Martinsville Sportsmans Club

[badapples]

Does anybody know if they are still doing first come first serve this year for their new membership? tried searching this but couldn't find anything.

thanks in advance

 

[cook5oh]

They do every year. People usually start lining up around 5:00pm the night before. You gotta be pretty dedicated to get the membership.

 

[IndianaRog]

As a member of the Board that manages the Martinsville Sportsman's Conservation Club...let me confirm that YES, new memberships will be taken on a first come, first served basis New Year's morning 2015. Gates will open 8 AM and we'll take as many new folks as we have openings. Openings occur when existing members do not renew by Dec. 24th. We have a fixed number of family memberships totaling 500. In years past we have had 20-40 new openings created by non-renewals, all taken within minutes of opening. Check our club website around Dec. 1 for more details about new member application taking process.

We will advise on our website and here on INGO, the number of openings just after Christmas...that way folks can gauge if they want to make the effort to get in line.

As for existing members, we will be mailing renewal letters within the next few days after envelope stuffing tonite...so be looking for them...return BEFORE Dec. 24th or your spot goes to a newbie.

Roger,
VP for the Board

 

[kawtech87]

We have a fixed number of family memberships totaling 500.

I really really wish you guys would go to open membership. I have never understood the limited membership policy. I just don't see how having more people paying to use the facility is a bad thing. We have had this argument in the past but it still makes no sense. I live in Martinsville, I would buy a membership to the club in a heartbeat if there were ever any chance of actually getting a spot. But it seems very few people ever let go of their membership and even fewer people still ever actually use the facilities. I live close enough I can hear the shots when people are out on the range. It is only a few times a week and never sounds like anymore than one or two, and it is probably the same guys every time. My brother lives only a few miles down the road from the entrance and he has said numerous times that he hardly ever sees anyone go in or out. Yet membership stays closed. I don't understand.

So why not open membership up some so those of us who would use it can?

 

[david890]

So why not open membership up some so those of us who would use it can?

I've been a member for several years, and encourage the Board to open up membership a bit. It's a tough call to determine how many members would be ideal: not so many that over-use becomes a problem, but enough so that bills aren't paid and facilities don't sit idle). At this point, I'd suggest an additional 250 LIMITED memberships. They would pay $75/yr vs. $100/yr for a regular, unlimited member, but would have access only on alternate days (i.e., 125 members can come on even days, 125 on odd days).

250 new folks at $75 a pop would be $18K, and I doubt there would be a significant impact on usage by current members.

(I would have come to this month's meeting so there'd be time to discuss, but I'll be busy preparing for an out-of-state trip).

 

[cook5oh]

i must say in defense of the 500 cap, it has definitely weeded out the yayhoos and otherwise undesirables. You gotta be dedicated to be a member there. It's a very nice range anymore.

I'm not calling you a yayhoo or anything else kawtech. You would probably make a good member. But, personally I like the 500 cap for the very reason state above.

 

[DoggyDaddy]

i must say in defense of the 500 cap, it has definitely weeded out the yayhoos and otherwise undesirables. You gotta be dedicated to be a member there. It's a very nice range anymore.

I'm not calling you a yayhoo or anything else kawtech. You would probably make a good member. But, personally I like the 500 cap for the very reason state above.

I basically agree with this. Because it is so difficult to get in, the ones that do tend to be dedicated members and feel like they have a stake in the club. Come on out kawtech! I spent New Years Eve there last year and am glad I did. Had a big propane heater, and I took my little one-burner propane stove, so we had hot grilled Reubens for dinner and hot coffee in the morning.

 

[gregkl]

I'm glad that clubs limit membership. The last thing I want is to be a member of a club that is so busy, it becomes unsafe.

That said, I wish they would just put people on a waiting list. I'd rather wait for three years to get a membership than be outside on New Year's Eve from before 5PM until 8 am only to find out I didn't make the cut. If I knew for sure I would get in, I would consider it.

As you can surmise, I don't camp out for Black Friday deals either.

 

[kawtech87]

. Come on out kawtech! I spent New Years Eve there last year and am glad I did

I would but new years eve is one of the busiest if not the busiest nights of the year for us. I work at Bynum's Steakhouse as a second job and don't normally leave until almost 1am on new year's day. After prepping and cooking dinner for almost 300 people the last thing I want to do is sit in my truck all night waiting in line to MAYBE get a spot.

I would be fine with a limited access membership even alternating weekends if they would just open it up a little so people like me can have a chance to get in.

 

[kawtech87]

not so many that over-use becomes a problem, but enough so that bills aren't paid and facilities don't sit idle..

I'm glad that clubs limit membership. The last thing I want is to be a member of a club that is so busy, it becomes unsafe.

But here in lays the problem. There's hardly ever anyone there right now. Like I said I live close enough to be able to hear the shots when there are people on the range. I only hear it maybe a few times per month. My brother lives a few miles away and hardly ever sees anyone coming or going and doesn't hear shots often either.

