Volunteers - or not

Rob!

Rob!

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South Central Alberta
A recent thread morphed into a discussion about volunteers that will step up and support a club. Sometimes, volunteerism is the way to make something happen that wouldn't otherwise. Our club is a privately run business. We pay membership fees and a good buck for targets / competitions - and they provide a seamless shooting experience in all respects. Some of us get precious little time for shooting - and mowing the grass is not part of that. Both ways work.

All that said, our club is a family unto itself and if anything unusual ever happened - flood - tornado - fire.... We'd all be there standing beside the owners cleaning up.
 
I agree Rob and you pay for that with your wallet as well.


Trail B.C. or a bunch of other clubs doesn’t can’t will never be like that though.
 
One of the local clubs in this club, refused to give members a discount on targets. So you get to pay few hundred bucks a year, just for the privilege of saying your a member. Then they complain because they have not got enough members to help with sporting clay. I am a firm believer that members should get a small discount on target prices. Kind of a thank you for joining and helping out. Shooters that are non members pay the same as non members. That's why I didn't renew, the money I saved will pay for six or seven shoots. If you respect members they will be more willing to help
 
I've never gotten a discount on targets for volunteering and I've never asked for one or expected one, volunteering is just that... volunteering, but the last couple of years we've had a volunteer shoot where the club pays for our targets and ammo. If you were to add up the volunteer hours and multiply by minimum wage then it probably isn't much of a deal for some of us but it's just a way to say thank you.
 
At my former club ,members paid less than non members and the RSOs that set up and took care of the cash and then took down the gear and filled the machines . paid slightly less than members. At my current club a guest can shoot twice before purchasing a membership and everyone pays the same. Everyone pays the same membership cost as well but we do have a volunteer dinner every year to reward those who volunteer their time.
 
At our club, Oshawa Clay & Target Club. We tried a new concept five years ago, no more volunteers. We just pay everyone to do work around the club. It's worked out great for us , we get things done when they have to be. No more waiting on someone to show up for few hours and then leave what ever they are working on half done. In today's busy world we found that it was getting to hard to get people to volunteer, so things had to change. Our club had to change to suit our membership. If you want the club to move forward and progress with a positive environment and attract young new shooters you have to give them what they signed up for. Most members will tell you that they have no interest in giving up what little spare time they have to volunteer at the club. That little time they do have at the club should be for shooting and socialising with other members.
I know it sounds like a strange concept to most clubs, but it's worked out great at our club both in member participation and financially.
If you have any questions on this feel free to contact me.
 
I do a lot more volunteering than shooting, probably because I get more satisfaction from volunteering than I do from shooting a crappy score. My parents volunteered and taught me that volunteering was a way to give back to your community. The shooting fraternity is my community and I enjoy all of the friendships that I have made in that community.

Eventually, when there are no more volunteers, only the wealthy will be able to afford to shoot. Most of the clubs in SW Ontario are volunteer operated. The annual fees are $200 a year or less and the targets are $4 to $5 for 25. The clubs that pay for most of the work are charging $6 or more for targets and often $400 to $500 per year for a membership.
 
The sad part, is that not clubs go through this, I know of 2 clubs in the Maritimes, where opposite problem exists, too many hands helping. I'd love to have everyone pitch in a little bit rather then a couple of older people nearly kill themselves trying to do everything. A prime example that annoyed the heck of me a few weeks ago, spent just shy of 2 hours cleaning up the club, dealing with garbage, filling the houses, shovelling and getting everything open only to sit there for the next nearly 2 hours to find out no one intended to use the club that day, the tiny bit of mist we were getting was too much to shoot in. Then like clockwork after I shut the club down and get home, everyone is wondering we the club is closed early. A typical shoot day, a certain group of members show up an hour after the club opens so they can avoid helping out, rush to get the rounds in and then disappear when it's time to close up. A friend once pointed out that the more successful clubs operate more like golf clubs, paid labour, open most days and charge accordingly.
 
