Writing a booklet for Probationary Members. What to add...?

[Chapuis]

I think your 3 week cooling off period is possibly too long and discouraging prospective new members. I take it that probationary members are not paying their fees up front then? They do with our club and we have not problem gaining new members in fact we have to operate a waiting list.

Our club operates a system of one week "cooling off" period, surely your local force can get back to you within one week if there is a possible problem with a person applying for probationary membership. All communication is done by email.

[M99]

In practice we're seeing 3 to 4 new faces every wednesday night at my club, most will complete 6 visits (at which point if competent they're cleared to attend the range on other nights - thus freeing up wednesday night). Somewhere around 50% will complete the 12 visits, and of that lot I'd say something like 10% ultimately will become full members

Something must be going wrong somewhere?

I have just done our figures for year ending 2015 - our uptake from probationer to full member was 100%

[Chapuis]

In practice we're seeing 3 to 4 new faces every wednesday night at my club, most will complete 6 visits (at which point if competent they're cleared to attend the range on other nights - thus freeing up wednesday night). Somewhere around 50% will complete the 12 visits, and of that lot I'd say something like 10% ultimately will become full members

Something must be going wrong somewhere?

I have just done our figures for year ending 2015 - our uptake from probationer to full member was 100%

Same with our club, quite a rarity for anyone to drop out.

[ovenpaa]

TG, A bit off topic however... I have just had a suppressor come in that needs to be scrapped, if I can section it successfully would a portion be of use for demonstrating its operation to your new shooters?

[Charlotte the flyer]

I agree that safety should be nearer to the front of the doc, you could also mention that all questions are valid and that it's better to ask what you think is a stupid question than to keep quiet.

You could add a bit about stance / position / breathing etc

There's a diagnostic target which tells you where you're going wrong, you could find one of those and put it into the document. I did a quick google but I could only find pistol ones, I don't know if they are different to rifle ones, I suspect that they are. Does anybody have an example that you could share?

[Mezzer]

Add Accidents and first aid arrangements to section 4.
Remove Section 4 (D) Firearms handling safety and give it a section on it's own. The subject is so important it deserves it.

Regards ... Mezzer

[Countryman]

I have just written ours in line with our NRA affiliation.

Can I save you a lot of time?

[TattooedGun]

TG, A bit off topic however... I have just had a suppressor come in that needs to be scrapped, if I can section it successfully would a portion be of use for demonstrating its operation to your new shooters?

Ooh, yeah that'd be great as a display tool!! Let me know how you get on with sectioning it! :)

[TattooedGun]

I have just written ours in line with our NRA affiliation.

Can I save you a lot of time?

Ours is an NSRA insured club with an NRA affiliation to shoot fullbore at other ranges, so the document is quite tailored around what's viable on our club "range" - but I'd certainly like to take a look if possible :)

Add Accidents and first aid arrangements to section 4.
Remove Section 4 (D) Firearms handling safety and give it a section on it's own. The subject is so important it deserves it.

Regards ... Mezzer

First aid procedure would be good, I'll look into it. also Accidents. I'm not sure if theres a procedure in place at the moment, although I know theres a first aid kit. Perhaps need to look into the who's and how's that it's supposed to be done.

I started with handling in it's own section. Agreed it needs to move forward in the table though.

If anyone would like to cast an eye over the document I've put together, drop me a PM and I can send it over (rather not make it public, at least until it's finished - then I'll add it to the website).

All wording so far has been done by me and not yet read through and edited by anyone else in the club, so might need some sections re-written or changed completely based on current information I don't have to hand.

TG

[TattooedGun]

I agree that safety should be nearer to the front of the doc, you could also mention that all questions are valid and that it's better to ask what you think is a stupid question than to keep quiet.

Have you read my document... that statement is there almost word for word :)

You could add a bit about stance / position / breathing etc

There's a diagnostic target which tells you where you're going wrong, you could find one of those and put it into the document. I did a quick google but I could only find pistol ones, I don't know if they are different to rifle ones, I suspect that they are. Does anybody have an example that you could share?

I've touched on some of this within the sights section. Basically because I don't want anyone shooting the range outside of the target area, including probationers, because they are unfamiliar with the sights.

I think some of this comes with coaching to shoot and is a little past the probationer level.

Get them safe, get them hooked, teach em how to shoot.

I think of it a little like learning to drive a car. You learn the theory (rules and safety precautions), you take a test (prove you understand the rules and precautions and show you can work the machinery), then you learn to "drive" properly when out on the road after you pass the test. Of course with proficient full members giving 1 to 1 coaching to all probationers - some of the information on how to shoot accurately and body positions etc will come across, but I've found for shooting certain disciplines it takes far, far longer to learn all the intricacies of shooting accurately.

I've been at it seriously for almost 6 years, and I still haven't got the hang of small-bore TR... I'm still learning more and more...