My Range Day at WSSA today.

[Beretta Bob]

Since it was so nice out today, I thought I would go to the range and sight in my VZ2008 that I just installed a fiber optic front sight on. I make a habit of always checking the website calendar out first to see if there are any events going on. There wasn't, so I load up all of my gear, and head to the rifle range about 9:00am. I pull in the parking lot and say to myself perfect, no one is here, and I have the range all to myself. I get out of my truck, and look up at the covered area, and see 4 or 5 people and think WTF. I climb up the stairs, to see there is a pickup truck backed up on the range right up to the shooting rest, and realize a PD is there for range time. I asked the guys how long they had the range for, and asked them what agency they where with. Turns out it was Fairview Twp. and they had the rifle range all day today, and tomorrow. I told them to enjoy their day, and headed right back home bitching to myself the whole way.

I make my living as an IT professional, and the first year I joined WSSA I volunteered my services, and offered to maintain, and keep the website updated at one of the monthly meetings. They did not except my offer, so I left it go. Needless to say the website is so outdated, and the freeking calendar has not been updated as well.
I sent emails to the president, VP, and special use contact explaining what happened to me today, and offered my services again. I said I will be at the monthly meeting in a few weeks, and will offer to volunteer again in person, in hopes shit like this will not happen to other members thinking they will have some range only to discover the range is in use.

I really don't care who maintains their website, I just hope someone starts to.

[steelerfan]

I feel for ya ! I've had the same thing happen to me although it was my own fault for not checking my gun club's calendar,still bummed my out though. I did however learn to check our calendar from now on though,at least ours has current info on it.

[IV_Warrior]

We hear over and over again about how this needs done or that needs updated at a club. It's not nearly as often that we hear "This needs done, here's why, and I'm willing to do it". Rep to you for volunteering to fix the problem instead of just complaining about nobody doing it. Hopefully, the club leadership will be wise enough to accept your offer, our at least get someone doing the job.

[JohnUSCG]

Cudo's to you, Bob, for seeing a problem and comming up with a solution instead of just bitching about it! Clubs need more members like yourself!

As for Fairview Twp PD......I am all for giving back to the community and doing what you can for those who are LEO's in the area. I have encountered, however, far too many PD's who EXPECT some local clubs to bend over backwards for them without so much as a 'Thank You'.
This is one of the reasons why I have never joined WSSA. They close down their ranges far too often and give some local PD's a blank check when it comes to their range time. I think that there can be a good balance between closing down the ranges for LEO activity and keeping the membership at large (the one's who pay dues and who actually have 'ownership' of the club) happy and fullfilled with due range time.

This is just my opinion. Maybe the Fairview Twp PD are dues paying members of WSSA....I don't know. I would be my guess that is not the case.

York County FOP has a recently renovated pistol range located near Indian Rock Dam. Some departments just don't want to travel that far.

Sorry for the rant. Just seems to be an issue that many clubs that I belong to have to deal with.

[FUNDAMENTALS]

Bob, you are not the only person who has volunteered to help out the
WSSA. As a member myself, I can tell you that a very good friend who
is also a member and an attorney, offered to do their legal work pro bono
and they turned him down. See you at this months meeting.

[Lee-online]

Their web site just plane sucks. The news letter is dated 2009.

It would be nice to have a news letter to let the member know what is going on. One point of contact to email and that person can add the info to an online newsletter that is current.

The club is in Fairview twp so i assume the Fairview police do get to train for free.
It would be nice if they could add another rifle range so when one is close for training we could still use the other.

I live close enough i can hear if someone is at the range so i stop over when it is quiet.

I will be at the next meeting.

[Rookair]

Hi Beretta Bob,

I visited WSSA for the first time tonight for their IDPA practice. I saw a piece of paper that says that they keep an up-to-date calendar on a Yahoo group and I thought of you and this posting. I wrote down the website for you.

The website is: http://sports.groups.yahoo.com/group/wssaclub/

I just checked the site and clicked on the calendar link and they do have it updated for yesterday and today with the rifle range being used by the Fairview PD...so it seems to be up-to-date.

I'm thinking this calendar is a lot easier to update than the one they have on their website. Not sure why they don't just link to the Yahoo group from their website.

Hope this helps.

Scott

[daschnoz]

Guys, all of these issues are a lot more complicated than they seem on the surface.

The web site has been discussed quite a bit in the last few monthly meetings. The biggest hurdle was gaining control of the hosting account so we can make changes to the site. Now that we have control of the hosting account, we are working on a new website.

We (the BOD) are also working to address the issue of members being told by police that a range is closed for their training.

As to the issue of offered help being turned down - Too often in the past, club members have either offered or, when the call was sent out, volunteered help that never materialized. The board understands that people are busy, but some issues need to be addressed in a timely manor. As a result, the board has decided that certain tasks will be contracted out. Quotes are requested from contractors and expenses are voted on at the monthly meetings. EVERYTHING about the process is done in plain view of the club members.

Come on out to the meetings. We'll talk.
-Bobby Kirbos
Membership Secretary, WSSA

[Rookair]

Hi daschnoz,

Thanks for the website info. During the transition to the new version of the WSSA website, is it accurate to say that the Yahoo calendar will be the calendar that is kept up-to-date with club events?

I see that you are the membership secretary...you should be getting my membership application in the next few days...I will be sending it out in the mail tomorrow.

Scott

[daschnoz]

Yes. Bob Single, WSSA president, began using the Yahoo calendar as a stop-gap measure until we could get the web site back under control. Short term, the new web site will link to the Yahoo calendar. Longer term, the calendar will be integrated into the web site itself and the Yahoo calendar will go away. You'll know when the new site goes live.