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range fees

cygnus x-1

cygnus x-1

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Any one here belong to a club that has range fee's? I belong to one and to be honest, great club but I pay a membership to use the club. I know of no other club that has range fee's. It is a discouragment to bringing potential members down to shoot. Especially when it's $6 for them and $2 for you.
 
We charge a range fee at our club. Most of our members either don't shoot anymore, don't shoot much or just sight in thier rifles before deer season. We could just charge more for the annual fee but we would certainly loose some membership.

I find that usually the people who complain most about the way our club charges, are the same people you'll never see at a work party or fund raisers, or helping out in any way. It's surprising to me that most of our membership thinks that the officers and BOD are there to supply a service for anyone that pay $65.00/year for thier membership. Understand, when you join a club you are part of an association not paying for future services. I know things are different where there is a huge populace to draw from, but here in western MA where we struggle to get 325 members (many of which are just supporting the club and never set foot on the property).
 
Presumably you mean for the rifle, as opposed to the Trap or Skeet range....

When you think about it, use of the range damages it. Berms need restoration; target frames get shot up, and need replacement.

Some clubs are more blakanized than others, and committees will compete as opposed to cooperate. If the Rifle range needs an extra $1000 per year to repair the reasonable wear and tear, and the Club has 200 members, a $5 / member dues increase will do the trick. Of course, there may be members who think that that's no good as they don't use that range.

If you have a problem with a range fee, bring it up at a Membership meeting, or bring it before the BoD - depending on how your club operates. It's unlikely that the money is going to anyone's retirement fund...I'd guess that it's "required" to cover the costs. But (not knowing where you belong), if you ask why the fee is required, and get no good answer, then I'd say that the Club is not open enough ( at least for my tastes).

If it were my club, I'd fight the range fee on principle, though I use it <10 times / year.


BTW: I'm a Trap chairman, and pricing is a tightrope....you need to bring in the bucks to cover the fixed costs of the targets, and also set some aside for the inevitable reparis and maintainence, but not so high as to scare away the customers.
 
We charge a range fee and frankly, I don't see what the big deal is. It's $2.00 and it helps support the club....It's amazing to me that $2.00 for members and $6.00 for guests would discourage someone from shooting. If that's all it takes to turn someone off to shooting at a club, then they sound like not so great members to begin with. Like Neptune Cat said, some think that their membership fee is all it takes to run a club...In our case anyway, we have a very reasonable yearly fee and charge $2.00 for members and $5.00 for non-members. The hope is that the $5.00 range fee will encourage people to join and it does in some cases....Would be nice to see some people become more invested - even once in a blue moon about what it actually takes to keep a club running....Frankly, part of me would like to see LSA double their membership fees, lose some of the dead weight and focus on a dedicated group of members who are actually invested in the clubs success - rather than just coming down to shoot up the ranges and go home - thinking their membership fee and $2.00 is somehow enough....
 
IN fairness, not everyone has the time to devote to the Clubs.... A couple years back I had very little, as the kids were too young. Now, they're older and useful, we can spend more time at the Club. That being said, when others were "doing it" when I couldn't, I said nothing about how it was run, as I considerd myself to be insufficiently participating to have a say.

I believe that a range fee is antithetical to the "mission" of our club, and I'd support a higher annual membership fee first ( though that's my situation and, as they say, YMMV).

What you say about the "dedicated group" is true....and, I think is the situation at most clubs. When someone without gray hair joins a committee, it's time for a happy dance! [grin]
 
Another would not pay a daily fee - either work out the costs inside your annual membership fee or have work party to support the club and those that cannot attend have to pay a fee towards the repairs required.
 
Many clubs must resort to bar rooms to offset fees. The two I belong to do not have bars and also do not charge fees. What both of them do ask for is an extra 10 bucks at renewal time for club maintenance. I pay about 210 bucks a year including the extra 10 each to belong to both clubs. I think that's the best deal in town to be able to shoot anytime I want!! Even if I had to pay 2 bucks each time I went it would still be a good deal. I'm all for supporting Massachusetts ranges anyway I can. I hate to see clubs relying on revenue via alcohol to survive. It gives the anti's to much ammo. I'd much rather be a part of a club with range fees than a club with a bar room.
 
I don't think the problem is with the per-use cost, but with the existence of the per-use cost.

Each club is unique, and has its own advantages, disadvantages, history, priorities and internal politcs.

Especially these days, you have to do what you have to do to survive..... If a club needs a range fee, then so be it. If you are in opposition, you can: Leave; pay up unwillingly; or work to change the poilcy.


Unfortunately, pragmatism often trumps principle in the real world.
 
Neptune Cat said:
We charge a range fee at our club. Most of our members either don't shoot anymore, don't shoot much or just sight in thier rifles before deer season. We could just charge more for the annual fee but we would certainly loose some membership.

I find that usually the people who complain most about the way our club charges, are the same people you'll never see at a work party or fund raisers, or helping out in any way. It's surprising to me that most of our membership thinks that the officers and BOD are there to supply a service for anyone that pay $65.00/year for thier membership. Understand, when you join a club you are part of an association not paying for future services. I know things are different where there is a huge populace to draw from, but here in western MA where we struggle to get 325 members (many of which are just supporting the club and never set foot on the property).
Click to expand...

