Bylaws
I. Name:
The official name of this organization is The Fellowship of Christian Sportsmen (FCS).
II. Statement of Purpose:
FCS is a non-denominational, non-political, family-friendly sportsmen’s club founded in Austin, Texas in 1988 by a group of Christian sportsmen. FCS is non-profit but not an IRC Section 501(c)(3) religious organization. FCS has not applied for tax-exempt status because the FCS gross receipts do not exceed $5,000 annually. FCS serves the hunting, fishing, and sport shooting worlds by:
- Offering quality and affordable fellowship opportunities for people to experience hunting, fishing, sports shooting, and similar activities in the beauty of God’s creation across the state (but primarily in Central Texas) year-round.
- Encouraging people to establish and maintain a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
- Encouraging people to serve God and others.
- Encouraging people to fellowship in a local body of believers that teaches the Bible is without errors.
III. Membership:
A. FCS membership, church membership, and being a Christian are not required in order to join FCS or participate in FCS events; however, FCS members and guests are required to uphold the FCS Rules of Conduct while on FCS events. FCS membership is strongly encouraged. For events where FCS has a limit on the number of people that can attend, FCS has an Event Hierarchy (pecking order) as follows:
- Supporting members (active in their dues)
- Spouses and minor children of supporting members
- Members who are not current with their dues
- Spouses and minor children of members who are not current with their dues
- Guests (non-members)
- Minor children of guests
Therefore, being a supporting member ensures that you will not get bumped by a non-supporting member.
B. FCS membership is available to men and women, 18 years old and older, without regard to race, national origin, age, denominational preference, or political persuasion.
C. FCS members shall consist of those men and women who have expressed a desire to be an FCS member by completing an FCS Membership Application and have paid at least a one-year FCS membership due. All members and guests must sign a lifetime FCS Release of Liability Waiver prior to participation in FCS events that involve the use of: landowners’ land and bodies of water, outfitters, guides, guns, bows, knives, other weapons, and vehicles used in hunting, fishing, shooting, and classes that involve the use of weapons (concealed handgun license, shooting, etc.); kayaking and canoeing; vehicles and trailers used in camping; and any other FCS events that involve potential hazards. The FCS Membership Application and Release of Liability Waiver only need to be completed once (they do not need to be completed again when a member renews his or her membership).
D. Membership due options, if paying online, include:
- One-year membership/membership renewal – $20.80
- Two-year membership/membership renewal – $36.18 (a 13% discount)
- Three-year membership/membership renewal – $51.55 (a 17% discount)
- Five-year membership/membership renewal – $82.30 (a 20% discount)
- Lifetime membership – $307.80 (equivalent to 15 one-year membership renewals)
Online options include 3.0% plus 0.30 PayPal fees.
Membership due options, if paying by check or cash, 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)
E. All supporting FCS members have the following benefits:
- can make amendment proposals to the FCS Bylaws and/or Statement of Faith;
- can make expenditure proposals;
- can participate in all supporting FCS member discussions and votes;
- can check out (borrow) FCS equipment, videos, and books; and
- can have their articles, classified ads, hunting and fishing stories, links, product and service reviews and recommendations, and safety tips posted on the FCS website.
F. All FCS members can have their devotionals, praises, and prayer requests submissions posted on the FCS website.
G. A prospective FCS member will receive FCS emails at his or her request or the request of an FCS member on the prospective member’s behalf. Submissions from prospective FCS members (men and women who are not FCS members) will not be posted on the FCS website.
H. The FCS president and webmaster may edit and refuse to post submitted materials. FCS can only use original submissions unless the author’s work is not copyrighted. No material on the FCS website may be reproduced in print or electronically without the FCS president’s written/electronic permission.
I. Future supporting FCS members (men or women who have not joined FCS or at one time were supporting FCS members but who have not renewed their memberships) become supporting FCS members upon receipt of a membership due or membership renewal due. FCS members who are not active in their dues will not receive FCS membership benefits (with the exceptions of receiving FCS emails and having their devotionals, classified ads, praises, and prayer requests submissions posted on the FCS website) until they renew their FCS memberships.
