Great minds DO think alike, Worcester Pistol and Rifle has been discussing this already but it shouldn't stop there. I think many clubs should get on board with this, especially the clubs that John enjoyed to visit and made so many friends.
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John Kelly
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Great minds DO think alike, Worcester Pistol and Rifle has been discussing this already but it shouldn't stop there. I think many clubs should get on board with this, especially the clubs that John enjoyed to visit and made so many friends.
John was a good man and a man of honor, and a true gentleman.
i'l the t better man hqve said i knnew him.
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Heading off in a few to pay my respects.
I'm sure I will see some of you there.
I'm sure I will see some of you there.
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I was there a bit after 6 - didn't see anyone from the list though.
I have shot with John at many matches and was shocked and saddened by the news. John was a great guy to be around and a very talented shooter. I'm glad to have spent the small amount of time with him that I did.
I stopped by and paid my respects. His family appreciated the outpouring of support from the shooting community.
In this life, there are takers and there are givers.
John was a giver.
Michael.
I stopped by and paid my respects. His family appreciated the outpouring of support from the shooting community.
In this life, there are takers and there are givers.
John was a giver.
Michael.
TY43215
NES Member
You missed me and Mooney by minutes. We got there just after the Independent group left. Got a chance to talk to family and life long friends. They really never knew how close a group this is and they sent their thanks for the support.
Rob: The post you put with his classification was very good. Thank you for taking the time.
Actually, I had an idea along those lines: the stage designers putting their heads together and coming up with a stage called "The John Kelly." I don't know where new stages get submitted, but if it ended up being used in future matches and such, would be a real honor to him. I also thought of, perhaps at the regional or state level match, the John Kelly Award. It would go to that competitor who (I supposed voted on by the SOs, or other?) who showed the best sportsmanship, camaraderie, and general good nature as was Mr Kelly's nature.
Thoughts?
I think that's a great idea, especially the award. John was absolutely one of the most helpful and kind people. I missed the last match, and my husband came home and told me that John was asking for me, and said hello.. Nobody else would even notice who shows up..
J
Jimmy2Times
I am absolutely shocked and saddened to learn of John's passing. He was a hell of a nice man and a great shooter. I will miss seeing him at the IDPA shoots.
Rest in peace, John.
Rest in peace, John.
If anyone deserves such a thing, it would be John I would think. He personified good sportsmanship, good shooting, and an always helpful friendly attitude. I would be happy to chip in a few $$$ toward the cost of the award.
All good ideas. Most importantly- I think John would want for all of us to continue with his spirit in the sport. If each of us could bring a little of his thoughtfulness and kindness to each match he would be pleased. We have big shoes to fill.
I will try not to give anyone the death stare I get when I'm pissed with myself.. ,John was the only one who would ever approach me when I was seething mad, and inevitably make me laugh, usually at myself. That man was something special that's for sure..
TY43215
NES Member
Knowing John as I did I do not think he would be happy at all with the idea. No offense to anyone, but john was a very private type person and the best way to honor his memory is in private.
Our friend is gone, honor him in death as you would while he was alive. This will be my last post on this thread
Gary
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I agree with you that John would have none of this, but I think that any memorial would be for us to remember him. Whenever I competed with John I came away a better person. His calm demeanor, helpful personality, and positive attitude was infectious. If any type of memorial to him can inspire this in just a few people, it would be worth it.
Chuck
NES Member
I'm sitting here shocked and saddened. I just found this thread tonight. I've shot with John at IDPA matches all over, from Harvard down to Bass River. He was always a blast to have in your squad. We'll miss you man, God speed, you are going to be missed on the firing line...
Prayer to his family. R.I.P. JKelly.
I agree with Round Gun Shooter that John would not want anyone to fuss over him... I think the thing is that at times like this while many families honor the wishes of the departed, in many cases the services, wakes, etc. are more for the people who survived the departed as a way for them to deal with the loss, especially when it is unexpected like this. I think it's safe to say that John was universally loved in the shooting community and his sudden death was a tremendous shock to all of us.
