GOAL sent me a subscription letter

Oh, so that's where they spend their money on printing and mailing. I was wondering why they have not sent my card or some proof of membership, even after a reminder...
 
I actually appreciated it, as it's been on my list of things to do.

Then after thinking about it, I wondered how they got my name and address.

If they bought a mailing list from any of the clubs I belong to, It bothered me that anyone could obtain that info for a small fee. Then I started to get paranoid and wondered just how they got my info.

Anyone know?

To bring it round to OP, why don't you call GOAL and ask them?
 
About as useful as they can be with the pathetically tepid support they get from MA gun owners. I’m not 100% current with the membership numbers but maybe 10% of MA gun owners are members of GOAL. They’re a minority of a minority. Their voting block is minuscule yet they become the focus of gun owner’s anger every time our legislators f*** us over. You want to really make a difference? Get everyone you know to join. You think Wallace is ineffective? Give him some ammo (ie voters). Guess what? The legislature doesn’t give a shit about you, the Constitution or your values. They care about being re-elected. You want them to listen to you? Give GOAL the votes to make a difference.
This hits the nail on the head.

The Free State Project in NH thinks that 20,000 voters in a state of 1.3 million can influence the direction of legislation. Yet in MA legal gun owners are triple that ratio, but complain of being helpless.

I don’t write as many letters or make as many calls as I should, but legislators respond to pressure and it doesn’t take much.
 
When antis in my town attempted a gun grab, GOAL mobilized to help us. Their support was incredible. My avatar is a sign they designed and provided for us, which we then planted all over town. They earned my loyalty for life.
 
About as useful as they can be with the pathetically tepid support they get from MA gun owners. I’m not 100% current with the membership numbers but maybe 10% of MA gun owners are members of GOAL. They’re a minority of a minority. Their voting block is minuscule yet they become the focus of gun owner’s anger every time our legislators f*** us over. You want to really make a difference? Get everyone you know to join. You think Wallace is ineffective? Give him some ammo (ie voters). Guess what? The legislature doesn’t give a shit about you, the Constitution or your values. They care about being re-elected. You want them to listen to you? Give GOAL the votes to make a difference.

I have to say, nothing goes up my a** more, than someone complaining about the crappy gun laws in this state, and not supporting GOAL. The very least, they could shop Amazon and use the Comm2A link. But, nope, sit back and complain. Drives me nuts. I know someone that just lost his license Friday due to this FLRB nonsense. I asked him if he contacted Comm2A. His reply was, "What's Comm2a?". Needless to say, they don't support GOAL either. I can't count how many times I tried to get someone to join GOAL, and they refuse, thinking it is just a waste of money.

Apologies for the rant, from someone that never posts. But, this strikes a nerve every time.
 
You must have missed the member login in that lets you print that all important membership document....o_O

Guess so- they could have informed me of that. In years past I've always received something from them. A minor complaint, but justified after asking twice.

Regarding the "all important membership document", You ever heard of CMP? Probably not or you would not be taking the classic NES immature 'let's not miss an opportunity to shit on someone' for something you perceive to be of zero value.
 
Your decimal needs to be moved over two places, but even 4% isn’t even close to enough to make any real impact.

Statistics don't lie - you won't get much more penetration than that. The average gun owner is NOT us. And I'm betting the GOAL membership rate for NES members is less than 20%. How do you the rank-and-file "I own one or three guns" guys join when a active "I've got 6 arsenals of guns" guys aren't members????

But if you can get 5%, you are doing well. 10% is unobtanium. Somewhere between 5-10 is do-able with a S-ton of work.

There is a two-prong approach to increasing membership significantly. But it takes effort.

1. Designate someone (or a crew of someones) in your club to be the GOAL spokesman (woman, person) who will sit at the club on Renewal Night and take GOAL applications. The Renewal guy(s, gal(s), person(s)) need to PUSH the GOAL membership.

"This all looks in order. Are you a member of GOAL?"

"Uhhh, no."

"Do you care about your gun rights in this state?"

"Uhhh, yeah."

"You need to go see that man and fill this out (hands application) and give him at least $10 as a deposit on your membership. Everyone needs to get on board. Freedom's not free."

(Worst that happens is GOAL only gets the $10. Don't bill them. But the $10 covers costs for year-one. And shockingly, when they come back to renew at the gun club next year, you get to repeat and they think, "Oh yeah, I just got that renewal, too.")

I'd prefer to see most/all clubs go GOAL-100. Sadly, most clubs won't go 100% GOAL. I don't know why. I belonged to one once. I think it's vital. But so many clubs are afraid that if you make people spend an extra $30/yr, they might go to Club X and give you NO revenue.

For $30/yr.

Really?



2. This takes more work - FREE 1-yr GOAL membership with the purchase of a firearm at as many gun shops in the state as possible. I could see Carl getting in on this. I'm betting Cabela's would be in as well.

Not your first gun. ANY gun.

"OK, while this processes, are you a member of GOAL?"

"No."

"This is your lucky day. They are offering a FREE one-year membership with the purchase of a gun. You bought a gun so you get a membership. Just fill this out with this pen and I'll get it right over to them. They don't sell your name and they don't send you a lot of crap. In fact, it's an online-only membership. They'll have your name and address for renewal, but they'll only email you things for this year - most importantly they will email you emergency bulletins in case you need to contact your legislators and such. All we ask is that after a year, you continue to renew. Because freedom ain't free, son and $30/yr is cheap."

