Observations at the NMLRA fall championships

[rcbelding]

When the NMLRA was formed, I believe in the '30s, they COULD have included cartridge guns, they COULD have included archers, atlatl throwers, and a slew of other 'primitive' groups. They didn't, they concentrated on muzzle loaders. It seems to me that the present BOD has lost this focus and with the bad economy, now only the core members of the NMLRA are hanging in but with the overhead of expenses of years of lost focus, this isn't enough. So, to this frankly uninformed person about the business side of the NMLRA, its time to cut expenses, retrench and hunker down until the economy improves. Fancy websites, tweetle groups or whatever are neither the problem nor the solution.

Just my 2 cents.

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Flintlock, black powder and round balls - Life is Sweet

 

[rcbelding]

I usually don't 'come back in' when I've left, but this is an important safety issue to all muzzle loaders.

1. There is a certain statistical probability (Very Low) that this chair I am sitting on now will suddenly disassociate its atoms throughout the universe. There is an almost equally low chance that, immediately after discharging my traditional gun firing black powder (which act shows that the vent-breech-barrel 'system' is clear) blowing down the barrel will result in harm to me.

2. I agree that forbidding blowing down the barrel is at heart a liability insurance problem, and that it is the organization's responsibility to look out for insurance risks.

3. If this issue were confined to the NMLRA, I would just leave and shut up. My problem is that I think that this cancer of forbidding blowing down the barrel may be spreading to other groups, and I believe that this is bad and should be prevented.

4. I believe that there is an inherent risk to shooting - premature 'cook offs' after loading black powder, that is directly and effectively addressed by blowing down the barrel, and that the NMLRA has not replaced this solution, thereby increasing the risks of harm to members. Using a rubber length of tubing is PARTIALLY equivalent to directly blowing down the barrel, but I don't believe that the relatively subtle changes of early obstruction due to powder gunk can be picked up that way - It is NOT the equivalent of directly blowing, and since when is 'good enough' sufficient to satisfy us about important safety issues??

5. I agree that blowing down the barrel 'looks bad' to liability insurance lawyers and maybe to inexperienced and untrained children. 'Paulvallandigham' on page 3 in the LONG discussion on blowing down the barrel at the top of the 'General Muzzleloading' forum has their shooters cleaning guns with wet patches in front of children during demonstrations. I like that, but to entirely forbid the practice has unthinkingly INCREASED the risks of harm to all NMLRA members during matches.

6. Finally, I'm not a lawyer, but by acknowledging that there is a risk of premature 'cook offs' but not successfully coping with that risk, I feel that the NMLRA has vastly increased the amount of money that they will be sued for by injured persons, and that they will lose.

I believe that those of us using black powder who blow down the barrel immediately after discharge are actually MORE concerned about safety than the average shooter. If I am significantly wrong on any of the above points I am honestly interested in being corrected.
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Flint lock, round balls, and black powder - Life is Sweet.

 

[Claude Mathis]

If I am significantly wrong on any of the above points I am honestly interested in being corrected.

Nobody has commented on this in over two weeks. It appears that others were content to let it go.

Even if someone "corrects" you, I assume you will counter that with more? :wink:

 

[loki04]

Sir,

To start, I am not currently, nor have I been a member of the NMLRA.

I am not currently a member of the organization for several reasons;
1. The organization is somewhat strongly perceived to be an organization with its focus in Indiana. I live 14 hours away, and have no desire to support an organization that is to far away to help me.
2. The monthly rag is stale. It contains either match results or articles that rehash the last 40 years of articles.
3. I see an organization that is old. The average age of the members is quite high, with relatively few of my peers involved, and there is relatively little chance to change either the membership or the organization.
4. Timing. The events seem to be mostly during the school year. While I can afford to take a week off of classes to attend a conference, I cannot do so for friendship.

These are the major reasons that I have not joined the NMLRA.

Since I dislike complaining about offering some solutions, here are a few that might help.
1. I understand that the organization is a non-profit. The BOD still needs to determine and implement a business model that will allow it to break even and to sell a product (membership, friendship, etc.) Members want to know what they are getting for their money, so tell them... in very fine detail, and in a manner that they can understand; to the level of 'here is why we charge X for a single day pass for friendship..'
2. Move the organization to a more nationally focused organization. Just as importantly, you have got to change the perception that the organization is focused on Indiana, and will remain focused there. Possible ways to do this would be to separate the funding for the winter shoot from the general fund. Be very visible about plowing that money back into the winter shoot. (The BOD may already be doing this, but it is not visible)
3. The internet. Yes you have a website. The organization is not effectively using it to foster new membership. Give members an incentive to going there, and give non-members a reason to join. This website could be an example of how to organize things. (volunteer mods, a spot for members to sell items, etc.) Youtube channels would help, as would more articles and videos on the website
4. Update the magazine so that it is more appealing to members, especially to members that are too far away to come to friendship. Offer an online version (which is intrinsically more appealing than a print copy to the younger generations) Get more membership buy in in terms of direction and member-based articles.
5. Timing. The organization has set up the timing in a fashion that appeals to retired folk with nothing else to do. Pay attention to the fact that the age groups you need to reach cannot attend events during the work day. Ergo, schedule more events on the weekends, and be prepared to work around the limitations that younger generations have to deal with (the work week, the academic year, and the public school year)
6. Communication. the way that the organization is currently arranged, it does not appear to be open to communication or to new ideas. Most likely the BOD is receiving emails/phone calls/snail mail from members that want to communicate ideas. Change the current impression by responding to your members and thanking them for trying to help the organization.
7. Involvement. Make public changes to respect the members of the organization, such as moving the steering meeting from 7:30 pm on closing night to up front and center. Meetings like that are important, so bill them as such and give them appropriate time slots.
8. Incentives. Get some incentives for members. Discounts at stores would be great, but you also need to figure out what sort of value added options are feasible. (esp. ones that do not cost the organization anything)
9. Time is Money. You cannot change the past capital investments, so use them. Leverage the friendship campground into a money maker by finding ways to use it year round (RV park, other rondys, any conference that will pay to use the facilities.) Avoid letting your facilities sit idle for any longer than you have to.

