Vote---Will we need a membership fees increase?

With the probability / possibility that Sparta will be closed should the ATA raise memberhip fees including an additional fee on lifetime members?

 

Why not? We need to move again.

 

The timing would be bad to raise the dues, make new shells mandatory again, increase RV camping prices, no matter what happens with the WSRC ... The ATA has a lease and an agreement that the State gets $3.00 per entry, if they raise that you will hear chirping like you never heard and more people will stay away ... You cannot raise the dues enough to matter or make up the difference ... WPT ... (YAC) ...

 

If .... there are 3000 shooters that shoot 10 events at the Grand on average .... times the 3 bucks per-event, per-shooter, that is $90,000.00 .... and they have a 1.2 million dollar per-year hole to fill based on ALL the current shooting there ....

So if .... these 3000 people would pay 40 dollars more per-event, making it 43 dollars per-event, it could be revenue neutral.

You could go to 50 dollars per-shooter, per-event, to be 'safe' .... with the number of shooters going down each year.

If you really wanted it to stay for a long time make it 75 dollars per-event, and it would show the 'profit' they were told it would make, and maybe do some needed maintenance.

Now at an additional 750 dollars per-year, per-person on average, it would be cheap for the one person lucky enough to live in Sparta, and does not spend more than that in travel-expense .... but I am not sure about the other 2999.

 

No I think all the Illinois shooters should have to pay a relocation fee every time they shoot at the WRSC like the Ohio shooters did for 7 or 8 years before a move to a another location.

 

So out of state shooters didn't have to pay those fees?

 

We paid them in Arizona, no body knows for sure what happened to them ... WPT ... (YAC) ...

 

Thanks for your answer WPT, We paid them also so I guess it's not a one state did it all kinda thing.

 

As I recall all shooters shooting the Grand targets paid this relocation fee for a number of years prior to the Grand moving. At one point I believe the amount collected by the ATA was posted in their financial statement, but it was so long ago I could be mistaken

 

we paid it at our state shoot and at the grand on all events

 

Send the bill to all the corrupts that led us here.

 

A membership, or Life Membership may not be needed, a membership in a defunct Sport. Sort of like a Graveyard Memorial, only this one can be kept in your wallet,

But I hope not

Gary Bryant Dr.longshot

 

The ATA can continue on just on the income from the fees collected by all of the clubs at the shoots ... They obviously would have to cut all of the pork out of the budgets and probably eliminate some of the office help ... The yearly income off of the shoots is the main stay of the ATA any way so that would not change ... The Grand does not support the existance of the ATA and the office personel ... Hell, it can't support itself let alone cover the cost of operations for the ATA ... All is not lost yet or should we say again, yet ... WPT ... (YAC) ...

 

It is a sport I enjoy.
I am OK with having to pay to play.

I believe we should all pay what we owe.

 

WPT,
Your statement of the Grand can't support itself seems misinformed.

From the current ATA minutes lines 252 and 253

Net income from the Grand American was $334,985 in 2014 as compared to $185,690 in 2013.

 

If just half of what I'm reading here in this Forum has any Truth to it? And after seeing the attendance today at the Ohio State Shoot. I would have come to the "Opinion" that the ATA is doing just Fine the way things are at this point in time. Hey" If it ain't broke, Don't try Fixin it " !! JMO

 

Have not seen or read the current minutes, but also have not seen the current budget for the ATA, if the numbers posted by (theloudone) are greater than, I stand corrected ... We used to get the P&L's and budget reports, haven't seen them in a long time .... If by chance there is one available please let me know where so I can take a peek ... Thanks for posting ... WPT ... (YAC) ...

 

The grand masters of the ATA gave $250,000 to the Hall of Fame poobas to do what poobas do. It was a good investment.

Now us little people probably have to pay for that. And the grand master receives a nice gun. We pay for that t00. Did we mention relocation expenses? Rebuilding expenses? Divvy up.

 

HOF Poobas? They used to be ATA Poobas I think. The Poobas trade jobs and give each other $$$$$.

