My brother is the Secretary of his Gun Club, and runs the BP matches. He had 11 shooters at his monthly shoot this past Sunday, ONLY because he got on the phone and called all the club members he knew owned MLers, and asked them why they weren't coming out to shoots.
He usually has 3-4 shooters, hardly worth all the effort he puts in hosting the shoots. Its a huge club, with several ranges, and lots of members who only shooter modern guns. He writes a good newsletter, including information on the upcoming shoot, and scores and names of winners on the one just held. Better, he offers to coach people to become better MLer shooters, WHEN asked, and several people have taken him up on his offer. They now get reliable ignition, own the right equipment to load and clean their guns, and no longer suffer the misfires, hang-fires, etc. the used to endure. He has also helped them with shooting positions, stance, etc. and their scores have come up noticeable.
He thinks most MLers are "discouraged shooters", because they don't know what they are doing when they first get into the sport, rarely have any training in shooting, much less in using open sights, and don't know anyone to coach them. And, being guys, most of them have too much Pride to ASK for help.
He believes the personal contact with members is what got people out to the range. I also believe that works in other clubs, too. Don't put the phone calling all on one member. Get a group of officers, or directors, or committee members, to split up the membership list, and make the calls.
When we did this years ago at my club, we also took the time to survey members about what kind of targets they would like to see at shoots. The overwhelming consensus was to De-emphasize paper targets, and use come kind of re-active targets.
Today, we have a very good "woods Walk" course, with mostly metallic bang plates of various shapes, and sizes, set at unknown distances. The Static firing line, with target backstop, is used with paper targets occasionally, but is really there to convenience members who need to sight in guns.
HINT: I was my club's secretary for more than 5 years. People LIKE to see their name in the newsletter, and something more than what score they shot. I made up funny stuff about members just to give everyone something to laugh about, and to get that person's name in the newsletter.
It was not hard to do. Most members have an "Alias" they use, or are given by other members and that name suggests a theme that can be used. I spent a lot of time each month talking to each member, and listening to the chatter among members. It wasn't hard to write something that contained a "bit of truth" mixed in with a lot of silly.
The Founder of our club has lived in British Columbia, since about 1968. I got a call from him one night, asking if I was going to attend the club shoot in July- several months away. He was coming back for a wedding, and planned to come to the club. He wanted to meet the " crazy guy" who wrote the funny newsletter he so enjoyed to read, and he wanted to meet the people I talked about each month to see what they really were like! Of course, I wanted to finally meet him, too, and I announced his future visit in several newsletters, encouraging members to attend the monthly shoot in July just to meet him. We had a good turn-out of members, and he enjoyed himself.
Not everyone can write " funny". It takes a bit of work. But, if your newsletter writer will spend a little effort, its not hard to do. I Still get old members telling me how much they miss my newsletters.
I hated to spend the club's money on postage to mail out newsletters each month to the members, without getting full value. I could send 2 pieces of 8 x 11 paper, giving me 3 1/2 pages to write on for the same STAMP.
So, every newsletter had 3 1/2 pages of News in it( including a lot of self-deprecating humor. It teaches others to laugh at themselves, so that you will always have something to laugh about! It also assures some members that whatever I say about them is said in jest, because I say far worse things about myself.)
I refused to send a half page newsletter that tells you there is going to be a work party on some day- without indicating what kind of work is to be done, what materials or equipment are needed, or how many people are needed to get it done, and what time to show up. Or, telling you that the next shoot will be on a certain day- No location, No time, no indication of what the shoot will involve, etc.
It took me months to get my club's current news letter writer to include a Map showing how to get to the new location of the club, after we moved a couple of years ago. Duh! :idunno:
Write the newsletter for the benefit of your paying members who DON'T normally attend shoots. Make the information about your shoots interesting enough to peak their curiosity to attend. :thumbsup: Open a Website to carry not only the newsletter, but color photos of the shoots, and people in attendance. Try to put at least ONE action photo on the sight each month, even if the shot has to be "Staged". :hmm:
