How do other clubs run matches?

G

gmitchell

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How do other clubs run matches? Any clubs out east wanna comment?

Our club president wants me to ask around and find out how other clubs run matches, our BOD wants all shooters to pay, I am fighting this and need some information please PM me or post.


How do clubs run matches, do you have volunteers that shoot for free?
If yes how many shoot for free?
Do you hire paid staff that does not shoot?
Do you have live pits?
Do you have a staff that shoots and also pays full match fees?
Do you have a staff that shoots and pays reduced match fee?
If yes how much are fees reduced?
How much are your match fees?
Have you ever lost shooters due to work load at matches and trying to shoot made it no fun and person quit shooting altogether?

I am a match director for 600 yard benchrest we have had as many as 8 shooters shooting for free, cause it takes twice as many simply because you are not allowed to score targets on a relay that you shot in which is only fair, we have club members from other diciplines complaining cause they make everybody pay. There is not a shortage of funds in our club. I just want to know how other clubs run thier matches. Am I out of line by allowing shooters to shoot for free if they help run matches and do anything that needs to be done before or after matches to make things nice? The shooters that work the matches are not a group of my buddy's they are simply a bunch of guys that are not scared to work, although I do consider them friends. I would think as a club the goal should be to promote shooting sports. I understand the bills also have to be paid and our benchrest is paying its own way. Please let me know how other ranges run things.

Gordy Mitchell
 
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1000yd everyone pays, half shoot, half run live pits and score/measure.....



mike in co
 
Come on guys. No clubs out east wanna comment. PM me or just post. What should I do as a match director, tell the guys that have always helped out they now have to work and pay and fix stuff that is broke and wore out. Why would I do that?

Gordy Mitchell
 
Gordy,

At Hawks Ridge all members pay their full dues and entries. All non-member shooters pay their full entries. All volunteers are just that, volunteers and receive no financial consideration, just our thanks. The target setters are paid but don't shoot. Entry fees are $15/gun for members and $20 for future members. These policies were decided by the membership at the organizational meeting and the voting appeared to be unanimous in each case. It was not always done this way.

Greg
 
Gordy................I will give you my personal feeling on this matter:
I shoot monthly at the Piemont club in NC. I know for a fact, that everyone (member and non member pay the full price--$20/gun). The rangemaster, his two assistants, the match director and his assistants (target scorers) are on a volunteer basis. This is a lot to ask on a monthly basis since none of these volunteer shoot in the match. It basically means giving up the better part of one Saturday a month.
A few years ago, they built a nice club house and needed the money to pay it off. I heard that just last month, the building was paid off. So, I can see where the volunteering was needed to get as much cash to pay the building off. However now that it is paid off (the range master let it be known that he was stepping down now that the building was paid for) it think it is only fair to pay these people. I don't know at what rate that should be but at $40 per person (most shoot light and heavy gun) and generally there is around 40 participants, that $1600.00 . The only out of pocket expense are the targets and a few bucks gas for the target crew/vehicle. This means the club is taking in a pretty good buck (yes, there is a small IBS fee per person) every month. They also shoot a few IBS short range score matches each year and they have a lot of trap shooters. But the 600 yard matches probably bring in the most cash. So, I think these people deserve to make at least something for their time. In my own club, we have sporting clays shoots twice a month which is open to the public. There are a group of volunteers who run these events (trappers). We get, I believe, $10/ round (50 birds). If a trapper agrees to trap three of the events/year, he gets to shoot all he wants (the entire season) for $5/ round as his reward.
Rich De
 
I want to thank those who responded, I believe if a shooter is willing to work before, during, and after a match they should be rewarded and at least get to shoot for free. I'm hopeing to hear from more ranges or shooters.

Gordy Mitchell
 
Gordy,
For our registered IBS short range score matches the target crew gets to eat for free ($5 value which is already a great deal in and of itself), but still pays full match fees ($15). I don't think we could afford to have 2 or 3 blank spots in our collection each month and continue the matches. We average 15-20 shooters on a given Saturday, and I don't think anyone thinks twice about paying the match fees and helping out. Most, if not all, of them are just grateful to be able to have a place to shoot benchrest and would do anything they can to help out and keep it going. I have been very fortunate in that regard and I hope the tradition continues this season.
For our State match we will be paying the target crew $50/person/day because of the backers and the number of relays we will be running. Otherwise, it is on a volunteer basis and each crew member knows how much it is appreciated. We have been building our supplies over the past two years and after this season we will be fully operational without any further investments needed (certified weights,targets, PLAQUES, scale, backers, and all the other accoutrements that are needed to run a proper match). We may, after this season, be able to pay a target crew.
Good luck with your matches and I hope that this helps.
Mike
 
At Thurmont MD we have a great bunch of shooters and workers, several of the workers also shoot. Frankly we just really would not be interested in putting out all the effort if we could not shoot the matches ourselves. I have been involved in running these matches for 25+ years, if you shoot you pay. It is as simple as that. Most clubs need or at least want, to show some amount of profit from their matches even if small. If club members shoot free it general kills that proposition. Additionally at almost any club you have some who work a lot, for instance before, after, and during the match. And then you have some that help just a little so you create equity problems if you let all workers shoot free.
However our club compensates workers to an extent by reduction in dues for hours worked.

Dick
 
I have been a member of 2 different gun clubs for short range BR. I have shot 1 600 yard match.
In the 600 yd. Every body paid and some of us volunteered. To work targets.

One of the short range clubs everyone paid but they had a crew, usually boy scouts that were paid to replace the targets and move stands and so forth.

In the other one everyone pays some volunteer to help put up and move the stands. There is someone not sure if he is paid or not that goes down and changes out the targets.

Maintenance is done by volunteers.

FWIW
 
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