Gipson not Bradford asks for more money from ATA to bailout Bradford

Graph this.....

Minutes from the Executive Meeting.

It was Gipson that asked the Executive Committee for more money to bail out the HOF. Must be folks are not donating to build a building owned by Illinois. I would have thought Bradford should have begged.

Gipson had no problem asking that the HOF entry fees be continued.


President Dean recognized Executive Director Gipson who is a Trapshooting Hall of Fame Trustee. He stated that the Hall of Fame construction loan was for $750,000. The Hall of Fame has reduced their investment portfolio in 2017 and 2018 in the amount of $200,000 each year in order to reduce the debt. The current Balance of the loan is $350,000. It’s estimated that the loan balance will be reduced by an additional $125,000 in 2019 from the proceeds of the one dollar added to the U. S. Open and Grand American entry fees plus more additional funds from the Hall of Fame portfolio. The new loan balance will then be approximately $225,000.

 

Looks like at that rate it will be paid off in 2 years, not to bad of time table.

 

This has been a cluster hump, right from the beginning. The bill should have been divided between the idiots that gave the building to the state. No honor no shame, how do we get saddled up with this bunch of a$$ holes? Roger C.

 

Gipson is a Trustee of the THOF. He is asking the ATA EC to EXTORT money from the rank and file membership to pay for something that somebody else owns. I continue to live in amazement at how stupid and gullible people can be.

 

What your EC is doing has a lot in common with OBAMACARE, except with Obamacare at least you got a little something for your money. They'll probably use that money to buy somebody a $19,000.00 shotgun. Has anybody here demanded an accounting? I doubt it.

 

Of course Gipson did. He has the most to lose.

 

The Industry sees the ATA doing this stuff. They know the decisions being made are not in the best interest of trapshooting. That is why the SCTP moved to the CC.

 

And people thought the mob had the rackets cornered!

These guys could give lessons. That could even be another way to "raise" money.

 

If I were a trustee, EC, or Director, I would be truly embarrassed.

This sham is amazing in the fact they are all in cahoots with the State of Illinois, and the ATA Shooters are paying for it without choice.

Remember what happened to the old "Taxation without representation" ?

YES, Shooters were able to vote On their Representatives BUT, where is the representation when it's needed the most ?

I see why there is a slow death in the ATA with this sort of management that is in place today.

 

The EC only needs to keep 26 of the BOD in their pocket to have free rein with the finances and control of the ATA. The members must replace 70% of the existing BOD members to regain control of the organization. If they can not, or will not, do that, then kiss the organization good-by. The death spiral will eventually do the job but then the shooters also loose.
The property aquirement committee will probably buy a swamp down in Fla. that is owned by a friend of a friend and walla there goes the $19,000,000.00 that is in the association. Problem solved. Roger C.

 

The same mismanagement is happening at the UAW

 

There are a lot of shooters tired of the Same Ol' Same Ol ' from the ATA, that is why they are walking away and never looking back ( the attendance records support this, if you need proof ) ... It does not seem right to have a Board member on the HOF and have the same person as the Executive Director being in a position to call many of the so called shots ... Gipson has a gun business at the facility, does shot mining, would be the person getting any and all bids so it would be easy for him to beat the competition, and some how has more power within the organization than the sitting EC or BOD (something fishy here folks) ... Gipson does not appear to be the brightest bulb in the box, but he has manipulated himself into the Power seat ( position) some how ... What does that tell you about the rest of the elected officers of the organization ..? The last few times I drove up to the club, nobody even mentions the ATA any more and there are a bunch of people who used to shoot on a regular basis still shooting, just not registered ...
The Politics in the State of Illinois are getting loose and runny with all of the new rules, laws going into effect as of Jan 1, 2020 , so this may be shorter lived than any one thought in the first place ... Happy New Year everyone, stay well and be safe ... WPT ... (YAC) ...

 

I have a friend who many years back was a Delegate who would speak up at meetings and both give his shooters opinions, and his own openly.

Those are the kinds of Delegates the ATA needs to have any credibility with the shooters who care about the ATA.

Sad to say, I don't see many comments by Delegates in the meeting minutes, so with that said, they must be just sitting there warming their hands, or playing on their phones.

Something is wrong with that picture.

I feel sad for the ATA as it stands today.

I, along with many shooters enjoyED going to the shoots but when you see what is happening to the organization, it sort of makes you wonder ~~~~~~

 

There should be some type of term limits for Delegates.

