Keeping Our Clubs Alive Article in MB

[jimhallam]

The problem is not confined to M-L Shooting. I used to write the R&Rs for the large "Historic Arms Matches" in the UK --- everything from ML up to post WW2 Service Riffles ( and in the earlier Meetings before we were shafted by the politicians and the Press the S-L-Ps and revolvers).
In some organisations the Committees are really only interested in getting on the International / National teams --- Some of what we used to call the "Gladiators" used to buy themselves into the Prize Lists buy purchasing bundhooks which Match Winners were successful with !
So many organisations have classifications of firearms totally ignore the cheap, basic firearms which many can afford.... and it would seem that in the M-L world some of the self-appointed elite do the same thing. One post put it perfectly ---
I had a club member tell me that when some of my gear was not PC. I was shooting a Lyman GPR from a bag using a brass powder container. I had some altoid tins and a plastic pill bottle to hold caps and tools. I didn’t go back.
And "Pioneer 520"'s response was perfectly put.

No wonder that the kids seem to prefer killing aliens using 2 thumbs on a "tablet" !

 

[Jim K]

I would like to go to a woods walk and there are a couple clubs around that have them. They both shoot Sunday morning and I go to church then. I wish they had some on Saturdays. It sure looks like fun!

 

[user 53891]

I would like to go to a woods walk and there are a couple clubs around that have them. They both shoot Sunday morning and I go to church then. I wish they had some on Saturdays. It sure looks like fun!

You could always go to church on Saturday......

 

[FishDFly]

The problem is not confined to M-L Shooting. I used to write the R&Rs for the large "Historic Arms Matches" in the UK --- everything from ML up to post WW2 Service Riffles ( and in the earlier Meetings before we were shafted by the politicians and the Press the S-L-Ps and revolvers).
In some organisations the Committees are really only interested in getting on the International / National teams --- Some of what we used to call the "Gladiators" used to buy themselves into the Prize Lists buy purchasing bundhooks which Match Winners were successful with !
So many organisations have classifications of firearms totally ignore the cheap, basic firearms which many can afford.... and it would seem that in the M-L world some of the self-appointed elite do the same thing. One post put it perfectly ---
I had a club member tell me that when some of my gear was not PC. I was shooting a Lyman GPR from a bag using a brass powder container. I had some altoid tins and a plastic pill bottle to hold caps and tools. I didn’t go back.
And "Pioneer 520"'s response was perfectly put.

No wonder that the kids seem to prefer killing aliens using 2 thumbs on a "tablet" !

"I had a club member tell me that when some of my gear was not PC. "

Tell them to take off their wrist watch as it is not PC and drop your pants, need to check your underwear to see if they are PC. If not, take them off. Tends to end discussions.

 

[jdw276]

You could always go to church on Saturday......

Well, the club or clubs could survey and see if saturdays are better for folks. Moving to saturday you might get more shooters than losing shooters.

For most shooters and club neighbors the lord and family come before shooting. Many clubs have a no shooting before noon on sundays for that very reason.

 

[oldwood]

The only shoots I attended in the 1980's , was one where SOME of the most NOTORIOUS , good shooters , were heckled with insulting verbiage , , pine cones ,and other detritus was bounced off their backs , while they tried to hit metal targets from 25 yds. , out to 200 yds. . After attending stiff , and almost boring competitions all my life , those shoots were a breath of fresh air. The shooters shot until dark ,and then "candle flame snuffing" shoots, began. If you couldn't have fun there , I don't know what could be done for you. Oops , Forgot to mention the "split the ball on the ax shoot. " Laughter was rampant , and most had a great time..................oldwood

 

[Jaeger]

This is one the better threads I've seen on here in a while!

 

[Jim K]

You could always go to church on Saturday......

We don’t have Saturday service or I might.

 

[Comfortably_Numb]

The only shoots I attended in the 1980's , was one where SOME of the most NOTORIOUS , good shooters , were heckled with insulting verbiage , , pine cones ,and other detritus was bounced off their backs , while they tried to hit metal targets from 25 yds. , out to 200 yds. . After attending stiff , and almost boring competitions all my life , those shoots were a breath of fresh air. The shooters shot until dark ,and then "candle flame snuffing" shoots, began. If you couldn't have fun there , I don't know what could be done for you. Oops , Forgot to mention the "split the ball on the ax shoot. " Laughter was rampant , and most had a great time..................oldwood

That is called "the good 'ol days now". Almost all the shoots I went to back in the 80's and 90's were just like that. I miss those days.