It has caveats:

1. The application is filled out WHILE YOU ARE THERE. No "I'll take this home." It gets filled out right there. Shop can scan-and-email or fax it to GOAL. Heck, GOAL could publish how many new "gun shop" members it got for the month or quarter or year. Good PR for the faithful.

2. It's an online membership for the year. Online only. You get the Friday Updates and any other things GOAL sends electronically. If GOAL sends anything via mail, you don't get it. (And this could create problems for GOAL, but I dunno.)

3. You are asked at the time of purchase to renew next year. In order to maintain your gun rights in MA.

You WILL lose about 1/2-3/4 of these people. But the 25-50% that stay on are worth it. It might mean changes to GOAL systems. I dunno. That would be the sticking point. (We don't need to add work to GOAL.)


I'm betting with just these two programs, you could double the # of members inside of a year. 32,000 people is a lot better than 16,000. It takes about 100-200 volunteers at local clubs and about 20-50 guys to hit the local gun shops and talk to the owners. And maybe a coordinator for the #2 just in case "well, we gave Tony's Untracable Gun Shop 50 apps and we've gotten nothing back, but the parking lot is FULL of black Cadillacs all day long" so that the contact for Tony's can circle back.


Those are my big plans. I've got zero time right now to even consider presenting them to GOAL and implementing them. Just married the kiddo's this past week. Now I gotta drive a car to MO. And then it's billing season. It'll be quiet for me somewhere around. . . . . . . . . . . . late August. Ugh.
 
LOL, I like them and appreciate their mission but a little housekeeping is in order. Hell, even an electronic membership document is OK.
GOAL hasn't sent out membership cards for years. A number of emails (or snail mails) have been sent in the intervening period with instructions on how to print a membership card for yourself.

Here you go:

Go to the GOAL website and click on the Member Login link on the top. You'll go here: gomembers On Demand

Log in with your email address, then click on the "Membership" link near the top-middle of the page. You will be taken to a page that indicates your membership status.

In with this info, you'll see a link that reads "Download Certificate". Click on it, then print the resulting word doc.
 
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I actually appreciated it, as it's been on my list of things to do.

Then after thinking about it, I wondered how they got my name and address.

If they bought a mailing list from any of the clubs I belong to, It bothered me that anyone could obtain that info for a small fee. Then I started to get paranoid and wondered just how they got my info.

Anyone know?


You know them door prizes and put me on the coupon mailing list at gun shows.

Ding Ding Ding
That's how they got your name.
 
GOAL hasn't sent out membership cards for years. Aa number of emails (or snail mails) have been sent in the intervening period with instructions on how to print a membership card for yourself.

Here you go:

Go to the GOAL website and click on the Member Login link on the top. You'll go here: gomembers On Demand

Log in with your email address, then click on the "Membership" link near the top-middle of the page. You will be taken to a page that indicates your mebership status.

In with this info, you'll see a link that reads "Download Certificate". Click on it, then print the resulting word doc.

Thanks- that's all I needed. I did get a response from someone at GOAL but it was essentially "we'll take care of it". That's why I assumed paper was still mailed. I still had one of my old cards from a few years back.

Besides the bitching, I'll make a donation & I don't need proof of that. [wink]
 
You know them door prizes and put me on the coupon mailing list at gun shows.

Ding Ding Ding
That's how they got your name.

No. GOAL doesn't get that info.

This mailing was done for GOAL by the NRA from their lists (and they paid for it). They used "scrubbing" software that was supposed to filter you out If you're already a GOAL member. If you got one anyway it's because something in GOAL's info didn't match up with the NRA's info, and the software thought you were two different people. This could be something as simple as a typo.
 
Guess so- they could have informed me of that. In years past I've always received something from them. A minor complaint, but justified after asking twice.

Regarding the "all important membership document", You ever heard of CMP? Probably not or you would not be taking the classic NES immature 'let's not miss an opportunity to shit on someone' for something you perceive to be of zero value.

Glad you have it worked out....
 
No. GOAL doesn't get that info.

This mailing was done for GOAL by the NRA from their lists (and they paid for it). They used "scrubbing" software that was supposed to filter you out If you're already a GOAL member. If you got one anyway it's because something in GOAL's info didn't match up with the NRA's info, and the software thought you were two different people. This could be something as simple as a typo.

Jim,

Thank you for posting the details on this. I'm glad to see that GOAL is actively trying to recruit new members.
 
GOAL hasn't sent out membership cards for years. A number of emails (or snail mails) have been sent in the intervening period with instructions on how to print a membership card for yourself.

Here you go:

Go to the GOAL website and click on the Member Login link on the top. You'll go here: gomembers On Demand

Log in with your email address, then click on the "Membership" link near the top-middle of the page. You will be taken to a page that indicates your membership status.

In with this info, you'll see a link that reads "Download Certificate". Click on it, then print the resulting word doc.

I went to the member login, but I didn't see a member expiration date. I just want to make sure I'm still current. Is there somewhere I can check this?
 
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