Hud McCoy Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 After reading and commenting on so many topics and post in regards to the increase in annual dues and club affiliation fees, I am personally dismayed with some peoples approach to why should I be a member at all and what do I really get from SASS attitudes. I know how hard times can be on retired people and people who may have been displaced in our current economy and that paying $20.00 more for annual membership may or may not put a dent in your wallet, but SASS as well as many other businesses has it share of dents in their wallets as well and they need to make decisions that are not always going to be favorable to their customers. I firmly believe that we need SASS as our governing body and that people showing up and shooting match after match and year after year without renewing their membership is a disservice to SASS and a disservice to those who do pay their annual dues in good faith, SASS is a business whether for profit or non-profit, it has operating cost. I strongly believe that the affiliation fee and its sliding scale for what you pay or don't pay is to generous with how it has been implemented and that all clubs should just pay an annual fee of $100.00 for being affiliated and using SASS rules and guidelines to hold their matches. I have been running the Westshore Posse since 2010 and on numerous occasions have had shooters from other PA clubs come and shoot our match and not have a clue to the rules in which we play by or the fact that their home club just about allows anything. There are two clubs in PA that I choose not to attend and participate in their matches because one is not affiliated and runs a somewhat dangerous match and the one is affiliated and does whatever the hell it sees fit to do so. I have seen everything at these two clubs from people walking away from the loading table with loaded pistols in holsters and dropped guns and when I tried to say that hey you cannot do that, the regulars look at me like I am the bad guy. So yes we need to keep our governing body intact and as far as I am concerned if you are going to put on cowboy action matches and use SASS rules and guidelines, then you need to pay up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marshal Dan Troop 70448 Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 people showing up and shooting match after match and year after year without renewing their membership is a disservice to SASS and a disservice to those who do pay their annual duesNothing to add but, some that haven't paid their dues, yet are getting all the benefits of the wire and shoot at their clubs in which their partners are paying dues, are now complaining on the increase. Doesn't sound like having the "Cowboy Spirit", letting the "other" guy support the game and pay the dues. MT One thing not mentioned, is how many have profited from SASS and CAS, by starting their own business, many time helped by the wire and word of mouth over it or at matches. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rye Miles #13621 Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 $600.00 ad required in the CC for a club to host a SASS sanctioned state shoot! Ridiculous! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Appalachian Alan Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 $312 for the smallest add. But I understand the point Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Short Wagon Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 IF any of you have kids or grandchildren that played little league did you consider them moochers for not paying Major League Baseball a royalty every year for playing the game? I used to play on an adult baseball league by MLB rules that payed no royalty nor were we asked to. The fact is SASS and the Wild Bunch are the governing body of what we do but they did not invent cowboy action shooting, they rounded up a lot of people and formed a group. Most of us are not saying that they have not put a lot of work into this, I am positive they have. We just want to know what we are getting for $65 because it is higher than other organizations and it is hard to see the benefits comparatively. I have asked (as well as others) in other threads and some questions are still not answered. Are we subsidizing EOT and founders ranch? I know for me personally I probably will never go as it is too far to drive and flying for me is a nightmare (I am a paraplegic and Northwest Airlines lost my chair once). I dont really like the idea of paying more so others dont have to pay their own way then being told that I dont have the "cowboy spirit" because of it. I would also like SASS to address the question of if we are members or customers. If we are just customers then yes, they can do whatever they want as it is their club. If we are members then it should get some member input as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Possum Skinner, SASS#60697 Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 Hud, Without local clubs, there would be no SASS. