12/7/09 Club Meeting

Two officers, nine members, one guest, and two sons (14 total participants) had a great time at the 12/7/09 Club Meeting at Mr. Charlie Batts’ home.  The meeting featured a baked turkey, dressing and gravy, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes, a salad, rolls, and three kinds of deserts!  Thanks to Chris Rowley for cooking the turkey, dressing and gravy, green beans, sweet potatoes, and rolls; Bruce Crockett for bringing the salad, Jeff Cates for bringing sweet potatoes and a pie, Randall Klimek for bringing an apple pie, and Joan Batts for baking a cake.  I led us in a Bible Study on A Second Chance and in prayer.  Thanks to the Batts’ for opening up their home.  The following events were discussed:

• Saturday, 12/12/09, 9:00 – 11:45 AM – Sporting Clays and Skeet Shoot at the Capitol City Trap & Skeet Club (8707 Lindell Lane, 512-272-4707).
• Saturday, 12/26/09, 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM – “Bring in the New Year” Shooting Range Shoot at the Eagle Peak Shooting Range near Jonestown.
• Saturday, 12/26/09, 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM – “Rudolf’s Revenge” Sporting Clays Shoot at a location to be announced.
• Friday, 1/1/10, 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM – “Bring in the New Year” Shooting Range Shoot at the Eagle Peak Shooting Range near Jonestown.
• Friday, 1/1/10 through Sunday, 1/3/10 – Winter Dove Hunt at Lee Ewald’s ranches near Dilley.
• Saturday, 1/9/10 (tentative), 9:00 – 11:30 AM – Sporting Clays Shoot at the Capitol City Trap & Skeet Club (8707 Lindell Lane, 512-272-4707).
• Friday, 1/15/10 through Sunday, 1/17/10 (tentative) – Father/Child Deer and Hog Hunt at Frank Hamilton’s ranch near Trickham.
• Friday, 1/22/10 through Sunday, 1/24/10 – Coastal Non-Guided/Non-Chartered Blast and Cast (Duck Hunt and Bay Fishing Trip) near Corpus Christi.
• Saturday, 2/6/10 (tentative) – Guided Upland Bird Hunt with Joe Schram (tentative) at a location to be announced.

12/4/09 Shrimp Boil

Two officers, 11 members, and three guests (16 total participants) had a great time at the 12/4/09 Shrimp Boil at Great Hills Baptist Church.  Thanks to Bruce Crockett, Jesse Courtney, Wayne Mann, Mark Moore, Philip Nichols, Josh Sanchez, Daryl Shipper, Mark Sullivan, and I, Randy Rowley, for cooking and cleaning.  We cooked for approximately 150 people.

10/5/09 Club Meeting

Three officers, eight members, two guests, and one child (14 total participants) had a great time at the 10/5/09 Club Meeting at Charles Cutchens’ home.  The meeting featured a shrimp boil!  Mark Dillow led us in a devotional on Jesus, the true vine.  Thanks to the Cutchens’ for opening up their home and for cooking the dinner!  Five door prizes were given away.  Thanks to Pappy Bohls, James Bohls, and Charles Cutchens for the door prize donations.  The following events were discussed:

• Concealed Handgun License (CHL) Class at a date, time and location to be announced.  This event is contingent on getting at least six people to commit.
• Chartered Hybrid Bass Fishing Trip at Lake Belton on a date and time to be announced.  This events is contingent on getting at least four people to commit and on how the fish are biting in October or November.
• Saturday, 10/10/09, 9:00 – 11:45 AM – Sporting Clays and Skeet Shoot at the Capitol City Trap & Skeet Club ( 8707 Lindell Lane , 512-272-4707).
• Saturday, 10/17/09, 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM – Shooting Range Shoot at the Eagle Peak Shooting Range near Jonestown.
• Friday, 10/23/09 through Sunday, 10/25/09 – Non-Chartered Coastal Fishing Trip at Corpus Christi/Port Aransas/Aransas Pass.
• Friday, 11/6/09 through Sunday, 11/8/09 – Chartered Bay Fishing Trip at Port O’Conner.  This event is contingent on getting at least two fishermen to commit.
• Saturday, 11/21/09 – Guided Duck Hunt with Bill Sherrill near Wharton.  This event is contingent on getting at least four hunters to commit.
• Friday, 12/4/09, 6:30 – 8:00 PM – Shrimp Boil at Great Hills Baptist Church ( 10500 Jollyville Road , 343-7763).

