Local ATA membership

The primary club I attend has a registered ATA shoot in about a month. To prepare for signing shooters up I took the list of competitors from last year's shoot and ran it through ATA to check for membership, handicap and class.
I started with a list of 25 and the results were a bit surprising. Of the 25 only 4 were current, I was one and another was a life member the other two were my son and grandson. I realize its early in the new shooting year but it was still very surprising.
Seems renewing membership here is not the priority it used to be. Larry

 

The Members are tired of being a whipping post and provider for the ED, EC, CHC, and some of the BOD ... The membership has been falling off for years and the Elected officials do nothing about itor to try and turn it around ... They have some guy (Barry Roach, Head of Field and Domestic Relations Dept ( I think) or something like that ) who is out there humping legs to try and keep people involved but no body ever see's him ... You should call the ATA and have them dispatch him to your club, if nothing else it will be a good laugh ... WPT ... (YAC) ...

 

In visiting with a few shooters it seems the issues revolve more around the Oregon State ATA than at the national level. Seems that most will be joining PITA and cross registering. For the most part both National and State ATA leave us to our own devices as we are extremely isolated and have only small clubs. The next State shoot is supposed to be in Hermiston, about 100 mile drive and the management of the club is making things better and better as time goes on. They have a very organized and active youth program and are working hard to keep Trap Shooting alive in their area........ Larry

 

Larry ,
You obviously knew the answers, most of us know nothing about your State Organization so we would not be able to comment on same ... If its the State Organization that is driving shooters away it would serve you and the others well to elect people who are more people friendly like most of us on this site ... The clubs can only do so much if they do not get co operation from those other than themselves ... The little clubs like you are describing are the grass roots of the ATA and collect fees for the State and National Org, without them the ATA and State Associations would be dead in the water ... Some people use reasons, others use excuses to keep from taking part in some shooting activities ... WPT ... (YAC) ...

 

At this point I have a very limited source of answers as I only talked to two or three of the shooters that have not renewed. I suspect though that will be the common thread as few of the shooter here participate much outside of the state other than a trip or two into Washington and Idaho....... Larry

 

I would love to have my State level shoot within 100 miles. As it is it's either 450 miles or 600+ oneway.

 

For two years the state shoot was split between LaGrande and Medford........ I had to drive 6 miles, last year it was totally in Medford and that was about 450 miles. Hermiston is about 1hr and 15 minutes, all freeway and the club itself sets within 200 yards of that freeway....... Larry

 

That is darn crazy. In a morning drive I can get to 200 clubs. They dont all throw ATA targets. But they all throw targets. Some have 1 trap and a few that have over 40. If I was a manager of a clay target club I might do whatever was necessary to make sure you came back. Even if that meant throwing easier targets.

 

Don't know what state you are in but Oregon does have numerous clubs on the West side of the state along the "I5 corridor" as that is where 90% of the population is. In the drive from LaGrande to the Hermiston club the freeway bypasses the towns along the way....... both of them. Just about the only discussion I hear about targets is "are they the right height?" or "is the speed right?". I suppose there are many ways to attract people but only a couple ways to attract shooters. I would suggest that legal targets and a cordial and friendly atmosphere is what is needed. The few clubs in this corner of the state operate under those guidelines..... Larry
One other item, they all throw pitch targets.