2025 – FCS Meeting Reports

12/11/25 FCS Meeting and Wild Game Dinner

Seven participants had a good time at Burl Fulenwider’s home.  The dinner included two kinds of venison chili, venison/antelope/wild hog sausage and sauerkraut, air-fried carrots, and brownies.   Randy Rowley led a discussion on upcoming events (see our Calendar for details) and presented his devotional Don’t Become Weary.  For the door prizes (contributed by Randy) John Pickens won a cast net and Raul Pena won a Salt Life tote bag.  Thanks to Burl and Randy for contributing the chili (Randy’s chili was made by Chris Rowley), Wayne Weilnau for contributing the sausage and sauerkraut, Kevin McConnell for bringing his air fryer and contributing the carrots, and Burl for contributing the brownies.

10/14/25 FCS Meeting and Chili Dinner

Ten participants had a good time at Bruce Crockett’s home.  The meeting featured two pots of chili, chips, guacamole, bean dip, salsa, and brownies with whipped cream.  Randy Rowley led a discussion on upcoming events (see our Calendar for details) and presented his devotional Flipped, with the rest of the story by Russ Gibbs.  Three door prizes were awarded (donated by Bruce).  They included a camo hunting coat and bibs (won by Jonathan Fleming), a camp chair with bag (won by Wayne Weilnau), and a folding hunting stool (won by Russ Gibbs).  Thanks to Bruce and Daryl Shipper for making pots of chili.

8/11/25 FCS Meeting and Fish Fry

Ten participants had a good time at Randy and Chris Rowley’s home.  The meeting featured black bass and crappie (donated by Kurt DeRuiter; caught on the DeLoach Ranch’s lake), jalapeño poppers, hush puppies, onion rings, French fries, potato salad, macaroni salad, coleslaw, chips, queso, salsa, and key lime and chocolate silk pie.  Randy led a discussion on upcoming events (see our Calendar for details), and presented his devotional Patiently Waiting.  Three motorized dove door prizes were awarded.  Burl Fulenwider, Kurt, and Bret Mercer (who gave his dove to Raul Pena) each won a dove.  Thanks to Kurt for donating the fish and to Earl Prochnick for donated the motorized dove.  Caps and tumblers were made available for members within a multi-year renewal or who have renewed on or after 4/16/25.  One cap was sold.

6/24/25 FCS Meeting and Shrimp Boil

Eight participants had a good time at Wayne Weilnau’s home.  The meeting featured a shrimp boil (jumbo shrimp, beef sausage, mini corn-on-the-cobs, and red potatoes), sourdough bread, deer sausage, cheese, and chocolate brownies.  Several participants stated that this was Wayne’s best shrimp boil yet!

Wayne was presented the 2024 award for the longest saltwater fish – a 45″ bull redfish, which is also the FCS record.  (Randy Rowley erroneously gave the award to Roy Zengerle at the 4/30/25 FCS Family Celebration Banquet.)  Wayne was presented with a certificate and two 6th Sense flutter spoons.

Randy led a discussion on upcoming events (see our Calendar for details) and presented his devotional Chosen.  The door prizes were won by Daryl Shipper (a Bass Mooch Stove Top dog walker topwater in Bow Wow color) and Randy (a Berkley Choppo propeller topwater in High Definition Perch color).  Both door prizes were donated by FCS.

4/17/25 FCS Meeting and Steak Dinner

Thirteen participants had a good time at Flint and Annette DeShazo’s home.  The meeting featured ribeye steaks, corn-on-the-cob, red potatoes, Texas garlic toast, cheese, sausage, and crackers appetizers (courtesy of the DeShazo’s), strawberry cheesecake (courtesy of the DeShazo’s), unsweet tea, and soft drinks.  Randy Rowley led a discussion on upcoming events (see our Calendar for details), and presented his devotional In the Blink of an Eye.  They watched an episode of the first DVD of Fishing with Roland Martin.  Three door prizes were awarded.  They included a new Cabela’s life jacket (donated by Russ Gibbs and won by Kevin Wall), a Berkley Slobbernocker bladed jig (chatterbait) (donated by FCS and won by Burl Fulenwider), and a Rapala OG Series OGS-6 circuit-bill crankbait (donated by FCS and won by Ross Jordan).