Ron Burdick

 

Ron,

You were what we needed way back when in NY State.

Your open opinions were valued by the shooters, and yet you got the shaft when you ran for Delegate, and everyone who was involved knows that story.

Same old, same old, doesn't cut it year after year, and one who listens to the shooters, and takes their opinions to the floor, are who the ATA needs to keep the organization going.

 

This is the same shit, different day with any non profit group. Every one bitches about how it is run, but most do not to step in and put in the time to change things. If it is true Gipson submits bids and always has the winning bid, is the bids available to every member to see? To be on the e c and to also bid speeks to his lack of professionalism and honesty. As a serving e c member he should recuse himself from any biding. I don't know why an one is suprised, after all Illinois is home of crocked politicos.

 

Easy there CCIDR......
First welcome to the group!!!!
That said, one reason this forum was created was to educate folks about the issues in the ATA and to promote trapshooting. The ATA is not the sport of trapshooting and a lot of effort from some great people went into this site.

It is true most do not step up. I was one of those not stepping up. I am one of those that thought the other guy would do it. They didn't. But I wasn't there.

I was banned at one place for posting pictures of the Grudge Match and posting pictures of the CC. And now the site.

There are some great ones that were sounding the alarms a long time ago. Many are on this site. Some just put the guns away and quit.

The biggest weapon you have is the education of the membership, assuming something is salvageable.

How does the saying go? Evil triumphs when a few good men stand idle.

CCRIDR....great post.

 

Lynn ( The Talking Head ) Gipson has to know something that no body wants any body to find out about or he has the inside information that would destroy the EC and many on the BOD and their existence ... He is not smart enough to of manipulated himself into the position he is in without having incriminating information which would justify his ridiculous financial compensation in being the ED of the ATA ... I hope we all live long enough to witness the out come when it gets disclosed ... WPT ... (YAC) ...

 

You could shorten that by a little bit if you like. All you have to do is send them a few hundred dollars. I'm sure dill and doe would appreciate it.

Hell, if you "donate" enough money YOU could be inducted.

 

There already is.

It's called, If you make any waves your ass is out of here"

 

Amen..

 

Once upon a time, in a land far far away, before the meeting.

Hey LG, this JB, how's it hangin?

Hey buddy, to what occasion do I owe the honor of this phone call?

Haha, funny you should use the word owe. I need a favor.

And just what that might be?

Well you know that the hall of fame is still not paid for and I was wondering if, maybe, you could ask the big guys if they could see their way clear to try and get the members to come up with more money.

Oh man JB, you know that subject is like the third rail don't you? The fact that the state owns the building is already out and that deal doesn't even LOOK good. In fact it pretty much smells to high heaven.

I know but, geezz we have to do something. We need another couple hundred thousand and I was thinking that maybe...

I appreciate your dilemma pal but if you remember, YOU said you could raise MILLIONS. What happened to that promise.

Hey hey, you know how that works. You say whatever they want to hear at the time and THEN you worry about keeping the promise. I didn't think anyone would remember that let alone dig into what I said and print it for Gods sake.

You don't have to tell me about that. I got my teat caught in the proverbial wringer on the office building. And there was that whole SCTP thing. Man did that go south.

I think you mean East don't you?

Yeah, thanks for reminding me, real funny. Like I won't be reminded of that for the next ten friggin years. I tried everything I could think of and they still said no. I'm still wiping the egg off my face from that screw up.

Well, water over the dam now. With they way that guy in Marengo is building up his place we won't ever get those kids back. But hey, like some of the members say, so what, don't need them. I know you needed them and YOU know you needed them but if some of the members keep saying you don't, well, say something enough times and people start to believe it. Kinda like a lie, you know?

Yeah, sure, easy for you to say. I was counting on all those kids shooting here to pump up the numbers. Now that won't happen and you know how lousy the attendance has been for what? Fourteen years? Boy oh boy, I thought all the members closer to this place would show and make up the difference but we guessed wrong on that one too. You would think that eventually even the biggest Kool-Aid drinkers will have to admit that it isn't the lack of Ohio and Pennsylvania shooters not showing up but that the reason is all those people we thought would come just aren't there. Sure, the four or five biggest cheerleaders live next door to the place but hell, they just joined because it moved to their backyard, and a couple of THEM don't even shoot there. Anyway, I was hoping the place would be the epitome of the Trapshooting sport and make a ton of money.

Hey, the ata has more money now than before and as long as the money is there you look good so don't sweat it.