I think it is a great idea for the shooting community to do something to remember him...this is what I propose. Why don't we (the shooting community) get together on one of the 5th Sundays on the calendar when there is generally not that much going on (i.e., Aug 29 or Oct 31 in 2010) and put together a match that will involve stages from all the practical shooting disciplines that Mr. Kelly loved, participated in and supported. Imagine a match with an IDPA stage; a USPSA stage; a bowling pin stage; a Walls of Steel Stage; etc. where shooters from all of these disciplines who might not ordinarily participate in something else get together and experience something new. In the spirit of Mr. Kelly, these stages can be staffed by ROs/SOs that will welcome and mentor new shooters to their discipline. We can keep a total match score and award a trophy/trophies to the shooters and take all of the match proceeds and donate to GOAL for some type of scholarship to support the training of new shooters.
I propose that we try to select a centrally located venue, like Harvard, that already has large IDPA and USPSA groups in place so that there will already be a lot of props and equipment on site. For disciplines other than IDPA and USPSA, it may be a pain in the butt to load up a bunch of steel or other necessary gear to travel but it is only for one day and I'm sure there would be plenty of volunteers with pickup trucks willing to help with the logistics.
What do you guys think?
I think it is a great idea for the shooting community to do something to remember him...this is what I propose. Why don't we (the shooting community) get together on one of the 5th Sundays on the calendar when there is generally not that much going on (i.e., Aug 29 or Oct 31 in 2010) and put together a match that will involve stages from all the practical shooting disciplines that Mr. Kelly loved, participated in and supported. Imagine a match with an IDPA stage; a USPSA stage; a bowling pin stage; a Walls of Steel Stage; etc. where shooters from all of these disciplines who might not ordinarily participate in something else get together and experience something new. In the spirit of Mr. Kelly, these stages can be staffed by ROs/SOs that will welcome and mentor new shooters to their discipline. We can keep a total match score and award a trophy/trophies to the shooters and take all of the match proceeds and donate to GOAL for some type of scholarship to support the training of new shooters.
I propose that we try to select a centrally located venue, like Harvard, that already has large IDPA and USPSA groups in place so that there will already be a lot of props and equipment on site. For disciplines other than IDPA and USPSA, it may be a pain in the butt to load up a bunch of steel or other necessary gear to travel but it is only for one day and I'm sure there would be plenty of volunteers with pickup trucks willing to help with the logistics.
What do you guys think?
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Since this match won't be sanctioned by any of the orgs, a relazation of some of the equipment rules may be in order so that USPSA shooters can use their rig on the IDPA stage and vice-versa. It would be a pain to change rigs between stages, and chances are such a requirement could cost the event some participants.
Absolutely... I'd say shoot all the disciplines in whatever gear you want... relax rules such as no cover garment required for IDPA, modify USPSA scoring somehow to get some kind of total time vs. stage points, etc. to have an overall time-based scoring system for the whole match... I posted my idea into a new thread in GENERAL DISCUSSION called THE JOHN KELLY MEMORIAL PRACTICAL SHOOTING MATCH... I figured this idea might get buried on this thread so we can watch both and see if there is enough interest to get this done.
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How about this:
Each stage is run by volunteers from the particular discipline, and comes up with whatever scoring procedure they wish to use that will allocate between 0 and 100 points. The most total points across all stages wins. This would allow each sport to score in a manner consistent with that sport, and combine scores in a way that grants identical weight to all sports - so that, for example, a 30 stage USPSA stage doesn't count for a bigger percentage than a 18 round IDPA stage. It would also allow (space and time permitting) a sport to set up two stages and allocate their 100 points of the match across their stages so their total contribution to the final score is 100 points.
The beauty of this approach is that it will allow the various sports to come together as equals, while letting each sport "do their thing". It could even turn into a healthy competition between each of the sports as they try to make their part of the match the most notable. The only "coordination of rules" required under such an approach would be an agreement on equipment requirements and divisions (if any).
The downside is that we would need to combine the results together due to the variety of scoring procedures - but I have no doubt a bit of creativity, and possibly some Excell hackery, could make short work of that.
Plus, if we do this at Harvard, we need to book the slushie lady.
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I am pleased to announce that the Harvard Sportsmens Club will host The John Kelly Memorial Practical Shooting Match on Saturday, July 31, 2010. Please see a new thread posted under PISTOL COMPETITION for more details. Thanks for your interest!
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