Castle Doctrine

I'm heavily indebted to Random Nuclear Strikes (Soft Green Glow) for the links which make this commentary possible.

More, I'm indebted for this link which enables us hoi poloi to sign on to the original document. Click the link for access to theTNR article.

And of course we're all indebted to Rick Perlstein, who wrote the article which so clearly demonstrates that defending your home against violent intruders ... of any stripe ... somehow "your fault" when the results are tragic.

On November 21, at around 7 p.m., narcotics officers in vests that said police (but not full uniforms) served a no-knock warrant to 933 Neal Street in Northwest Atlanta. The resident, Kathryn Johnston--88 years old by some accounts, 92 years old by others--pulled a pistol on the intruders. The police fired on their assailant. When it was over, three officers were wounded and Johnston lay dead. The warrant, alleging drug activity at her address, appears to have been issued in error. And, although the FBI is investigating, the Fulton County Assistant District Attorney defended his cops: "This seems like another tragedy involving drugs."

Actually, it seems like another tragedy involving gun policy. On July 1, a new Georgia law went into effect granting anyone who feels attacked on his or her property the "right to meet force with force, including deadly force." Georgia Senate Bill 396 also immunizes such a shooter from prosecution and civil penalty (though not, in Johnston's case, from return fire). It's not unreasonable to suppose that, had this law not passed last summer, Johnston might not have fired on those strange men barging into her house, and she might be alive today.

(Emphasis Added)

If I found myself in the same situation, I would have responded the same way ... with gunfire against intruders who had demonstrated that they were violently aggressive.

This isn't "... another tragedy involving drugs."

Nor is it "... another tragedy involving gun policy".

It's another tragedy involving "no-knock warrants".

If you're a policeman and you come to my house to serve a warrant, I have a right to see the warrant before I permit you entry to search or otherwise exercise your duty.

In this day of terrorists and home-invasions, even the least reasonable expectation of an honest citizen should be that, when an armed and masked somebody breaks down my door and charges in with a conspicuous display of firepower, I can reasonably assume that they mean me harm.

In Army Basic Training, they teach that you might successfully run from a knife, but never from a gun.

Never run from a gun. Instead, have a gun and attack. Always attack.

The old laws which required a homeowner to retreat from an attack are not suitable to a soldier, because it will be the death of a soldier. Why should it be any different for a homeowner?

No, the tactics of attacking an attacker are sound.

The problem is the "No-Knock" warrant, and the current tendency of police to mask themselves, as if they are ashamed of what they do or they do not wish their face to be seen. What they do is shameful, at best, and misleading (and frightening) to an honest citizen subject to what can only be defined as a "home intrusion" at least.

Masked men bursting through the door of your home can only be resisted to the best of your ability, and this is what Kathryn Johnston was doing. In defense of her home, and in defense of her person, Kathryn Johnston was meeting aggressive violence with what surely seemed to be her best hope of survival.

Senior police officials who insist that their serving officers practice these aggressive, hooded techniques should be shot.

Unfortunately, it is their officers, and their victims, who are shot.

To return to the TNR article:

Expect more Kathryn Johnstons. Unnoticed by most of the national press, 2006 became the year the National Rifle Association (NRA) got its way--and average citizens in almost a dozen states earned more leeway to shoot first and ask questions later than, in some circumstances, officers of the law.

Yes, expect more Kathryn Johnstons. And expect more officers to be shot by innocent civilian victims who are only defending themselves against aggression.

"The War On Drugs" is not worth the death of innocents. When this writer seeks to make culprits of the victims , he is not pointing the accusing finger in the right direction.

Some people in this country consider those they call "Right Wing Conservatives" to be apologists for wrong governmental policies.

But you will not find a conservative who considers this policy worth the price in innocent lives.

Just ask yourself:

Who is the victim here?

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Quagmire

This is not a quagmire.


This is a quagmire.

It's my back yard.

Tonite we experienced The Mother of All Storms, which for two hours knocked out every light in the little College town where I live. Fortunately, all of the students are out of town on Winter Break, having completed Finals last week. For those of us who live and work here year-round, we had the opportunity to check our Emergency Preparedness.

No duct tape nor plastic sheeting was necessary, just a couple of candles and perhaps a few oil lamps got me through an otherwise uneventful (I thought) evening. I spent it in my nest, reading Jeff Cooper's "Garganuan Gunsite Gossip II" by the light of paired oil lamps.

I had dozed off about 9pm when I heard a knock at my front door. It was my neighbor, walking the property with a flashlight, calling to check on me and remark that "Well, we won't have to worry about that tree in your back yard any more!"

Huh?

"You mean you didn't notice?" he asked? He told me to look out my window and walked his light back through the gate.

The 25' Fir tree outside my north-facing picture window showed nothing more than a gnarled mass of roots. The ground was saturated with a week of rain, a sodden mass with standing water, and the two days of strong wind had finally managed to blow the tree completely down, leaving only the root system showing from my viewpoint. Fortunate it was that the wind had vortexted in the maze of houses, blowing NORTH away from my picture rather than some direction which would have brought it crashing into my duplex windows.

My night would have been considerably less comfortable in almost any other circumstance, with that strong wind blowing rain through my picture window.

As it is, we spent a couple of inconvenient hours in the dark. The only other damage (if it may be called that) was the cover was blown away from where it covered my "most expensive lawn ornament in town", a 1987 Porsche 944 which has been resident beside my driveway for the past year since I blew first gear and had it towed home while I saved up to get it repaired. Yes, I'm still saving. No, I have no idea when it will get fixed; I always have something more immediate to do with my money, such as pay the rent, buy Christmas presents, and go to IPSC matches.

