# Getting Help to Maintain Field Course



## Kade (Jan 11, 2011)

Some clubs around here require work with their membership. What you assign people to do is up to the club. If you have mandatory work then just schedule work parties throughout the year. You will then also have more guys asking what needs to be done to meet their requirements. 


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## wa-prez (Sep 9, 2006)

It seems like whether a club has 300 members or 30, about 12 members do all the work. Yes, there is a "burn-out" factor.

Our Club has a two-factor dues structure. Everyone pays $100 the first year. We have monthly work parties, and there are always opportunities to put in work hours in between or during events. 

Anyone who has work hours recorded in the log gets credit toward a reduction of the following year's dues. With 12 hours work, you can get the dues down as low as $30.

We tried before with having people declare as "working" or "non-working" membership, but some of those who paid the lower rate didn't put in the time.

Next, we are thinking about an incentive to get people to go beyond the 12-hour point. I KNOW I put in about 100 hours a year. A suggestion was a distinctive vest or other item for those who go to the max for the Club.


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## rock monkey (Dec 28, 2002)

doesnt matter how much work you or however many put in, if you dont have the shooters to come out and enjoy your facilities, what's the point?


i know that *I* have put in 50hrs last season just on the field course. there may have been others that came out to do work on our IR course, but they never told me. we do have one member that does mow our general areas and practice course, and we definitely appreciate his work. 

sometimes i feel like the field course is just for me.

2013 we only have one scheduled IR round. more can be held if i get enough interest and people asking for one.


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## hdracer (Aug 8, 2007)

wa-prez said:


> It seems like whether a club has 300 members or 30, about 12 members do all the work. Yes, there is a "burn-out" factor.
> 
> Our Club has a two-factor dues structure. Everyone pays $100 the first year. We have monthly work parties, and there are always opportunities to put in work hours in between or during events.
> 
> ...


There's some good ideas there. One local club has a manadatory 50 hrs/year requirement (it's a combination gun/archery club). And they have a waiting list. But I'd bet a nickle to a dollar that most in our club would pay the extra $$$ and not have to do any manual labor. And almost everyone that has stepped forward to help wants to know what is in it for them.

It's not an easy fix. Our 3D shoots will be in jeopardy if we (I) can't figure out a way to get more help setting/pulling a course each month. Personally, I don't have the time to work both the Field and 3D. Heck, I only shot one 3D shoot last year. Just not into it anymore. So I'll be dammed if I going to work 3-4 times harder on it than I do on Field.


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## wolfman_73 (Mar 7, 2005)

I hear ya. This year I took over our archery portion of the rod and gun club. After rebuilding a 8 target warm up range, moved to the field half and rebuilt all 14 of those. Then the mowing, mowing and more mowing. I have another 14 half to work on still and even getting a person to help is frustrating. I just keep pluggin away but for how long who knows. They also would like to have a couple 3D shots a year..... Umm yeah ok. Got help with the 3d I out on last year but the field range just suffers. Oh well I do it to give back to the sport I love and to keep a nice place to shoot. It's hard not to rant tho when u hear that ppl are complaining about the condition of the target faces and other menial stuff but are not willing to help out.


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## hdracer (Aug 8, 2007)

That's no lie. Well, we have the winter to get our stuff together and figure out what it is we are going to do.


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## CarlV (Mar 12, 2008)

Hmmm...........a "working" and a "non-working" membership structure.

Anyone tried taking the extra $$$ generated from the non-working membership dues and putting that twords hiring manual labor? Almost everywhere has some kind of a program for temporary or day labor workers. They need supervision is all.

I'm on the Board for our local sportsmens club and about 10-12 people do all the work normally. Burnout is certainly in process.


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## Mitchhunt (Jan 31, 2011)

CarlV said:


> Hmmm...........a "working" and a "non-working" membership structure.
> 
> Anyone tried taking the extra $$$ generated from the non-working membership dues and putting that twords hiring manual labor? Almost everywhere has some kind of a program for temporary or day labor workers. They need supervision is all.
> 
> I'm on the Board for our local sportsmens club and about 10-12 people do all the work normally. Burnout is certainly in process.


Maybe take the extra $$ from non working members and hire a Boy Scout Troop or 4H club to help out with the course and run shoots for you. They are always looking to raise money and archery is in their wheel house. You might pick up some new members as well!


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## Brown Hornet (Aug 8, 2002)

Mitchhunt said:


> Maybe take the extra $$ from non working members and hire a Boy Scout Troop or 4H club to help out with the course and run shoots for you. They are always looking to raise money and archery is in their wheel house. You might pick up some new members as well!


That is a great idea :clap:


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## wozie (Jul 21, 2005)

Sometimes people are required to perform community service. Perhaps contacting the proper authorities in your community and getting a small group togeather for a work party could work. Just a thought.


