NSSA “Association of the Year” 2007-2008
What a friendly sport...
It doesn’t matter if you walk into the clubhouse of a small one field club with 20 members or the country club setting of a facility with dozens of fields, you’ll always get a friendly “Hello” and welcomed as a member of the skeet fraternity.
You could be shooting with the CEO of a fortune 500 company or the guy who assembled your last car and the topic of discussion will always be, “How can I hit that target better?”
Pick a club near you and pay them a visit...
WPAFB Gun Club
BlackWing
An observation on gun clubs:
Most gun clubs are fairly laid back places where things don’t change very often or very quickly. The purpose of the club is usually nothing more than to provide you a place to shoot your gun.
Don’t look for forward thinking or plans to greatly improve what they already have. To those who run most clubs, the club is a hobby and their efforts toward its future improvement are along the “hobby” level as well.
Very few clubs are in a mode of constant improvement and advancement where plans are to bring bigger and better games and opportunities to the members.
Those clubs, however, need to constantly find sources of revenue to support these activities. This usually means either higher dues, assessments, or expectations that you will volunteer your time and your skills to one or all of the club’s efforts to raise the needed money.
Since things aren’t always able to be classified into two simple categories, you will find variations on these two themes all over the state. Some clubs will simply look to keep the doors open and the targets coming out whole and other clubs will seek out reasons to attract new people.... and other clubs are in-between.
The choice is yours... whichever way, it’s ALWAYS hoped that the club will be a benefit in your full enjoyment of this truly American sport.
Mostly tounge-in-cheek
GUN CLUB DISCLAIMER
Skeet shooting is unpredictable and unsafe. Shotguns are dangerous. Many books have been written about these dangers, and there's no way we can list them all here. Read the books.
The club grounds are covered in broken targets with loose, slippery and unstable footing. The weather can make matters worse. You may fall, be injured or die. You could break your leg. There are occasional wild animals, which may be vicious, poisonous or carriers of dread diseases. These include poisonous snakes and insects. Plants can be poisonous as well. We don't do anything to protect you from any of this.
Real dangers are present even on the fields. They can be, and sometimes are, slippery and dangerous. Field features made or enhanced by humans, such as steps, walls and railings (if any) can break, collapse, or otherwise fail catastrophically at any time. They may be negligently constructed or repaired. Live with it or stay away.
Bird crap and other objects can fall from the sky. Broken targets can curl in from other fields. This can happen naturally, or be caused by people on another field, such as shooters. Targets of all sizes, including huge “poofers”, can zing, sail, or collide with no warning. Use of ear and eye protection is required for anyone approaching the fields. They can be purchased or rented at the clubhouse counter. They won't save you if you get hit by something big or on another part of your body. A whole target might collide with you and smash in your head. Don't think it can't happen.
Weather can be dangerous, regardless of the forecast. Be prepared with extra clothing, including rain gear. Hypothermia, heat stroke, lightning, ice and snow, etc. can kill you. Rain can easily turn fields into deathtraps. Carry extra food, just in case.
If you pick up a shotgun without proper experience, training and equipment, or allow children to do so, you are making a terrible mistake. Even if you know what you're doing, lots of things can go wrong and you may be injured or die. It happens all the time.
The gun club does not provide police or security personnel. The other people on the fields, including other visitors, our employees, agents, and guests, and anyone else who might sneak in, may be stupid, reckless, or otherwise dangerous. They may be mentally ill, criminally insane, drunk, using illegal drugs and/or armed with deadly weapons and ready to use them. We aren't necessarily going to do anything about it. We refuse to take responsibility.
If you shoot skeet, you may die or be seriously injured. This is true whether you are experienced or not, trained or not, equipped or not, though training and equipment may help. It's a fact, shooting is extremely dangerous. If you don't like it, stay at home. You really shouldn't be doing it anyway. We are not responsible for, and do not inspect or maintain any of the shotguns on the property. As far as we know, any of them can and will fail and may send you to your death.
There are countless tons of stacked targets ready to be dislodged and fall on you or someone else. There are any number of extremely and unusually dangerous conditions existing on and around the fields, and elsewhere on the property. We may or may not know about any specific hazard, but even if we do, don't expect us to try to warn you. You're on your own.
Emergency services are not provided by the gun club, and may not be available quickly or at all. Local emergency squads may not be equipped for or trained in gun related incidents. If you are lucky enough to have somebody try to help you or treat any injuries, they may be incompetent or worse. This includes doctors and hospitals. We assume no responsibility. Also, if you decide to participate in helping some other unfortunate, that's your choice. Don't do it unless you are willing to assume all risks.
By entering the club grounds, you are agreeing that we owe you no duty of care or any other duty. We promise you nothing. We do not and will not even try to keep the premises safe for any purpose. We won't even try to warn you about any dangerous or hazardous condition, whether we know about it or not. If we do decide to warn you about something, that doesn't mean we will try to warn you about anything else. If we do make an effort to fix an unsafe condition, we may not try to correct any others, and we may make matters worse! We and our employees or agents may do things that are unwise and dangerous. Sorry, we're not responsible. We may give you bad advice. Don't listen to us. In short, ENTER AND USE THE CLUB GROUNDS AT YOUR OWN RISK.
And above all... have fun!
From:
Shoot Management