Maritime Storm said:
The sad part, is that not clubs go through this, I know of 2 clubs in the Maritimes, where opposite problem exists, too many hands helping. I'd love to have everyone pitch in a little bit rather then a couple of older people nearly kill themselves trying to do everything. A prime example that annoyed the heck of me a few weeks ago, spent just shy of 2 hours cleaning up the club, dealing with garbage, filling the houses, shovelling and getting everything open only to sit there for the next nearly 2 hours to find out no one intended to use the club that day, the tiny bit of mist we were getting was too much to shoot in. Then like clockwork after I shut the club down and get home, everyone is wondering we the club is closed early. A typical shoot day, a certain group of members show up an hour after the club opens so they can avoid helping out, rush to get the rounds in and then disappear when it's time to close up. A friend once pointed out that the more successful clubs operate more like golf clubs, paid labour, open most days and charge accordingly.
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We load machines after every shoot. I go out and sit and wait, to make sure that someone is coming, before I even bother unlocking the houses. If people show up late as some do, I will not stay late so they can shoot longer, some people are tougher to train than a new pup but most do learn eventually. And there are people that leave early so they can avoid picking up hulls.
But the worst issues are not with the clays shooters they are on the rifle range where idiots shoot bottles or put up steel or that shoot up target frames. And when we have a work bee on the main range we have had people show up, get angry that the range is closed, and then leave. We have invited them to stay and help and a few do, but many storm off , because as they tell us, they came to shoot, not to work, and they don't have time to waste working.
But my most memorable memory is being told that the membership rates are too high. I asked the guy how he decided that and he replied that he saw someone mowing grass on a stat, and if we can afford to pay someone to mow on a stat, we are charging too much. Then I explained that the person mowing was a volunteer and was not being paid and more than that he pays the same membership as everyone else. An honorable mention goes to the fool that complained that we didn't clean snow off of the ranges to his satisfaction, I pointed towards a shovel and told him to feel free to shovel as much as he wanted.
 
Success is only measured by the number of members that participate on regular bases. That's members that come at least twice a month. If most clubs did stats on how many of there members participate on a regular bases it would shock them to find out that it's a small percentage of members. We did this a number of years back and found out that it was only about 15% of our membership. So at our club the annual membership is $300.00 plus H.S.T. For that price you are member of a club that covers all the shooting disciplines. Our web site describes all of our shooting disciplines. Our membership base is 1600 members, plus family members. It sounds like it's a lot of members, but remember only %15 of the membership participates on a regular base at the best of times. The large membership gives us the financial ability to give members a well managed club. With smaller clubs (less than 500 members) it becomes a financial struggle as the cost of operating continues to go up and revenue remaining the same year after year. So the only way to make up the difference is to raise dues,
by raising dues you put the shooting sports out of range for the average member to financially afford it. The larger membership clubs also have the ability to sell more clay targets, put on regular competition shoots,put on corporate shooting days and other revenue generating sources. This extra revenue will pay for your labour around the club without effecting your membership revenue.

Bert Pietrangelo
President
Oshawa Clay & Target Club
 
stubblejumper said:
We load machines after every shoot. I go out and sit and wait, to make sure that someone is coming, before I even bother unlocking the houses. If people show up late as some do, I will not stay late so they can shoot longer, some people are tougher to train than a new pup but most do learn eventually. And there are people that leave early so they can avoid picking up hulls.
But the worst issues are not with the clays shooters they are on the rifle range where idiots shoot bottles or put up steel or that shoot up target frames. And when we have a work bee on the main range we have had people show up, get angry that the range is closed, and then leave. We have invited them to stay and help and a few do, but many storm off , because as they tell us, they came to shoot, not to work, and they don't have time to waste working.
But my most memorable memory is being told that the membership rates are too high. I asked the guy how he decided that and he replied that he saw someone mowing grass on a stat, and if we can afford to pay someone to mow on a stat, we are charging too much. Then I explained that the person mowing was a volunteer and was not being paid and more than that he pays the same membership as everyone else. An honorable mention goes to the fool that complained that we didn't clean snow off of the ranges to his satisfaction, I pointed towards a shovel and told him to feel free to shovel as much as he wanted.
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Are you sure you are not a member of our club. I could have used exactly the same words. The other thing I find, is that those who do nothing are the first in line to spend club money if there happens to be any available.
 
