History

The following is the history of FCS, including the most significant Club decisions.  If you would like to see every decision that has been made since 8/1/09, see the Votes & Polls page:

• In approximately December of 1988, seven men and two children went on a Mouflon and Corsican sheep hunt at the Appletree Ranch near Leakey.  Although no game was killed, the camaraderie and fellowship bonded those who were present.  The group of men decided to form a club and developed a name during the trip home – The Burp & Poot (B & P) Club.
• During its second hunt at Appletree in January 1989, the Club developed Bylaws (examples include: to bear other members burdens, pray for other members needs, acquire marksmanship skills, never shoot at UFO’s (Unidentified Furry/Feathered Objects), and never hunt or fish on special occasions), a Theme Song, and an initiation.  The Club was founded as an avenue for men to “let their hair down” and have fun in Christian brotherhood.
• On 2/28/91, at its inaugural meeting, the Club elected officers for the first time, changed its name to The Fellowship of Christian Sportsmen (FCS), developed a Statement of Faith, and created a Club Statement of Purpose.  The purpose of FCS is to provide fellowship opportunities for people who like to hunt, fish, and shoot, challenge people to establish and maintain a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, encourage serving the Lord Jesus, and encourage fellowship with a local body of Christians.
• On 5/23/91 the first officers meeting was held.
• On 5/30/91 the Club membership approved and implemented a mandatory due requirement for Club membership.  Dues cover expenditures such as liability insurance, website hosting, website domain name, photocopying, postage, hunting and fishing DVD purchases for Club meetings, and refills of the FCS propane tank.  The current due options were approved by the supporting Club members on 5/22/11.
• On 3/28/96, a North Austin Chapter and a South Austin Chapter were established (they were later re-combined on 1/1/07 when the South Austin Chapter dissolved).  The Austin Chapter reverted back to just the Club at large.
• On 4/5/01, the supporting Club members approved a mandatory non-members fee for all Dove Retreats.  This was initially approved on 4/10/97 but was not implemented until 9/21/01.  This requirement was discontinued by a vote of the supporting Club members on 6/10/07.
• On 9/19/03, a membership benefit of a “What You’re Hunting For” cap was implemented by the Club officers’ approval (Executive Decision).  On 12/23/03, the continuation of Club apparel as a membership benefit was approved by a vote of the supporting Club members.  On 5/23/11, this benefit was discontinued by a vote of the supporting Club members.  On 12/3/19, an FCS window decal was added as a one-time membership benefit by a vote of the supporting Club members.
• On 9/29/03, allowing a member’s wife and adult female relatives to join the Club (but not women as a whole) was approved by a vote of the supporting Club members.
• In February of 2004, financially supporting the NRA (with an “individual” membership) was approved by the supporting Club members.  This was discontinued by an officers’ vote on 9/25/13.
• On February 4, 2007 FCS began a “Christian Sportsmen’s Class” at Great Hills Baptist Church.  The class grew to 11 members but was discontinued in June of 2009 because most of the members were not FCS members or sportsmen.
• On 11/5/07, an Austin Chapter and a Buda Chapter were established.  The Buda chapter officers resigned on 7/9/09 due to not being able to put forth the energy required to continue the chapter and having “too many irons in the fire.”  The Austin Chapter reverted back to just the Club at large.
• On 11/22/07, allowing any woman to join the Club was approved by a vote of the supporting Club members.
• 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 (hold devotionals and pray) and not do (gamble, cheat on our spouses, etc.) even if we changed our name to a more generic one, such as The Hill Country Sportsmen’s Club.
• On 11/11/09, the addition of a Release of Liability Waiver was approved by a vote of the supporting Club members.
• On 11/18/09, purchasing annual liability insurance was approved by a vote of the supporting Club members.
• On 5/16/11, adding the following language to the bylaws was approved by a vote of the supporting Club members: supporting FCS adult members will have their articles, 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 devotional, praise, and prayer request submissions posted on the FCS website.  Submissions from prospective FCS adult members (men and women who are FCS adult members) will not be posted on the FCS website.  Adding “FCS is a religious organization that has not applied for tax-exempt status because our gross receipts do not exceed $5,000 annually” to the Bylaws was also approved by a vote of the supporting Club members
• On 8/19/13, the following was added to the Bylaws by a vote of the supporting Club members: “In order for an FCS event to happen, an FCS member(s) must commit to leading it.”
• On 9/18/14, the long-standing Field and Camping Rules were added to the Bylaws by a vote of the supporting Club members.  These were significantly revised on 1/17/19, by a vote of the supporting Club members.  They were revised again on 3/18/20, by a vote of the supporting Club members.