canoe Trips
• Dart Shoots (archery)
• Goose Hunts
• Hunting and Gathering (shopping) Trips
• Laser Tag Games
• Nights at the Races (car)
• Rabbit Hunts
• Sheep Hunts
• Shooting Classes

Do I have to be a FCS member in order to participate in FCS events?

No.  Anyone can attend FCS events.  The primary reason that we have membership dues is to share expenses.  These include liability insurance, web hosting, our domain name, photocopying, postage, DVD and video tape purchases, miscellaneous office supplies, filling up the FCS propane tank, etc.  Membership also instills a sense of belonging and commitment.  We appreciate it when people join the Club and when members renew their memberships.

Do I have to be a member of or attend a church and/or be a Christian in order to participate in FCS events or join FCS?

No to both questions.  Anyone can attend FCS events.  Anyone is welcome to join FCS providing that he or she has expressed a desire to be a member by completing an FCS Adult Membership Application and paid FCS adult membership due.  However, the FCS Membership Covenant requires members to conduct themselves as Christian sportsmen during FCS events.  This will be difficult to do if a man or woman is not a Christian, as he or she will not know how a Christian is supposed to act.  Just like it would be difficult for someone without a background in engineering to conduct himself or herself as an engineer, for example.

Do I have to be an experienced angler/hunter/shooter in order to participate in FCS events?

No.  We have all types of sportsmen at FCS events, from novices to veterans.  We delight in teaching others what we know.  However, some events require a certain amount of familiarity with techniques in order to be successful.  For example it would be better for a novice hunter to try his hand at dove hunting before diving into duck hunting.  It would also be better for a novice fisherman to learn how to plastic worm fish before signing up for a guided bay fishing trip where the bait will be croakers and/or piggy perch (which have a bite similar to a bass hitting a plastic worm).

Do I have to possess a lot of equipment in order to participate in FCS events?

No.  Many FCS members and guests have extra equipment and would be happy to loan it to another member or guest with adequate notice and if it is available.  All events on the “FCS Upcoming Events” section of the Main Page have a contact person listed.  Contact him or her if you need to borrow equipment.  Of course equipment must be returned clean and in good working order.  If you break something that you borrow you must repair or replace it.  Also only one shooter shoots at a time at our sporting clays and skeet shoots, so it is not necessary for everyone to have a shotgun (one shotgun will work for an entire squad).

Can I bring my spouse and children on FCS events?

Absolutely!  We are very family friendly.  Most of our events are designed to maximize fellowship.  Sporting clays and skeet shoots, shooting range shoots, dove retreats and hunts, meetings, dinners, promotions, and ministry events are excellent events to take families to.

Our sporting clays and skeet shoots and shooting range shoots are great events for men, women, and children to learn how to shoot or to improve their skills.

For dove retreats we try to pair new hunters up with veterans so that the veterans can assist the newbie’s.

Guided deer/hog/sheep hunts, goose/duck hunts, upland game bird hunts, and chartered fishing trips are less family friendly due to space limitations and gear requirements.  Also, many outfitters and guides charge a “spectator fee.”

If you bring your children please closely supervise them for their safety and the safety of others.

Why do some FCS events cost so much/cost so little?

Through years of experience we have learned that cheap events usually generate cheap results (you get what you pay for).  We try to find a balance between cheap and expensive.  Many of our events are very affordable.

One of our dove hunts is free and the only required expense for our self-guided hog hunts is each hunter must purchase three bags of corn or contribute $15 – $25 to reimburse the landowner for his corn.  Our non-chartered deep sea, bay, and bass fishing trips usually involve only shared gas (shared bait is optional).  The cost for meetings is an optional small fee for food (usually around $5.00 – $12.00).  A day at the shooting range goes for $10 (not including a $10.00 lifetime range card).  A round of skeet goes for $6.00 – $10.00 and a round of sporting clays goes for $19.00 – $27.00.  Dove hunts are $50.00 a day and up.