8/24/09 ‘Hunters and Shooters Night’ at the Dell Diamond

One officer, five members, seven first time guests, and six children (19 total participants) had a great time at the 8/24/09 ‘Hunters and Shooters Night’ at the Dell Diamond.  The Memphis Redbirds defeated the Round Rock Express 12 – 7.

8/17/09 FCS Dinner

One officer, four members, and two guests (seven total participants) had a great time at the 8/17/09 FCS Dinner at the Serranos at the Arboretum.  Several of us took advantage of their Monday “buy one enchilada dinner get one free” special.

8/9/09 Buda Chapter Officers Meeting

One officer and two members (three total participants) met on 8/9/09 at the Hays Hills Baptist Church to discuss a continuation of the Buda Chapter as a Hays County Chapter.  At least two members have volunteered to be officers.

8/3/09 Austin Chapter Meeting

Four officers, 14 members, six guests (one of whom became a member) and four sons (a record 28 participants!) had a great time at the 8/3/09 Austin Chapter Meeting at Eddy Chance’s home.  The meeting featured grilled New York Strip steaks, corn on the cob, baked potatoes, and Texas Toast!  We watched the video The Greatest Whitetail Hunt.  An Experiencing God Workbook and a The Love Dare book were given away as door prizes.  Randy Rowley presented the Bible Study Rough Water and led us in prayer.  The following events were discussed:

• Chartered Bay Fishing Trip at a location and date to be announced, probably in August.
• Friday, 8/7/09, 5:30 AM – 5:00 PM – National Sporting Clay Association Student Instructor/Student Sporting Clays Shoot at the National Shooting Complex in San Antonio.
• Saturday, 8/15/09, 9:00 – 11:45 AM – Sporting Clays and Skeet Shoot at the Capitol City Trap & Skeet Club (8707 Lindell Lane, 512-272-4707).  The date is tentative.
• Monday, 8/17/09, 6:30 – 8:30 PM – FCS Dinner at Serrano’s at the Arboretum (10000 Research Blvd., Austin, 512-250-9555).

• Monday, 8/24/09, 6:30 PM – “Hunters and Shooters Night” at the Dell Diamond (Round Rock Express vs. Memphis Redbirds).

• Monday, 8/31/09 through Wednesday, 9/2/09 – Dove Hunt (Central Zone) with Whitewings Galore near San Angelo.
• Thursday, 9/17/09 through Sunday 9/20/09 – Dove Hunt (South Zone) on Lee Ewald’s ranches near Dilley.
• Saturday, 9/19/09 – Dove Hunt (Central zone) on Joel Kirby’s land near Lometa.  The date is tentative.
• Saturday, 9/26/09 – Guided Teal Hunt with Bill Sherrill near Wharton.  The date is tentative.
• Non-Chartered Coastal Fishing Trip at Corpus Christi/Port Aransas/Aransas Pass at a date to be announced, probably in October.
• Friday, 10/2/09 through Sunday 10/4/09 – Dove Retreat (Central Zone) on Frank Hamilton’s ranch near Trickham.  The dates are tentative.

7/20/09 Club Officers Meeting

Seven officers attended the 7/20/09 Club Officers Meeting at the Iron Cactus on Stonelake Blvd.  The following issues were discussed:

1. Follow-up on an income tax issue.

According to our tax expert the Club will either need to file for 501(c)(3) – religious organizations or 501(e)(4) – social organizations status.  It will cost us about $150 either way (a one time fee).  We will also have to file an annual income tax return and a separate sales tax form (Kevin Wall would file them).

