I am a "Westerner", so I'm not sure if my reply is wanted. I belonged to a very active gun club in the 80's and early 90's out here in SK. We consciously tried to be "inclusive", keeping in mind that we needed new members to stay alive. We tried to set shooting events that could include the novice/first-time shooter, as well as events for the "advanced". Ours was very much an "atta boy" atmosphere. We we very fortunate to have an outdoor range where we could shoot almost any type of event - long range, shotgun, you name it. Our main focus was to have fun. We were able to keep our "fees" to a minimum, and were lucky to not have to cater to any "snobs" or land development. We openly talked about not becoming to "sophisticated" with our contests or equipment requirements. We fully realized that each shooter is different and would have his or her preferences, but still tried to maintain a reasonable appeareance to the public and any prospective members. Because everybody got to know everybody else, bringing a new person to the range was not cause for suspicious looks and grumbling about "strangers" taking over. We trusted each other's judgement. I must admit that a few eyebrows went up when I brought a First Nations fellow to a shoot. We soon swallowed him up and he became "hooked". Being "inclusive" isn't going to work everywhere. Some of the "old boy" clubs are destined to dry up. Most new people are not going to feel too welcome. So be it.
