Last Meeting Minutes - Houston Canoe Club

Last Meeting Minutes

by Frank Ohrt

Houston Canoe Club

General Membership Meeting
February 14, 2018
Bayland Park Community Center

Recorder: Frank Ohrt

Honey Leveen

Commodore Honey Leveen called the meeting to order, and introduced the officers. Present were Ms. Leveen, Vice-commodore Alice Nissen, Newsletter Editor John Rich, Sergeant-at-Arms Ann Derby, Boatswain Paul Woodcock, and Recorder Frank Ohrt. Absent were Purser Kent Walters, Fleet Captain Natalie Wiest, and Webmaster Harmon Everett. Ms. Leveen noted the pre- and post-meeting dinner gatherings.

Ms. Leveen asked that the minutes of the previous month’s meetings be accepted. They were. The Recorder must be doing a really fine job. She then noted the 2018 Holiday party on December 15th.

As Mr. Walters was somewhere between Houston and Boquillas Canyon, Ms. Leveen gave the Purser’s report. We were right on budget for 2017, and we are also in line with the current year’s budget.

The Fleet Captain was also absent, as was Christy Long, the official HCC Officer Fill-in, so Ms. Leveen presented the Fleet Captain’s trip report. Recent trips and activities reported, and the trip leaders, were:

Jan. 13: Brazos River/Columbia Bottomlands (Bruce Bodson),
Jan. 25: Wild and Scenic Film Festival (Honey Leveen),
Jan. 27: San Bernard River (Bruce Bodson),
Feb.3: Colorado River, Altair to Garwood (Bruce Bodson).

Tom Douglas reported that he and Paul Woodcock had an impromptu “ice paddle” on Lake Charlotte and Mac Bayou in January . He showed some interesting photos.

Upcoming trips announced were:

Feb. 17: Winter paddle events, various rivers in Brazoria County
(Brazoria County Parks Dept.) (Also March 10 and March 17),
Feb. 10-11:Colorado River, Garwood to Glen flora (Bruce Bodson),
Feb. 16-18: Boquillas Canyon, Rio Grande (Kent Walters) (full!),
March 3: San Marcos River clean-up (Frank Ohrt),
March 22-26: Buffalo River, AK (Kent Walters) (full!).

The report then stated that there were 25 paddlers on HCC trips last year who were not ACA members, as far as could be determined. If HCC had paid the $5.00 ACA insurance fee, it would have cost the club $125.00.

Paul Comstock

Mr. Woodcock gave the Boatswain’s report. New members were Arthur Schmitt. Visitors at the meeting were Val Cormack, and Harry and Jacob Cantor.

Ms. Derby introduced the evening’s speaker, Paul Comstock, who gave a very interesting talk on paddling Lake Champlain, New York, and the lake’s importance in the American Revolution and the War of 1812.

Ms. Leveen adjourned the meeting.

General Meeting Recorder,

Frank Ohrt

Houston Canoe Club

Board Meeting
February 7, 2018
Bayland Park Community Center

Recorder: Frank Ohrt

The February officers meeting was held by conference call. Participating were Commodore Honey Leveen, Vice-commodore Alice Nissen, Purser Kent Walters, Fleet Captain Natalie Wiest, Boatswain Paul Woodcock, and Recorder Frank Ohrt.

Ms. Leveen called the meeting to order. Mr. Ohrt asked if anyone objected to his leaving the details of the trip reports and membership report for the membership meeting’s minutes. No one objected.

Mr. Walters reported on the club budget. He said we were right on target for 2017, and for the year 2018, so far. He noted that Ms. Wiest had a budget of $400 for 100-Miler awards. She said she had spent $100. She asked about giving trip leader awards, and was told the Fleet Captain had full discretion for giving awards. Ms. Wiest then asked if we should propose a budget to the membership. Mr. Walters said that he had given an end-of-year financial report for 2017, and asked someone to look up whether the HCC constitution addressed the issue. Ms. Leveen said she would look it up, and, if required, present the budget at the March membership meeting. [Mr. Walters looked it up; the board is not required to seek membership approval for the club budget.]

HCC’s annual donations were discussed. It was decided that we would donate $100 to the Citizens’ Environmental Coalition, the Texas Rivers Protection Association, the Galveston Bay Foundation, The Bayou Preservation Association, and the Lower Brazos Riverwatch. $75 would be given to American Whitewater, for inclusion as an affiliated paddling club. The total of $575 is the same as in previous years.

There was discussion of the club’s paying the $5 fee for non-ACA members who participate in club events. I couldn’t tell if we decided anything or not.

Mr. Woodcock reported two new members, and noted that they had been announced at the January membership meeting. Current membership is 144.

Upcoming membership meeting speakers were announced. Paul Comstock will speak about paddling Lake Champlain in February, and speakers for the next few months will be:

March: Mark Andrus, paddling from a cruise ship,
April: Malcolm LeFevre, special needs paddling programs in Ireland,
May: Christy Long, packing for canoe camping.

There was discussion of speaker gifts. Possibilities suggested were a book (Ms. Wiest’s or one of Louis Aulbach’s), a $25 gift certificate, and a $25 donation to the conservation organization of the speaker’s choice. Mr. Ohrt suggested that HCC purchase a few more of Louis’s books.

Mr. Ohrt said he would give a safety minute at the membership meeting.

Ms. Leveen asked if anyone had ideas for a group activity with HASK, and we agreed to think about it. She then called the meeting to a close.

Board Meeting Recorder,

Frank Ohrt