Our day leased deer/hog/sheep; guided duck/goose; guided upland bird hunts; 24 hour sporting clays shoots; chartered deep sea, bay, and bass fishing trips; CHL; and pistol classes are held with reputable and experienced landowners, outfitters, and guides.  These events are more expensive but we do a lot of research to find the best deals for our bucks.  We are aware that expensive events usually poorly attended, but we are also aware that cheap events may be well attended one year but few people will attend them again because the results are usually poor.

Hunting and fishing have become big business in Texas and across the country.  For example, years ago many farmers and ranchers would pay to have hunters remove hogs from their property.  Now most farmers and ranchers charge around $200/weekend for hunters to hunt their pigs.  Some even charge by the pound or the length of the tusk!

Why do some events require an RSVP and payment in advance?

Many outfitters and guides require not only an RSVP but also partial or full payment in advance.  They usually limit the number of people per guide (usually no more than eight duck/goose hunters per guide and no more than six fishermen per charter).  We have encountered situations where people who signed up were not able to attend and those who did attend had to pay for the other person as well, which was not fair to them.  For such guides/charters, to prevent this we require payment in advance.  In that manner if someone is not able to attend the others don’t have to spring for him or her.

For meetings we buy enough food to feed those who signed up.  For example for our annual steak dinner, if I have 15 people sign up I’ll buy 15 steaks.  Consequently if someone shows up without RSVPing he or she will either need to eat in advance, bring his or her own food, or run to the store to get something to throw on the grill.  The days of me, Randy Rowley, making two or more trips to the store because people are not considerate in RSVPing (and then show up at meetings and expect to be fed) are over.

Is FCS affiliated with a church?

No.  We assist local churches by providing Christian fellowship and reaching sportsmen in ways that churches cannot.

Does FCS have a deer, hog, dove, etc. lease?

No.  We have discussed having a Club lease and even buying property on more than one occasion, but the obstacles have always been insurmountable.  They include lack of funds, how to handle land or lease payments, what to do if a member wants to sell his share of the land or lease, maintaining the property, and how to handle guests (at most leases they have to hunt off of the member’s tag allotments).  Every time that we have discussed this we simply have not had enough members willing to pay the kind of money that was involved.  We have had and continue to have Club members join leases together but that is far from a Club lease, where any member could hunt.

Who can submit prayer requests, classified ads, articles, stories, devotionals/Bible studies, recipes, etc. for publication on the FCS website?

We invite articles, business directory information, classified ads, hunting and fishing stories, jokes, links, members’ profiles, pictures, poems, product and service reviews and recommendations, recipes, safety tips, and useful information for sportsmen submissions from supporting FCS adult members.  We invite Bible study, devotional, praise, and prayer request submissions from all FCS adult members.  We reserve the right to edit and refuse to post the material.  We can only use original submissions unless the author’s work is not copyrighted.  No material on our website or on one of our newsletters may be reproduced in print or electronically without my written/electronic permission.

Members can e-mail their requests/documents to me, mail them to me (my address is on the Membership Directory), or phone them into me (my phone number is on the Membership Directory).  For classified ads, include a lot of details and submit pictures (a picture is worth a thousand words).  Please research your item on www.e-bay.com or http://austin.craigslist.org/ (for general items) and www.gunbroker.com or www.gunsamerican.com (for guns and accessories) and find out what the going rate is.

Why are the FCS Membership and Guest Directories password protected and what is the password?

We password protect our directories to prevent spammers from adding our members and guests e-mail addresses to their distribution lists.  Members can e-mail me and I will give them the password.

When I click on “Directories” on the Main FCS Page I get a blank page with a URL address of “about:blank.”  What is wrong?

Our password protection program does not work with Internet Explorer 7.0 or 8.0.  Members can e-mail me and I will give them the direct links.

Why do your Bylaws and other web pages say that FCS is non-political yet you send out commentary on political issues in your weekly FCS News?

