1/1/13 – State of the Club

Happy Silver Anniversary!  The October – December quarter of 2012 started our 25^th year as a Club!  Part of me finds it hard to believe that we’ve existed for 25 years.  Another part of me feels like we’ve been together for longer than that!  This occasion has caused me to reminisce.

Here are a few of my favorite memories from the past 25 years:

• On our inaugural hunt at the Appletree Ranch near Leakey, seven men and two children tightly packed into Lee Tunnel’s 2-door Ramcharger.  As we bounced at the mountain, Eddy Chance suddenly and unmercifully assaulted us with an invisible stream of gas.  The assault probably would have killed us all were it not for a quick thinking Terry Vance, who opened up the tiny sun roof.  The “P” of the Burp & Poot (B & P) Club (the predecessor of FCS) was born.
• The “B” was born on our trip back to Austin.  Our caravan had stopped for gas in Leakey.  As we filled up our tanks, Lee took a big swig from his coke can and let out a potential Guinness Book of World Records burp that some say is still echoing through the mountains near Leakey.
• Pat Wilson, Randy Slagle, and I lobbing shells at a herd of Mouflon sheep that were running full tilt down a mountain at the Appletree Ranch.  Miraculously, we managed to kill one, but we won’t know until we get to heaven which of us made that shot.  (Here are more Memories of Appletree.)
• Every vehicle except Randy Slagle’s Chevy Z71 and Paul Wilson’s Ford Ranger getting stuck during the Lake Uno Mas Hog Hunt.
• Jesse and Tim Price shooting at a herd of hogs in an oat field at the Uno Mas ranch and then watching the hogs run in every direction.  (Here are more Memories of Uno Mas.)
• Derrich Pollock setting himself on fire with Coleman fuel (he was trying to restart the fire) at a Winter Dove Retreat at James Wade’s land near Victoria.  Keith Miller put him out by jumping on top of him.
• A Winter Dove Retreat at the Camel Mills Ranch near Pearsall where it was so cold that Eddy Chance and Larry Dowden slept in Eddy’s Bronco with a Coleman stove with both burners on full blast.
• Eddy Chance falling out of Derrich Pollock’s boat while attempting to refresh the minnow bucket water while white bass fishing on a cold February night.  His belt got caught on the boat’s cleat so his upper half was under water and the rest of him was still in Derrich’s boat.  Derrich tried to grab Eddy’s belt but just before he was able to do so Eddy came off of the cleat and slid all of the way into the 60 degree water.  In a couple seconds Eddy came up for air.  Derrich and I hauled him out of the water.  Afterwards we caught a few more minnows and sat down and started to fish again.  But now the quiet of the night was interrupted occasionally by sudden bursts of uncontrollable laughter as Eddy’s swim played back in our minds.  (Here is the rest of the story.)
• Four of us chasing a hog for two hours in a 35 acre hog pen at the Brush Country Ranch.  Eddy Chance finally killed it after it hid in a tank with only it’s snout above water like a submerged submarine with its periscope sticking out of the water.
• Watching a buffalo charge a herd of hogs after dark with my night vision monocular on a hog hunt with Jim McGee at the Wild Hog Hunting Ranch near Gonzales.  (See Buffalos and Lions for the rest of the story.)
• Getting my truck stuck in the marsh near Corpus Christi.  We had to call a wrecker to haul it out after all of our attempts to get it out ourselves failed.  (See Stuck for the rest of the story.)
• Discovering that two hogs had stood fast after I lobbed three .30-06 shells at their companions who had flushed out of heavy cover at the CzC Ranch near Mercury.  (See Stand Fast for the rest of the story.)

Here are a few of our accomplishments over the past 25 years:

• The birth of the club in approximately December of 1988.
• The Club developed Bylaws in 1989.
• The Club elected officers for the first time, changed its name to The Fellowship of Christian Sportsmen, and developed a Statement of Faith in 1991.
• Having 38 people at a catfish fishing trip at Rainbow Lake in 1992.
• Having 17 hunters at the Lake Uno Mas hog hunt in 1992.
• A North Austin Chapter and a South Austin Chapter were established in 1996.  They were later re-combined on 2007.
• Having 69 people at a Fall Dove Retreat at the Camel Mills Ranch in 1996.
• Having 24 people at a rabbit hunt in 1998.
• Having 15 hunters at a guided duck hunt near Wharton in 2000.
• The supporting Club members approved allowing a members wife and adult female relatives to join the Club (but not women as a whole) in 2003.
• Having 28 shooters at a sporting clays shoot in 2003.
• The supporting Club members approved financially supporting the NRA (with an “individual” membership) in 2004.  (We now only support it if we have a surplus in our yearly budget.)
• Having 15 fishermen at a bay fishing trip near Corpus Christi in 2005, in five boats.
• Having 15 shooters at a shooting range shoot in 2006.
• Beginning a “Christian Sportsmen’s Class” at Great Hills Baptist Church in 2007.  The class grew to 11 members but was discontinued in 2009 because most of the members were not FCS members or sportsmen.
• An Austin Chapter and a Buda Chapter were established in 2007.  The Buda chapter officers resigned in 2009.  The Austin Chapter reverted to just the Club at large.
• The supporting Club members approved allowing any woman to join the Club in 2007.
• 32 new members in 2007.
• 50 first time guests in 2008.
• Having 28 people at a meeting in 2009.
• Having 13 hunters and fishermen at a self-guided blast and cast in 2009.
• 52 membership renewals in 2010.
• Having 7207 attendees at FCS events during the past 25 years.
• Hosting 717 events during the past 25 years.
• Taking in more than $17,000 in the past 25 years.
• Having over 235 members and almost 50 supporting members.
• Hosting over 50 events four out of the past five years (that’s more events per year than churches have Sunday morning worship services).

The October – December quarter of 2012 was a good one for the club.  Our attendance was 92 people, which was our eight best for this quarter.  We blew away what was our average for this quarter (67.38).  We had 14 events, which tied our third best for this quarter.  We would have had 16 events but we canceled the 10/6/12 ‘FlingFest’ Sporting Clays Tournament (lack of interest) and the 12/8/12 Guided Freshwater Duck Hunt (rescheduled for 1/18/13 – 1/20/13).

We had two men join the club, eight members renew their memberships, and twelve first time guests!  We conducted one officer vote.

2012 was a very good year for the Club.  We had 452 attendees for the year, which was out fifth best year to date.  We hosted 63 events, which was our second best year to date.

We had 11 more events but 10 fewer attendees than last year.  Our average number of attendees per event declined from 8.94 in 2011 to 7.17  in 2012 (due to me being able to only take two people with me on my self-guided duck hunts and self-chartered bass fishing trips).

As was noted on the Statistics page, we set one event category attendance record for 2012 – duck hunts (27; the old mark was 21).  We did not set any attendance records for specific events in 2012.

Thirteen scheduled events did not occur: three self-guided hog hunts (we had no place to go), an upland bird hunt (rained out and could not find a date to reschedule), the ‘McBride Open’ Sporting Clays Tournament (canceled due to the course being too muddy), the June Student Instructor/Student Sporting Clays Shoot (canceled because the National Shooting Complex could not round up enough instructors), the 8/4/12 ‘Margarita Open I’ Sporting Clays Tournament (lack of interest), 8/31/12 – 9/2/12 Dove Hunt – San Angelo (lack of interest), 9/14/12 Guided Teal Hunt (lack of interest) the 9/29/12 Sporting Clays and Skeet Shoot (rained out), the 10/6/12 ‘FlingFest’ Sporting Clays Tournament (lack of interest), the 12/8/12 Guided Freshwater Duck Hunt (rescheduled for 1/18/13 – 1/20/13), and the 12/30/12 ‘Year End Finale’ Sporting Clays Shoot (lack of interest).

We ended the year with our fifth highest number of first time guests (39; the record is 50), our seventh highest number of membership renewals (28; the record is 52), tying our eight highest number of active members (48; the record is 81), and our eleventh highest number of new members (5; the record is 32).

Also, every person on my duck hunt rotation list (30 people) was given an opportunity to hunt during this (the 2012/2013) season)!  I was able to take 17 hunters.

I was also able to take eight fishermen from my bass fishing rotation list, although I was not able to offer to take all 12 people on the list (but will hopefully be able to in 2013).

During Fiscal Year 2012 (9/1/11 – 8/31/12) we took in $864.00, which was our eight best. We spent $1058.08, which was our sixth highest amount spent.

