My last gunshow

[Jammer Six]

I let them go the way they want to go. I let the chips fall where they may.

Sometimes, that means a good range/club/school/trail/league/car/show/choir or whatever goes away.

In the end, that's the way they want it.

They may say otherwise, but given a difference between words and actions, I always believe the actions.

[white eagle]

I think you need to tell them how you are feeling and not us. I can sympathize but that is of little practical use.

I agree 250%
if the fellas want shoot they had better give one way or another to the clubs needs
I get the fact not everyone can help out but they can give in other ways

[Sasquatch-1]

Next meeting make a motion that will require every member to do a given number of hours of support for the club. If they fail to meet the hour requirement and want to keep their membership a charge of $20.00 per hour missed will be assesed. See if people start volunteering then.

The club I belong to requires all new members to do 8 to 10 hrs of work for the club. It not only gets you volunteers but gets the members active in the club.

[PS Paul]

I have unfortunately discovered, through experiences like yours, that many people are "takers" and will not give back. I prove it at work nearly every day. Many simply have no shame, no moral virtue, no ethics, no backbone, no conviction, no sense of common decency, no sense of fair play, no empathy for their fellow man, no desire to improve and no willingness to help folks like you who have the above qualities. I have a relative who scoffs at me and thinks I'm a fool for having "principles and moral/ethical standards"!! His "set of rules" are simply based on earnings of money alone, so I avoid him at all cost.

Although I would support the poster who mentioned the boy scouts as an alternative, I personally would think you would have significantly more "impact" by bowing out. Perhaps then your message may get across.

I had a fellow laugh out loud at my brother and I because we were taking time to pick up a large trash bag's worth of garbage left on the riverbank by careless "sportsman". Guess what happened? The landowner put a fence up with a sign stating NO TRESSPASSING due to destruction of his property that he allowed anglers to use as passage to the river for GENERATIONS !! Can't say that I blame him either. Yup. Degredation of society at large and a more recent "phenomenon" that I have observed. Makes me happy to be part of this forum and community of shooters since I have been treated honorably with trust and respect with several
fellas on the swappin and sellin' area. I am starting to feel like an outcast and a dinosaur for treating others with courtesy and respect and I feel alone at times for considering others in everyday life. A shame.

[PS Paul]

I just told my daughter about your experience and she told me to "calm down, Dad!! You're getting excited!". I suppose I got a little worked up, but man, you deserve better......

[canyon-ghost]

They may say otherwise, but given a difference between words and actions, I always believe the actions.

Jammer Six

Well, I was just some guy that shot silhouettes. I ended up welding up targets, mowing, painting ..... Oh, that's how I got to be vice president one year. Anyway, I had to tell them that I'd help them any way I could but, in the end, I'm going to paint a chicken and shoot at it!

I get a chuckle at new people on the range when they have no idea how long I've been wandering around there. I'm just happy with a shooting range but, like you, I'm pretty sure I don't want to do all the work myself.

Ron

[Norbrat]

Next meeting make a motion that will require every member to do a given number of hours of support for the club. If they fail to meet the hour requirement and want to keep their membership a charge of $20.00 per hour missed will be assesed. See if people start volunteering then.

The club I belong to requires all new members to do 8 to 10 hrs of work for the club. It not only gets you volunteers but gets the members active in the club.

In a similar vein, I believe IHMSA used to (still does?) include a volunteer fee into their nominations for the International Championships.

Basically, you pay for and get a voucher, which you can redeem and get a refund when you do a couple of hours work to help run the competition; setting targets, range officering, scorekeeper, etc.

If you choose to not help out and redeem the voucher, you give it to someone who is willing to put the hours in, and then they get the money you paid.

So this way the money has already been paid upfront to pay for the help needed, and it is up to each indvidual to decide if they want to get the refund, or let someone else (other club members, scouts, etc) have the money.

[DCM]

If you don't tell them why they are likely to make ASSumptions that are likely incorrect as to why you are no longer doing it.

I would also agree with Sasquach about the work hours.
If they do not put in X hours charge them X dollars.
One of the clubs I belong to does just that, I often pay the fine rather than work the hours, but I would rather work the hours doing something shooting related. A lot of the time I am stuck with work and family responsibilities that do not allow me to put in the club hours when they are available so I pay the price no qualms or BS.