It seems the MSCC facilities are a lot like INGO as in there may be 30,000 members but only a handful ever actually post anything. MSCC may have 500 members but I bet there are less than 20 that ever actually use the facilities regularly. It seems to me the rest of the members just keep their membership so no one else can have it.

 

[jspy5]

At this point, I'd suggest an additional 250 LIMITED memberships. They would pay $75/yr vs. $100/yr for a regular, unlimited member, but would have access only on alternate days (i.e., 125 members can come on even days, 125 on odd days).

250 new folks at $75 a pop would be $18K, and I doubt there would be a significant impact on usage by current members.

(I would have come to this month's meeting so there'd be time to discuss, but I'll be busy preparing for an out-of-state trip).[/QUOTE]


I would be interested in something like this myself. I am not interested in jockeying for position with the "hope" of becoming a member.

 

[goldtrigger]

I would love to be a member there.it would be very convenient and worth the price. I would love a limited membership.
But I don't think either will happen.

That said, is anyone aware of alternate places to shoot in the area? Cloverdale is about an hour away as are hoosier hills and Riley.
Do people here just go to Atterbury or private land?

 

[kawtech87]

That said, is anyone aware of alternate places to shoot in the area? Cloverdale is about an hour away as are hoosier hills and Riley.
Do people here just go to Atterbury or private land?

I am lucky enough to have private land available to me. But still a local professional range would be nice every once in a while. Most people I know drive to Atterbury if they want to shoot rifles or one of the few indoor ranges around for handguns.

 

[dieselrealtor]

That said, is anyone aware of alternate places to shoot in the area? Cloverdale is about an hour away as are hoosier hills and Riley.
Do people here just go to Atterbury or private land?

There is the Paragon Conservation Club, it is off 37 S. of Martinsville. From what I hear they have a short range but appear to have a nice pond, I am thinking about joining for the fishing there.

 

[ljk]

this kinda topic comes up every year around this time. their club, their rules.

 

[dieselrealtor]

To answer the question about how busy it is, I frequent it at lunch & late afternoon. It is not uncommon for me to run across 6-10 members at a time on some days, weekends are busier.
Some days I have it to myself but that is not typical.

 

[kawtech87]

There is the Paragon Conservation Club, it is off 37 S. of Martinsville. From what I hear they have a short range but appear to have a nice pond, I am thinking about joining for the fishing there.

Paragon Conservation club's "range" is a rickety park bench set about 50 yards back from a dirt hillside. The pond is pretty though. My fiancé's dad is a member there and he has taken us out there a few times. He says the pond is full of snapping turtles though so you can't really swim in it.

 

[kawtech87]

this kinda topic comes up every year around this time. their club, their rules.

Doesn't mean I can't complain about them.

 

[IndianaRog]

As a board member with the Martinsville Sportsman's Conservation Club (MSCC), I just returned from a board mtg. tonite, Nov. 6th, 2014, where we stuffed 500 envelopes for existing members to renew their memberships for 2015. These envelopes will mail in the next day or two and should be in member's hands by early the week of Nov. 10, 2014.

A few things to note:
1) price for renewing member families remains $100 per year for mom, dad and any kids under the age of 18 within a household
2) renewal form and check must be in our hands by Dec. 24th close of the post office in Martinsville
3) renewals NOT received by Dec. 24th will become openings for newbies on New Year's day...this averages 20-40 memberships each year, but exact number of openings will be posted on our club website just after Christmas so folks can gauge whether to wait in line for a membership New Year's day (gates open 8 am for the number of openings available)
4) new members will pay the $100 annual membership fee and a one time $50 fee for an electronic gate card. If they renew in future years, the gate card fee is not charged as cards are re-usable year to year

An opportunity for those who don't want to wait in line on New Year's day:

• We will auction off 10 family memberships for 2015, on New Year's day at a venue in the Martinsville area (details will be forthcoming on where/time etc.)
• We will donate any auction proceeds above the $150 new member cost to local 4H shooting sports. We are not looking to grow our treasury, but for those who want "in" badly enough, this will be your chance and you will help out a worthy cause in the process.
• Members who gain first year access via the auction route will renew like other members in Nov/Dec. 2015
• Further details will be available at our website around Dec. 1, 2014 and will be posted here on INGO simultaneously

The Board of MSCC appreciates the interest INGO members continue to show in our facility. As a private club we have limited membership to a level that financially supports the club, allows for improvements and yet keeps shooting lanes open virtually every day of the year. We like it like this and the majority of our existing members feel the same way. We have no plans to add more memberships at this time beyond the 10 auctioned off ones noted above.

Roger,
VP for the Board

 

[wtburnette]

Look forward to hearing more about the number of openings and also where the memberships will be auctioned off. I'd love to get a membership, though I'm not certain I'm up for waiting in line on New Year's Eve. Guess we'll have to see. If there are 30+ openings it might be worth the effort.