J. A directory of members will be maintained by the FCS president, membership director, or secretary.
K. FCS members may be removed from FCS membership at their own request or as is determined necessary by a unanimous vote of the FCS executive officers (president, vice president, and membership director) who cast a vote.
L. Minors cannot become FCS members until they become legal adults (age 18).
IV. Officers:
A. Officer positions shall consist of a president and such other positions that he or she deems necessary.
B. Biannual officer elections will be held in November before the expiration of the present officer’s terms. An unopposed FCS officer will automatically receive another term. An unopposed supporting FCS member will automatically receive the job he or she applied for. Elections for unopposed FCS officers/supporting FCS members (as determined by Ballot Surveys) will not be held.
C. General Expectations:
- All FCS officers are expected to be current in their membership dues.
- All FCS officers are expected to set the example for the FCS membership by following the bylaws and through attendance at FCS events.
- All FCS officers are expected to participate in officer meetings, officer and FCS supporting members discussions, and officer and FCS supporting members votes.
D. FCS President position description:
- Responsible to oversee all of the FCS chapters. Responsible to attend at least one meeting a year of each of the other FCS chapters in the Austin area.
- Responsible to schedule and call FCS officer meetings, as needed. Responsible to distribute agendas to all FCS officers seven days prior to all FCS officer meetings. Responsible to lead all FCS officer and FCS meetings. Responsible to delegate to the vice president to lead officer or FCS meetings when circumstances beyond his or her control prevent him or her from leading a meeting.
- Responsible to ensure that the other Chapter president(s) and FCS officers fulfill their job descriptions.
- Responsible to fulfill the other Chapter president(s) and FCS officers’ job descriptions in their absence.
- Responsible to ensure that all supporting FCS members are given an opportunity to ponder and discuss amendment proposals to the Bylaws and/or Statement of Faith for a minimum of one week before a vote on the proposal can be held. Discussions can be held by email, mail, phone, or in person.
- Responsible to distribute a ballot survey to all FCS members and prospective FCS members no later than the first day of November for bi-annual officer elections. Responsible, if two or more candidates are running for a position, to distribute ballots to all FCS supporting members no later than the first day of December for bi-annual officer elections. Ballots will be not be distributed for an officer position for unopposed officers/supporting members.
- Responsible to ensure that votes for bi-annual officer elections and amendment proposals to the Bylaws and/or Statement of Faith take place and the results are tabulated and reported to at least the FCS members within seven days of the vote. An attempt must be made to obtain votes from all supporting FCS members via email, mail, phone, or in person. All supporting FCS members must be given, at a minimum, one week to respond to all votes (if possible). Any candidate approved by a majority vote of the supporting FCS members who cast a vote is considered elected. Any proposal approved by a two-thirds majority vote of the supporting FCS members who cast a vote constitutes an approved FCS action. If there is a tie during an officer election a runoff election must be held.
E. Chapter President position description:
- Responsible to call Chapter officer meetings, as needed. Responsible to lead his or her Chapter’s officer and chapter meetings. Responsible to distribute agendas to all of his or her Chapter’s officers for all of his or her Chapter’s officer meetings seven days prior the meetings. Responsible to delegate to the Chapter vice president, as per Bylaw IV(D)(2), to lead his Chapter’s officer and chapter meetings when circumstances beyond his or her control preclude him or her from leading a meeting.
- Responsible to ensure that the other officers in his or her Chapter fulfill their job descriptions.
- Responsible to fulfill the other officers in his or her Chapter in their absence.
F: Vice President position description:
- Responsible to lead FCS officer meetings and FCS meetings in the absence of the FCS president (as delegated).
- Responsible to complete assignments as delegated by the FCS president.
G. Chapter Vice President position description:
- Responsible to lead his or her Chapter’s Officer and Chapter meetings in the absence of the Chapter President (as delegated).
- Responsible to complete assignments as delegated by his or her Chapter president.
H. Membership Director position description:
- Responsible to remind supporting members that their memberships are about to expire and encourage them to renew their memberships.
- Responsible to maintain the Expired Memberships, Membership Directory, New Members, Renewals, and Supporting Members web pages.
