SubGunFan said:
My understanding is the seed money is for........ (please correct me if wrong):
1. Pay to setup an LLC for the organization/club.
2. Pay to secure a lease for range property.
3. Pay for steel target systems for the first matches/shoots at the range. Match fees will add funds.
4. Pay to get the new club started and then search for BIG donors and grants.....
.
1. No, Devil Dog has graciously donated his time and $50 filing fee to do this
2. Yes
3. At least their installation... It was mentioned someone had some we may could use
4a. Yes, get the club started. 4b. We have been told NRA and NSSF have a lot of strings attached to grants that aren't a whole lot of money. BIG donors and BIG grants for the moment, no. It's been discussed paying the piper may include controlling interest therefore shutting out the founders and ceding control. Us founders are control freaks, don't forget that!
5. Securing liability insurance
6. Rudimentary facilities, at least a porta pottie!
My thoughts.
I'd love for someone or some entitiy to drop 10k in our lap to get this project up to speed quickly.
In all honesty $300 was backwards engineered based on about 30 people covering a lease and insurance. I can't stress enough that none of these decisions are anything past a group that could show up nodding heads in agreement. Nothing has been critically analysed, we are muddling through trying to be above board and avoiding landmines on our way to having a great facility. In hindsight I think it's a good number because it's enough for most of us to prove we are serious about supporting the facility.
It's been asked what the $300 gets ya. Speaking for me, I think it buys you a vote and a charter member status. What charter member status gets you is yet to be determined by the board of directors we have yet to set up that the $300 buys you a vote for.
I suppose a temporary chair or president should be appointed by those on site to preside over our meeting of the shooters that show up with $300 or their proxy. I think the meeting will begin after the dust settles Saturday from the grudge match at Magnolia under the pavilion.
I think the temporary chair should call for the new club to be named so Devil Dog can register it.
I think one person should be selected or elected to negotiate best terms with the landowner. Currently the landowner of choice is Johnny Sojourner, but just saying there are others on the list, so if a lease is not negotiated with Sojourner, don't worry there are others to talk to, we are far from done if we run into snags.
I think the number of board of directors should be voted on by all in attendance and that it should be an odd number to avoid ties.
I think nominations should then be taken for a board of directors.
I think we should figure out some kind of way to hold the election a week to 10 days past the nomination to allow everyone, including the $300 people that can't show up, a vote. I respect a secret ballot, don't know how to pull it off without fraud... chip in with a solution where everyone's vote is secret and secure. A non secret ballot will be fraud proof. Comments?
I think the board should elect a President and whatever officers are required by the LLC. I'm pretty sure that's VP, Sec, and Treasurer. I don't know if officers have to be board members.
I think the first business of the board after sorting out officers is to craft a mission statement. Who they are serving, what they are doing to serve their needs, and how they are going to do it.
I think at this point anyone who put up $300 that thinks this not their cup of tea, they get their money back. I'd rather lose the revenue than put up with antagonist.
I think the remainder that stay that have put up the $300 on the front end should have some benefits as determined by the board.
In discussion with the retired NRA range development officer, Richard Whiting while in Oklahoma, he said it's easy for a faction in a club to pack the board and vote out those they don't like. I have better faith in my fellow shooters than to think one discipline will dominate the others, in fact I think cooperation will lead to cross discipline competition. I want to prove something to myself shooting across the course right now. Once I've achieved my goals, I'd love to do some black powder with a Winchester 1885. F-class conventional is good training for me, I enjoyed being on the line for my one match, I learned much and got to see smokedpole do his magic! We are all SHOOTERS. I may be optimistic in my feelings toward my fellow shooters, perhaps the board should draft bylaws (constitution) that officially makes all disciplines equal, or maybe vote in equal numbers of board members to represent each sport... it gets complicated when we define each sport because some cross disciplines and I have two shooters that came forward that just want to plink at 1000 yards on steel and don't like Magnolia's center range being tied up many weekends with matches. After seeing their setup, long range competitive shooters should be thankful they just want to ring steel. It's not often one sees a billet aluminum custom engraved ammo holders.
I know I don't pull anymore weight than anyone else willing to put up $300, all I stated above is my just my humble opinion.
I think no one else other than Lane has put up their ideas. Kudos to Frazier for putting his ideas out there, those are his, these are mine.