Houston Canoe Club
Board Meeting Minutes
February 4, 2026
Officers in attendance were Natalie Wiest, Commodore; Christy Long, Vice Commodore and Website Master; Tyrone White, Boatswain; Harmon Everett, Newsletter Editor; Bruce Bodson, Fleet Captain; Mike Grove, Recorder; and Tom Douglas, Conservation Chairman.
Officer absent was Tracy Caldwell Becker, Purser.
Natalie Wiest called the Zoom meeting to order at 7:03 pm.
- Natalie began discussion with the fact that since meeting minutes (both Board meetings and General Membership meetings) are published in the next month’s Newsletter before those minutes have been approved at the successive Board meeting and General Membership meeting, the minutes published in the Newsletter should be marked “draft.” Everyone present concurred and Mike Grove said that he would mark the minutes as “draft” when he posted them in each pending “Newsletter in Progress.”
- Natalie asked Harmon to address his concerns regarding including detailed references to the Club’s Purser’s reports in the Minutes of our meetings, since the Minutes as published in the Newsletter become available to the general public. After discussion, all officers in attendance concurred that financial report details will not be included in meeting Minutes, other than stating that the Purser presented the monthly financial report.
- Natalie next called on the other officers to make their reports.
Christy Long reported on the following items.
- Christy noted that she makes a count of members present and via zoom at each general membership meeting and recommended that the attendance count be included in the Minutes for each general membership meeting. Mike said that he would take that physical count at each meeting and Christy said that she could provide Mike with the count of Zoom attendees, and Mike said that he would then include the attendance figures in the Minutes for each general membership meeting.
- Christy reported that she gives the Club members advance notice of the time and place of pre-monthly meeting dinners and of the monthly meetings. She noted that the announcements for February have already identified Thai Cottage as the location for the pre-meeting dinner and the Bayland Community Center Annex as the location for the general membership meeting. Christy and Natalie discussed firming up location reservations for March so that those locations can be announced.
- Christy reported for Bruce’s benefit as Fleet Captain that last year Paddlesport Risk Management advised everyone to copy their waivers on file with Paddlesport, which Christy then promptly did and then copied them into the HCC’s “documents” file. She learned that Paddlesport then deleted all of the waivers that had been on file prior to December 25, 2025. Bruce will be aware that if in the future Paddlesport purges their waiver files again, he can retrieve the HCC members’ waivers from the HCC “documents” file rather than having to approach many members for new waivers.
- Christy reported that the speaker for the February general meeting will be Natalie, who will speak about “Paddling Opportunities around Houston” with updates to her 2012 book Canoeing and Kayaking Houston Waterways. Christy also reported that the speaker for the March general membership meeting will be Joe Coker, who will speak about “Alligators,” and the speaker for the April meeting will be Chuck Falk, who will speak about “When Everything Goes Right.”
- Later in the meeting, Harmon mentioned that he had done a safety minute about using a canoe for a rescue of someone who has fallen through the ice over water body, and Tyrone mentioned having read a news story about a family that had been able to be rescued after having been kayaking and paddle boarding off the Southwest Coast of Australia, but were then swept out to sea a distance of about 14 kilometers. They were able to be rescued in part because they were all wearing PFDs. Natalie asked both of them if they would give reports on those two items as part of a Safety Minute to be addressed while she is giving her presentation at the February general membership meeting about “Paddling Opportunities around Houston,” and they each agreed.
Mike Grove presented the Minutes for the January 7 Board meeting for Board approval. Following a motion and second that those minutes be approved, all present voted to approve them. The minutes of the January 14 general membership meeting will be presented for approval at the February 11 general membership meeting.
Harmon Everett reported that the February Newsletter has been published. He noted that it included trip reports from Kent Walters, Natalie, and Christy, a short story by Ken Anderson about “Living in the Pacific Northwest,” and a philosophical tidbit by Harmon called “Flow” about there being no such thing as a balance of nature.
Bruce Bodson reminded everyone that it would be great, if and when trip reports are sent to him, that if there are pictures of the trip it would be best to send just one or two pictures that are representative of the trip, because he is trying to use those reports for the general membership meetings. He expressed his appreciation for the fact that some of the club’s regular trip leaders are stepping up and leading trips, including recent trips led by Christy and Natalie, and an upcoming one by Joe Coker.
Tyrone White presented the membership report: during January 2025, no new members were added, 9 members renewed, and as of the end of January there were 123 active members. There are also 1067 Facebook followers.
Tom Douglas posted his 13-page power point conservation report on the Zoom meeting window and summarized the items addressed in the report. He will make a detailed presentation during the upcoming February 11, 2026, general membership meeting.
Old Business.
- Christy reported that before renewing the Microsoft apps subscription for the HCC computer, Greg Fan found and directed her to a Groupon coupon that enabled her to renew the subscription for approximately $22, rather than the approximate $100 renewal fee that had been authorized during the January HCC Board meeting. Kudos to Greg and Christy for locking down those savings for the Club!
