Are We Open For Business?

[Proclaim]

nutcase,
This is exactly what we need more of within IHMSA!! Thank you for your offer. I just sent you an email.

[LOCKHART]

Ok, now I want to ask a question, are we, or are we not, gonna have a printed
version of the IHMSA news? The current membership form states 50 dollars for
membership, per year, and 10 dollars per family member. It also states that if
you want to continue to recieve the paper, its 20 dollars extra. Thats fine with
me, but if they gonna discontinue it totally, I'm not sending in the extra 20 dollars.

[nutcase]

Ok, now I want to ask a question, are we, or are we not, gonna have a printed
version of the IHMSA news? The current membership form states 50 dollars for
membership, per year, and 10 dollars per family member. It also states that if
you want to continue to recieve the paper, its 20 dollars extra. Thats fine with
me, but if they gonna discontinue it totally, I'm not sending in the extra 20 dollars.

Why ask this question here? The powers that be do not come here because I really don't think they give a s**t!

Look who is back to normal!

and lockhart, yes, you can still get a printed copy of the IHMSA news. as it states in the membership form and the President's report.

[LOCKHART]

Thanks, nutcase. I wasnt trying to be a smartazz, but I'm kinda wondering
if this association is even gonna survive, given the fact that we havent seen any
kind of financial statement, in a while.

[nutcase]

Thanks, nutcase. I wasnt trying to be a smartazz, but I'm kinda wondering
if this association is even gonna survive, given the fact that we havent seen any
kind of financial statement, in a while.

not you! My comment was towards tonedaddy ;) ;)

[jcunclejoe]

Nutcase has stepped up and volunteered for multiple positions.

People are trying their best to pick up the slack and keep this organization going.

I mean this very seriously. ENOUGH with the negative waves man!

If you cannot be positive or offer help then please keep your grumblings to your self. If you don't like how things are being run then PLEASE run for an office, volunteer for a position or do something constructive, help be part of the solution.

I really don't have the time to come here and look for questions to answer or problems to solve. And when I do come here and read all the negative things, I really don't want to put in any extra effort to address someone's gripe.

Let's do like CaptJohn said on another thread, be nice, get along and help us keep IHMSA alive and going strong.

I have been shooting handgun silhouette for 19 years and as far as I'm concerned we are without a doubt the best shooting sport in the world. We have the best, most helpful and friendliest people in the shooting sports. Period.

So Please be positive and helps us work toward solutions. I already have 3 positions and I can't take over the treasurers position. I'm sure somebody has the skill and the time to take it over, but nobody has volunteered.

I'm good now.
Thank you Nutcase for stepping up.

Joe

[260 Striker]

Hi Joe,

First off I want to say thanks to you, Nutcase, Proclaim and many others who have stepped in and volunteered for many important positions/duties in support of IHMSA.

Since I joined back in 1980 I have seen many ups and downs in IHMSA. We apparently are in a down at the moment. I also think the many negative comments (gripes) you may be seeing on this forum are the result of the lack of communication between IHMSA and its members. There are many positive comments too but absolutely no feedback from the appropriate people. Information is even limited in the newspaper and that is the official publication for IHMSA. I'm not sure anyone is even listening to some of these issues. Where are the minutes from the annual meeting? Where is the financial statement? What about the latest proposed rule changes? Are these gripes? I say they are honest questions that are not being answered.

I suggested a long time ago that each committee should have a column in the newspaper and tell what is going on for that month/time period. If no activity, then state that. If the rules committee is considering rule changes, then give the members an update what is being considered, discussed, refused, tested or whatever. We need feedback what is going on within the organization.

We have this website that could be used to keep the members up to date on any issue that affects IHMSA. Maybe we don't want to publish our financial statement for the world to see so that should be in the IHMSA News. Of course if that is made public on this site then the world will see it anyway.

Again, I give you and others a big thanks for what you have done and continue to do for IHMSA. There is also a fine line between a gripe and constructive criticism.

[Hosspower]

The above statement by 260striker is spot on.

Here is an example of the perception of the orgaization from personal experience:

I went to a Pittsburgh, PA area NRA silhouette match last year. I went proud to be a member of IHMSA. In introducing myself to the NRA shooters I told them I had just started and had been shooting IHMSA at Tusco. There were some shooters there that were previous IHMSA shooters. Most stopped when the Burrell twp. range stopped being a sanctioned range. They went on to tell me that IHMSA is a mess. They said just go and check out the forum. There are long time members on there asking for financial reports for at least a year. There are questions asked to the board that go unanswered. I won't go into the other comments.

I don't know if these guys were just bitter or not. What I do know is that there are former members that read this forum. They see the lack of communication. I have to beleive that other non members also read this forum and see the tension/frustration. I do not know who has the authority to be the voice of the IHMSA board on this forum. What I can say is that if the questions 260striker asked about were answered the atmosphere of this forum would change for the better. Some of the non-members/former members would see that the board is engaged with the average meber. The former members might also feel more inclined to get back to an IHMSA match. Some of the guys on the fence about joining might feel more inclined to try a match. Current members would feel more confident in the future of IHMSA.

