Houston Canoe Club

General Membership Meeting
June 13, 2018
Bayland Park Community Center

Recorder: Frank Ohrt

     Commodore Honey Leveen called the meeting to order and introduced the club officers. Present were Ms. Leveen, Vice-Commodore Alice Nissen, Fleet Captain Natalie Wiest, Boatswain Paul Woodcock, Purser Kent Walters, Recorder Frank Ohrt, Sergeant-at-Arms Ann Derby, and Webmaster Harmon Everett. She noted the pre-meeting dinner at Café Piquet and the post-meeting gathering at Jax’s.

    She then asked that the previous meetings’ minutes be accepted as written. It was so moved, seconded, and accepted.

Honey Leveen Safety Minute

    Ms. Leveen gave the Safety Minute, about making sure that one’s boats are not only properly secured to a vehicle’s roof racks, but also that the rack is secured to the vehicle. Plenty of hard-won wisdom was offered.

    Mr. Walters gave the Purser’s report. The club is within $100.00 of it’s budget. We’re fine.  

    Ms. Leveen passed around a “get well” card for Dave Kitson, who is ill.

    Mr. Woodcock gave the Boatswain’s report. There were eight new members: Josh Alberson, James Bage, Verva Densmore, Annabelle, Ashley, James and Jarod Petermeyer, and James Rice. Visitors were Stanley Okazaki and Wendy Rodeinwald. He then announced a Schlumberger Health, Safety and Environment day on July 18th. Ann Derby offered to attend and represent the club.

    Ms. Wiest gave the Fleet Captain’s report. Recent trips and trip leaders were:

May 12, Navidad River (David Portz),
May 19, San Marcos River (Christy Long),
May 20, Brazos de Dios River (Bruce Bodson),
May 31, Cypress Creek (Tom Douglas) (unofficial),
June 2, Trinity River Basin (Tom Douglas),
June 9, San Marcos River paddle and Water Safari viewing (Christy Long),
June 10, Turtle Bayou (Julie Hammond).

    Club members have paddled 1,140 miles on 19 trips so far in 2018. “100-Milers” so far are Kent Walters (114) and David Portz (170). Those with more than 50 miles are Bruce Bodson, John and Nancy Clark, Duane Hecklesberg, Bill and Hazel Nixon, and Larry Peterson. Frank Ohrt did not mention it, but he paddled 100 yards at Rio Vista Park in San Marcos.

    The only upcoming trip scheduled is June 30 on Lake Woodlands (Julie Hammond).

    Tom Douglas was the featured speaker, giving a detailed report on paddling the Trinity River/Old River/Lost River complex at high water, and how the water flows through it.

    Ms. Leveen adjourned the meeting.

General Meeting Recorder, Frank Ohrt

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Houston Canoe Club

Board Meeting
June 6, 2018
Bayland Park Community Center

Recorder: Frank Ohrt

Commodore Honey Leveen called the meeting to order,. Present were Ms. Leveen, Vice-commodore Alice Nissen, Fleet Captain Natalie Wiest, Boatswain Paul Woodcock, Newsletter Editor John Rich, and Recorder Frank Ohrt. Purser Kent Walters joined by telephone.

Mr. Walters gave the Purser’s report. There were some extra expenses in May (the club P.O. box, annual website dues, an upgrade to the club computer), but we are nevertheless slightly ahead for the month and year. Hooray.

Ms. Wiest gave the Fleet Captain’s report. Rather than go over the trip report twice in subsequent meetings, she elected to save it for the Membership Meeting. She and Mr. Rich discussed the location of, and access to, the current mileage logs on the website. Mr. Walters joined in, everyone else lay low, and, in the end, all was well.

Ms. Leveen asked Mr. Walters to make less noise with his candy wrapper, please.

Mr. Woodcock gave the Boatswain’s report. We are back up to 152 members. There was discussion of who some of the returning members were. Me. Woodcock mentioned that Schlumberger invited HCC to join a Health, Safety and Environment day, and that he would be willing to set up an HCC table for it.

Ms. Nissen went over the list of speakers for the coming few months’ Membership Meetings. For June, it will be Tom Douglas, on paddling the Trinity River basin. for July, Dan Roy will talk about building a wooden kayak. In August, Louis Aulbach will talk about expedition paddling in Big Bend.

Ms. Wiest asked Mr. Rich if the 2017 mileage log had been posted. He said that it had. Ms. Nissen said she is having trouble getting her membership renewal registered on the website. Mr. Woodcock said it had probably just not been entered properly and that he would look in to it.

Ms. Leveen discussed several possible topics for Safety Minutes. She suggested that the next one be on securing you boats to vehicles properly, with front and back safety lines. Mr. Ohrt suggested a reminder to hydrate properly when paddling. Mr. Rich said we need to remind members to keep a record of our boats’ hull numbers, in case they walked off somewhere. Mr. Ohrt suggested we all get “If found...” ID stickers, and Mr. Rich said he’d try to get some for the members.

Ms. Leveen asked if we should try to have an Officers Meeting on July 4th, and we all decided that we should defer to the holiday.

Ms. Leveen then adjourned the meeting.

Board Meeting Recorder, Frank Ohrt

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