The Houston Canoe Club
is a Paddlesports Risk Management Club Sign the Waiver HCC
Commodore Natalie Wiest called the meeting to order. Officers present were Ms. Wiest, Vice Commodore Christy Long, Fleet Captain Bruce Bodson, Boatswain Alice Nissen, Purser Kent Walters, and Recorder Frank Ohrt. Also present were Conservation Chair Tom Douglas and Sergeant-at-arms Ann Derby. Ms. Wiest reported that a budget had been approved for 2021, with donations to Texas Rivers Protection Association, American Whitewater and the Citizens Environmental Coalition. She added that Mr. Walters and Mr. Bodson had revised the trip reporting protocol, and that she had reserved a room at the Bayland Community Center for the coming year, should the club begin in-person meetings. She announced that Mr. Ohrt would lead his sort-of-annual Christmas morning paddle, somewhere, and that the annual Christmas party would be a BYO picnic at the Cedar Hill Park pavilion, on Lake Charlotte, December 20th. There will be a paddle that afternoon, then turkey and cranberry sauce sandwiches. Or whatever. She then said that there would be a constitutional amendment offered at the November meeting, to reconcile the constitution with actual club practice concerning the number of officers. Mr. Douglas, speaking for Bob Naeger, explained the procedure for nominating and electing club officers, and declared nominations open to all members. Ms. Wiest asked for the last meetings’ minutes to be accepted as written, and they were. Mr. Bodson gave the Fleet Captain’s report. Recent trips, and trip leaders, were: Sept. 12: Brazos River, FM 979 t0 US 79, Bruce Bodson; Sept. 22: Brazos River, SH 7 to FM 413, Bruce Bodson; Oct. 3: Marshall Lake, Kent Walters; Oct. 10-11: Hidalgo Falls (Texas River Festival); Oct. 11: Yegua Creek/Brazos River, Bruce Bodson. For the year to date, there have been 19 trips, totaling 367 miles. There are five 100-Milers, so far. Up-coming trips and leaders include: Oct. 22-26: Big Bend, Christy Long; Dec. 27: Old River CBC, Bruce Bodson; Dec. 29: Trinity River CBC, Bruce Bodson; Jan. 2: San Jacinto River, Bruce Bodson; There will be several trips on the Brazos River, led by Mr. Bodson. Mr. Walters gave the same Purser’s report as always. Ms. Nissen gave the Boatswain’s report. There are five new members: Richard Cunningham, Matthew Forster, Dan Massingill, Anett Meier, and Mike Taylor. Mr. Douglas gave the conservation report. He referred members to the American Whitewater website for a digital form for expressing support for a bill creating new Wild and Scenic Rivers. He then noted the upcoming Bayou Preservation Society’s symposium on the state of the bayou, a meeting Oct. 8 of the Spring Creek Watershed Partnership, and the website for the Army Corps of Engineers’ Buffalo Bayou Resilience study, and requested comments on the various options therein. Ms. Long introduced the evening’s speaker, Marilyn Kirkus, who gave a talk and slideshow on her travels to and volunteering at various parks and wildlife refuges, and her paddles on the rivers there. Among the places were the Boundary Waters and the Okeefenokee Swamp. Ms. Wiest adjourned the meeting.
Commodore Natalie Wiest called the meeting to order. Officers present were Ms. Wiest, Vice Commodore Christy Long, Purser Kent Walters, Boatswain Alice Nissen, Fleet Captain Bruce Bodson, and Recorder Frank Ohrt. Also present were Conservation Chair Tom Douglas, Sergeant-at-Arms Ann Derby, and past-President Bob Naeger. (click to enlarge) Ms. Wiest raised the issue of the club budget for the coming year. There was much discussion - where to donate club money and how much, how the club can spend its CD money, etc. It was decided to spend $300.00 next year, donating to the Texas Rivers Protection Association, American Whitewater, and the Citizens Environmental Coalition. Ms. Nissen asked about when she should drop people from the membership roster, if they don’t renew their memberships. It was decided that if they ask to be removed, she should do so. There was the usual discussion of the ACA trip reporting process, and the Recorder will not try to parse it out. Mr. Walters proposed a protocol, and it was accepted. Ms. Nissen and Mr. Bodson offered to man an HCC booth at the Hidalgo Falls Texas River Festival. It was reported that a meeting room at the Bayland Community Center had been reserved for the coming year, should we need one. It was decided that the annual Christmas party would be a bring-your-own-food gathering outdoors at the Cedar Hill Park pavilion, on December 20th, after a paddle on Lake Charlotte. Mr. Ohrt announced a Christmas morning paddle, with the location to be decided later. It was decided to spend $80.00/2 years to get extra security status for the website from Club Express. Ms. Long announced that the November speaker would be Steve Crass, talking about sea kayaking in the Sea of Cortez. Mr. Douglas reported that a rider calling for the creation of over 1,000 miles of new Wild and Scenic Rivers had been attached to the defense spending authorization bill before Congress, and asked everyone to contact their representatives in support of it. He then reported a meeting of the Spring Creek Watershed Partnership on October 8, and announced the 17th annual Buffalo Bayou symposium. Mr. Naeger gave the results of the officers nominating committee. All current officers agreed to serve for another year. Hooray! We won’t have to bludgeon anyone into serving. He added that we needed an accurate count of the club membership, so we can know how many members are needed for an election quorum. Ms. Wiest asked if there was any other business. Being met with great silence, she adjourned the meeting.