2. Follow-up on other funding options and the mailing of membership benefits.

A history of the problem:

• On 4/10/97, the active Club members approved mandatory Club membership for all Dove Retreats.  This was re-approved on 4/5/01 and implemented at the Fall Dove Retreat on 9/21/01.
• On 9/19/03, at the Fall Dove Retreat, the Club officers approved (by Executive Decision) and implemented a membership benefit of a FCS cap.  We distributed almost the entire box of 48 caps at that Retreat.  The idea was that distributing a box of caps or shirts would be easy, as most of the hunters at the retreat would receive one as a membership/ membership renewal benefit and/or would purchase one.  During that time very little mailing of membership benefits was required.
• On 12/23/03, prior to the 12/31/03 – 1/3/04 Winter Dove Retreat, the active Club members approved the continuation of FCS Gear as membership benefits.
• In September of 2006, Mr. Ewald doubled his price for dove hunts.  Consequently the large Dove Retreats, which averaged 46 participants, became a thing of the past.  Our primary means of distributing membership benefits changed to mailing them to members.
• With currently 61 active members, the mailing of membership benefits, which remains our primary means of distributing membership benefits, has proved taxing.

In addition to discussing whether we should continue with FCS gear as membership benefits, the officers also explored the following questions:

• Should we continue to charge membership dues or should we change to sponsorships and donations?
• If we continue to charge membership dues, should they change?
• If not, should we continue to make FCS Gear available for purchase?
• Should we continue to not require active membership in order to participate in Club events, or should we have a policy similar to the Austin Christian Bass Club (allow guests to attend one event but require membership if they desire to attend another event)?

Randy Rowley noted that the last time that we took a poll on the subject of membership benefits (which was prior to 2005), the majority of members stated that membership benefits were not the reason that they renewed.

Here are details on where we stand compared to other Christian hunting and/or fishing organizations.

The officers discussed the pros and cons of being funded primarily by membership dues.

Pros:

• Predictable income.
• Easy to project and maintain a budget.
• Members have a clear sense of belonging to the organization.

Cons:

• Have to maintain three distribution lists (active members, inactive members, and guests).
• Have to notify members that their memberships are about to expire.
• Require new members, membership renewals, and expired memberships web pages.
• Require membership applications.

The officers discussed the pros and cons of being funded primarily by donations/sponsorships.

Pros:

• Need only one distribution list (do not have to maintain distribution lists of active members, inactive member, and guests).
• Do not need to notify members that their memberships are about to expire.
• Do not need new members, membership renewals, and expired memberships web pages.
• Do not need membership applications.

Cons:

• Funding may be sporadic and may not be adequate to meet the needs of the organization.
• Difficult to project and maintain a budget.
• Some people may not feel like they are part of the organization.

The officers made the following recommendations to the active Club members.  These recommendations will have to be approved by the active Club members, as they will involve changing the Club Bylaws.

• New members membership dues will remain at $20 and new members will continue to receive their choice of FCS gear.  New members who choose a FCS Gear item that costs more than $14 as a membership benefit will have to pay an increased due, according to the cost of the item.
• Change membership renewal dues to $10 with no FCS Gear benefit.  Renewing members who wish to purchase FCS Gear at the time of their renewals can do so.

These changes should result in having to mail FCS Gear benefits and purchase FCS Gear less frequently.

The officers made the following decisions:

• To prevent having to change our FCS Gear web page every time that the Post Office increases the cost of postage we will charge flat shipping fees for FCS Gear.
• We will continue to make FCS Gear available for purchase.
• We will continue to not require active membership in order to participate in Club events.

3. 2009 Statistics to Date (1/1/09 – 6/30/09).

With the exceptions of our Hog Hunts and Officers Meetings, our events averaged better during the first six months of 2009 than our 2008 averages.

4. Demonstration of our new website.

Jeff Reece demonstrated the features of our soon to be new website.

5. Discussion on Father/Child and Youth Shoot.

The officers made the following decisions:

• We will schedule the event for 11/14/09.
• We will offer skeet (a maximum of 25 targets) for beginners on stations 1 (high house) and 7 (low house).
• We will offer five stand (a maximum of 25 targets) for more experienced shooters.
• We will have a maximum number of participants and a pre-registration.
• We will have a safety discussion and a debriefing.
• We will have a devotional/Bible study.
• Randy will explore whether we can use hand throwers and the possibility of making a promotional video.

