Best way to help GOAL

[MarkGJ]

Hello my friends, I’m new on this forum. I’m a Washington state resident and I’d like to help my brothers in Massachusetts by joining GOAL. I of course also want to help my own state so I am already a life member of Washington State Rifle and Pistol Association. I came up with what I think is the best way for me and for others who can afford it to donate a little extra to state organizations. Tell me what you think and if one of you will participate.

It would work like this:

--If some of us want to contribute to our state organizations, beyond paying for a life membership, we should do it in pairs.

--Instead of donating directly to my state organization I find a “partner” in another state.

--I become a life member of my partner’s state association and my partner becomes a life member of mine.

Assuming the membership dues are the same, each club gets the same money as if we had acted independently but each also gets a bump in the membership number. The membership increase wouldn’t happen without the partnership because we are both already life members of our own state organization.

I’ve done this a couple of times and it works great. The problem here would be that the last quote I got from GOAL was the a life membership was $750. I’d be willing to partner with someone who would become a member of both Washington State Rifle and Pistol Association (WSRPA) at $300 and the California Rifle and Pistol Association (CRPA) at $325.

Someone there in New England could look at it as though they are getting $750 going to GOAL but only donating a total of $625. All three organizations get one more member to boot.

Surely there are some donors giving more than just there life membership. If so, why not do it in pairs and increase more state’s membership numbers? Perhaps find a friend or relative to do this with in another state.

How about it? Will someone here become a lifer in both WSRPA and CRPA if I become a GOAL life member?

 

[HooVooLoo]

So let's see.

You pay GOAL 750 bux and you are now a life member of our organization. We have also done the same thing, so we have paid 750 bux. We pay WSRPA and CRPA a total of 625 bux, and we are now life members of these three organizations. So we have both paid a total of 1375 bux, and we all are now life members of all three.

--If some of us want to contribute to our state organizations, beyond paying for a life membership, we should do it in pairs.

--Instead of donating directly to my state organization I find a “partner” in another state.

The question is...why? We have paid for our memberships. Why would we send donation money to someone who is in an organization, but not the organization itself? Are you saying that if someone here in MA is not a life member of GOAL, you would be willing to pay the extra 125 bux for them to become a life member of GOAL, if THEY pay 625 bux to be a member of your two orgs?

Assuming the membership dues are the same, each club gets the same money as if we had acted independently but each also gets a bump in the membership number. The membership increase wouldn’t happen without the partnership because we are both already life members of our own state organization.

And to be even more frank on this issue, what could we possibly share that would help either cause? MA has some serious, serious issues that WA does not have.

I'm just not getting this whole idea, but then again, I've been called out before on not understanding stuff. *shrugs*

 

[terraformer]

I'm just not getting this whole idea, but then again, I've been called out before on not understanding stuff. *shrugs*

So let's see...

He didn't want you to send money to him. You would join his org(s) and he would join yours. The key being to inflate the state level membership numbers on both sides.

The issue here is artificial v. real inflation of membership. An equivalent (better really) strategy is to, instead of straight donation which is what this guy is looking to avoid, pay for a fellow residents lifetime membership outright, thereby true inflation of membership v. artificial inflation of membership. In the former you are causing links from said orgs to people who would likely mobilize. In the latter, the artificial membership route gives the org warm bodies who are less likely to mobilize in the event of political action. Numbers are inflated in both cases regardless.

To the OP, I applaud your thinking outside the box. I think a better strategy would be for you to fund yearly/lifetime memberships for your fellow washingtonians. You are more likely to actually cause your neighbor to become more engaged, thereby making him/her a more valuable political asset to your state's gun rights organization.

 

[MarkGJ]

.... I think a better strategy would be for you to fund yearly/lifetime memberships for your fellow washingtonians. You are more likely to actually cause your neighbor to become more engaged, thereby making him/her a more valuable political asset to your state's gun rights organization.

Point well taken. I have given some gift memberships here in Washington and taken folks to the range and our terrific Washington Arms Collectors guns shows.

You did see what I was getting at obviously with the member inflation. So other than for special projects where there might be legal reasons that membership dues can't apply, the best way to donate extra money indeed seems to be to give gift life memberships. I like the life ones obviously because that gets rid of the attrition problem.

I was just getting so tired of hearing how defeated some of the people in MA, NJ, CA, NY were sounding (on some other forums) I wanted to help their associations if I could. We aren't in such bad shape here in Washington as long as we can hold back the Seattle mentality. You guys are in real battle zones.

Also, it is kind of cool collecting multiple lifer patches and I wouldn't do that without actually being a life member. I'll probably sign up for GOAL whether or not one of you joins WSRPA. Jim Wallace there is terrific. I've heard him on Cam & Company a few times.

 

[GOAL C.M.]

Thanks all for the thoughts on how best to help not only GOAL but ourselves.

Here is the number one, very best thing you all can do.

Sign up somebody you know.

And ask that they do the same.

If they are not "gunnies" explain to them the work we are doing with H. 2259, the goal of which, is to not only restore Constitutional Rights to the residents of Massachusetts, but to also restore law, order, and safety to the streets of Massachusetts. Speak of the work we do in the community to keep kids safe, and with our legislators to ensure that our rights are represented as law is being made.

If we can exponentially increase the size of our membership we will become a voice that will not be ignored on Beacon Hill.

PS, Mark, thank you. It was good talking to you the other day.