salter said:
Are you sure you are not a member of our club. I could have used exactly the same words. The other thing I find, is that those who do nothing are the first in line to spend club money if there happens to be any available.
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We don't have issues with spending money, the do nothing people can't be bothered to show up at meetings where we make financial decisions.
 
bert pietrangelo said:
At our club, Oshawa Clay & Target Club. We tried a new concept five years ago, no more volunteers. We just pay everyone to do work around the club. It's worked out great for us , we get things done when they have to be. No more waiting on someone to show up for few hours and then leave what ever they are working on half done. In today's busy world we found that it was getting to hard to get people to volunteer, so things had to change. Our club had to change to suit our membership. If you want the club to move forward and progress with a positive environment and attract young new shooters you have to give them what they signed up for. Most members will tell you that they have no interest in giving up what little spare time they have to volunteer at the club. That little time they do have at the club should be for shooting and socialising with other members.
I know it sounds like a strange concept to most clubs, but it's worked out great at our club both in member participation and financially.
If you have any questions on this feel free to contact me.
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We're heading that way with the club secretary and treasurer, we can find labor to cut grass and loads traps a lot easier than we can find people to do those thankless jobs!
 
Funny you should mention that Falcon, this is my last year as Administrator, was supposed to have called Uncle in November, however knowing this fact it was the lowest attended AGM in our clubs history, everyone was afraid of being asked to replace me I guess. Much to my darling wife's disapproval, I have given the board another year to replace me. Eventually, it wears one out beating your head against the wall to accomplish little. Every year the pile of things that need dealing seeam to increase while the help to get it done diminishes.
 
Sounds all very familiar, same small group of people doing almost all the work and a large group of people leaching off of them.

For two years now our club requires (only) 6 participation hours from each member per year. If you have not done your hours at the end of the year then it's an extra $100 on top of dues the next year.
Hours are also for attending meetings (fixed 1 hr per meeting) so its not hard at all to get your hours. Seniors and executives are exempt.
System takes a bit of tracking but works great, lots of help now with functions and events and brings in a few thousand from people who are too busy to come out to help. Plus executives and active members don't feel taken advantage off anymore and meetings are well attended.
And we dont need members who don't want to help or pay so its weeding out some bad apples and creates a better club.
Want to know more, just pm me.
 
Rob! said:
One of (several) reasons I stopped doing IPSC. Work 4 hours to shoot 4 minutes.
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Those targets are not gonna reset themselves :)

You forgot the 5+ minutes of practicing each stage, time reloading, pulling cart to the last bay way down the road, lunch, socializing and comparing notes with fellow competitors, driving many hours, moving in and out of hotels, prepping gear for trips. Four hours is the least of it. It’s all part of the fun.

But seriously, for a $30 match fee? If you had to pay for workers, you could sit in your chair and watch them for what a $100+ match fee? That doesn’t include the dozens of people volunteering for registrations, RO, score keeping, building stages, MD etc.
 
Volunteers are the life blood of small clubs, and ours is a very small club. Volunteers do everything in our club. We only have to pay Tradesman rates when specialized machinery like an eavestrough machine was required recently.
When we call for volunteers to man the kitchen, we have an over subscription. When we have a physical work party in Spring or late Summer we often have a turnout of 20% of the membership, but some are better shovel leaners or coffee drinkers than workers. When our licence was up for renewal, and we had some major construction of baffles to do, workers were plentiful.
A lot of the daily maintenance work of our range is done by the old retired guys of the club.

The place that it is hard to solicit volunteers is the Executive and Directors - usually people serve by Acclamation - if your name is allowed to stand, you are it.
You are pretty much in a position for life unless you decline to stand again.
So there you have it. The crisis is in the lack of Leadership candidates, particularly in the jobs requiring what is seen as real work - the Executive.
 
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