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Autumnlovr
06-03-2004, 05:51 AM
Detroit Sportsman's Congress is holding an Open House/Art Fair this Saturday, June 5th, from 9am to 4pm. If you're looking for a shooting club to join, come out and see what they have to offer. DSC is located on Dequindre between Hamlin and 23 Mile Road (about 22 Mile). It covers 67 acres and has Archery, Rifle, Pistol, Sporting Clays, Trap and Skeet fields. They also have a 131 acre campground out near Oxford. The campground features include a baseball field, playground, basketball court, miniature golf center, horseshoe pits, 40 acres of dirt bike and snowmobile trails, boats, and seasonal fishing derbies.
I'll be there all day staffing the Women of Aim table (unless I'm out on one of the ranges showing that they're women/wife-friendly), so stop by and say "Hello".
For more info, you can visit their website @
http://www.d-s-c.org/

G22
06-03-2004, 09:12 AM
Can you carry there?
Or is it like Double Action (CEZ)?

Roz
06-03-2004, 10:52 AM
It would be nice if they responded to inquiries to joining. I don't think I'll waste my time by showing up there.

G22
06-03-2004, 11:44 AM
Roz, did they not respond at all to your inquiry?

I was thinking about going and possibly joining.

But for $158 + $53 (administration fee) I would need more info.

And I dont know about this...


With a minimum of volunteer work hours from 20 to 75 depending on the venues

Do they actually want you to volunteer 20-75 hours of your life AND pay for membership!!?

Well...At my going rate, they would owe me lots of money for those kind of hours.

All I want to do is pay my membership, go shoot, & go home.
If I wanted to volunteer, I would. Not because of a maditory minimum of volunteer hours tacked on to the membership fee.

Back in the day, my friend & i used to go there to shoot trap & skeet. Probably a couple of times a month. One day we show up there & are told that we cannot shoot anymore unless we are paid members.
That left a bad taste & we have never gone back.
Now we go to Riverbends, pay our $5 and shoot as long as we like. Throw your own of course.

If I decide to go I will stop by and say hi Lauren. :)

Roger Roney
06-03-2004, 01:09 PM
Kevin,

I suggest you go and check it out, or at least "talk" to a knowledgable member like Autumnlovr, before making a final decision.

I am not a member, but some friends are, and it seems a couple of them have been there since the club was formed in 1937. :D :D

From what I understand, the hours are fairly easy to obtain. There is the option of paying some $400+? per year and no volunteer hours.

Roz,

It is unfortunate that no one replied to you, but they are an all volunteer operation, and maybe it got misplaced. Give 'em a chance and try again?

Roger

G22
06-03-2004, 01:48 PM
Roger wrote


Kevin,

I suggest you go and check it out, or at least "talk" to a knowledgable member like Autumnlovr, before making a final decision.

I am not a member, but some friends are, and it seems a couple of them have been there since the club was formed in 1937.

From what I understand, the hours are fairly easy to obtain. There is the option of paying some $400+? per year and no volunteer hours.

I will go and talk, I will give them a chance. After the $53 administration fee, $158 a year is a darn good price. And the facilities look good too.
In the end it will come down to if I like what I see and hear, and I dont leave with any bad vibes. (like the last time I got turned away)

$400 a year is not an option for me right now. :(

Thanks Roger :)

Lauren, does a Joe Muser (spelling?) still RO there?
I worked with him for a short time before the mass layoffs. He would be in the rifile areas.

Roz
06-03-2004, 06:23 PM
I've made 3 different attempts to get information about joining, especially since there was a waiting list when I first considered this 4 years ago. I've called, faxed and e-mailed, all to no avail.

Possibly it's due to the fact that they are correspondence is dealt with by volunteers as Roger Roney has noted. I'm not certain. I'll be out that way picking up my Concept II (I've just recently become addicted to 5 inch 1911s), so maybe I'll stop by.