- Responsible to maintain the ‘Supporting Members,’ ‘Future Supporting Members,’ and ‘Future Members’ Google Groups.
- Responsible to send new members a “Welcome to FCS/thank you for joining” communication.
- Responsible to send renewing members a “thank you for renewing” communication.
- Responsible to be the contact person for FCS membership questions. Responsible to answer questions within one week of receiving them.
I. Event Coordinator position description:
- Responsible for developing a proposed Annual FCS Calendar for assigned events and submitting it to the FCS President no later than the first day of November each year.
- Responsible for planning and promoting assigned events far enough in advance to ensure maximum participation (convey adequate information, make reservations, collect outfitter/guide fees and submit them by the due date, ensure that attendees either have a ride or know how to get to the event, ensure that attendees are paired together for motel rooms unless they want to be by themselves).
- Responsible for communicating to individuals who have signed up for an assigned event when the event has been canceled (such as due to a rainout, cancellation by the outfitter or guide, etc.). If it is an event that does not require individuals to sign up, event coordinators are responsible for communicating to all three distribution lists.
- Responsible for announcing and answering questions about imminent assigned events at FCS meetings. Responsible for informing the FCS President when circumstances beyond the event coordinator’s control preclude the event coordinator from attending a scheduled FCS meeting so the president will be prepared to discuss the absent event coordinator’s assigned events.
- Responsible for leading assigned events or securing an event leader (if the event coordinator will not be able to lead the event). Can delegate non-website-based tasks to the event leader by mutual agreement.
- Responsible for entering post-event reports for assigned events on the appropriate web page or submitting a post-event report to the president within one week of an event’s conclusion.
- Responsible for entering the number of people who attended an assigned event on the Attendance Summary web page and updating the total number of attendees for that month and year within one week of an event’s conclusion or notifying the president the number of people who attended an assigned event, the event’s title, and the date of the event.
- Responsible for entering the number of people who attended an assigned event on the Events Statistics web page and calculating the new average within one week of an event’s conclusion or notifying the president the number of people who attended an assigned event, the event’s title, and the date of the event.
- Responsible for entering first time guest information on the first time guests/members page after a first time guest attends an assigned event and updating the total number of first time guests for that year or notifying the president the name of a guest who attended an assigned event, the event’s title, and the date of the event.
- Responsible for notifying the FCS President after updating the website within one week of the update.
- Responsible for attempting to obtain a first-time guest’s email address, for a guest who attends an assigned event, if the guest wishes to be added to the FCS ‘Future Members’ Google Group. Will provide the guest’s name and email address to the Membership Director.
J. FCS Treasurer/Chapter Treasurer position description:
- Responsible to deposit FCS funds within one week of receiving them, if the Treasurer receives funds.
- Responsible to pay debts before the due date(s).
- Responsible to balance the FCS check register on a monthly basis with the bank statement within one week of receiving them. Responsible to notify the FCS president or FCS Chapter president, if applicable, that the check register has been reconciled.
- Responsible to submit annual budget reports to the president or FCS Chapter president, if applicable.
K. Webmaster position description:
- Responsible to complete website assignments from the President within seven days of receipt.
- Responsible to contact members and guests who have a current classified ad or prayer request and determine the status on at least a quarterly basis. Will update the Classified Ads web page and Prayer Request web page as appropriate.
L. FCS Secretary/Chapter Secretary position description:
- Responsible to record the minutes of all FCS officers’ meetings, FCS meetings, and his or her Chapter’s meetings that he or she attends. Responsible to post meeting minutes on the website within seven days of the event.
- Responsible to distribute an agenda for FCS officer meetings (as supplied by the president) or FCS Chapter officer meetings for his or her Chapter (as supplied by the Chapter president) to appropriate FCS officers at least one week prior to all FCS officer meetings.
- Responsible to ensure that ballot surveys are distributed to at least all supporting FCS members at least one week prior to Bi-annual and called elections.
- Responsible to conduct polls as requested by the FCS president within one week of a request.
- Responsible to tabulate polls that he or she conducts and report the results to the FCS president within seven days of the conclusion of the poll and post the results on the Votes and Polls web page.
- Responsible to print or email documents at the request of the FCS president or his or her Chapter president, if applicable.
- Responsible to enter event reports and update the Attendance, Events Statistics, and First Time Guests/Members web pages at the request of the president or his or her chapter president.
V. Chapters:
A. A minimum of two supporting FCS members are needed to start a Chapter. These two supporting FCS members must serve as officers for their local Chapter (one as Chapter president and one as Chapter vice president). Additional approved Chapter officer positions include Chapter treasurer, Chapter secretary, and Chapter chaplin. All Chapter officers must also be supporting FCS members.
B. Each chapter will be governed by the FCS Bylaws and Statement of Faith. Chapters may organize their own meetings and events and maintain their own funds. Chapters can add their own bylaws and statement of faith, as long as they do not conflict with the FCS bylaws and statement of faith.
C. Officers can vote in chapter officer elections for their chapter only.
VI. Events:
A. In order for an FCS event to happen, an FCS member(s) must commit to leading it. Leading includes trip planning, communicating to members and guests who have signed up for the trip and Ccing the Club president in all emails, as well as ensuring the particulars of the trip occur (such as collecting and mailing in deposits, travel arrangements, meeting the guide, arranging for specific groups to hunt or fish together, ensuring as much equity as possible in fish and game harvest opportunities, collecting tips from the group or reminding participants to tip, ensuring the vehicle owners, boat owners, and the person who bought the food are reimbursed, etc.). Communication includes, but is not limited to: communicating what the participants can expect for the event (what can be harvested, costs, recommended tip, lodging, food, beginning and end dates and times, rotating of boats, blinds, hunting areas, what participants must and should bring, who will drive, who will ride together, who will bring a boat, who will hunt or fish together, the meeting place and time, any special rules, etc.) and answering questions within one week of receiving them.
B. A minimum of two people must attend an FCS event for it to be promoted and reported as an FCS event. At least one of these two people must be an FCS member. Guests cannot lead FCS events.
C. The FCS and Chapter presidents shall maintain the Annual FCS Calendar, with the assistance of the Events Coordinators.
D. Minors must secure parental, guardian, or conservator permission in order to participate in FCS events.
VII. Budgets
A. The FCS and Chapter presidents and treasurers shall maintain the Budgets.
B. Any proposed unplanned purchase(s) of $50.00 or more must be approved by the FCS and Chapter presidents and treasurers, as applicable.
C. Anyone can purchase FCS Gear at any time. Minors must secure parental, guardian, or conservator permission in order to purchase FCS Gear.
VIII. Amendment proposals to the Bylaws, Statement of Faith, and/or Proposals to Remove Members from FCS Membership:
A. Supporting members (only) can make amendment proposals to the Bylaws and Statement of Faith and/or proposals to remove FCS members from FCS membership. Amendment proposals to the Bylaws and Statement of Faith and/or proposals to remove members from FCS membership must be made to the FCS President and can be in written (preferably) or oral form.
B. Amendment proposals to the Bylaws and Statement of Faith and/or proposals to remove members from FCS membership do not require a “second” in order to be considered.
C. The FCS president will present amendment proposals from supporting members pertaining to the Bylaws and/or Statement of Faith to the supporting FCS members for a minimum one-week discussion and a minimum one-week vote.
D. The FCS president will present amendment proposals from supporting members pertaining to the Annual FCS Calendar to the FCS officer who is in charge of the event(s) for a discussion and decision. Any such decision can later be overturned by a two-thirds majority vote of the supporting FCS members who cast a vote (a supporting FCS member would have to propose a full vote on the decision to the FCS president).
E. The FCS president will present expenditure proposals from supporting members pertaining to the Budget to the FCS treasurer for a discussion and decision. Any such decision can later be overturned by a two-thirds majority vote of the supporting FCS members who cast a vote (a supporting FCS member would have to propose a full vote on the decision to the FCS president).
F. Any proposal on an amendment to the Bylaws and/or Statement of Faith approved by a two-thirds majority vote of the supporting FCS members who cast a vote shall constitute an official FCS action.