New Business.
- Natalie reported that John Bartos has agreed to serve as Registered Agent for HCC, that she will proceed to have him sign the Consent to Serve as Registered Agent, and she will then complete and file the Change of Registered Agent form with the Texas Secretary of State. She said that she intended to use a personal check for the filing fee, and the Board recommended and approved that she provide a receipt to the Purser (Tracy) for reimbursement.
There being no more old or new business, upon motion made, seconded, and carried by vote of the Board, the meeting was adjourned at 7:42 PM.
Recorder,
Mike Grove
Houston Canoe Club
Minutes of General Membership Meeting
February 11, 2026
Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 7:00 pm by Commodore, Natalie Wiest and Zoom access was granted to members who chose to meet virtually.
Officers in attendance: Natalie Wiest, Commodore; Christy Long, Vice Commodore and Website Master; Tyrone White, Boatswain; Harmon Everett, Newsletter Editor (via Zoom); Bruce Bodson, Fleet Captain; Mike Grove, Recorder; and Tom Douglas, Conservation Chairman
Officer absent: Tracy Caldwell Becker, Purser.
Meeting attendance: 13 members present in person, and 7 members present via Zoom.
Commodore’s Report: Natalie welcomed everyone to the meeting and called on the Club’s other officers to give their reports.
Recorder’s Report: Mike reminded members that they are able to review the draft minutes of each prior general membership meeting, as published in the monthly Newsletter, so that they can raise any questions or comments that they have regarding those draft minutes in advance of the next monthly meeting. He then reported that the minutes of the January 4, 2026, general membership meeting have been published for membership review in the February Newsletter, and he asked for a motion to approve those minutes. A motion for approval of the minutes was made and seconded, and the motion carried by vote of those in attendance.
Boatswain’s Report: Tyrone reported that during January 2026, no new members were added, 9 members renewed, and as of the end of January there were 123 active members. He reported that there are also 1067 Facebook followers.
Purser’s Report: Tracy was unable to be present at the meeting to provide a report. Christy was able to report her awareness that the Club’s finances remain in good standing, consistent with the Purser’s report from the previous monthly meeting.
Newsletter Editor’s Report: Harmon, who attended by Zoom, reported that the February Newsletter was published by the beginning of February. He mentioned one highlight article in that Newsletter regarding Living In The Pacific Northwest, by Ken Anderson, along with a number of trip reports and Harmon’s own article in which he contrasts the FLOW of the dynamic universe to the concept of any “balance of nature.”
As a “Safety Minute” to be presented as a part of the general membership meeting, Harmon reported that the February Newsletter included a Safety Minute concerning the wearing of helmets while paddling. He noted that there may be differences between many paddling environments in and around Houston versus other areas known to include more potentially dangerous rapids, falls, and obstacles, and he mentioned some examples. Harmon concluded the Safety Minute by cautioning everyone to consider the waters they plan to paddle and to think hard about whether they should wear a helmet.
Conservation Chairman Report: Tom gave a Power Point presentation of his thorough Conservation Report, which covered about 10 different conservation-oriented activities occurring over approximately the next 3 months, including: 2026 State of the Bay Symposium – Feb 24-25; Texas Plastic Pollution Symposium – Mar 25; Texas Coastal Roundup – Apr 18; Earth Day at Discovery Green – Apr 25; Water Quality in Luce/Tarkington Bayou Watershed – Feb 11; Water Quality in Bessie’s Creek – Feb 19; San Marcos River Rendezvous Clean Up – Mar 7; Trash Bash at Armand Bayou – Mar 28; Greens Bayou Cleanup – May; and an article by Susie Hairston entitled Dog Poop Threatens the Health of Local Waterways, Wildlife, and Us. Christy Long, Frank Ort, and Susan Eda each provided supplemental information regarding the San Marcos River Rendezvous Clean Up. Members can access Tom’s complete Power Point presentation of the Conservation Report at the following link:
https://1drv.ms/p/c/29dbb01c60681df5/IQAk2A4vb96MQrkSwChTf0WUAYXOfypY3LrqYrWPAddlPtE?e=znLjnp
Before next turning things over to our Fleet Captain for his report, Natalie added a note of gratitude for Christy, who in addition to being Vice Commodore is also the Club’s Website Master, and to Greg Fan, who is our computer guru, for their joint efforts each month to set up our meeting room and our computer paraphernalia in order to provide a seamless in-person meeting coupled with a Zoom meeting, along with screen sharing, projection, and reliable audio. Following Natalie’s expression of gratitude those present joined in with their concurrence and applause. Natalie then invited Bruce Bodson to give his report.