 

[Buckskinquin]

An excellent article, thanks for bringing to my attention. When I saw black print on a gray background, I didn’t bother to try and read it until it was mentioned here. Pretty tough on my old eyes. I belonged to a club in NY, would mention occasionally, “Hey why don’t we have an open house and teach people about our sport.” Always shot down, insurance wouldn’t cover it, so it was said. Note to Muzzle Blasts publishers, don’t print articles in camo style format. Black on white or other bright color.

 

[rodinal220]

Youth programs are the key. Just as the Marxist/Socialist left has infected Colleges and Universities, K-12 to spread their evil poison. Shooting clubs must get the younger people interested in outdoor activities like shooting and hunting. My club looked at their demographics and saw the average age was over 60. Youth programs and now a huge interest in CCW, action sports have a new crop of people waiting to join.

Regular open houses or special events in various shooting disciplines exposes newer shooter to multiple shooting sports.

 

[user 53891]

We don’t have Saturday service or I might.

Wow....that is amazing...most have Saturday services these days. I belong to church in the woods in Colorado.....

 

[RHR]

Well, the club or clubs could survey and see if saturdays are better for folks. Moving to saturday you might get more shooters than losing shooters.

For most shooters and club neighbors the lord and family come before shooting. Many clubs have a no shooting before noon on sundays for that very reason.

Our club when we do shoot on Sunday is 1:30 start

 

[dave951]

Youth programs are the key. Just as the Marxist/Socialist left has infected Colleges and Universities, K-12 to spread their evil poison. Shooting clubs must get the younger people interested in outdoor activities like shooting and hunting. My club looked at their demographics and saw the average age was over 60. Youth programs and now a huge interest in CCW, action sports have a new crop of people waiting to join.

Regular open houses or special events in various shooting disciplines exposes newer shooter to multiple shooting sports.

I couldn't agree more. Kids are the key to the long term survival of our sport and reversing some of the dumpster fires started by the left in our country. We, as a country, have too long been in hot pursuit of material things and other status symbols to the detriment of our kids and we let the left raise them.

 

[TexiKan]

The only shoots I attended in the 1980's , was one where SOME of the most NOTORIOUS , good shooters , were heckled with insulting verbiage ,

A few years ago at our club range, I tired of throwing the hawk and knife at the same old boring playing card targets. Being of devious and creative mind, I come up with some "interesting" monthly targets to throw at. We, too, enjoy good, fun heckling each thrower. We have a great time and lots of laughs.

 

[Mulebrain]

I am the treasurer of Charles Towne Long Rifles, just north of Charleston, SC. This club was established in 1965, and has been at it's present location since the 1970's. I didn't realize it at the time, but the club I was joining was on life support. Back in the heyday, there was many members, and we held state shoots as well. As time went on many members moved away, or passed on. We are now a mere skeleton of what the club once was. We don't own the land we occupy, and currently lease it. We pay for the insurance and the property taxes on the place. We currently only have enough funds to carry the club one more year. We are either going to have to get new members, or drastically increase club dues which will not work out well.

At present we are a paper only club, and I have been advised that a change in the shooting program is necessary. Adding a woods walk, and a steal type target course. I have had the privilege to help build a woods walk course recently at another private property, and it sure is fun. I have been working on a website for the club, also working on flyers to hand out at the local gun show. Getting some new members would be ideal

I sure would hate to end up losing our club, and any additional advice would be appreciated.

 

[user 53891]

I am the treasurer of Charles Towne Long Rifles, just north of Charleston, SC. This club was established in 1965, and has been at it's present location since the 1970's. I didn't realize it at the time, but the club I was joining was on life support. Back in the heyday, there was many members, and we held state shoots as well. As time went on many members moved away, or passed on. We are now a mere skeleton of what the club once was. We don't own the land we occupy, and currently lease it. We pay for the insurance and the property taxes on the place. We currently only have enough funds to carry the club one more year. We are either going to have to get new members, or drastically increase club dues which will not work out well.

At present we are a paper only club, and I have been advised that a change in the shooting program is necessary. Adding a woods walk, and a steal type target course. I have had the privilege to help build a woods walk course recently at another private property, and it sure is fun. I have been working on a website for the club, also working on flyers to hand out at the local gun show. Getting some new members would be ideal

I sure would hate to end up losing our club, and any additional advice would be appreciated.

Good luck sir. A rendezvous might help entice some more activity. Also go to FFA, 4H, etc.

 

[jdw276]

I am the treasurer of Charles Towne Long Rifles, just north of Charleston, SC. This club was established in 1965, and has been at it's present location since the 1970's. I didn't realize it at the time, but the club I was joining was on life support. Back in the heyday, there was many members, and we held state shoots as well. As time went on many members moved away, or passed on. We are now a mere skeleton of what the club once was. We don't own the land we occupy, and currently lease it. We pay for the insurance and the property taxes on the place. We currently only have enough funds to carry the club one more year. We are either going to have to get new members, or drastically increase club dues which will not work out well.