G. The FCS president will present proposals from supporting members to remove members from FCS membership to the FCS executive officers for discussion and a vote. The member who has been proposed to be removed will have the right to offer testimony on his or her own behalf. If an executive officer has been proposed to be removed he or she will have the right to offer testimony on his or her own behalf but will be excluded from executive officer discussions and votes pertaining to his or her proposed removal. A unanimous vote of the FCS executive officers who cast a vote is required to remove a member from FCS membership.
IX. Release of Liability Waiver:
A. All members and guests must sign a lifetime FCS Release of Liability Waiver prior to participation in FCS events that involve the use of: landowners’ land and bodies of water, outfitters, guides, guns, bows, knives, other weapons, and vehicles used in hunting, fishing, shooting, and training classes that involve the use of weapons (concealed handgun license, shooting, etc.); kayaking and canoeing; vehicles and trailers used in camping; and any other FCS events that involve potential hazards.
B. The FCS president shall maintain completed FCS Release of Liability Waivers.
C. It is at the sole discretion of the FCS president or Chapter president as to whether an event requires participants to sign a lifetime FCS Release of Liability Waiver prior to participation in the event.
D. A member or guest who refuses to sign an FCS Release of Liability Waiver will not be allowed to participate in FCS events that involve potential hazards until he or she does so.
E. A minor’s parent, guardian, or conservator must sign an FCS Release of Liability Waiver prior to the minor’s participation in FCS events that involve the use of: landowners’ land and bodies of water, outfitters, guides, guns, bows, knives, other weapons, and vehicles used in hunting, fishing, shooting, and training classes that involve the use of weapons (concealed handgun license, shooting, etc.); kayaking and canoeing; vehicles and trailers used in camping; and any other FCS events that involve potential hazards.
X. Conduct:
The below rules will be enforced at FCS events. Violators can lose hunting, fishing, shooting, and camping privileges. Repeat violators can be banned from FCS events and/or lose FCS membership, per the FCS established procedures.
Christian walk
A. Members agree to:
- To obey all laws of the United States of America while on FCS events (this includes while traveling to and from events).
- To refrain from consuming alcohol before or while shooting, hunting, fishing, or operating machinery and using profanity while on FCS events.
- Couples who are not married must sleep in separate quarters on overnight FCS events.
Driving Safety Rules
Members agree to:
- Operate vehicles, four-wheelers, boats, etc. in a safe manner.
Boating Life Jacket Rules
- Life jackets must be worn while underway and until the boat has been exited and no longer on a dock, pier, or bulkhead, except the person who exits a boat at a dock once he or she has walked past the boat ramp.
- Life jackets must be worn while fishing in high traffic, high current, or dangerous areas such as the POC jetties.
- Life jackets must be worn while wearing winter clothing or waders. When wading, the life jacket can be removed when entering the water.
Shooting Rules
Members agree to:
- Always treat all guns with the respect due a loaded gun. Before handling a firearm, visually check the chamber, receiver, and magazine to make sure there is no ammunition anywhere in the firearm.
- Always wear eye and ear protection.
- Always learn how their gun operates. Ask for instruction before going hunting.
- Always have their gun ready at the time of the hunt. Do not arrive at a hog hunt, for example, and ask everyone to wait a couple hours for you to go sight in your rifle.
- Always load when the guide/leader says to load and unload when the guide/leader says to unload.
- Always check their gun and ammunition before loading.
- Always make sure their barrel and action are clear of obstructions and carry only ammunition of the proper caliber for their gun.
- Always put their safety on before loading and watch their muzzle at all times, including while loading. Keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction at all times. Never let the muzzle cover anything that is not intended to be destroyed. Never rely on their gun’s safety.
- Always be sure of their target and what is in front of it and beyond it. Know the identifying features of the game being hunted. Ensure there is an adequate backstop—don’t shoot a rifle or handgun at a flat, hard surface (e.g. a rock or tree) or water. The bullet may ricochet and travel in unpredictable directions.
- Always keep their finger outside the trigger guard until your sights are on the target. This is the best way to prevent an accidental discharge.
- Always keep the safeties of their guns on except when they are actively shooting at game (dove, hogs, etc.) or clay, paper, etc. targets.
- Always point their gun only at something they intend to shoot.
- Always put their safeties back on immediately after firing.