6. Discussion on the state of the Buda Chapter.

The Buda officers have decided to resign their positions, primarily due to having inadequate time to fulfill their duties.  Robby Wilson has some men in the Kyle area who are interested in joining him in continuing the Buda Chapter or changing it to a Hays County or Kyle Chapter.

7.  Discussion on potential Club liability in the event of an accident during a Club event.

A concern was expressed that the Club might be sued in the event that a member or guest is injured or killed during a Club event.  Due to the fact that the Club has very little funds, the next target by a lawyer seeking damages would probably be the Club officers.  Randy Rowley will explore insurance options for at least the officers.

7/9/09 Buda Chapter Officers Meeting

Five Buda Chapter officers attended the 7/9/09 Buda Chapter Officers Meeting.  The officers talked about their chapter – where it’s at, where it’s going, and what their involvement will be going forward.  It was the general consensus that they have not been able to put forth the energy required to continue the chapter and it does not appear that things are going to be any different in the future.  They all have too many things going on and they have not been able to re-gain momentum.  All of the outgoing officers agreed that they likely will likely continue to be members but not in a leadership position.

6/8/09 Austin Chapter Meeting

Four officers, nine members, two guests (one became a member), and two sons (17 total participants) had a great time at the 6/8/09 Austin Chapter Meeting at Larry Dowden’s home.  The meeting featured smoked fajitas, dove breasts, and sausage, which were expertly cooked by Larry (who also donated the dove breasts and sausage), and homemade banana pudding (made by Laverne Dowden).  Mark Dillow led us in a devotional on Ballast, Larry Dowden made a presentation on the Gideon’s, and I led us in prayer for four prayer requests (for more information on the Gideon’s please see below).  We watched the DVD Hunting Adventures VIII.  Randall Klimek and Jeff Cates won door prizes.  Randall won an NRA cap (that we were given when we renewed our NRA membership) and Jeff won two tickets to a Round Rock Express baseball game (courtesy of Charles Cutchens).  The following upcoming events were discussed:

• Saturday, 6/13/09, 9:30 AM – 1:30 PM – Ducks Unlimited Fun Shoot (Sporting Clays) at the Texas Disposal Systems Ranch near Buda.
• Saturday, 6/20/09, 9:00 – 11:30 AM – Sporting Clays and Skeet Shoot at the Capitol City Trap & Skeet Club ( 8707 Lindell Lane , 512-272-4707).
• Monday, 6/22/09 – Chartered Hybrid Bass Fishing Trip with Jay Garrett on Lake Belton.
• Saturday, 7/11/09, 9:00 – 11:30 AM – Sporting Clays and Skeet Shoot at the Capitol City Trap & Skeet Club ( 8707 Lindell Lane , 512-272-4707).  The date is tentative.
• Monday, 7/20/09, 6:30 – 8:30 PM – Club Dinner at Serrano’s (5030 Hwy. 290 W, Austin , 512-891-7592).  Note that the location may change.
• Chartered Bay Fishing Trip near Corpus Christi at a date to be announced.
• Non-Chartered Coastal Fishing Trip near Corpus Christi/Port Aransas/Aransas Pass at a date to be announced.

The Gideon ministry

Larry shared an overview of membership requirements.  He stated that they are always looking for men, lead by God, to join them in their mission.  Below are some details on the ministry.

Scripture Distribution Around the World

Having God’s Word can lead people to faith in Christ and those new Christians can then grow by studying their Scriptures and even use them to share their faith with others.

For this reason, they focus on distributing complete Bibles or New Testaments.  These Scriptures are printed in more than 80 languages and are either given directly to certain individuals or placed in selected public locations where large numbers of people who may be searching for answers will have the ability to encounter the Word of God.

Distributing complete copies of God’s Word also:

• Plants powerful seeds that God can use in His timing. (I Corinthians 3:6)
• Allows people to read the truth for themselves. (John 8:32)
• Provides a continuing witness when the Gideon is no longer present. (Hebrews 4:12)
• Makes it easier for the people we reach to in turn reach others with the truth about Jesus. (II Timothy 2:2)
• Makes it possible for new Christians to learn and grow through personal Bible study. (II Timothy 2:15)

Areas of Distribution

Scriptures are distributed one by one by members of The Gideons International to these groups:

• Students in the 5th grade and above
• Prisoners and police, fire, medical and military personnel
• Anyone else Gideons witness to individually

Scriptures are placed in selected locations, including:

• Hotels and motels
• Hospitals, convalescent homes, medical offices and domestic violence shelters
• Prisons and jails

See www.gideons.org for more information.  Larry would welcome the opportunity to meet and discuss how men they can become a part of the ministry.  It will truly Bless!