At present we are a paper only club, and I have been advised that a change in the shooting program is necessary. Adding a woods walk, and a steal type target course. I have had the privilege to help build a woods walk course recently at another private property, and it sure is fun. I have been working on a website for the club, also working on flyers to hand out at the local gun show. Getting some new members would be ideal

I sure would hate to end up losing our club, and any additional advice would be appreciated.

Check out www.trbps.com "events" for some shoot ideas. We created this website 2 years ago. Simple to use I hear. I am not a techy but I have been told so. Fees to register website, software etc about $60 a year.

If you have a local funstore or two, stop in and ask em if they would donate say a couple $15 gift certificates. We gave them a thank you certificate and they also help spread the word on the shoots. Lots of walk ups to shoot for their donation and a $1.25 frame thank you from dollar tree. We shoot steel or bowling pins on hooks at 50 yds to reduce walking, paper fun targets at 25 yds both bench and off hand. Ask away on any questions you might have. We are growing I believe.

 

[TexiKan]

I think I have been a member of our black powder club since 1977. We have shrunk and grown in membership throughout the years and yes, we are now aware our membership is getting older in years. Like many in the hobby, we have done the standard attempts at trying to attract people tt the hobby with a hope they will join our club.

I just read part of the OP article and some of the previous remarks. Once again, we're back at recruiting to keep the clubs alive. For your consideration, here are some additional thoughts from one whose business involve the recruiting process in other endeavors.
First of all, the one time event where we give youths the opportunity to shoot and experience the hobby at no cost has rarely worked. You may get one or two but in comparison to the number of people involved, the stats are extremely low. Think back at what initially sparked the interest with many of us to choose black powder and most of us have already noted the television shows and movies focused on people like Davy Crockett and the like. Also reading all the responses on this thread, there was one word I looked for and saw it several times, even in the original article--FUN. It has to be fun. In sports, did you really enjoy all of the wind sprints and such? As a musician, do you really like to play endless scales? If you got in trouble in class, did writing "I will not talk in class" 100 times make you a better writer? Do kids learn how to build and comprehend computer programs first or do they find out what works for them and what programs they enjoy? We may not be great at all of these endeavors, but if we have some fun, we will likely continue. Going to a club where the range master is always a grouch, people nit pick your outfit and guns and then scream at you for not knowing their shooting rules is no fun.

Now let's let's go back to that incentive and interest factor. ONE movie or ONE TV episode usually does not prompt much interest. However, more exposure helps, thus the same is true with the muzzleloading hobby. More exposure to it AND to the club activities can be effective. Too often folks do not know we exist unless they are actively looking for us. Get involved in the communities as a club and be at some of the local events.

Yes, I can add more but this is enough for now.

 

[user 53891]

I think I have been a member of our black powder club since 1977. We have shrunk and grown in membership throughout the years and yes, we are now aware our membership is getting older in years. Like many in the hobby, we have done the standard attempts at trying to attract people tt the hobby with a hope they will join our club.

I just read part of the OP article and some of the previous remarks. Once again, we're back at recruiting to keep the clubs alive. For your consideration, here are some additional thoughts from one whose business involve the recruiting process in other endeavors.
First of all, the one time event where we give youths the opportunity to shoot and experience the hobby at no cost has rarely worked. You may get one or two but in comparison to the number of people involved, the stats are extremely low. Think back at what initially sparked the interest with many of us to choose black powder and most of us have already noted the television shows and movies focused on people like Davy Crockett and the like. Also reading all the responses on this thread, there was one word I looked for and saw it several times, even in the original article--FUN. It has to be fun. In sports, did you really enjoy all of the wind sprints and such? As a musician, do you really like to play endless scales? If you got in trouble in class, did writing "I will not talk in class" 100 times make you a better writer? Do kids learn how to build and comprehend computer programs first or do they find out what works for them and what programs they enjoy? We may not be great at all of these endeavors, but if we have some fun, we will likely continue. Going to a club where the range master is always a grouch, people nit pick your outfit and guns and then scream at you for not knowing their shooting rules is no fun.

Now let's let's go back to that incentive and interest factor. ONE movie or ONE TV episode usually does not prompt much interest. However, more exposure helps, thus the same is true with the muzzleloading hobby. More exposure to it AND to the club activities can be effective. Too often folks do not know we exist unless they are actively looking for us. Get involved in the communities as a club and be at some of the local events.

Yes, I can add more but this is enough for now.

1st off, you should have realized your membership was getting older, many moons ago.
2nd Recruiting new members should always be an ongoing agenda.
3rd MERRY CHRISTMAS and GOOD LUCK ON NEW RECRUITING....KEEP IT ALIVE FRIEND....