Carson Woods is a name for ATA members to remember

The ATA Marketing Guy
This is the guy that caused the Loss of Budweiser, Sausage Guy, raised spot rentals and wanted a %Percentage of profits, he was Forrest Woods Son, of ATA President. trying to keep iot in the family, Good Ole Boys Club, N1H1 should remeber him.

GB...................................DLS

 

N1H1: Any comments on this?

GB.........................DLS

 

Forrest was Carson's grandpa.

 

Started around the year I joined ATA (74), when they gave the Cafeteria operations to KFC.
I heard from shooters how good the food was in previous years.
Just the beginning.


Regards….Gerald

 

A couple of things that come to me from the past are for 1 ( the Illinois shooters would more than make up for the Ohio shooters who stated that they wouldn't go to the Grand there.) Last week there were more Ohio shooters at the Cardinal, bad weather and all than there were Illinois shooters at the Grand with pretty good weather. What happened?

Also back in the day there was a Jeep, another year there was an Oldsmobile, and there was the Loctite corp there with sponsorship and tons of sample products for the shooters to try and all of these were lost. Maybe about the same way that the Bud money left trapshooting? I don't remember the exact years. Maybe someone can supply the years that these sponsors were involved?

Dave Berlet

 

I remember the Loctite free samples! They were passing em out by the box from a trailer next to the beer tent. LOL Those samples kept me in Loctite for a couple of years. Ever since then if I need adhesive I make sure it is Loctite brand.

 

Vendor row at Sparta was very small compared to the first few years. If a vendor can not make any money, then he finds other place to vend. The low turn out of buyers is a real problem. At Vandalia many shooters that were not ATA members came and stocked up on supplies for the year, bought cloths, guns and every thing that they wanted, maybe even needed. The location at Sparta moved away from those buyers, and the trip to Sparta adds to much to the costs. A lot of things are hurting the Sparta move besides shooters not wanting to make the trip.
If the expenses are to high for the vendors and the buyers, that is a major problem for the location. Roger C.

 

The EC did not learn from the mistakes of years ago, many are being repeated. Happy customers spend money. Unhappy customers stay home.
Mr. Woods only pushed the vendors and donors, the EC seems to have pushed all plus, customers. Not a good business plan. Roger C.

 

Location, Location, Location, if that fails " Location" ... WPT ... (YAC) ...

 

The ATA started the self-inflicted slow death around two decades ago ......

Read this a few times ..... "In July of 1998, the ATA announced in a press release its intention to search for a new site due to various reasons which included the proposed growth of the ATA and to provide other services to users of the trap fields."

Looking at now, a couple of decades later, "various reasons" could have been some looking to profit from this "intention" ...... That could have been part of a "business plan" not known to many, and never questioned by the blind trust of the membership .....

Any new "business plan" needs to consider that many here would have to live to be in their 90's, or even past 100, to "wait and see" what may "just happen" in the next couple of decades .....

There is very much to be learned from the past ...... but any NEW "business plan" needs to start progress now, along with talking about the lessons learned from the past, or many will never be able to contribute to making anything better for those after us ......

 

The only way to reach the PRESENT ATA is withold your money from them by not shooting ATA Targets or going to any ATA events. MONEY TALKS, I am a Life Member and I WANT the ATA to do a TURNAROUND 180 degrees, do what works, what the SHOOTERS want, COMPETETIVE TARGETS is the FIRST THING, we do not need 30 yards yet, ALL averages will drop to a really competetive level, the everyday shooters will earn more money, the top dogs will lose some of their pickings, the ATA has been geared to them top shooters, not the backbone everyday member support, which far and away exceed top dogs in numbers, did you see how many 27 yard shooters there are now compared to the 1980s? 46 yard, 30 degree angles, massive 2 yard reductions, not once but twice, what did that achieve? I love the competetive targets our trapshooting forefathers shot, i felt good breaking a good score on them. Do awaym with all HI GUN PURSES, the TOP dogs PREY on them, it is their MEAT & POTATOES. this alone is enough for you to DIGEST ON.

Gary Bryant..............................Dr.longshot

 

Ironically the EC and BOD who voted for and promoted the move to Illinois blame the members for not showing up and taking advantage of such a wonderful facility, even though it did not and could not pass the "Due Diligence" standards that were set prior to making the move ... Then page two : Revert to build it and they will come, which we all know did not happen with the exception of those who would attend if it was held in Afghanistan for the sake of a big pay off ... The EC and many on the BOD have showed time and again how little they care about the progressive membership as opposed to their own gains ... The business plan for the past 20 plus years is to build a monument to them selves at all cost and the hell with the members ... The stupidity of their actions has come full circle and bit them in their ass'es even thought the still reap the benefits created by them for the position they hold at the members expense ... WPT ... (YAC) ...

 

I agreed with that 10 years ago, but not now ..... There seems to be no bottom point for the ATA to change direction .....

The leaders of the ATA looked at the tens of thousands of people who "withheld their money by not shooting ATA targets", as nothing more than trouble-makers who would soon change their mind and return to business as usual .....