I know there are good things happening. The negative aspects are often in the spotight just like the evening news on TV.

I have only shot at 2 IHMSA clubs. Both places have been excelent in terms of the range quality, shooters that are willing to help and just an all around good atmosphere. I do not see any reason why this forum can not have the same welcoming, helpful and engaging atmoshere as any local match around the country.

[ihmsa53393]

The above statement by 260striker is spot on.

Here is an example of the perception of the orgaization from personal experience:

I went to a Pittsburgh, PA area NRA silhouette match last year. I went proud to be a member of IHMSA. In introducing myself to the NRA shooters I told them I had just started and had been shooting IHMSA at Tusco. There were some shooters there that were previous IHMSA shooters. Most stopped when the Burrell twp. range stopped being a sanctioned range. They went on to tell me that IHMSA is a mess. They said just go and check out the forum. There are long time members on there asking for financial reports for at least a year. There are questions asked to the board that go unanswered. I won't go into the other comments.

I don't know if these guys were just bitter or not. What I do know is that there are former members that read this forum. They see the lack of communication. I have to beleive that other non members also read this forum and see the tension/frustration. I do not know who has the authority to be the voice of the IHMSA board on this forum. What I can say is that if the questions 260striker asked about were answered the atmosphere of this forum would change for the better. Some of the non-members/former members would see that the board is engaged with the average meber. The former members might also feel more inclined to get back to an IHMSA match. Some of the guys on the fence about joining might feel more inclined to try a match. Current members would feel more confident in the future of IHMSA.

I know there are good things happening. The negative aspects are often in the spotight just like the evening news on TV.

I have only shot at 2 IHMSA clubs. Both places have been excelent in terms of the range quality, shooters that are willing to help and just an all around good atmosphere. I do not see any reason why this forum can not have the same welcoming, helpful and engaging atmoshere as any local match around the country.

Hosspower, I do not normally reply to posts of this caliber. But in this case I feel it necessary. You sir need to get your facts straight. Myself and a shooting buddy of mine are who you talked to at the Coraopolis, PA NRA match. We are not previous members, he and I were the only IHSMA members there. No one told you IHMSA was a mess. You were told they had some problems and they could be verified by posts on the IHMSA website forums.

I do not know what the other comments were that you will not go into or the fact that you think we are bitter but it really makes for a sensational read.

Now, here is what you were told. We shot at Burrel for over twenty years. It was a great match and it was well attended. To shoot BB you routinely had wait in line for over an hour or more. I used to shoot four or five guns every month and I can count on one hand how many matches I missed in those twenty plus years. Burrel's trouble started when a small but vocal group wanted prize money paid back for class winners. You did not have any idea what a gun would cost to shoot until you got there. The prices ranged from $7, $9, $11 and $13 per gun. This was the start of the downfall at Burrel.

Next the club wanted to have a half scale match. Guess who were the only two to attend. That's right me and my buddy. I do not know what the problem with this was. But it was another nail in the coffin because none of the regulars did not show after that. The range fell into disarray and shooters felt they were rushed to get in shoot and get out. I could only shoot two guns before the match director (then club president who is no longer with the club) wanted to close up and go home.

Now for the final problem. Burrel got into a pi$$ing match with IHMSA over an ad for a gun bash they wanted to be printed in the IHMSA News at no cost. It was denied. Unknown to me at the time Burrel decided they were going to hold IHMSA matches and withhold sanction fees. This was the year of the second Internationals held at Tusco. We were told that Burrel was not a sanctioned club and our scores were invalid. That was overturned because we in good faith paid to shoot a sanctioned match. I was in email contact with one of the match directors at Tusco after this and even emailed him all of the match reports that I had so IHMSA could get an idea of how much sanction money they had been denied.

As time went on there was only five or six people showing up for the matches. Then two or thee and eventually none. Some of the matches I did not shoot but tried to help setting targets and even called the range a couple of times. As far as attending IHMSA matches now. I have not shot a match in three years. West Virginia stopped shooting and the Tusco match is on the same days as my local club NRA Silhouette Match which is only a mile from my house versus a two hour drive. By the way I started the NRA silhouette matches ay my club and ran them for seventeen years

We are lucky in the Pittsburgh area as we can shoot a NRA Silhouette Match every weekend of the month and none are over an hour away. . Most of the people you saw at the Coraopoils match used to routinely shoot at Burrel. They were not IHMSA members but they attended the match until they got tired of the silliness that went on at Burrel.

IHMSA53393

[Hosspower]

I can assure you I am not trying to sensationalize a post.

I can tell you that I left that Coraopolis match with a feeling of what did I just join? How long will it be around? I also thought that if guys felt like this at NRA matches it surely cant be good for IHMSA.

I apologize if I took your statements the wrong way. From that day I have though on many occasions how can this perception by forum readers be avoided.

I hope to see you at a match this year. Please send a pm if you would like to discuss further.