2/26/25 FCS Officers Meeting

Seven officers met at the CR Surf and Turf restaurant in Cedar Park.  The following items were discussed:

1. Events, Membership, and Finances comparison for the last four years

Events Comparison

Membership Comparison

In 2021 and 2022 we had a large number of people join the Club due to our requirement that Bartlett season dove lease members be supporting FCS members.  Not as many people joined in 2023 and especially in 2024, probably because Brett Harbers raised his price significantly both years, reduced the number of acres that hunters could hunt on in 2023, and the hunting was poor except on opening day.

In 2023 we had a large number of members renew due to our requirement that Bartlett season dove lease members be supporting FCS members.  Not as many people renewed in 2024, probably because Brett Harbers raised his price significantly and the hunting was poor except on opening day.

In 2022 we had a large number of people join the Club due to the requirement that Bartlett season dove lease members be supporting FCS members.  Not as many people joined or renewed in 2023 and 2024, probably because Brett Harbers raised his lease price significantly both years, reduced the number of acres that hunters could hunt on in 2023, and the hunting was poor except on opening day.

2. Ways to handle surplus funds.  Presently, we have approximately $2,800 in surplus membership dues.  When we established membership dues several years ago, it was for the purpose of meeting club expenditures.  Presently, we can meet our expenditures with approximately 50 supporting members/year and we have averaged 92 supporting members/year over the last four years.  Therefore, we’re taking in an excess of approximately $840/year.  Ideas that were discussed included:

• Provide a material membership benefit again (e.g., T-shirt, cap, coffee mug, mouse pad, etc.).  For several years we provided T-shirts or caps as membership benefits.  At first they were well received, but eventually they became less popular, with a few members declining them as they “have enough T-shirts.”  The FCS coffee mug and mouse pad also proved to be unpopular.  The officers discussed the trend of many FCS members now prefer ‘fishing/hunting style’ button down shirts.  Unfortunately, each one would cost more than the dues for a one-year membership.  The officers also discussed the popularity of FCS Dri Duck caps and 30 oz. tumblers.  Unfortunately, each one would also cost more than the dues for a one-year membership.

FCS T-shirt (old logo)

• Offer lifetime memberships over a period of years, in addition to all at once.  Presently a lifetime membership is $300 (the equivalent of 15 one-year memberships).  So, if a member joined and renewed 14 times, he or she would be regarded as a lifetime member and would no longer pay membership dues.   The major problem with doing this is we haven’t kept records of how many times people have renewed over the years (we only have records of those who have currently renewed and those whose memberships have lapsed).
• Reduce the cost for memberships.  Years ago, Randy did a comparison of 19 hunting and/or fishing clubs.  He found that 10 were membership dues driven and nine were donation driven.  Of the 10 that were membership dues driven, only one had cheaper dues than FCS.  Several officers stated that a $20/year membership due isn’t significant money and felt that membership dues shouldn’t be reduced.
• Give away door prizes at the FCS Open (sporting clays shoot) and a prize for the top shooter.  We have given away door prizes at the last five FCS meetings and they were well received.
• Offer scholarships to help pay for events partially or in full for a member or their minor child who is experiencing financial difficulties.  This would have to be administered and monitored closely to ensure fairness and prevent abuse.

Randy will send out a poll to gauge support for the above ideas and to hopefully gather other ideas.  As this would require the bylaws to be changed, a minimum one-week discussion followed by a minimum one-week vote are required.

3. The officers discussed the need to remind FCS hunting and shooting events participants of hunting and shooting safety expectations prior to an event starting.  Randy noted that he does this on the events that he leads and asks event leaders (when he won’t be at an event) to do the same.

2/18/25 FCS Meeting and Seafood Gumbo Dinner

Ten participants had a good time at Randy and Chris Rowley’s home.  The meeting featured shrimp, catfish, trout, and sausage gumbo (made by Chris), corn bread (made by Chris), French bread, summer deer sausage, crackers, cheese, and brownies.  Randy led a discussion on upcoming events (see our Calendar for details), and presented his devotional Astonished!  They watched two episodes of the first DVD of Fishing with Roland Martin.

Thanks to Russ Gibbs who donated the catfish and trout (caught on the Ozark River).  Also thanks to Russ for donating a duck call and to Jim McGee for donating two FCS tumblers for door prizes.  Their donations enabled four door prizes to be given away.  Wayne Weilnau won the duck call, David Brune and Daryl Shipper won the tumblers, and Jim won the FCS door prize – a Chasing Stripers vertical jig.