East End Rod & Gun Club

Flattening the boredom curve since 1947

Survival Of The East End Rod & Gun Club In Doubt

Good afternoon!

This is a special message for all club members and range users.

As I have mentioned before, both myself and Randy Kerby are not running for re-election in January 2024. Further, we have not had a Secretary for quite some time; I’ve been filling in that position. There’s a lot of work to keep the range open, and not a few problems to resolve, both of which need someone to keep addressing in 2024 and thereafter.

So I am not convinced that the Club – and therefore the fine shooting range that we all enjoy – will survive more than a year or two after Randy and I leave office, unless there are strong candidates to replace us.

I say again: the Club is unlikely to survive past 2025 unless members step up to fill these offices. We're running largely on momentum, with the current (and shrinking!) team of volunteers scrambling to fix problems.

And if there's no club, there's no range. That would be a serious loss to the community.

Those positions do a lot of work. I know, I'm doing both the President and Secretary jobs. Whomever steps into these positions need to understand the club, and what needs to be done to keep it working. Some of it is semi-automatic (such as maintaining the liability insurance), but much is not. Read the past minutes if you want a refresher on the workload.

So this is not a decision to be taken lightly. But if you want to continue enjoying the shooting range in Milton-Freewater, either you consider running for office, or find another club member who will.

There are two criteria to consider in running for office:

  • You (or the person you recruit) is willing to work on club matters (both time and effort), and should be experienced in administration. None of these jobs are a sinecure, but require some dedication. Coasting is not an option if the club is to survive.
  • You (or the person you recruit) meet the criteria in the new By Laws (see Article VI, paragraph B). There isn’t a lot of time to meet them.

I completely understand that many people are busy with work and lives. But if you want a nice shooting range, it's time to set priorities and step up.

The good news is that there are board members already addressing some of the serious problems, like the budget and range maintenance. But those are only part of the effort.

I will be glad to answer questions concerning the duties of these offices. But I strongly urge you to get involved, and get viable candidates to stand for election in January 2024. The clock is ticking on eligibility. And on the club survival.

Sincerely,

 

Jeff Stidham, President

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