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## Todzilla (Feb 27, 2005)

At our club we have the same problem as everyone else. We have a few that do the work and the rest just enjoy it. With our member ship we offer working or non-working memberships. This is voluntary only. But what we found out that helps quite a bit is to schedule a few clean up days in advance thru out the year. Make a list of what you would like to get accomplished on those days. 
We try to meet at 9 AM start the projects then make a cheap lunch usually hot dogs and soda some bring adult beverages to enjoy. Then when they leave we give them voucher for a free round of 3-D.This seems to help get people involved and then they usually start to throw out ideals and take part ownership of the club. And yes some years there will be 20 helping out then other there will only be a few.


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## PlaneCrazy (Nov 16, 2012)

The local club I want to join is mostly a skeet and trap club with an archery range. What they do is regular hours are only on the weekend, but if you volunteer for a committee you can access the ranges "off hours" and can bring guests, etc... So it's more of an extra privileges kind of thing. But I've heard that so many people want access in off hours that some committees run out of things for the volunteers to do. I could see having a tiered fee structure, but it would have to be pretty serious difference or else few would then volunteer for what they need to do. And some things need club members to decide things and not a paid worker.


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## Brown Hornet (Aug 8, 2002)

PlaneCrazy said:


> The local club I want to join is mostly a skeet and trap club with an archery range. What they do is regular hours are only on the weekend, but if you volunteer for a committee you can access the ranges "off hours" and can bring guests, etc... So it's more of an extra privileges kind of thing. But I've heard that so many people want access in off hours that some committees run out of things for the volunteers to do. I could see having a tiered fee structure, but it would have to be pretty serious difference or else few would then volunteer for what they need to do. And some things need club members to decide things and not a paid worker.



If that's the club I think it is....that archery range is WONDERFUL. The practice range is top notch and the field range is one of the best I have ever been on if not the best. The guys aren't half bad either :wink:


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## hdracer (Aug 8, 2007)

Some good ideas here. We struggle with the whole membership dues thing. We just raised it from $50 to $65 recently (one would think we were trying to erase 16B in debt from all the crying over it). It was brought up to have work-based fees but it was canned due to managing concerns (how much credit, who keeps the info, how to make it equitable, etc.). Our infrequent work parties bring out the same 30-40 folks and most of the attention is given to the rifle/pistol and shotgun ranges (where most of the members participate).

The leadership is working to build up a core 3D team right now. Maybe we can bleed off a few to work the Field side. It's not that hard and 4-5 guys could knock it out in a day or slightly more. Our field course is the most underused portion of the club. I'm sure that the leadership wonders why they spent the $$$ on it in the first place. But I wasn't around for that.


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## safe cracker (Sep 28, 2009)

well let see first we said we would feed the help if they help set up or tear down..no that didn't work so we said if you help we would feed and you could shoot for free but that didn't fly so the same guys do it all. and you do get burned out real fast until you hear what a good shoot you guys set up or thanks for a good job i think that what make it worth the trouble. some people don't know how long it takes to do 30 target course from the start to finish. when we stop doing what we do that will be the end because i just don't see anyone stepping up to take over. sorry just needed to vent...


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## ahunter55 (Aug 17, 2009)

I've been 50+ years of Archery & this has been the same problem for 50 + years. Scheduled work parties + membership deduction for work parties attended. Food Booth, registration volunteers get LESS deduction than workers on the range..


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## hdracer (Aug 8, 2007)

safe cracker said:


> well let see first we said we would feed the help if they help set up or tear down..no that didn't work so we said if you help we would feed and you could shoot for free but that didn't fly so the same guys do it all. and you do get burned out real fast until you hear what a good shoot you guys set up or thanks for a good job i think that what make it worth the trouble. some people don't know how long it takes to do 30 target course from the start to finish. when we stop doing what we do that will be the end because i just don't see anyone stepping up to take over. sorry just needed to vent...


No need to apologize...seems to be a very rampant symptom in every club...


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## safe cracker (Sep 28, 2009)

why is it on the day you shoot there is alway 15 to 20 members signed up, and nobody to help??


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## wolfman_73 (Mar 7, 2005)

Before I made the decision to take over the range here, I kinda jumped all over another guys rear. 

We were shooting and at the time, the practice bails were in pretty sad shape. He started complaining about the condition of the targets, the grounds and pretty much everything else in the area. I asked him how often he showed up to help out. He mumbled something about he hasn't. I basically told him that basically we live in a society of people who are simply users. Everyone just wants to use use use and no give back. If everyone gave a couple hours it would go so far to help. 

That conversation was the primary reason I took it. It seemed only fair to give back to the sport that I love so much. 

And like was already stated. When someone tells you how good it looks, or that they really enjoyed how the shoot was set up and can wait for the next one, it does seem to make It worthwhile.


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