 

The way a lot of the feeling towards the ATA fee increase would probably result in a decline in membership and daily fees. This is based on the prior dues increase and the uproar it created. The ATA does not require a dues increase for daily operations as shooter daily fees are adequate for this. The operation at the WSC (Sparta) however is another thing, but as pointed out previously any shooter fee increase at Sparta could result in a decrease os shooter participation

 

What was the total cost of the ATA to move to Sparta?

The land was not purchased, the traps were, offices are off site, correct?

We just need to find some sucker, I mean donor with 5-6 sections of land to foot all the bills and enter into a non binding lease like last time. Better yet, get a lease for a dollar year for 99 years..

The sun will come up tomorrow, tomorrow,.....

 

20,000 members.

 

Probably members we do not need anyway, apparently not committed to the sport.

 

Especially the ones who may have been capable of doing a little of their own thinking

 

I would like for you to explain a FEE INCREASE to the PITA who is operating very well Financially. Actually if the SPARTA SITE FAILS they may reduce some of their fees to their members.

The PITA , MAY BE THE NEW ATA HERE IN THE EASTERN UNITED STATES!!!

Gary Bryant Dr.longshot

 

I wouldn't say the members who left when the ATA moved to Sparta were non-committed to some as they got older the drive was too far, too long. Some of the shooters still shoot ATA but donot attend the Grand anymore.
Myself do to age and the distance have only attended the Grand 4 times since the move to Sparta. The Grand when in Vandalia was a 7hr drive now I look at very close to 15hrs. I still shoot but not as much, less due to age and medical problems.

 

There were many members/shooters who proclaimed that those who do not show up in Sparta will not be needed or missed which proved to be as false as Dolly Parton's TaTa's ... The facts are, they need any and every shooter, member, and more to make the place pay off and keep it operational ... The shooters who stayed away and did not support it made them pay with their wallets just like they said they would ... The attendance dropping off is not something that could possibly impress anyone ... WPT ... (YAC) ...

 

Increase my a$$, how about a senior discount?

 

You bet. Screw em!

Why in the world would the ATA want anymore than 1600 " committed" trapshooters to shoot the

GRAND AMERICAN HANDICAP

That is plenty. Anymore than that and it would be just overwhelming.

Underwhelming is so much better.

Flyersarebest

 

Lynn Gipson said they 'just got things headed in a fantastic direction."

Was he the Captain of a ship in any of his previous lives? I was thinking the ship Valdez or Titanic.

 

More membership fees would help pay for the HOF.

 

you gotta be kidding...........right?

 

The ATA will operate as usual until the 10+ million is gone then the grand poopa will bankrupt it. Nothing will change as long as the till is open. It's a shame on all that brought this on and their names will forever be linked to the shame. Roger C.

 

With the accusation of co-mingling charity and non charity funds the need to raise the user fees may become an issue.

 

I guarantee that if the fees go up the ATA will lose 4 more members.

 

If those two funds are co-mingled they are going to need more than a fee increase. A good attorney may be in the need column. Roger C.

 

The ATA, IDNR, WSRC, ASTA, cannot raise the dues enough to matter so any raise at all will be a "death warrant" to any and all organization who might attempt to do so ... Life Members are and have been locked so trying to impose additional fees on them based on past practice would certainly be against any and all rules ... The ATA is in trouble and its a situation they caused, not the members so to impose any increases in fees etc for the mistakes they them self have made would not be realistic or justified in any way ... The ATA put it self in a death spiral long before the move to Illinois which only made it worse and compounded an existing problem even more based on the attendance since doing so ... People talked about the days gone by and sleeping in tents, peeing in the bushes, like those before us did to attend the grand when Vandalia first was getting established ... Those days are long gone and even trap shooters have evolved beyond doing that to attend ... There was no infrastructure in and around Sparta then ( or now for that matter) but a lot of people compared it to Vandalia saying there was none in Ohio at that (when the grand situated in Ohio) time either, but 10 years from now no body will recognize the place with everything built up all around it ... Sparta is still the same but with a Holiday Inn that is not even breaking even much like the WSRC itself ... Business's do not survive being operational 2 weeks of the year or even 125 out of 365 days like the schedules shows for the WSRC ... I hope the WSRC and State of Illinois open and is operational for the grand in 2016, got a feeling not enough people will show up to make it worth anyone's while ... Put a fork in it, its done either way ... WPT ... (YAC) ...