4/6/09 Austin Chapter Meeting

Four officers, eight members, five guests (including one first time guest, one guest became a member), and three sons (20 total participants) had a great time at the 4/6/09 Austin Chapter Meeting at Mike Coppedge’s home.  The meeting featured our Annual Chili Cook Off!  John Murray brought his Lake of Fire Chili, I brought Randy’s Radioactive Roadkill Chili, and Kenneth Kidd brought Plain Chili that he claimed was mild but really wasn’t.  Kenneth also brought a homemade jalapeño cheesecake and John Murray brought homemade cornbread muffins.  Mike Coppedge supplied cornbread and two FCS cakes (one with camouflage icing).  I led a Bible study on Practice and led us in prayer for three prayer requests.  Several new Dri Duck caps were purchased or were taken as membership benefits.  The following upcoming events were discussed:

• Saturday, 4/11/09, 9:00 – 2:00 PM – The FCS Open (Sporting Clays Shoot and Luncheon) at the Capitol City Trap & Skeet Club ( 8707 Lindell Lane , 512-272-4707).
• Friday, 4/17/09 – Chartered Hybrid Bass Fishing Trip with Jay Garrett on Lake Belton.
• Friday, 4/24/09 – Night at the Races at the San Antonio Raceway, contact Darryl Swann at 512-845-4078.
• Saturday, 4/25/09 – Trailblazer Youth Event at Camp Mabry .  The date and time have yet to be determined.
• Friday morning, 5/1/09 through Saturday afternoon, 5/2/09 – 24 Hour Clay Target Shoot at the 74 Ranch near Campbellton.
• Saturday, 5/9/09, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM – Llano Clay Busters Open (Sporting Clays Shoot) near Llano.
• Friday, 5/22/09 – Night at the Races at the San Antonio Raceway, contact Darryl Swann at 512-845-4078.

2/26/09 Catfish Fry & Extreme Sports Night

Two officers, 12 members, and three sons (17 total participants) had a great time at the 2/26/09 Catfish Fry and Extreme Sports Night at Great Hills Baptist Church.  Manchaca Fire Station cooked the fish, which was excellent.  Rappelling was demonstrated and there was an audio/visual presentation of mountain biking and canoeing.  Two testimonies were given.

2/5/09 Austin Chapter Meeting

Four officers, nine members, three guests (including one first time guest, one guest became a member), and four sons (20 total participants) had a great time at the 2/5/09 Austin Chapter Meeting at Ron Denison’s home.  The meeting featured our Annual Wild Game Cookout!  Many of us thought that Jake Morton’s chicken fried Pronghorn Antelope was the best dish.  My, Randy Rowley’s, bacon wrapped venison backstrap was also highly praised.  The grilled dove, jalapeno-cheese deer and hog sausage and venison jerky also mostly disappeared.  Thanks also to Ron, Daryl Shipper, and Bruce Crockett who brought wild game.  I led a Bible study on our future Reunion with Jesus and led us in prayer for two prayer requests.  We watched the DVD Hog Wild.  Several new Dri Duck caps were purchased or were taken as membership benefits.  The following upcoming events were discussed:

• Saturday, 2/7/09 – Upland Bird Hunt with Joe Schram near Thrall.
• Saturday, 2/14/09, 9:00 – 11:30 AM – Sporting Clays and Skeet Shoot at the Capitol City Trap & Skeet Club (8707 Lindell Lane, 512-272-4707).
• Friday, 2/27/09 – Night at the Races at the San Antonio Raceway, contact Darryl Swann at 512-845-4078.
• Saturday, 2/28/09 – Trout Fishing Trip on the Guadalupe River.
• Saturday, 3/14/09, 9:00 – 11:30 AM – Sporting Clays and Skeet Shoot at the Capitol City Trap & Skeet Club (8707 Lindell Lane, 512-272-4707).  The date is tentative.
• Friday, 3/27/09 – Night at the Races at the San Antonio Raceway, contact Darryl Swann at 512-845-4078.
• Saturday, 3/28/09 – White Bass Fishing Trip at Colorado Bend State Park.

1/19/09 Club Officers Meeting minutes

Four officers attended the 1/19/09 Club Officers Meeting at the Green Mesquite BBQ on Barton Springs Road.  The following issues were discussed:

1. Follow-up on an income tax issue.  According to our tax expert the Club will either need to file for 501(c)(3) – religious organizations or 501(e)(4) – social organizations status.  It will cost us about $150 either way (one time fee).  We will also have to file an annual income tax return (Kevin Wall will file them).  We discussed the history of membership benefits (they started at the 2004 Fall Dove Retreat).  The last time that we took a poll on the subject of members benefits (which was prior to 2005), the majority of members stated that membership benefits were not the reason that they renewed.  The officers discussed changing annual memberships to a reduced amount (i.e., $6.00) and making the FCS Gear items optional.  The idea was that this would possibly prevent us from having to collect taxes on gear items.  Also we used to give out the vast majority of benefits at Dove Retreats (when Club membership was mandatory) but now the majority of benefits are being mailed to members, which is also taking up a lot of the Membership Director’s time.  However, it was pointed out that we just spent over $900 on T-shirts and Dri Duck caps and if we changed benefits to being optional it probably would take a long time to sell them.  The officers agreed to table the idea of making benefits optional at this time.  Kevin will continue to research the type of tax exempt status that we need to apply for.
2. Follow-up on an amendment proposal to the Bylaws and/or Statement of Faith that officers, anyone substituting in an officers capacity, or anyone leading a Bible study or devotional or making a presentation in front of Club members be an individual living a life “beyond reproach.”  Our Statement of Faith states: “VIII. We understand that as Christian men, we have responsibilities before God to: C. Be spiritual leaders in our homes, loving our own wives as Christ loved the church and training our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. (Eph. 5:25, 6:4).”  Our Adult Membership Application states: “I have read and will uphold the FCS Statement of Faith and Bylaws regarding Conduct and will conduct myself as a Christian sportsman on FCS outings.”  The officers present were unanimous that our current Bylaws and Statement of Faith adequately address how members/officers should conduct themselves.
3. Jeff Reece demonstrated our new website and consolidated calendar.  It can be viewed at www.fcs-texas.org.  Please note that it is a work in progress.

1. Follow-up on taking the initiative and following up.  I, Randy Rowley, noted that I am still spending a lot of time contacting officers to see if they have starting working on aspects of their job descriptions (i.e., whether an upcoming event has started to be planned).  I am also spending a lot of time following up on questions that I have asked.  I challenged the officers to implement duties long before they are due (especially if it involves gathering reservation money for an event, for example).  I also challenged the officers to inform me if they are not able to respond to an e-mail and indicate when I can expect a response (i.e., I’ll get back with you within the week).