After seeing a dozen or so years of "withholding money" does NOTHING but deprive the shooter from enjoying that part of the sport, I am more than ready to throw in the towel and try something different ..... If something different is ONLY to be found in OTHER Clay Target Sports, so be it ..... Enough of this insanity trying to fight an Organization that has no intention of the bottom being anything less than the end ......

 

Carson Woods pushed the Sausage Guy Out, Pushed Budweiser Out, ATA had one hell of a time getting BUDWEISER BACK ,Demanded Vendors Buy Building to sell their products, then Allowed Tent Vendors.

GB...............................DLS

 

Move the Grand to Tucson and have the Shoot the First of November instead of the Autumn Grand.

 

SES, You better ask Tucson first. If the ATA wanted to front the expansion costs they may agree. Roger C.

 

User 1 -- N1H1 should provide us with a chart about this, he was there at that time. I think it was in 98 or 99 that that powers that be removed the $50 purse from the handicaps at the grand too. That group of delegates about that time really dropped the ball.

The westerners thought they'd all get rich on the backs of the easterners who attended the grand. You can see that in the 98 info BS they spouted and I saw it personally. I shot most of all the western shoots out there then that were worth attending. They really believed that the reason the east had more shooters was because the grand was in Ohio. If they could just get that grand away from Ohio they'd show those Ohioans and Pennsylvanians. Of course a lot of them lost there asses in the stock market DOT COM in 98 too but hey they showed us, didn't they?

I share your frustration, I've been at it for about 20 years since 1996 or 97 when I first learned of Bradford's push for his go west dream. I won't though throw in the towel. I will boycott ATA trap, still help the SCTP kids when they want and talk about trap shooting on here and any chance do get in some digs I'll do it. I OWE them as much.

As far as sporting clays go for it. I owned a sporting clays course for 10 years and enjoyed it but I missed the Really Big trap shoots like the grand, but once the grand downsized to Sparta it made quitting a lot easier. I'm lucky because I like to hunt and I've been running Thorn Bottom for 23 years and I know it ain't moving.

Brad

 

I feel I owe the next generation of Trapshooters as much hard work as those who put in hard work before me .....

Having said that, I feel "saving the ATA" is well beyond any actions that are currently available ..... Voting once a year to just wait many more years to see if anything changes is pure insanity .....

I am more than willing to put my time and effort into something new and hopefully better, and put the pipe-dream of "changing the ATA" away .....

The mental midgets couldn't have it any more wrong than what they proclaim ..... It IS NOT a bunch of no talent Trapshooters pissed at the ATA, it is those who took the time and money away from work and family to pursue more than participation ribbons .....

 

User 1, The ATA can not be changed, it can only be disbanded. If another organization ever gets started that is member friendly and not used as a piggy bank for the volunteer officers. It will prevail over the existing one we now have. But it had better be done before all of the old timers are gone or it will not be the same as it once was. Member orientated not EC play ground with 50 beenie babies to ok their poor wishes
They would need a viable business plan that all of the founding members would vote on, and have a sensible way of making changes to the charter. It can be done if enough shooter are up to it. Roger C.

 

I agree, it can ...... Some critique the ATA for not using modern communication avenues currently available ...... The same communication avenues are available to those interested in "starting something new" .....

I also believe there is way too much "wisdom" available to just sit back and wait for it to die off .....

Time IS TICKING for ALL of US ..... And SHAME on US if we let it expire .....

 

Very true statement. Bud Decot was a huge draw as non Grand shooters would come just to get their free annual tune up on their Hy-Wyds and pick up a few samples of Loctite and maybe some Shooter's Choice.

 

I'm very good friends with a certain high end gun vendor that has a building there. To say they are not too pleased with the
sales there, is an UNDER STATEMENT.

About the Decots, I go to two eye doctors in the Vandalia area. They still today carry those glasses. One doctor's dad was a Winchester shooting pro. I can tell you first hand, that the people in Vandalia and other towns, such as Troy, Tipp city and my town, West Milton, really miss the Grand. Generations of family's have shot there or worked as score keepers.
Just a few weeks ago, I talked to a silver haired elderly lady who as a young girl, pulled and marked scores at the Grand.
She told me she mostly worked the last traps and got really nervous when she had to pull when someone was 75 straight. She knew how bad they wanted that last 25. She said ''I worked so hard to give them the best pull I could''.

 

Surprised Ranger Bass Boats was not brought in!

 

Why bring in the bass boats? Please elaborate? Roger C.

 

Maybe a different Forrest Wood that is mentioned above as Carson's Grandpa. This one was the founder of Ranger Fishing Boats. First one that came to mind when I read it. I noticed that this one is not plural however. Probably not a in line sponsor to the shooting sports, unless they are fishing the ponds on the WSRC grounds.

 

I do not believe this is the

 

I do not believe this is the same" FORREST WOODS " That had anything to do with Trapshooting.

I am familiar w/Ranger Boats.

GB..........................................DLS

 

Carson Woods Screwed everything he touched up, Fired from WSSC, ATA, just a few, caused the ATA to loose The SAUSAGE GUY, The BUDWEISER TENT& their Support Money to the ATA, it TOOK years before ATA got BUDWEISER BACK.

GB.........................................DLS