[L1A1Rocker]

I'd give the President written notice. If you like you can put in the information of lack of help but I wouldn't. I'd simply state that do to progressively degenerating medical conditions (that you mentioned in the O.P.) you will no longer be able to run, nor participate in, the gun show fund raiser. Note that you are able to meat during the week of (insert the time you choose here) for consultation on all the how's and what for's needed for a successful gun show. You may also note that the week prior to the next gun show you will be unavailable for any consultation do to family obligations.

Good luck!


PS, the reason I would not put in anything about not getting help as that leaves him an "in" to get you to stay by promising help. I'd not give him that "in".

[L1A1Rocker]

Sorry, coldn't stay away from this, it really does boil me - I've been there too.

Don't burn your bridges or say anything that could paint you into a complainer. YES, someone (one that doesn't DO anything) will most likely start that BS. In conversations after you give your notice. Simply state that your getting older and it's "time to pass the baton to the next generation" or some such BS. Nobody will say chit about that.

[Blacksmith]

Notes from a consumer:

I am now becoming a consumer. Yes I will still teach marksmanship and coach one evening a week, and help at the steam and gas engine shows, and work a couple of fundraisers for other organizations, and camp out with the Scouts on their shooting weekend, and help with the Sportsmen for kids weekend, and a few things for some of the other organizations I am a member of and support; but I am getting OLD. I am tired and worn and things don't work right anymore. I have got to sit and take breaks or I will fall down or feint.

When I was younger I could help a lot more and I did. It was usually the same people and we got to know each other, you know the ones that could be counted on for even the nasty jobs. Shucks I have been a paid spectator that was recruited out of the crowd to help, I said you got to know each other.

I think I paid my dues and I am at a time in life where I just want to consume for the time I got left. I won't move tables, Doc wouldn't like it, but I'll come and maybe spend a little money though that's getting scarce and maybe a good turn out will help your event.

Some of us just deserve to consume.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

10x,
Since the Boyscout type of thing really doesn't sound like it'll work, I think I'd go with what L1A1 said. Tell 'em that was the last one...they don't need a reason. Offer your consult "ONLY", if someone wants to take on the leadership role. Then you can help as much as you like and leave to have dinner with your family whenever you like, whether the work is done or not.
Jon

I'd give the President written notice. If you like you can put in the information of lack of help but I wouldn't. I'd simply state that do to progressively degenerating medical conditions (that you mentioned in the O.P.) you will no longer be able to run, nor participate in, the gun show fund raiser. Note that you are able to meat during the week of (insert the time you choose here) for consultation on all the how's and what for's needed for a successful gun show. You may also note that the week prior to the next gun show you will be unavailable for any consultation do to family obligations.

Good luck!


PS, the reason I would not put in anything about not getting help as that leaves him an "in" to get you to stay by promising help. I'd not give him that "in".

[Sasquatch-1]

Mandatory work hours for club members. Not only gets the help needed for these type of projects but gets newer members involved in the club. You don't do the hours you don't get renewed.

[Barbarosa]

Next year I would put on a"10X" gun show and keep the profits!

[MBTcustom]

All I have to say is that its typical of the shooting comunity. I just don't understand it. Seems like most of the shooters out there are so cheap that they would drive 100miles to save a nickle on gas. They spend thousands of dollars on a brand new pickup trucks, and thousands of hours reloading, but ask them for help? Oh no. Ask them to contribute some money? not likely. Ask them to write $%^ letter to their local senator? nope, too busy.
Cheap, ungrateful turds if you ask me.
Why are our freedoms in jeapardy from a stinkin minority? because the cheap ungrateful turds don't want to fight for what is right!
Why has gun quality plummited in the last 40 years? because the cheap ungrateful turds don't want to pay a fair price for a good gun.
Why are there not more gun clubs? because if the cheap ungrateful turds cant shoot for free, then they just wont shoot at all.
Amazing!
10X, I wish I lived closer, I would have been there in a minute if you needed help. Sorry you got stuck with all that. I understand why you want to throw in the towel, but I also think there is a way to get the members involved more.
For instance:
You should announce that there will be an increase in club dues of $10 per year, anybody that helps with the fundraiser "for so many hours" will be exempt from this rise in club fee's.
Knowing what I know about firearms enthusiast way of thinking, you will have more help than you know what to do with, the club will make even more money, and comradery will abound from all these folks working together for a common cause. After they have been there for an hour, they will forget all about the fact that they originally came to save themselves $10 and they will enjoy working along side their fellow shooters for a common goal like they should have done in the first place.
Shooters are hard working, kind, and thoughtful, but they have this cheap selfish shell that is about .003 thick that you have to get past before you get to the good stuff.

