Sun River Rangers Shooting Society

Newsletter

June 2010

 

Greetings,

We had a beautiful day for a shoot last Sunday and 26 shooters who took advantage of it!  The second half of the June shoot will be on July 24 as we are using the fourth Saturday of June for the State Shoot workday.

The next event is the State Shoot, July 9 - 11 and we have a lot to do to prepare for it.

STATE SHOOT PREPARATION:

Prairie Dog would like to set up targets for the State Shoot on Sunday, June 20th.  We will start at 9:00 a.m.  I know it is Father’s Day but if we get a dozen or more people out to help, it should only take an hour or so.

The workday to finish any clean-up and projects for the State Shoot will be Saturday, June 26.  Again, we will start at 9:00 a.m. and, with enough help, it should not take long.

We have had an out-of-State shooter with physical limitations request assistance with mobility at the State Shoot.  We are looking for a golf cart (preferably) or a 4-wheeler to help him move about the range during the shoot.  If you have something you would be willing to lend us for a few days, please contact Jeb Stuart at 868-9737 or Jeb’s Lady at 868-9736.

One last reminder to register as soon as possible for the State Shoot:  Your registration MUST be postmarked by June 23. We will not be accepting registrations at the shoot.  You may print a registration form from the website or call Jeb’s Lady and she will mail one to you.

RANGE AND MEMBERSHIP:           

We have had three individuals in the Simms area contact us about joining our club after being told by club members that they can join the club and use the range.  This is a reminder that we are not a public range but a private club that owns a range. If a prospective member is not going to participate as a cowboy shooter, membership in our club will not be a possibility.  If an individual inquires about the range, please determine if they are an active cowboy shooter or want to become a cowboy shooter before making any promises about club membership.  We are concerned about setting a precedent that will force us to allow everyone to join the range and use it without an understanding of cowboy shooting, thereby destroying our targets and damaging our range.

MEETING AFTER THE JUNE 6 SHOOT:

During the meeting after the June 6 shoot, several topics were discussed. 

The first item concerned the By-laws and the interpretation of Article IV: Meetings #1, where it states “Meetings will be held after regularly scheduled shoots when deemed necessary, weather permitting.” There were some questions regarding who would determine when a meeting was deemed necessary.  After a review of the By-laws and Article XI, Amendments and Policy Statements, #5, “Interpretation of the By-laws shall be the responsibility of the Board of Directors”, the Board stands by the current practice of regular monthly Board meetings for handling the business of the Club along with a meeting in September for election nominations and a meeting in October to present the results of the election.  Any member who feels a meeting is necessary at any other time may present their request to the Board along with the agenda items or items they wish to discuss and the Board will determine if a meeting is necessary and/or if a general ballot will need to be sent out to the membership for a vote on any major business item.

The other items discussed at the meeting were an audit of the club books and a By-laws review.

 The Board had already decided a By-laws review was in order and had determined to begin that process after the State Shoot.  At the meeting, we had some people volunteer to be on a committee for this process and after further research in Roberts Rules of Order, we found that committees are to be appointed by the Board, not created by volunteers, as there are several considerations to take into account when creating committees.  Therefore, the Board is soliciting from all members suggestions, with the rationale for the suggestion, for amendments to the By-laws as stated in the By-laws Article XI, item 1.   Suggestions will be reviewed and formatted, then included on the ballot sent to all members in September.  Please send your suggestions to our PO Box 3665, Great Falls, 59403 or get them to one of the Board members. The deadline for submissions is August 1.

The second items, an in-house audit of the treasury records, will be conducted in November, after the shoot year is concluded and the books are updated for the year.  Once again, the volunteer committee has been found to be inappropriately formed and we will entertain suggestions as to who would be qualified to review the records.  Please forward any suggestions to the above noted PO Box or any Board member.

BOARD MEETING:

If you have any comments, inquiries or suggestions, we encourage you to contact any Board member.  The next Board meeting will be June 16, 6:30 p.m., at 3609 Ninth Avenue North, Great Falls and all members are welcomed to attend.  If you cannot attend and would like an item added to the agenda, please contact Jeb Stuart at 868-9737.

ONE FINAL NOTE:

We have been hearing several rumors regarding Board members being paid out of the treasury and other things that undermine the spirit of the Club.  SASS has always been firm about the “Spirit of the Game” and the Sun River Rangers support the idea that Cowboy shooting should be fun, safe and in good spirit.  Any member found to be undermining the spirit of Cowboy shooting by spreading rumors and causing dissension in the club will be subject to removal from the club according to our By-laws, Article IX.  Enough said.

See you at the range,

JEB