1. A discussion was held on tipping.  We had one member complain that we should not have mandatory tips at our Club Dinners and guided/chartered events.  No other officer indicated that he had received a complaint on tipping.  I noted that I now indicate that tipping is recommended (instead of required) on guided/chartered events.  However, regarding Club dinners at restaurants, most restaurants have a policy that parties of six or more (the size of the party varies) must pay a mandatory tip in order for the group to sit together (Catfish Parlor required 18% and Texas Land and Cattle required 20%).  Therefore, our choices are to either accept these policies if we wish to have Club dinners, not sit together in a large group (which would defeat what we are wanting to accomplish), or to have our dinners at more casual restaurants that do not have this policy.  The officers were unanimous to continue to have our Club dinners at nice restaurants, which means that we will have to pay a mandatory tip.
2. A discussion was held on the Bylaw requirement that officers must be active members.  I noted that over 2008, 10 of 14 officers allowed their memberships to expire and 5 of 14 are still not active in their dues.  A discussion was held on why this is occurring and if we need to change our Bylaws regarding this requirement.  The officers agreed that the Bylaw is reasonable and in-line with other organizations.  For example, you cannot be a deacon at a church unless you are also a member of the church.  I will again encourage officers who have not renewed to renew.  However, if renewals are not made after a reasonable time I will propose procedures on removing inactive member officers from their positions.
3. A discussion was held on the 2008 Statistics.
4. A discussion was held on the fact that our average number of attendees per event was the lowest that has has been since 1990.  My long-standing policy has been if we have at least two people committed to an event, then we have an FCS event.  We usually only cancel events when we learn that fewer than two people will be there.  We have also deliberately scheduled events when we knew that they would not generate much attendance (i.e., the trout fishing trips).  Discussions were held on if we need to delete more events from the calendar that have not had many recent attendees and on if we need to increase our minimum attendance number.  The officers agreed that we should not remove events just because the attendance will be small and that we should continue to plan events even if we know that they will be lightly attended.  The primary objective is fellowship.  That is accomplished whether there are two people at an event or 20.
5. A discussion was held on the fact that our new members are not participating in many events.  The vast majority of new members who joined within the past year have attended two or fewer events (13/16 – 81%).  7/16 have yet to attend an event (44%).  The vast majority of members who joined between one and two years ago have attended two or fewer events (19/30 – 63%).  7/30 have yet to attend an event (23%).  The vast majority of members who joined within the past two years have attended two or fewer events (32/46 – 70%).  14/46 have yet to attend an event (30%).  A correlation between attending events and renewing memberships was also discussed.  16/21 members who joined in 2007 and who have yet to renew their memberships have attended two or fewer events (76%).  It was pointed out that some people probably joined just because they wanted to contribute to a Christian hunting and fishing club and had no intention of going to events.  I presented an idea that we should develop a group of Guides who are willing to communicate to new members each month for six months or a year about upcoming events and answer any questions that they have.  The officers agreed that this is a good idea.  I will present the idea to the membership soon.
6. A discussion was held on our Club name and outreach.  When we have promotions at locations other than churches (EXPO, Sportsman’s Warehouse, and Cabela’s) we have few people stop by our table (unless they’re wanting to get a freebie, as was the case at EXPO).  The vast majority of guests at Club events are Christians that are invited by our members (we rarely are visited by un-churched men, especially on their own initiative).  In looking at our Christian Sportsmen’s Organizations Links webpage, every organization listed has a Christian name with the exceptions of Cross Trail Outfitters, Fishin Mission Adventures, Legacy Outfitters, My Father’s World (you don’t know upon reading or hearing the name that the website is about our Heavenly Father), Operation Orphans, and Rock Dove Publications (6/27 organizations do not have a Christian name).  We explored the question on whether we should initiate a proposal to change our name to a more generic one in order to reach out to others more effectively.  The officers 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 (Bible studies and praying) and not do (drinking, gambling, etc.) even if we changed our name to a more generic one, such as The Hill Country Hunting Club.
7. A discussion was held on ministry events.  Our attendance at ministry events has been poor.  In 2008 we had 4 participants.  In 2007 we had 3.  In 2005 we had 3.  In 1996 we had 6.  In 1995 we had 4.  In 1991 we had 3.  Follow-up discussions were held on hosting an event with the men of a church that has a high percentage of minorities and on hosting a new member and prospective member banquet.  It was decided to table these ideas due to the fact that we do not have enough members interested in serving others at FCS events at this time.  It was noted that we will probably have a Father/Child Clay Target Shoot and a Youth Clay Target Shoot with the youth of Great Hills Baptist Church this year.  Volunteers at these events should not be an issue as we normally have several members shoot clay targets each month.
8. A discussion was held on the primary means that we receive funds (memberships) verses the primary means that Legacy Outfitters receives funds (donations).  The benefits of the latter are we wouldn’t have to maintain distribution lists and Google Groups of active members and inactive ones, we wouldn’t have to notify members that there memberships are about to expire, we wouldn’t have to move members from the active member list/group to the inactive member list/group when there memberships expire and then move them back when they renew, and we wouldn’t need new members and membership renewals pages.  The benefits of the former are active members get to participate in discussions and votes and relying on donations is entirely faith based and may not meet our expenses (although some people prefer this method of income generation).  The officers agreed to table this idea for now, but we will revisit it at the next officers meeting.