2004 Meeting Reports

12/9/04 Club Meeting minutes

Thirteen members, one guest, and three youth members (17 total participants) had a great time at the Christmas Club Meeting on 12/9/04 at my, Randy Rowley’s, home.  The meeting featured two deep fried turkeys cooked on our FCS Cooker.  Eddy Chance, Charles Cutchens, Mark Dillow, Larry Dowden, Gary McKenzie, Allen Neumann, Jeff Walls, and I brought side dishes and James Wade brought cooking oil.  James Wade led us in a devotional, and I led us in prayer for prayer requests that have been generated since the 10/7/04 Club Meeting.  The video Action Bucks VI Volume 2 was shown.  The minutes from the Business Meeting are as follows:

• A discussion was held on Upcoming Event Details.
• A discussion was held on the Proposed 2005 Calendar.
• A reminder was made that the new FCS caps or T-shirts are available as a new members and renewing members membership benefit and are available for sale to FCS members. 24 new T-shirts will be picked up by me tomorrow.  See the Apparel page for current inventories.

10/7/04 Club Meeting minutes

Eighteen men and six children (a record twenty four participants) had a great time at the 10/7/04 Club Meeting at Derrich Pollock’s home.  The eighteen men also tied the most men that we have had with 12/16/93.  For the first time our menu featured grilled steaks.  Sides included Eddy Chance’s famous beans, cornbread made by Jim Rumbo, corn on the cob, and four Marie Calendar’s pies.  I, Randy Rowley, was the steak chef and led us in prayer for prayer requests that have been generated since the 8/12/04 Club Meeting.  The video “Whistling Wings V” and a DVD on deer hunting (I didn’t catch the name because I was cooking) were shown.  The minutes from the Business Meeting are as follows:

• A discussion was held on Upcoming Event Details.
• A discussion was held on possibly organizing a late December FCS Hog Hunt around 12/29/04. My son, Ryan, will be deployed to Iraq on around 1/5/05 so this will be our last chance to hunt together for at least a year.  Kelvin Cheung will also be flying in from his Army base in Kentucky and will hunt with us.  If we can pull this off we’ll either hunt with Jimmy Cohenour near Blessing or Terry Haun near Victoria and Goliad.  Jimmy charges $125 plus $1/pound for every pound above 100.  Terry charges $100/hunter/day (he went up $25/day).  If you’re interested in this hunt please let me know.
• A discussion was held on possible events for 2005.
• A reminder was made that the new FCS caps or T-shirts are available as a new members and renewing members membership benefit and are available for sale to FCS members. See the Apparel page for current inventories.

8/12/04 Club Meeting minutes

Sixteen men and five children (twenty one participants) had a great time at the 8/12/04 Club Meeting at my, Randy Rowley’s, home.  The meeting featured a shrimp boil.  Thanks to Derrich Pollock who led us in prayer for prayer requests that have been generated since the 6/3/04 Club Meeting.  The video “Action Bucks VI, Vol.1” was shown.  The minutes from the Business Meeting are as follows:

• A discussion was held on Upcoming Event Details.
• A discussion was held on TP&W proposed changes to the Wild Turkey stamp.
• A discussion was held on our 2004 annual Goose/Duck hunt. Our duck hunters will hunt with Waterfowl Outfitters Unlimited which is located near Eagle Lake (20 miles south east of Columbus).  Duck hunts take place on flooded ponds or flats.  They charge $145 for a duck hunt.  If we get enough goose hunters (at least four) they will hunt with The Blue Goose Hunting Club which is located near Altair (12 miles south of Columbus and eight miles west of Eagle Lake).  Blue Goose has been in the business for more than 45 years.  They offer more than 100,000 acres of land to provide a wide range of hunting options.  We can hunt rice fields, soybeans, oats, wheat, corn, and milo, along with plowed grounds and laid out plots.  They claim that they have the largest goose concentration in North America and that hundreds of thousands of Snows, Blues, Canada Whitefront, and Cacklers winter in the area.  Hunting costs $160.00 per day.  They serve breakfast for $5.00 per person.  We could stay in an inexpensive motel in either Eagle Lake or Altair.
• A discussion was held on asking Mr. Ewald to mow some clearings near his back tank or asking him to allow a couple of members to go down and mow a week or so before the season. I will follow up on this.
• A discussion was held on having a late December FCS Hog Hunt. My son, Ryan, will get two weeks away from the army during Christmas, before he is deployed, and Kelvin Cheung will also get two weeks away from the army during Christmas.  We’re going to try to plan a hunt at the J.B. Hunting Ranch.
• A discussion was held on the new FCS caps and T-shirts. They should be ready in late August.

6/3/04 Club Meeting minutes

Fifteen participants (two officers, eight members, one guest, and four youth members) had a great time at the 6/3/04 Club Meeting at Larry Dowden’s home.  We enjoyed Spaghetti with wild hog Italian sausage (supplied by me, Randy Rowley, and cooked on our new FCS Cooker), salad, garlic bread, and Queso and chips.  Thanks to Larry for the use of his home, Derrich Pollock for leading us in a devotional and in prayer, Ken Farmer for sharing his story of his recent bear hunt to Alberta Canada where he killed two potential record book bears with his bow, and to Eddy Chance for sharing his awesome home video of the 4/24/04 – 4/25/04 Twenty Four Hour Clay Target Shoot.  The minutes from the Business Meeting are as follows:

• A discussion was held on Upcoming Event Details.
• A discussion was held on our 2004 annual Goose/Duck hunt. Our duck hunters will hunt with Waterfowl Outfitters Unlimited which is located near Eagle Lake (20 miles south east of Columbus).  Duck hunts take place on flooded ponds or flats.  They charge $145 for a duck hunt.  If we get enough goose hunters (at least four) they will hunt with The Blue Goose Hunting Club which is located near Altair (12 miles south of Columbus and eight miles west of Eagle Lake).  Blue Goose has been in the business for more than 45 years.  They offer more than 100,000 acres of land to provide a wide range of hunting options.  We can hunt rice fields, soybeans, oats, wheat, corn, and milo, along with plowed grounds and laid out plots.  They claim that they have the largest goose concentration in North America and that hundreds of thousands of Snows, Blues, Canada Whitefront, and Cacklers winter in the area.  They also state that Sandhill Crane and numerous species of ducks, including Mallards, Pintails, and Teals flock there to feed.   Hunting costs $160.00 per day.  They serve breakfast for $5.00 per person.  They have ammo for sale and state that their ammo prices are competitive with Walmart.  We could stay in an inexpensive motel in either Eagle Lake or Altair.
• A discussion was held on the Larry Sullivan Dove Lease near Woodson, which is in north Texas. It is close to Breckenridge just north of IH 20 and about 50 miles from Seymour. It is 230 miles from Austin.  Eleven members hunted this lease last year and did very well in September and not very well in October.  Opening weekend was, of course, the best.   Larry and his wife Betty have four properties to choose from.  You must let Larry know which property that you will hunt on for the opening weekend.   We hunted the Allen Farm last year (a very large sunflower field spread out over hundreds of acres) and Ken Hamilton has hunted it over the past two years.  There were over 100 hunters at opening weekend during the past two years but there was plenty of room for all.  After the opening weekend, leasers can go to any of the four properties.  Also after the opening weekend, leasers can bring one guest at no charge each time they hunt.  The dove season lease goes for $130.00 if paid before 7/15/04 and $150.00 if paid on or after 7/15/04.  Larry also offers a first weekend pass for September 4 – 5, 2004 for $100.00.  They are going to have an optional barbecue dinner on 9/4/04.  If you would like to partake of the dinner enclose an additional $10.00.  Check in is at the barn beginning August 31 on his property at 899 FM 209 W, Woodson, Texas 76491.  If you are interested in this lease, contact Larry at 940-345-6788. You must complete an agreement/ release of liability form and mail it to the above address. On the form he lists the properties, and you can select the one you prefer.  Contact Ken for more information at 972-966-8775 or 214-673-8308 (Cell).
• A discussion was held on reminding Mr. Ewald to plant grain soon to attract doves for the upcoming Annual Dove Retreat (south zone) which is scheduled for Wednesday, 9/22/04 through Saturday, 9/25/04 at his ranches near Dilley.
• A discussion was held on the membership benefit of a cap or a T-shirt. About half of the members present stated that they would prefer a cap.  The other half stated that they would prefer a T-shirt.  Eddy Chance suggested that the T-shirt have a pocket.  We’ll order half and half.

4/1/04 Club Meeting minutes

Nineteen participants (three officers, eight members, one guest, and seven sons) had a great time at the 4/1/04 Club Meeting at Ron Denison’s home.  This meeting featured grilled dove, fried striped bass (caught on the 3/27/04 Striped Bass Fishing Trip), french fries, potato salad, coleslaw, fried mushrooms, hush puppies, cheese cake, apple pie, ice cream, and chips and dip.  Thanks to Ron Denison for supplying the dove and for the use of his home, the fishermen from the 3/27/03 Striped Bass Fishing Trip for supplying the striped bass, and to Derrich Pollock for leading us in prayer.  The video Awesome Bass was shown.  It included an evangelical message at the end.  FCS T-shirts and other Paraphernalia were made available for purchase.  The minutes from the Business Meeting are as follows:

• A discussion was held on Upcoming Events.
• A discussion was held on options for our annual Goose/Duck hunt. Options include Blast and Cast (combo Duck Hunt and Redfish/Speckled Trout/Flounder fishing trip near Rockport) or a Goose/Duck hunt in the Eagle Lake/Altair area or our usual Goose/Duck hunt with W.S. Sherrill Waterfowl near Wharton.
• A discussion was held on a white bass fishing trip.

2/5/04 Club Meeting

Seventeen participants (two officers, 10 members, two guests, and three youth members) had a great time at the 2/5/04 Club Meeting and catfish fry at my, Randy Rowley’s, home.  Thanks to Jim Rumbo who supplied about five pounds of catfish, Mark Dillow for bringing his fish cooker, and Derrich Pollock for leading us in a devotional and in prayer.  A shotgun and pistol for sale by Mark Dillow were displayed (see the Classified Ads page for more details on the shotgun, the pistol sold).  A home video was shown by Eddy Chance on turkey hunting and the Y.O. Ranch.  FCS T-shirts and caps were made available for purchase.  The minutes from the Business Meeting are as follows:

• A discussion was held on Upcoming Events.
• A discussion was held on the three recent Proposed Events: White Bass Fishing Trip at the Reimer Ranch, Blast and Cast, and a Goose/Duck Hunt in the Eagle Lake Altair area. Derrich Pollock volunteered getting a couple of boats to make a run up the Pedernales River as an alternative to bank fishing at the Reimer Ranch.
• A discussion was held on promoting FCS at members churches. If you would like to have an FCS display at your church, please contact me.