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Possum Skinner, SASS#60697 Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 Short Wagon, Actually, the Wild Bunch DID create cowboy action shooting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Arcadia Outlaw, SASS 71385 Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 the other shooting sports have a common set of rules to go by and they're membership fees are not as high and some follow scoring as to give shooters a ranking,they're actually doing more than just collecting membership dues or membership dues driven.basically without the Chronicle what we are paying for is a set of rules for everybody to play by which is fine I definitely think its worth something , I thought $45 was high, I can easily afford it but thats not the point. This sport is 99% ran off volunteers at local level and up, I was against the $5 for state and above shoots, I'm against the club affiliation fee's and raising membership fee's, Volunteer's who get paid nothing run the clubs, get new shooters involved, do basically everything except handling the SASS membership dues. You have had a business that has been run off 99.9 % volunteers Personally I dont care if folks who dont shoot the big matches pay membership or not, A lot of them probably did for a long time. PS I"m also curious about Founders ranch and membership fee's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desert Pete SASS #42168 Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 SASS is an expensive game to play. If the $20 is that significant a dent in someone's budget then they probably need to seriously look at whether they should be playing this game at all. I had to make this decision for long range shooting. Travel costs were simply too expensive to justify continuing to participate. These are hard decisions but they are necessary decisions for each individual. All of the expenses will continue to increase. There is no way to avoid it and still shoot. The only real question is each person's threshold for tolerating the increases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lefty Dude, SASS # 51223 Posted August 27, 2015 Share Posted August 27, 2015 My questions are; What was or is done with the Life Membership funds received ? Close to 8,000 Life Members are non-revenue payers, out of 19,000 Members. This leaves half the membership paying for all. Not many for Profit Business have ever survived by selling Life Memberships, Re; the fitness industry and such. If Founders Ranch is being financed an maintained by Member revenue, then it should be disposed of. This was a poor Business decision from the start. And now local clubs are ask to help with the finances of a Profit organization with no input as to how the money is being spent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rye Miles #13621 Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 SASS is an expensive game to play. If the $20 is that significant a dent in someone's budget then they probably need to seriously look at whether they should be playing this game at all. I had to make this decision for long range shooting. Travel costs were simply too expensive to justify continuing to participate. These are hard decisions but they are necessary decisions for each individual. All of the expenses will continue to increase. There is no way to avoid it and still shoot. The only real question is each person's threshold for tolerating the increases. For most of us it's not that we can't afford the $20.00, it's the principle of the almost 50% increase, not the "cowboy way" as far as I'm concerned! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 My questions are; What was or is done with the Life Membership funds received ? Close to 8,000 Life Members are non-revenue payers, out of 19,000 Members. This leaves half the membership paying for all. Not many for Profit Business have ever survived by selling Life Memberships, Re; the fitness industry and such. If Founders Ranch is being financed an maintained by Member revenue, then it should be disposed of. This was a poor Business decision from the start. And now local clubs are ask to help with the finances of a Profit organization with no input as to how the money is being spent. Several organizations I belong to that have life memberships, put the life membership money in an investment that pays dividends and the earned income is all that is used for operating expenses. The principle is retained to earn income. If all of the life membership money paid to SASS was set up this way, I am sure it would generate a chunk of money to operate the business. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matthew Duncan Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 It's only $20 Property tax is only 1.5% increase. Recession so work has not given pay raises for 5 plus years. My share of medical went from $1 a week to $96 a week. The temporary county wheel tax was raised and became permeant. Trying to put a bit back for retirement so we are not a burden to our children. Lady ran a red light light and we met in the middle of the intersection. She had no drivers license and no insurance. My insurance covers, I still have extra out of pocket Expences. Really want to go to Guns of August this year, didn't happen. Sister-In-law and her son belong to the 47% that live off what the Yankees take from us 53% Utilities cost are up. Next few years the house is needing new shingles. And I'm too old to do the job self. It's only $20. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lee67 Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 I thought $45.00 was high. Now they want almost a 30% increase. Basicly what I get out of it is a set of rules, an online paper (not even something I can hold any more) and the right to shoot in a SASS sanctioned State shoot. All of which I can live without. I pay $45.00 a year for a membership at our local gun club. I get the use of a club house, a 200 yrd. rifle range, pistol range, and a beautiful trap range. I can afford the increase in the fee, but for me it is not worth it. I doubt very much I will renew. It's not that $20 is a big deal it's the principle of it. It's not a good value at least for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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