Autumnlovr
06-03-2004, 08:10 PM
Can you carry there?
Or is it like Double Action (CEZ)?
Kevin, I know we cannot carry in the Clubhouse because it's main source of income is the bar. I'm not really sure about the rest of the facilities, but I'll ask.
Roger, I'm really not an expert on the place, I'm just starting to get involved there.
We joined about 1-1/2 years ago because they have a great archery league in the late summer that ends right before archery/bow season....makes you far more confident in your shooting capabilities when it really counts! (The ending banquet has some fantastic prizes too, last year my hubby and I both walked away with brand new tree stands.) I've used their trap range a few times & volunteered work hours during one of the IPSC shoots. They set some great stages, in fact they'll be setting up Saturday for a shoot on Sunday. From my limited viewpoint, it appears that the majority of what is done there is by volunteer work. So, there's lots to go around....but if you want, you can buy out your work hours. We had to last year, but I'm working on not doing that this year.
The last I heard, there is no waiting list right now...in fact when we joined, we were told the waiting list was as long as it took for the ink to dry on the check. :wink:
Things are changing there, I've heard that in the past, non-members and non-primary members (read wives) were not allowed to do a lot of activities there. Now, we have the Women of Aim group doing all sorts of things (women's pheasant hunts, CCW classes and practice sessions, MUCC competition shoots, etc.). I've also seen about half of the archery league were non-members....but at a MUCH higher cost!
C'mon by and look, visit, tour and ask questions. You may like it, and if not....we're not gonna shoot you!

Roger Roney
06-04-2004, 03:17 AM
Hehe, still get a smile out of variations on my name. I've seen Rodger, Rogger, and others, for my first name.

Quote Roz;
<snip>as Roger Rooney has noted. <snip>My Irish relatives dropped the second "o" over 200 years ago. It is one Long "o" that rhymes with Phony, or Rice-A-Roni, (DON'T go there!! :D :D ) Anyway, thanks for giving DSC another look. Overall, it is a good club.

Just like any other club or org., DSC has its active core group, the average "just members," and the few who would turn you off to joining any club. :( Time, distance, the above, and other factors are why I did not join DSC 25-30 years ago.

Until the late 60's, all sportsmen's clubs were male only, and by the 70's they were losing members. They then realized they needed the support and activism of the wife or GF, and/or the "Equal Rights" laws kicked in. Clubs also had waiting lists a mile long, but that changed with the "me" attitude of the last gereration or three. Look at MUCC, with only 400,000 members, when there are one to two MILLION hunters, fishermen (persons,) and other outdoor, gun, and sport people in Michigan.

Talk with the "Old Farts" gang at DSC, Scotty Grant, Jim Delaney, Ed "8 Mile*" Vernier, and others for history and direction.

*Inside joke, 8 Mile Road turns into Vernier Rd. at Eastland Mall in Northeast Detroit/Harper Woods/Eastpointe area.

For now,

Roger

Autumnlovr
06-04-2004, 05:48 AM
Well, I got an answer on the "carry-friendly" question...."The ranges are cold ranges when there is an event going on like IPSC, but the rest of the club is fine."

G22
06-04-2004, 05:50 AM
Kevin, I know we cannot carry in the Clubhouse because it's main source of income is the bar. I'm not really sure about the rest of the facilities, but I'll ask.

Thanks Lauren, I'll check here before I go to see if you find anything out.
If not, & I dont see any signs then...

The Clubhouse is irrelevent. I probably would not spend much time there anyway. (unless I can volunteer my time there!!! :lol: ) I'll probably spend most of my time between the shotgun and outdoor pistol range's. If I join. :D

Oh ya, will the ranges be open to shoot?

Roz
06-04-2004, 07:18 PM
Roger,

Sorry for butchering your name. T'wasn't intentional as you can tell. I'm definitely going to pop up towards the later part of the day. I have corporate taxation from 9am to 1pm.

Will they let me put up the US Tax Codes as a target for rifle? That might be a little too far out, since the Ole MI Militia used to do that as a publicity stunt every April. But it doesn't hurt to ask.

Autumnlovr
06-04-2004, 08:04 PM
Hey Kevin....I see I posted the answer at 5:48 and you posted at 5:50. I guess we're both early shift, huh?

I believe the ranges are open except for the outdoor pistol range. That'll be closed to set up for Sunday's IPSC shoot. But I'm sure there'll be no problem going down & taking a look at it.
I know I'm taking a pistol, shotgun & my bow and participating when/if they need me. I think the pistol range in the basement of the "Shotgun building" will be open Saturday if that's what you're after.

