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Old 07-20-2012, 11:56 PM
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singleshotom singleshotom is offline
 
Join Date: Apr 2008
Posts: 452
Default Ranges

Well 260, here is my thoughts concerning a gun Range control.
If in the past years when money was scarce and a small group of local people had the fortitude to buy land and donate it to a club an beg, borrow or buy material and equipment to build a usable range. And this same small group of people pour in a large amount of sweat equity to develop this range.
Now as years go by, a small group and their family's supported the needs of this range to maintain its existence. Keeping in mind there was absolutely no funding by government for a shooting range, if you wanted one you dug in your pockets and paid for what ever the range needed.
Now the years pass and the fees are very reasonable and all work is volunteer and expected by all members. And if a situation comes up and at a meeting it may be asked that in order to not raise fees the members would have to dig in their pockets to fund something that the club cant aford and is required. Some members will write a check and others will pay with sweat equity and there is no questions asked.
Now do you think that it is fair to any of these members or their families that because a group of people join the club they should gain control of this club.
Do you truly believe what your saying that what right do they have?
most these small community ranges throughout Alberta that are 30 to 60 years old were build and maintained by a small group of local people and you bet they should maintain control.
Just look at what happened to gun ranges here in Alberta when they grew beyond control or were taken over by people living outside the community.

My answer to you is if you want a Range and want to have a say in what it can and cant do is very simple, dig in your pocket and buy a piece of land, get a few people to put money in to build whats required and then let others
control whats done on the range. ( I don't think anyone will allow that)
The SPFGA range was built not as a community range and there was a great deal of government grant money spent on this range and the land they sold to the Canadian Land reserve. This range had a huge group of people in a club with a pretty good bank account prior to starting. And as you know there is many issues at the range due to the fact there is no control.
Comparing a small community range to a large Association range is comparing a car to a horse.
I truly respect small community ranges and believe they will be the only ones left to shoot at in Alberta, as long as clubs allow idiots who can afford a membership, but doesn't give a damn about the range or other members, and calls them selves members. Their not members their users.


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