It was really heartening to see all of the shooters showing up - even though it did not give them IPSC points. And you know having smaller squads made the day very smooth, fast and fun. All of those who are into the sport just for the joy of shooting with a minimum of aggravation and drama. It was like breaking up from an abusive relationship - get the boys and get hammered and do all of the things you couldn't before (come to think of it, that is how I got into shooting).
IPSCBC sent out a message to all attendees that it considers the waiver release that all non-Poco members must sign before shooting at the club a violation of privacy. This is after many years of Poco having this policy. It was deemed a 'surprise' to IPSCBC even though every member of their board of directors had attended matches here before. Therefore, despite the fact that 120 or more shooters had received notice of the waiver and had chosen to complete registration, IPSCBC informed the club that they had to issue full refunds to everyone and that the qualifier status was revoked.
Regardless of how one feels about the waiver saying this was a surprise to the organization is just inexplicable. There was no way in the time left that the Poco board could have met, called upon a lawyer to review the demanded changes, even if there was an appetite to bow down toward such an ultimatum. I don't know how it is in other clubs but there is no shortage of demand on Poco range time and resources. If IPSC is so carefree with hanging out its match directors out to dry on the very eve of an event, there are quite a few other disciplines that can easily fill the space and time at PCDHFC. The club executive is quite diverse but I believe is united in being quite angered by how the match directors were dealt with.
Moving forward I'd like to concentrate on the positives, which is that we come to know which shooters in the Lower Mainland want to support other clubs, who are just happy to volunteer and shoot and happy to see their scores. Prizes, points are all secondary to making friends and blasting paper. In the end, that is what we are here for. I think everyone with this same mindset would be happy taking part in similar matches or in disciplines where the focus is on bringing people together for fun. By the way, many of those who came to the match on their own suggested we donate the difference between the match fee and the previous fee to the Shriners, who were supposed to receive a donation from the qualifier. I believe this is being done for those who suggested it.
For the individual shooter, this is a hobby for 95% of us, and the moment a 'hobby' starts pissing you off it's a message to take your foot off the pedal and readdress. When you come to a match and witness hostility, directors haranguing volunteers, petty disputes influencing formal decisions, people becoming enemies and forming cliques, that's a sign to take a step back and really consider the value of one's involvement.
I have a feeling this is precisely what the club will be doing when we address the reasons why IPSCBC yanked the carpet out from under the organizers. Readdress the importance of what an outside body says that affects what an individual club deems appropriate. A valid question any club leadership should ask itself in their relations to an outside body is "who needs who?" The club and its volunteers do all heavy lifting, provide the venue, book the space, all for the benefit of the sport. Having an organization sabotage that effort is unacceptable. Who is hurt the most are those who love the sport itself and just want opportunities to shoot.
Hope you get some more matches going in the fall.
