I've read with great interest over the past few months all the postings complaining about this or that with trapshooting; the ATA; the Industry; our gun clubs and whatever else. In response to the concerns of many of you here as well as others, a Clay Target Sports Shooting Summit has been scheduled in late April in San Antonio, Texas by myself. I have invited the EC of the ATA; the EC of NSSA Skeet; the EC of NSCA Sporting; the EC of the PITA; the NRA; National Shooting Sports Foundation(NSSF); the EC of the National Association of Shooting Ranges (NASR). The purpose of this summit is to bring all clay target organizations together and begin to address common problems that effect each of us. It is the hope of many involved here that through this meeting we might find some common grounds to "work together" on issues like promoting the shooting sports; membership and it's retention; governmental and envirnomental issues; helping local gun clubs and offereing them tools to be successful; bringing all the governing bodies together to show unity and our strength in numbers plus numerous other issues and items.
For too long, each organization has continued to go it's own way and quite frankly, it is to time to relook at each organization - it's mission statement; goals and objectives and how it functions. Each organization although it rules over a certain discipline, what each of 'us' is trying to accomplish is the same thing - get more shooters and shoot more targets. Why do we duplicate our efforts ?? Are they missing out by promoting registered shooting rather than recreational shooting or a combination of both ?? Seems to many of us that there are millions of hunters and shotgun owners out there that could care less about competition or registered shooting. What about the local gun club ?? This is where the "grassroots" of shooter development exists - why does every skeet or trapshooter need to be a registered shooter- why are we not just promoting our games thru these local gun clubs and leagues - why don't we have more emphasis on the local level ?? There is no doubt in my mind that if we begin to do some of these things, we'll not only get more shooters, but registered ones too. This notion that every shooter needs to be a competition or registered shooter is nonsense - some people do not want to shoot registered and we need to acknowledge that, by developing RECEREATIONAL shooting programs for gun clubs etc. The strength in numbers that the shooting sports could muster if we were able to do this would be incredible. For the shooting industry, what a boost this would be in terms of gun sales; ammunition sales and clay target sales (I'm selfish).
Hence, this April meeting is an important first step. What all of you are saying is being heard believe me. Now is the time to get those that you put into positions at your respective organizations to commit to participating; listening with an "open mind" and leaving their "egos" outside our meeting room. The opportunity is here for all the clay target organizations to for the first time, sit around the same table and discuss common problems and issues and see how we can work together to "promote"; help our gun clubs and get to that vast potential group out there that wants to shoot clay targets.
It is not going to be easy because of attitudes and possible "CHANGE". For too long all of us have resisted change in one form or another - many of us in our organizations are still doing things from the 50's and 60's - we need to recognize that change may be the only solution for the survival of our clay target games as we know them.
All of us involved in this project have a responsibility and in talking with the others, I honestly believe changes can be made without totally "upsetting the apple cart". I am no expert, but I do know that if we are open-minded and can WORK TOGETHER on all this, it will be beneficial for everyone.
Your continued input to your Directors and Officers of your respective organizations is welcome and wanted - tell us how you think it can be better. Don't just moan and gripe about this and that - tell us the problem and how you would suggest we improve or fix it. You folks are "our" CUSTOMERS - we need your input and involvement.
Well, I'll get down off my soapbox. All I wanted to tell many of you was that many of us in all these organizations are listening - hence, we are attempting something different in April and wanted to let you know.
Phil Murray
White Flyer Targets
For too long, each organization has continued to go it's own way and quite frankly, it is to time to relook at each organization - it's mission statement; goals and objectives and how it functions. Each organization although it rules over a certain discipline, what each of 'us' is trying to accomplish is the same thing - get more shooters and shoot more targets. Why do we duplicate our efforts ?? Are they missing out by promoting registered shooting rather than recreational shooting or a combination of both ?? Seems to many of us that there are millions of hunters and shotgun owners out there that could care less about competition or registered shooting. What about the local gun club ?? This is where the "grassroots" of shooter development exists - why does every skeet or trapshooter need to be a registered shooter- why are we not just promoting our games thru these local gun clubs and leagues - why don't we have more emphasis on the local level ?? There is no doubt in my mind that if we begin to do some of these things, we'll not only get more shooters, but registered ones too. This notion that every shooter needs to be a competition or registered shooter is nonsense - some people do not want to shoot registered and we need to acknowledge that, by developing RECEREATIONAL shooting programs for gun clubs etc. The strength in numbers that the shooting sports could muster if we were able to do this would be incredible. For the shooting industry, what a boost this would be in terms of gun sales; ammunition sales and clay target sales (I'm selfish).
Hence, this April meeting is an important first step. What all of you are saying is being heard believe me. Now is the time to get those that you put into positions at your respective organizations to commit to participating; listening with an "open mind" and leaving their "egos" outside our meeting room. The opportunity is here for all the clay target organizations to for the first time, sit around the same table and discuss common problems and issues and see how we can work together to "promote"; help our gun clubs and get to that vast potential group out there that wants to shoot clay targets.
It is not going to be easy because of attitudes and possible "CHANGE". For too long all of us have resisted change in one form or another - many of us in our organizations are still doing things from the 50's and 60's - we need to recognize that change may be the only solution for the survival of our clay target games as we know them.
All of us involved in this project have a responsibility and in talking with the others, I honestly believe changes can be made without totally "upsetting the apple cart". I am no expert, but I do know that if we are open-minded and can WORK TOGETHER on all this, it will be beneficial for everyone.
Your continued input to your Directors and Officers of your respective organizations is welcome and wanted - tell us how you think it can be better. Don't just moan and gripe about this and that - tell us the problem and how you would suggest we improve or fix it. You folks are "our" CUSTOMERS - we need your input and involvement.
Well, I'll get down off my soapbox. All I wanted to tell many of you was that many of us in all these organizations are listening - hence, we are attempting something different in April and wanted to let you know.
Phil Murray
White Flyer Targets