My club charges $150 to join plus $150 per year. If you are only paying $65/year and $2 every time you shoot, you probably pay less than I do per use. I also work 10-12 hours 10 months out of the year at the club. Sometimes the working hours would have been my shooting time and so I don't get to use the ranges that month simply because of the amount of time I have. With that being said I am glad to put in the time because eventually I will have more shooting time and a great club to shoot at (it's great now btw).
 
Some good responses here. It's not the cost, you are correct. It's the hassle. The only part of the cost is the friend part. Don't get me wrong, I am not un pleased with the club. Great place to shoot. I think what it is coming down to is this. I am in my 30's. Guys at the club are mostly older set in their ways kinda dudes. I have been to a meeting or 2 and for the most part, it's the same guys saying the same thing. To be honest, if clubs don't get off their duff's and reach out to the community more, they will eventually dissappear. personally i think a club would benefit from setting up on a Saturday somewhere and handing out literature to let people know they are there. More importantly, handing out gun safety stuff to educate the public who thinks we are all bad people bent on killing. Ok I'm taking my soapbox and going home.
 
Cygnus,

"Decisions are made by those who show up"

The reason it's the same people saying the same thing is that they're likely the only ones to be doing anything (no offense - read my previous post).
You are correct - the "naturalness" of shooting, and the "natural" need for a place to do it is fading. A more active, outreach-based membership recruitment policy is going to be required, if clubs and our traditions are to be handed down.

I've had several posts about getting more publicity (favorable) and visibility for our clubs. It's gonna be work, but we have to do it....remember, it's for the children!
 
My first club always wanted to "stay under the radar", thus membership never grew significantly. More and more members turned "grandfather clause" (65 yo and 25 yrs membership) so that they weren't paying dues any more, to the point it was ~1/4 of the membership. They had a great juniors program but wouldn't "advertise". I was very concerned since they had no money in the bank (a few old timers wrote checks every time they needed something, but they died and that ended).

I pointed out what I felt Holbrook was doing right (signing up members at gun shows) as well as what Braintree was doing to gain membership, nobody wanted to listen. Eventually I gave up and quit. Today I have no idea of their membership or financial health, but their range rules (NMT 6rds loaded on outdoor, 5rds max on indoor ranges) make them very unattractive to join IMNSHO. To this day, they have absolutely NO web-presence and that is the way they like it. It's a shame, as it is a nice facility with a lot of potential if they had the funds to improve the air handling in the indoor range.
 
Neptune Cat said:
We charge a range fee at our club. Most of our members either don't shoot anymore, don't shoot much or just sight in thier rifles before deer season. We could just charge more for the annual fee but we would certainly loose some membership.

I find that usually the people who complain most about the way our club charges, are the same people you'll never see at a work party or fund raisers, or helping out in any way. It's surprising to me that most of our membership thinks that the officers and BOD are there to supply a service for anyone that pay $65.00/year for thier membership. Understand, when you join a club you are part of an association not paying for future services. I know things are different where there is a huge populace to draw from, but here in western MA where we struggle to get 325 members (many of which are just supporting the club and never set foot on the property).
Click to expand...

my club is here in western ma also and i do agree with what you are saying. we have a small core group that does all the work and the rest of the membership who may or may not use the facalities are the most vocal as to what the problems are and how they should be handled. my theory is quit griping and pitch in and get involved.
 
Range fees are a double edge sword. Lucky for all of us we have free will wether to join a club that has fee's or not on top of the yearly dues.
 
We have a limited membership and it costs $250 a year. There are no additional range fees unless its an open shoot like trap or .22 pistol league. Guests have to pay a $5.00 range fee. If I brought a guest to the range every week for a year they would only pay $10 more than me. As far as work parties go, it's always the same group of people and a couple probationary members. I help out as much as I can, but I travel a lot for work so I'm not always available.
 
dhuze said:
We have a limited membership and it costs $250 a year. There are no additional range fees unless its an open shoot like trap or .22 pistol league. Guests have to pay a $5.00 range fee. If I brought a guest to the range every week for a year they would only pay $10 more than me. As far as work parties go, it's always the same group of people and a couple probationary members. I help out as much as I can, but I travel a lot for work so I'm not always available.
Click to expand...

What the heck is a probationary member? Maybe I'm out of line here, but I don't think I'd like to be one of those on probation, especially at $250/year.
 
MisterHappy said:
Nice theory....let me know how it works out! [laugh]
Click to expand...

well as theories go it isnt working too well. LOL. i think that this is the way most clubs run. you get maybe 10 or 15 per cent of the membership that does most of the work at the club events and work parties. we do not charge fees here either as it is feared by the majority of the officers that it will drive away some members or cause potential members not to join.
 
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dhuze said:
We have a limited membership and it costs $250 a year. .
Click to expand...

Is your membership limited due to the yearly fee or limited by design of the club charter?

I'm curious as to why some clubs put limits on membership numbers.
 
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One of the clubs I am a member of encourages members that use the range to put $1 in a donation jar. The range is a indoor pistol range in the basement. There is maybe 20 members that use the range only a few of them do so regularly. The Club makes it's money at the bar and other areas of the club, it just happens to have a range in the basement. That being said, putting a dollar in the jar is not too much for me. The money helps support the range and keep it there. I usually put $5 in, if I bring some friends I tell them to do so as well.
 

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