and this attitude is why my club has a waiting list to get in and yours does not.....
narrow minded approach to fixing the problem...you on the inside..SEE NO PROBLEMS....
PLEASE NOTE:
i was an iBS MEMBER for years
..i only recently did not renew...sorta when the 1000yd disaster hit the colorado rifle club....
put your blinders on, and continue as you have......
i apoligize for the poor manners of those who have attacked me, instead of following your thread.
mike in co
Mike you have pointed out that you used to be a member of IBS and you have mentioned about the location and format of the meeting.........while your club has a waiting list to join (which I can understand due to shooters wanting somewhere to shoot and clubs limiting membership) IBS and NBRSA don't own ranges (to the best of my knowledge)
Shooters join ranges - some ranges promote and hold competitions these competitons can be run under club rules or be a IBS or NBRSA registered match.
Since you are no longer a member what would it take for YOU to rejoin and participate in IBS or NBRSA matches??
The OP stated, "We need shooters ... and I feel nothing is being done about trying to increase attendance." Assuming the OP meant he was interested in more shooters, not just more members in the organization, I replied in my first response (post # 24) that, "I think the registered matches need a factory class, with no requirement of being a member of any organization." My point in the post to which you responded was that the cost of registered matches (which includes the requirement to be a member of an organization) and the assurance of finishing at or near the bottom is a turn-off to a factory-gun shooter.
Why does a shooter have to be a member of an organization in order to shoot? What would be wrong with having a factory class in a registered match?
So, do you want more members or more shooters?
My thoughts on this are that there is room for a factory class since there were classes that catered for these rifle years ago and as time passed evolved into something different.........but for a factory class to work you need competitors.......now if as you propose "with no requirement of being a member of any organisation" how do you propose the running costs of these classes be funded??
The easiest way to bring about rule/class changes is for enough members of the organisation to vote in favour of them.......non members don't get a vote.
That's good to know; now, if I could just convince myself to drive nine hours (round trip) to shoot.
I can understand not having the funds to travel, but to have to convince yourself to drive nine hours round trip to shoot, I can not understand.......George and Vera answered that one very well.......but I have to say if I took your attitude I would have never started shooting Benchrest, as my nearest competition is a 18 hour round trip (driving).
Since you aren't a member of IBS or NBRSA can you please put it in words what it would take for YOU to join and compete in IBS or NBRSA competition......afterall it's non members that need to answer this question so the organisations get an idea of what they need to do.
I used to have this discussion (growing the sport) with a friend, we never did come up with an answer but it comes back to some people want to join and compete others don't. Who are the people who want to join and compete and how do you attract them?
Some people come into this sport via friends who already compete, others come with a friend, like what they find and stay or don't and leave, those that stay make more friends and look forward to catching up with those friends at shoots. Myself I was interested in accuracy and Benchrest, found out where it was held and went along, since then I've made a lot of friends and enjoy their company at the shoots and also socially.
I don't think cost is the biggest barrier to Benchrest......perhaps it's the percieved intimidation of being the new kid at a competition...............Ian