I am not trying to imply that the current BOD is either incompetent or unwilling to change, so my apologies if these points are either already being done or have been considered or discarded.

I would strongly suggest bringing in either staff with business and marketing experience or consultants with similar knowledge. The best/easiest way to do this would be to ask some members with the requisite business experience to do a consult. Another way to handle it would be to approach some of the business professors in local colleges and ask for help. Business professors are typically thrilled to have real world examples of an organization and the challenges that they face, and are more than happy to help look for solutions.

I hope that this helps.

Regards,
Loki

 

[rcbelding]

This thread was begun as a request for constructive criticism of the NMLRA by Tecum-Tha. It has at least one member of the BOD, dixie. I have only a little more to add, and then I quit.

Years ago, I went to Friendship when I was proud to be a member of the NMLRA, I have now rejoined the NMLRA for a year because it appears that the NMLRA is in big trouble, AND I have a constructive criticism to make - The NMLRA made a BIG mistake when it arbitrarily banned blowing down the barrel.

Teddy Roosevelt once said that every organization, no matter how worthy, always has a small but loud lunatic fringe. Consider me in that category if you wish, say 1% of the total members; that's 300 people who quit years ago because of the ban, right off the bat. These are hardcore traditionalists, like me, who would otherwise stick with the NMLRA to the end. (Shoot, at one time I considered getting a Life Membership.) Since the initial ban, more people have quit over the years, and many more didn't consider joining the NMLRA because of the bad publicity resulting from this arbitrary and untraditional stance. To get an over-all drop of 12,000 members, if even 1% of these left because of this issue, wouldn't it be better to have an additional 500 or 1,000 hard core members now, since the loss was totally unnecessary?

Blowing down the barrel is not a mindless ritual. You watch the smoke coming from the vent or touch hole, it should blossom and disappear. if it doesn't, or if it crackles, hisses and pops, then you know you have a problem. If you get no smoke, you have an obstruction and, again, you have a problem. A rubber tube cannot, I believe, equal the sensitivity of directly blowing down the barrel

This ban on blowing down the barrel is personal. A year ago, I moved to a new town. After years of not belonging to an organized club, I joined an NMLRA-affiliated club. To support the club, I chose to shoot in a match, not because I thought I would win, I know better, but just to support the club. I fired my flinter once, automatically immediately blew down the barrel and was startled by a bellowed, "Never do that again!' command. I was flustered but reloaded - and the rifle refused to fire. The vent had been completely plugged after firing the last shot by threads of unburnt patching. I never leave anything in the bore after cleaning except a little oil. I don't know how the patching remained in the breech. I just know that now I had the danger and hassle of pulling a load that I think was completely avoidable if I had been permitted to blow down the barrel and discover the obstruction, AND this obstruction consisted of fuse-like lengths of cloth just waiting to smolder away and ignite the next load of powder.

There are 2 basic reasons to forbid blowing down the barrel, one of these was repeated, Claude, by you recently. This one is - Kids may copy the bad practice and hurt themselves. Teddy Kennedy used to say in support of gun control laws that if even one life was saved, it would justify the law. Then he killed a woman in drunk driving. I never saw him leading a crusade to prevent deaths from drunk driving. This sort of an argument is merely an appeal to emotions, not reason. 'Paulvallandigham', in the long discussion of blowing down the barrel in another part of this forum recommended that, if giving a demonstration to an audience, they never blew down the barrel but used wet patches instead. I support this practice because it directly addresses the problem of poorly educated youngsters. But don't throw the baby out with the bath water by arbitrarily banning the whole thing! I have also read it asserted that someone may blow down the barrel of a double barrel firearm. This is so shudderingly unsafe that even I would have no objection to banning blowing down the barrle of a multi-barrel firearm. But shooting is inherently dangerous, you can't ensure 100% safety and Darwin Awards will be awarded to unfortunates for as long as we continue the practice of shooting.

BOD members - How about a compromise?

"Although very much discouraged, at traditional matches using single barrel firearms with black powder and patched balls, blowing down the barrel will be allowed if done immediately after discharge, on recovery from recoil' ?

Please carefully consider modifying this rule.
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Flintlock, round balls, and black powder - Life is Sweet