- Always handle their gun with care, if it fails to fire when the trigger is pulled. If a chambered round of ammunition does not fire when the trigger is pulled, put the gun on safety and keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction. Treat the gun as if it could still discharge. Wait at least 30 seconds before slowly and carefully opening the action and unload the cartridge from the chamber.
- Always unload their gun before climbing a fence or tree, jumping a ditch, or running and pull guns toward them by the butt, not the muzzle.
- Always unload their gun when not in use. Leave actions open, and carry firearms in cases and unloaded to and from the shooting area.
- Always store their guns and ammunition separately and safely.
- Always clean their guns when needed and have them repaired, if needed.
Hunting Rules
Members agree to:
- Acquire marksmanship skills that will assure clean kills.
- Always respect the property of the landowner (e.g., closing gates that they open).
- Always learn the rules of the host, landowner, guide, or leader and follow them (e.g., staying put until the agreed-upon time).
- Always carry their fair share of the load. (e.g., paying a fair share of gas money and other expenses and doing a fair share of chores).
- Always hunt with any guests and minors they bring.
- Always let the hunters around them know their position, especially when walking up to hunters who have their backs to them.
- Always bring only trained dogs on hunts and control them in the field.
- Always pick up their trash in the field (this includes empty shotgun shells).
- Always take dove, duck, etc. waste away with them, if required by the host, landowner, guide, or leader.
- Always obey all hunting regulations (examples of frequently violated regulations include buying your child a hunting license for the purpose of taking more game for yourself and saying that your child bagged them, taking game over the limit and giving the excess to others, taking game over the limit and eating the excess, and shooting across county roads).
- Never shoot at unidentified furry or flying objects (UFOs).
- Never kill or shoot at birds or animals that they do not intend to eat or are not doing so to assist in wildlife depredation (e.g., shooting at sparrows and dragonflies).
- Never shoot game that the landowner, host, outfitter, guide, or leader has disallowed from being hunted (check the hunt details or ask the landowner, host, outfitter, guide, or leader if unsure).
- Never take an unsafe shot (e.g., taking low shotgun shots when other hunters are within the ranges of their guns and are within their line of fire, etc.).
- Never take a shot that could potentially destroy someone else’s property (e.g., shooting dove off power lines).
- Never shoot at game outside of the effective ranges of their guns or their abilities.
Fishing Rules
Members agree to:
- Always learn how their reel operates. If they do not know how to operate their reel they will ask for instructions before going fishing.
- Always have their reel ready at the time of the fishing trip. The start of a fishing trip is not the time to fill your reel with line.
- Always watch where your hooks are at all times, including every backcast (where your lure/hook is when you bring it back to cast), every single cast.
- Always ensure that fishing line is not wrapped around your rod before you cast, every single cast. If fishing line is wrapped around your rod tip it can cause the lure to “rebound” and come back towards you or others.
- Always obey all fishing regulations (examples of frequently violated regulations include: buying your child a fishing license for the purpose of taking more fish for yourself and saying that your child caught them, taking fish over the limit and giving the excess to others, and taking fish over the limit and eating the excess).
- Never kill fish that you do not intend to eat or are not doing so to assist in wildlife depredation (e.g., throwing carp on the bank to suffocate).
Camping Rules
Members agree to:
- Always camp in the designated area only (if camping is allowed).
- Always pick up their trash and any other trash that they see in the campground.
- Always control their dogs at camp.
XI. Fellowship
A. Members agree to uphold the traditions of FCS that were established when its name was The Burp & Poot (B & P) Club. These include:
- To burp and poot at every opportunity at FCS events.
- To never say excuse me when engaging in the above at FCS events.
- To play Killer UNO.
- To drink IBC root beer.
- To eat chili.
- To treat Charles Batts with respect.
- To sing “The Lumberjack Song” loudly when rising at FCS overnight events (unless at a motel, hotel, etc.).
- To bear other members’ burdens.
- To pray for needs within the FCS membership body.
- To never hunt or fish on special occasions (anniversary, wife’s birthday, Valentine’s Day, etc.).
- To “let their hair down” and have fun.
Last updated 3/28/20.