We met three of my 2012 goals (and came close to meeting two others), which included:

1. Have 512 participants (a 10% increase over 2011) – not met, we had 452 participants.
2. Gain eight new members (a 14% increase over 2011) – not met, we gained five.
3. End the year with 51 supporting members (an 11% increase over 2011) – not met, we ended the year with 48 supporting members.
4. Have 46 guests (a 10% increase over 2011) – not met, we had 39 guests.
5. Host 57 events (a 10% increase over 2011) – met, we hosted 63 events.
6. Implement a wild game dinner for an apartment complex that houses persons who are elderly and/or disabled – met, completed on 5/8/12.
7. Implement a Clay Target Shoot for a youth organization – met, completed on 7/21/12.

For 2013 I have five goals:

1. Have 504 participants (a 10% increase over 2012).
2. Gain six new members (a 20% increase over 2012).
3. End the year with 51 supporting members (an 11% increase over 2012).
4. Have 43 guests (a 10% increase over 2012).
5. Host 66 events (a 6% increase over 2012).

The next quarter promises to be an exciting one for FCS members and guests.  We have 18 events planned, including:

• Wednesday, 1/2/13 through Sunday, 1/6/13 – Self-guided Duck Hunt at a location to be announced near Dilley.
• Friday, 1/4/13 through Sunday, 1/6/13 – Winter Dove Retreat at Mrs. Ewald’s ranches near Dilley.
• Friday, 1/4/13 through Sunday, 1/6/13 – Winter Dove Hunt at Eddy Chance’s leases near Nixon.
• Saturday, 1/12/13, 3:30 AM – 12:00 PM – Self-Guided Freshwater Duck Hunt on Granger Lake near Circleville.
• Saturday, 1/12/13, 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM – Wild Game Cook-off (Ministry Event) at Hill Country Bible Church (12124 Ranch Road 620 North, Austin).
• Saturday, 1/19/13, 9:00 AM – 11:30 AM –Sporting Clays and Skeet Shoot at the Capitol City Trap & Skeet Club (8707 Lindell Lane, Austin, 512-272-4707).
• Friday, 1/18/13 through Saturday, 1/19/13, 3:30 AM – 12:00 PM –Guided Blast and Cast (Saltwater Duck Hunt and Bay Fishing Trip) near Corpus Christi with Shallow Minded Guide Services.
• Saturday, 1/19/13, 3:30 AM – 12:00 PM – Self-Guided Freshwater Duck Hunt on Granger Lake near Circleville.
• Friday, 1/25/13 through Sunday, 1/27/13 – Self-Guided Saltwater Duck Hunt near Corpus Christi.
• Thursday, 2/7/13, 6:30 – 8:30 PM – Officers Meeting at Mighty Fine Burgers (10515 North MoPac # B205, Austin, 512-524-2400).
• Friday, 2/8/13 through Saturday, 2/9/13 – Night Vision Hog Hunt at the Texas Thermal Hog Hunts Ranch near Hubbard.
• Saturday, 2/9/13 – Guided Upland Bird Hunt with Schumann Brothers Outdoors near Dime Box.
• Monday, 2/11/13, 7:00 – 9:30 PM – FCS Meeting and Chili Cookoff at Charlie Batts’ home (9706 Bordeaux La., Austin, 512-258-8773 – Home, 512-750-2225 – Cell).
• Saturday, 2/16/13, 9:00 AM – 11:45 AM –Sporting Clays and Skeet Shoot at the Capitol City Trap & Skeet Club (8707 Lindell Lane, Austin, 512-272-4707).
• Saturday, 2/23/13 – Self-Chartered Bass Fishing Trip at a lake TBA.
• Sunday, 2/26/13, 12:45 – 3:30 PM – ‘Red Apple Open’ Sporting Clays Tournament at the Capitol City Trap & Skeet Club (8707 Lindell Lane, Austin, 512-272-4707).
• Saturday, 3/2/13 – Self-Chartered Bass Fishing Trip at a lake TBA.
• Saturday, 3/23/13, 9:00 AM – 11:45 AM – Sporting Clays and Skeet Shoot at the Capitol City Trap & Skeet Club (8707 Lindell Lane, Austin, 512-272-4707).
• Saturday, 3/30/13 – Self-Chartered White Bass Fishing Trip at Granger Lake.

As I consider New Years Day to be the most asinine of all holidays, rather than wishing you “Happy New Year” I will instead pray for the Lord to bless you throughout 2013.

Hunting His way,

Randy Rowley

President

The Fellowship of Christian Sportsmen