[C.F.Plinker]

At our club, if you put in 8 hours of work at a work party, you get a work bond. Work parties can include being an RSO for a scheduled match, building target frames, shaping the berms, mowing the grass/field, installing or removing the firing point covers, replacing target sockets, helping at the shotgun tournaments, etc. At the start of the year when it is time to pay the dues for the upcoming year sending in the work bond with your dues check saves you $110 off the full dues. BTW if you will be 65 or over during the year you are paying your dues for no work bond is required to get the savings although your help is always appreciated.

[Jammer Six]

I never give more than I want to. I never give more than I'll resent.

That way, I can honestly face other people, I never feel like I've been taken advantage of, and I'm never in the original poster's position.

If that doesn't meet someone else's expectations, tough boogers.

In my opinion, you're right where you decided to be, so my suggestion would be next time make the choice deliberately, in view of what you now know you can expect from others.

Expecting more than they are going to give is a recipe for anger.

[fatelk]

I have noticed that people tend to be so incredibly busy nowadays. I don't know if it's always been this way, but it seems that anytime you ask someone what they have going on they have absolutely no spare time. Work and family of course, but then people fill up every second with all kinds of activities and responsibilities. Personally I hate it. I can't stand being so busy, but a lot of folks seem to thrive on it.

We have no time, but we make time for the things we really want to do. I quit the local club here, simply because at this point in my life I just want to go shoot once in a while, and can't justify the time and expense of being a club member rather than just a consumer. They have a $120/year work bond that can be worked off in 32 hours, in addition to dues. That's probably fair, but I just can't justify either the time or money right now. I used to help out with projects once in a while, and really enjoyed both the work and getting to know some of the old-timers there (usually the only ones who showed up to work).

One of my pet peeves is folks who flake out. If I say I will be somewhere but can't make it for some reason, it better be a serious reason and I will let someone know as soon as possible. People who say they will help, then just don't show, are inconsiderate losers, in my opinion. Maybe loser is too strong a word, but I sure can't understand it. Isn't your word worth anything? I have a friend who does it all the time. He's a good guy but you can't count on him for anything.

[rockrat]

We had the same problem with our shows, no one or just a few would help set up tables. We ended up getting ahold of the manager of the hall and he hired a crew to do it. Cost about $4 table, but at least it got done. Finally , one of the members took over the work part of it. He gets a cut of the gross.

Next show, tell them, since members wont' help, it will entail a fee of about 25% of the take, to do the work. Charge for your time.
If anyone whines, tell them tough, no one helped ,so this is the way it is now.

[Tazman1602]

Have belonged to several gun clubs in the past. Your experience is the reason that I do not belong to any today.

Larry

+1

My wife and I joined the local gun club here last May -- and I just recieved a "it's time for yearly dues again" letter after having paid for a full years membership less than six months ago. I'm done.

Never did really like the club. Every time we shoot there is a Nazi who is given the title "Range Safety Officer". I have no problem with safety but every time we shoot this moron finds *some* reason to come talk to us and tell us how we are doing things wrong. Just another reason to shoot at my own range out back.

I've tried fitting in but I can't stand it when someone who knows less than I have forgotten about firearms, reloading, and bullet casting tries to give me a lecture. The most recent one was when this guy found out we were bullet casters and decided we needed a lecture on the dangers of lead and how we could hurt our health by casting our own.

I'm done, rant over and to the original poster I would tell the entire club to STUFFIT.

Art