I was very happy in 1996 when nine FCS attendance records were set. The year started out with a record 40 participants at the Winter Dove Retreat on 1/4 - 1/7/96. The next record was set at the Spring Family Campout on 4/12 - 4/13/98 with 30 participants. Following the campout was the Annual Canoe Trip down the Guadalupe River on 5/11/96 that saw a record 18 participants. Next was the Annual Rabbit Hunt on 6/21 - 6/22/96 with a record 11 participants (this record was eclipsed in 1998). Next was the Semi Annual Sporting Clays Shoot on 8/31/96 with a record 14 participants. The next record to fall was the Annual Dart (archery) Shoot on 9/14/96 with three participants. This was followed by the Fall Dove Retreat on 9/19 - 9/22/96 with a record 69 participants. The next record occurred at the Annual Rifle Range Shoot on 10/12/96 with 12 participants. The year concluded with the Fall Family Campout with a record 16 participants (this record was eclipsed in 1997).
It seemed that things were really starting to gel for The Fellowship of Christian Sportsmen. Then the bottom fell out in 1997 and 1998 (to date). Here are the facts. To date we have had only 84 participants at FCS outings this year. Only 46 men and boys have attended FCS meetings. The 1998 total participants to date are 130. To put this in perspective, we had 52 participants by this time last year at FCS outings (we would have had probably 30 more if we had not cancelled the Winter Dove Retreat in January 1997) and 52 attendees at FCS meetings this time last year. The 1997 total participants were 104 for the first six months (134 with the projected Dove Retreat attendance). By this time in 1996 we had 141 participants at FCS outings and 61 attendees at FCS meetings for a total of 202 participants!
Granted we did better for the first six months of 1998 than we did for the same time period in 1997; but our participation is down 36% compared to the same time period in 1996! 1997 participation was down 49% compared to the first two quarters of 1996! 1996's total participation for the year was 99 participants higher (390 to 291) than 1997 (25% more). We averaged 22 folks at the last six Sweetheart dinners, but we had to cancel this year's dinner due to projected poor attendance! As I noted above, 1996 saw nine attendance records set. In 1997 we set only two: the Archery Hog Hunt on 3/7 - 3/9/98 with five participants and the Fall Family Campout on 10/24 - 10/25/97 with 26 participants. To date, we have only set one record in 1998 - the Annual Rabbit Hunt on 2/20 - 2/22/98 with 24 participants.
We have taken the Fall Camping Trip, Spring Camping Trip, and Annual Archery Shoot completely off of the calendar due to lack of interest. The attendance at the last two Catfish Fishing Trips to Rainbow lake was two families and one family respectively (we used to average 20+ people at these events; record attendance was 38 people on 7/25/92). The attendance at the last three Annual Bass Fishing Trips has been steadily dwindling (six in '96, three in '97, and two in '98). It seems that the only events that are drawing any attendance to speak of are the Dove Retreats, Rabbit hunts, Rifle Range Shoots, and Shotgun Shoots (maybe we should change our name to The Fellowship of Christian Shooters). The recent FCS surveys indicated that most events were fairly well enjoyed. So the lack of participation is puzzling to say the least.
To quote the apostle James "Brothers, these things ought not to be!" (James 3:10b). I realize that our kids are 10 years older than when the Club was founded in 1988 (many of us have added a kid or three since '88). I know that they have soccer, band, scouts, baseball, etc. I know that most of our lives are far more complicated than they were back then. Most of our jobs have changed and several men are working many more hours than they were a decade ago. But, it appears that FCS has fallen to seventh, eight, or last place in many members' lives. There have been over 165 men who have attended a FCS event who did not join the club! We have 42 FCS members who have not renewed their memberships this year (only 23 did renew)! We have former officers who haven't attended a club event in months or even years! If FCS were a patient, we would be on a respirator right now!
Now some of you might be saying to yourselves, "Well Randy, how have YOU contributing to our attendance?" I'm not going to take the time to look my attendance up because it would take hours to look up 11 years worth of attendance (I was a founding member). But I would be willing to wager every thing that I own that I have attended over 90% of FCS outings and meetings since the Club was founded. I have never missed an official Dove Retreat, Catfish Fishing Trip, Striped Bass Fishing Trip, Shotgun Shoot, or Rifle Range Shoot. I even went to the Rifle Range Shoots to shoot my deer rifle when I knew I didn't have a lease and probably wouldn't get to go deer hunting that year. I've attended all of our "Big Money" events (two Chartered Striped Bass Fishing Trips, a Chartered Deep Sea Fishing Trip, and two Archery Hog Hunts). There have been at least two events where my family and I were the only attendee's. I not only go to all NAC meetings but to all SAC meetings as well (just to be a liaison between the chapters), even though I drive 30+ miles extra to get there and back.
Some of you may also be saying, "Well you do all this FCS stuff because your rich!" That's hardly the case (I make less than 30K a year). I have even delayed paying bills (unwisely) in order to go on FCS outings. Some outings (such as the Dove Retreats) take me weeks to get caught back up from.
I'm not even going to try to figure out how many hours I have spent typing newsletters, flyers, directories, calendars, bylaws, brochures, letters, questionnaires, applications, ballot surveys, ballots, directions, etc. Nor will I try to calculate how many hours I've spent making telephone calls, printing, folding, addressing, stuffing envelopes, applying stamps, mailing, e-mailing, faxing, etc. Let's just say it's in the hundreds (an average newsletter takes 25 hours from start to finish). I am quite confident that a jury of 12 would find me committed to The Fellowship of Christian Sportsmen (maybe I should be committed).
I did not present these facts to "toot my own horn" or get a "pat on the back" (I get plenty of those from Club members). I simply did not want there to be any question regarding my attendance or what I am doing to try to get more men to attend. It grieves me that so many are not committed. It grieves me more to see men who were committed pull away from the Club.
To be sure there are others who have attended a great many events and put a great many hours in the Club. Eddy Chance, Paul Wilson, and Larry Dowden come readily to mind. Although Tom Grass has not been involved nearly as long as the three men mentioned above, he has also proven to be committed. Lee Tunnell and Randy Slagle did a lot for the Club in the beginning. Mark Weaver has been our faithful Preacher at the Dove Retreats. However, if you look back at the history of the Club, there have never been more than five or six guys who were really involved.
The key word to this editorial is "COMMITMENT." It appears to me that it has been severely lacking by too many men for too long a period of time. If you are a guest who has attended more than one FCS event, it's time to contribute your fair share and JOIN the Club! If you're a member who hasn't renewed, it's time to RENEW! If you're a member who hasn't attended in a while, it's time to ATTEND! THIS CLUB CAN BE MUCH, MUCH MORE THAN IT CURRENTLY IS. It is time for many of you to stand up and BE COUNTED and to help LEAD this Club. If you don't like what we're doing - HELP FIX IT! How about going to Eddy or Tom and saying "What can I do to help?"
I hear a lot of guys complain about the current cost of FCS Dove Retreats. But I rarely hear any of the complainers relate how they have driven around or made calls to find a cheaper lease (in fact, as we learned the hard way too often, cheaper is usually not better).
No, FCS is not a church. We do not require or expect members to attend a percentage of events (although I made a proposal for such requirements for officers years ago that went no where). Our philosophy has been to offer a wide variety of events to choose from. We want there to be "something for everyone." We don't want people to feel bad if they don't come to a FCS event or three a year. However, we want them to feel like they're missing something if they rarely attend.
Randy Rowley
FCS Secretary and Hunting His Way Editor