Batman
06-04-2004, 10:57 PM
In my experience, DSC has a very nice sporting clays course and I enjoy it. I know many of the members and have heard and seen the on-goings there for years. I will never join under their current insistance for working the hours (that is simply BS). Besides, the clays course is open to the public and the up charge is only a dollar for non members. The other thing that becomes evident to the new members is that the campers are at constant odds with the shooters. Their like oil and water and since the club is run in a ture democratic fashion the majority get's it's way (so someone get's screwed). This devision has undermined the potential of the club for years and years and is not going to go away (land is worth too much money). Drive by the facility and see what a dump it is (range bldg. is OK but the club house is a POS). If run properly and effectively the club could be a cash cow and every bit as nice as say Detroit Gun Club. Yes they are making some decent improvements and it does take time. We'll just have to see how long the current improvement band wagon goes before the tide changes (it's happened many times before and I'm sure it will again).

Autumnlovr
06-05-2004, 05:29 AM
Just a point of interest, the clubhouse is in for major renovations. There's a big effort going on now to raise funds to support this.
And, with any volunteer-effort club or organization....it's only as good as it's members. So, sometimes it feels like an uphill battle, but if you get enough like-minded folks with a plan and the will to make the plan work.....you can move the mountain.
But, enough lecturing from me. C'mon down & look around. If you like it....great. If you don't....get on the waiting list for another club.

J 92 Brigadier
06-05-2004, 02:42 PM
DSC may not be the Ritz, but it's good enough for me. The price is right for those of us that enjoy shooting for hours at a time on a regular basis. For $6, you can shoot for up to 6 hours. I complete my 20 work hours annually on Saturdays or Sundays as a pistol and rifle range officer. In my opinion, it's a good opportunity to meet other members and learn from their experience. One excellent program free of charge to DSC members is our beginner and intermediate CCW classes that provide practice in a variety of situations. These are held on Sunday evenings, begin in the Fall and end in Spring.

Roger Roney
06-05-2004, 10:03 PM
Aahhh, but the DSC clubhouse was "The Ritz" of shooter's clubhouses in its day. It is beautiful, has "atmosphere," and "history," and, after a few very moderately priced beverages, it becomes a great architectual treasure! :D :D

Seriously now, I have heard of plans for a new or remodelled clubhouse since I first visited DSC in the early 70's. I wish them luck and success in this latest plan.

BTW, Autumnlovr, G22, & Roz, How did the open house go?

Roger

G22
06-06-2004, 09:49 AM
Open house went well for me. I did see Lauren & we chatted for a while, who sent me to the main office to get some more info from James (jim?)...I'll get you for that!!! We/he talked for at least an hour and a half. Wow you guys have the right person manning the front office, that guy can talk up a storm!!! Very interesting guy and knoweledgeable about the club, but hard to get away from!!! :lol:

Checked out the facilities/ranges, they look fine to me. :D As for the clubhouse being the Ritz...I dont think I would want it that way. Be impossible to keep the nice low rates down while building a state of the art new clubhouse. Besides, it's got its own character (1937?) which may just need some TLC.

Did not have time to actually shoot. :(

Got a hand full of literature to read through, but chances are good that they will have a new member next week.

J 92 Brigadier, was it you I met at the rifle range yesterday?


I complete my 20 work hours annually on Saturdays or Sundays as a pistol and rifle range officer.

Free classes sound great to me.

J 92 Brigadier
06-06-2004, 05:05 PM
G22 said:
J 92 Brigadier, was it you I met at the rifle range yesterday?

No, Kevin it wasn't me you met yesterday because I was home finishing up some landscaping. I have completed my 20 work hours for the year, so you may not see me as a range officer until 2005. It's good to hear you are thinking of joining the DSC. If you do, I think you will enjoy it. You'll meet many friendly people with a common interest. I will be at the pistol range from time to time and normally bring two bags, green and black. Stop by and say hi.

Roz
06-07-2004, 07:21 AM
Unfortunately we didn't make it. By the time we got to M-53 and Dequindre it was already 3:40pm, so we just turned around, headed over to Rochester Rd and had lunch. Class went to 2pm, by the time I got home, got the wife and baby ready, it was pretty much a done deal that I was going to miss the open house. Perhaps next time.