FCS is not a political organization.  Politics does nothing to further our primary purpose “to encourage Christian fellowship opportunities for people who like to hunt, shoot, and fish” and only accomplishes division.  Every time that we distribute something political, including political jokes, someone gets offended.  We lost a member, came extremely close to losing another member, lost a guest who probably would have joined, and have had a lot of heated words exchanged over politics.  Therefore, on 10/27/05, the active Club members approved added to our Bylaws that FCS is a “non-political” organization.

However, our purpose and Bylaws do not prevent us from encouraging everyone to vote for pro-gun/pro-hunting candidates.  We just won’t name a particular candidate or party.  Nor do they prevent us from letting our members and potential members know of political attacks on hunting and guns (if we did not possess guns our opportunities to hunt and shoot would be very limited).  Call it self-preservation.

Who can buy FCS Gear?

Anyone can buy FCS Gear at any time.  FCS Gear can be mailed to your address or are available at Club Meetings and many other FCS events.  For all FCS Gear purchases except the Magellan Fishing Shirts (the details are explained on the FCS Gear web page) please make your check out to “FCS” and mail it to Kevin Wall, FCS Treasurer, 205 Covala Drive, Cedar Park, TX, 78613 along with your order.  Please do not send cash.  If you would like to have an item(s) shipped to you please indicate the address that you would like it (them) shipped to and include in your check enough money to cover the cost of postage and a large envelope (see the FCS Gear web page for specific postage and envelope amounts).

How do I get added to the FCS e-mail distribution list?

Simply ask me to subscribe you at randy@fcs-texas.org.  You can unsubscribe at any time.

What is the difference between a FCS supporting adult member and a FCS adult member?

FCS supporting adult members are active in their membership dues.

Supporting FCS adult members receive the following membership benefits:

• Quarterly newsletter, Annual Calendar, and Annual Membership Directory (for members who do not have Web access).

Supporting FCS adult members have the following rights:

• Make amendment proposals to the FCS Bylaws, Statement of Faith, Annual Calendar of Events, and/or Annual Fiscal Year Budget;
• Participate in all supporting FCS member discussions and votes; and
• Check out (borrow) FCS equipment items, videos, and books.

Supporting FCS adult members will have their articles, business directory information, classified ads, hunting and fishing stories, jokes, links, members’ profiles, pictures, poems, product and service reviews and recommendations, recipes, safety tips, and useful information for sportsmen submissions posted on the FCS website.

All FCS adult members will have their Bible study, devotional, praise, and prayer request submissions posted on the FCS website.

FCS adult members who are presently not supporting the Club do not receive quarterly newsletters, annual calendars, and annual membership directories in the mail.  They also do not have the rights that supporting FCS adult members have, although those who have e-mail addresses continue to receive FCS e-mails.

All FCS adult members can purchase FCS Gear at any time and have the password to access the guests and membership directories.

What do I need to do to join FCS?

Complete an FCS Adult Membership Application and mail it and your membership due to Kevin Wall, FCS Treasurer, at 205 Covala Drive, Cedar Park, TX, 78613.  Please do not send cash.  Make your check out to “FCS.”

Membership due options include:

• One-year membership/membership renewal – $20.00
• Two-year membership/membership renewal – $35.00 (a 13% discount)
• Three-year membership/membership renewal – $50.00 (a 17% discount)
• Five-year membership/membership renewal – $80.00 (a 20% discount)
• Lifetime membership – $300.00 (equivalent to 15 one-year membership renewals)

New FCS adult members receive no FCS Gear membership benefit; however, new FCS adult members who wish to purchase FCS Gear at the time they join the Club can do so as FCS Gear can be purchased at any time.

What do I need to do to renew my FCS membership?

Mail your membership due check to Kevin Wall, FCS Treasurer, at 205 Covala Drive, Cedar Park, TX, 78613.  Please do not send cash.  Make your check out to “FCS.”  Renewing FCS adult members receive no FCS Gear membership benefit; however, renewing FCS adult members who wish to purchase FCS Gear at the time of their renewals can do so as FCS Gear can be purchased at any time.