Last Meeting Minutes - Houston Canoe Club

Last Meeting Minutes

by Frank Ohrt

Houston Canoe Club

General Membership Meeting
June 9, 2021
Zoom

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 and Sergeant-at-Arms Ann Derby.

Ms. Wiest asked that the previous meetings’ minutes be accepted as written. They were, 4-0. Four members actually read them!

Mr. Ohrt gave a Safety Minute, urging members who see someone about to do something stupid and dangerous on the water to say something.

Mr. Bodson gave the Fleet Captain’s report. Recent trips, and trip leaders, were:

          May 29: Colorado River at high water; Bruce Bodson (+ four);

          May 30: Armand Bayou; Natalie Wiest (11 boats).

Tom Douglas reported a whitewater training class on the San Marcos at 500 cfs. We should all be so lucky.

Upcoming trips announced were:

          June 12: White’s/Turtle Bayou; Kent Walters;

          June 12: Colorado River, LaGrange to Columbus; Bruce Bodson;

          June 27: Lake Charlotte; Club picnic and paddle at Cedar Hill Park; Alice Nissen and Natalie Wiest.

Ms. Nissen reported seven new members: Maureen Dial, Gregory Dan, Michael Farrell, Joe French, Walter Reeves, Melissa Rogers, Nathan Sen, and Karen Suggs.

Mr. Walters gave the usual Purser’s report. Same old same old.

Mr. Douglas gave the conservation report. There is now a first draft of the Spring Creek Watershed Protection Plan, with a link for comments on the HCC Conservation Forum. He announced a public Q and A session on June 16, concerning the proposed floodwater detention basin on Cypress Creek at T. C. Jester, also with a link on the Forum. Some issues/questions are whether the creek will continue to be navigable there, and whether the Jester put-in and the Stack Drive rapid would survive.

Ms. Long, acting Newsletter Editor, said she is managing to get out a simpler newsletter, but she still can’t seem to change the background photo. Help wanted!

She then introduced the evening’s speaker, Tom Womble of the Carolina Canoe Club, who spoke about that club’s upcoming Week of Rivers festival until his internet connection failed. There was subsequent discussion of the festival among the members who had attended in previous years.

Ms. Long announced the next month’s program on wildlife rehabilitation, with an emphasis on birds, by a speaker from the Wildlife Center of Texas.

Ms. Wiest adjourned the meeting, and invited those who so wished to stay on Zoom and chat.

Houston Canoe Club

Board Meeting
June 2, 2021
Zoom

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 and Sergeant-at-Arms Ann Derby.

Ms. Wiest and Ms. Nissen discussed whether the club had multiple listings for some of its members with Club Express, and whether the club was being charged more than it should be.

Ms. Nissen announced that there were seven new members, and that eleven members had signed up to attend the club picnic. She noted that the San Bernard, the site of the picnic, might be in flood stage. Mr. Bodson ventured that it shouldn’t be a problem. Ms. Wiest called attention to Constantin Platon’s offer to bring a load of boats for prospective members to paddle. The general opinion was that no one wanted to have to teach (i.e., work) at the picnic, but that the club might well accept the offer for a future event.

Mr. Walters reported that the club made $0.30 on its CD, and that the club was in good shape, financially. The Recorder considered “copying and pasting” any of his last thirty or so Purser’s reports.He also promised to check the P.O. box. Time will tell whether he does so before the next month’s meetings.

Mr. Bodson reported that his “election” as state director of the ACA was a fluke, and that Lynn Andrus actually was the director. There was some discussion of the state of the ACA. Mr. Bodson said he would report on trips at the general meeting the following week, and that all the rivers in the region were running high.

Ms. Wiest asked Ms. Derby about getting a new computer projector, and Ms. Derby said she would look at reviews and make a decision on which one to buy.

Mr. Douglas noted that there was an upcoming meeting of the Spring Creek Watershed Protection Plan committee, and that there would be a public comment session concerning the proposed floodwater detention basin on Cypress Creek at T.C. Jester. There were concerns about future navigability, and whether the put-in there would survive.

Ms Wiest said that the position of Newsletter Editor was still vacant, and thanked Ms. Long for serving as temporary editor. As do we all.

Ms. Long asked Mr. Bodson about the Hidalgo Falls Festival in October, Mr. Walters noted that his June 12 Trinity River trip would probably move to Turtle Bayou, and Ms. Wiest adjourned the meeting.

Recorder,

Frank Ohrt