Oh I'm not sweating it, I just can't help thinking that we screwed the pooch and some of the members, especially the ex members know it and aren't afraid to keep reminding us we did. I try to spin it so we look good every chance I get but it gets old you know what I mean? Then something like the SCTP pull out happens and there ya go, another fiasco. I hate to think what's next. We dinged them for the extra dollar with that fee we called a "donation" and I got to tell you, there were more than a few that didn't like it. Man, the ex members really jumped on that one.

There WAS one guy, from New York I think, that claimed he and his buddies had deep pockets and he would donate ten thousand dollars to us if he had to. That was all bull shit too and he never had any intention of doing it. Hell, he was the guy that forgot where he put his cart and claimed it was stolen so you KNOW he didn't have any money to help us out.

Yeah, well about that. That's the reason I'm calling. I need you to ask the EC to come up with more money. I know, I know, I said I could raise MILLIONS and that was all bullshit too so how about it? Can you ask them to cough up another couple hundred thou or not? Time to earn that bonus bucko.

Why don't YOU ask them?

We already went over that. If I ask for more, what did you guys call it? donations? Then one of those members, or worse an ex member, will jump right in my face and remind everyone that I said I could raise MILLIONS. How would that look?
Me, the guy that said the hall should be where the grand is, begging for a hand out and not delivering on that promise I made.

Look, I'm not asking for a free gun like pipe dreamer is going to get, I'm just asking you to be a stand up ata ED and a hall trustee and try to get the hall more money. The sooner it gets paid for the sooner these nebshit ex members will forget about it.

JB, what planet are you living on? Even when the things gets paid off they are still going to remind you that you don't EVEN OWN THE PLACE. How are you gong to defend that little FACT?

You leave that to me little buddy. Remember what I said about saying something enough times?

Well JB, I can tell you one thing that I AM sure of. You can say whatever you want until you're Blue in the face but there is a certain site that won't EVER let you forget what you promised.

Really? Those guys are still around? I thought that site was supposed to close down in thirty days.

Yeah?, well guess again. Someone would have to have an IQ of around forty four to say something that stupid.
I'm pretty good with juggling numbers myself and I can tell you that from January 2015 to January 2020 is a hell of a lot longer than thirty days.

OK, I'll ask for you but you owe me big time. Maybe the next building deal you are involved in you give me a call first huh? You never know what I might find for you. If you know what I mean.

Thanks LG, I knew I could count on you.

Hey, that's why I get the big bucks.

 

Flyer,

Good one buddy !

Now, somehow my crystal ball says the ATA will either TELL the shooters they will be assessed a buck per event for each Satellite Grand, or donate the money from their account to pay off that "Loan" for the State owned building this year.

Any way you look at it, the ATA shooters will end up paying the tab.

Unfortunately I am a Former ATA member.

The ATA and all their infinite wisdom drove me out with their shenanigans, and I see more and more of their members enjoying local league and recreational shooting instead of for whatever reason "Registering" targets.

I don't believe in wasting my money, and that organizations seems hell bent on doing just that.

 

Aside from whether or not the money is needed....

The Executive Director of the ATA is also an HOF Trustee.

The Executive Director of the ATA asks the ATA take money from the ATA membership and give it to his nonprofit organization. That organization then gives the money to pay for a building owned by the State of Illinois.

I do not hear any of the EC crying foul. And a bunch of you guys were pointing to a certain upstanding VP.

They did not vote themselves into office.

 

I want to know who or what bank gave a loan? Did the ATA lend the money?

 

NOW, This is an interesting question.

I cannot imagine a BANK or lending institution would give up that kind of money knowing that the Trapshooting Hall of Fame would NOT own that building.

Would you give that kind of money to an almost bankrupt State ?

Opps, Thee lending institution just may have been on the ATA Need To Know basis like the rest of us.

 

They have a legit loan from a bank. The information is posted on the site. I am tied up for the day. Maybe someone can find that here in the archives.

 

FG. I remember the post with the bank loan mentioned also. Try the bank in Sparta. I also faintly remember either the ATA had the loan or co signed for it. Roger C.

 

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I got the above info from one of History Buff's posts. EC members, L Gipson, HOF Trustees, etc... are encouraged to verify the above information.

 

Elkhorn Bank is in Nebraska.

 

Bradford is the reason I quit shooting 20 years ago every time I won a meat shoot he tried to give me yardage no stones. I have returned to shooting but no registered.