Fleet Captain Report: Bruce first offered supplemental commentary regarding Tom’s Conservation Report. Specifically, he mentioned that February 21, 2026, at Christmas Bay is the abandoned crab trap removal day, and that the Christmas Bay Foundation, Parks and Wildlife, Brazoria County Parks, and the Gulf Coast Rescue Squad will all be there. The Christmas Bay Foundation is facilitating a volunteer cleanup. Bruce then reported that available paddling miles for the Club during January were 50.02 miles for anyone who made every trip/event that was possible. So far in 2026, there have been 12 events, and 28 different members plus one non-member have participated. Available paddling miles year-to-date have been 89.04 miles (plus another 60 for the Texas Winter 100K, but nobody from the Club actually did that race). So far this year, the total paddling miles that Club participants have done is 348.09 miles. Bruce then posted a slide showing paddling mileage accumulated this year by each of those who have participated. Some of the mileage leaders are already nearly half-way to a 100 mile annual total. Bruce then reported on the rescheduling of the Texas Winter 100K from January 24 to January 31, due to icy road conditions on the 24th. Finally, Bruce reported on how many trips have already been led this year by the Club’s trip leaders: Bruce – 5; Kent Walter – 3; Christy – 2, Natalie – 1; and Joe – 1. Bruce, Christy, Kent, and Joe each added details regarding the trips they have led this year. Bruce, Christy and Kent then also mentioned a few of the scheduled, upcoming trips.
Vice Commodore’s Report: Christy Long reported that she has scheduled speakers for the next two monthly meetings. Joe Coker will speak at the March meeting regarding Alligators, and then in April, Chuck Falk is going to speak regarding When Everything Goes Right (what to have in your boat so that everything can go right on the trip, because you need to be prepared for everything). Christy then reported that the Club’s March meeting will be in Bayland Community Center Room 6,7,8 instead of in the Annex.
Christy then introduced the Club’s principal speaker for the month, our Commodore, Natalie Wiest, speaking on “Paddling Opportunities around Houston.” Christy noted that Natalie has been paddling since high school and thereafter all of her adult life. She has been in Houston since the early ‘80s. Christy noted that Natalie’s service to the Club has been tireless, and that she has been a club officer every year since 2016, except for 2024 when the Club allowed her to take a break, but she continued to participate in 2024 Board meetings, anyway, as an ex-officio member. Christy said that during her talk Natalie will provide updates and insights into the book that she authored, Canoeing and Kayaking Houston Waterways, https://www.tamupress.com/book/9781603447645/canoeing-and-kayaking-houston-waterways/, published in 2012 by the Texas A&M University Press.
Principal Speaker: Natalie began her presentation by describing the initial concept of her book, which emerged from a presentation she made at a State of the Bay conference, for which she developed a map that pinpointed the recreational opportunities around the Galveston Bay estuaries and places that come into the bay. She saw all of those dots on the map and thought, “Maybe I should write a book about it,” because she felt that people just didn’t know the opportunities that were available. So, she decided that “for the betterment of canoeing in the Houston area, I’d give the book a go.”
Natalie began by discussing some highlights from the book, going from west to east. She not only reviewed many of the principal paddling areas described in detail in her book, but she then tied that foundation to the paddling that she and other Club members have done over the 13+ years since publication of the book. She discussed some things that have changed with the passage of time. She discussed many new things that have been learned and experienced. She discussed how various Club explorers and trip leaders have developed even more nuanced information about the paddling opportunities described in her book.
While preparing for her presentation, Natalie reviewed the Club’s trip reports, to figure out which destinations have been run most often by member-led trips. She reported the approximate results that Lake Charlotte leads the pack with 70 trip reports listed. The Brazos River, Buffalo Bayou, and the San Marcos have each been run about 50 times by the Club. The Colorado River has had about 40 trips, of which the Columbus Loop has a large number. Armand Bayou and Champion Lake have been run in the 30s, and Turtle Bayou, White's Bayou, and the San Bernard River have each been run numerous times.
Natalie also highlighted several of the areas discussed in her book, which in recent years have not been frequented on Club-led trips, but which provide possible new and interesting destinations. During the course of her presentation, several members in attendance chimed in about shared experiences on the trips and bayous that Natalie was addressing. It isn’t possible in these meeting minutes to adequately capture the scope, depth, and value of Natalie’s presentation, but if you are reading these minutes and interested, and you do not regularly attend monthly Club meetings, please give the meetings a try, even if initially just via Zoom. Meet Natalie and other experienced paddlers and hear other monthly presentations that are always interesting and useful.
Conclusion and Adjournment: At the conclusion of Natalie’s presentation, Christy noted what an outstanding presentation it had been, and all present showed their agreement with applause. Christy remarked that the Principal Speakers at our monthly meetings often receive a copy of Natalie’s book in appreciation for their presentation, but that since Natalie already has a copy of her book, the Club will instead show its appreciation to Natalie by donating $25.00 on Natalie’s behalf to a 501(c)(3) charitable organization of Natalie’s choice. Natalie said that it was her pleasure to make the presentation.
There being no further business, Natalie said that those present had heard her speak long enough, and she adjourned the meeting at 8:42 pm.
Recorder,
Mike Grove