You will notice that the view toward the street doesn't show much. The camera flash didn't go far, and the lights which usually make this front part of my yard and driveway illuminated are all out.

I admit, it doesn't take much to make my night life more exciting than usual. But we could all have done without this kind of excitement.

Note to self: tomorrow, go buy more lamp oil and extra batteries for the flashlights. I've checked my supplies, and I have no batteries or oil which are not already in the lamps.

How are YOUR "Emergency Preparedness" supplies holding out?

Bad Advice

Cooperate_with_robber

James R. Hall at Kentucky Coalition to Carry Concealed tells us about a robbery gone bad, and offers good advice, considering the circumstances..

just read with interest a story in Louisville’s Courier-Journal newspaper about a night club robbery [Nightclub employee shot in robbery, 21 Nov 06]. According to the story, Metro Police Lt. James "Mueller said the robber entered Petrus, on East Main Street, with a gun about 3 a.m. through an open door and demanded cash. The employee complied, but as the robber was leaving, he turned and fired several times, striking the worker once in the shoulder."

According to Hall (and we'll all find this advice eerily familiar):

... what makes these people "extremely dangerous" is the fact that they are armed and their victims are not. This is the ultimate truth that never seems to make it into most news stories. In the article, Lt. Mueller is said to recommend that "business owners and employees could go to www.lmpdasap.com to find robbery prevention tips." I went there looking for these tips and what I found made pretty good sense. There were also some "Robbery Reduction Tips" that, for the most part, were worthy advice also but, there were a few items that bordered on insanity.

For one, NOWHERE does it suggest that someone might actually arm themselves in order to have a fighting chance against an armed assailant. IN FACT, they advise against "escalating" the situation by attempting to fight or using a weapon to defend yourself!!! At this point I have to wonder, if you already have a gun in your face, what could be considered "escalation"? Another tip: "Remember: robbers seldom hurt people who cooperate with them." Unfortunately, the title character in this story turned out to be one of the seldoms!

"Escalation" is a handy word but it ignores the fact that when you have a gun in your face, "escalation" is a difficult term to quantify.

Here is an article which describes 'escallation' on an international level.

This article illustrates "escalation" on an entirely different level ... that of egregioius infringements of individual rights to privacy by your national govenment.

This is an example of the consequences when people assume that 'someone else' will protect them against violent attack.

And finally, here is what happens when a citizen realizes that nobody will protect him from casual violence, so he determines to protect himself.

You decide what is the best approach for your own defense.

Sweden Under Attack

Paralax Adjustment has an excellent short story on an Apocalyptic theme.

Family Reunion

THIS is my idea of a Family Reunion!

I bet they don't have any problems getting the whole fam-damily to show up every summer.

BTW, when I went through Basic Training in 1968, they showed us what it looked like to burnout a barrel in the M60 by shooting it continuously for over a minute.

Today ... well, you've come a long way, Baby!

On the other hand, THIS doesn't look like nearly as much fun.

(Thank you, YouTube.)

For some of us our Family Reunions look a lot more like this.

(H/T and Molon Labe' Bane)

Hezbollah Human Shields?

An Israeli think tank with strong links to the military released videos and testimony Tuesday it said proved Hezbollah guerrillas used civilians as human shields during last summer's war in Lebanon.

Duh!

Taleban Rules

No kidding, the egregious Taleban now has RULES.

Reminds me of the Iraq Study Group (ISG) report, in that they are both wonderful examples of really stupid things to say, but which reveal a great deal about their authors and their not-so-hidden agendas.

The ISG Report has 79 Ways To Leave Your Lover, and I won't add to your frustration by detailing to them. If you've read this far, you've probably already read either the report itself or commentary on the report ... which is sufficient to convince you that the authors are ... well, idiots.

The difference between the ISG and the Taleban is: the Taleban Rules are brief. And they make no bones about it, their agenda is clear.

They want to kill everybody who doesn't agree with them.

The ISG has the same goal, but they deny it.

Here are the Taleban Rules:

It is made clear that the rules are obligatory and "anyone who offends this code must be judged according to the laws of the Islamic Emirates".

Qari Yousef Ahmadi, a Taleban spokesman, confirmed the authenticity of the rules in an interview.

Ignore at your peril: the regulations in full

Every Mujahid must abide by the following rules:

• 1. A Taleban commander is permitted to extend an invitation to all Afghans who support infidels so that they may convert to Islam.

• 2. We guarantee to any man, who turns his back on infidels, personal security and the security of his possessions. But if he becomes involved in a dispute, or someone accuses him of something, he must submit to our judiciary.

• 3. Mujahideen who protect new Taleban recruits must inform their commander.

• 4. A convert to the Taleban, who does not behave loyally and becomes a traitor, forfeits our protection.

• 5. A Mujahid who kills a new Taleban recruit will be punished according to Islamic law.

• 6. If a Taleban fighter wants to move to another district he must get permission from his group leader.

• 7. A Mujahid who takes a foreign infidel as prisoner with the consent of a group leader may not exchange him for other prisoners or money.

• 8. A provincial, district or regional commander may not work for a non-governmental organisation or accept money from an NGO.

• 9. Taleban may not use Jihad equipment or property for personal ends.

• 10. Every Taleb is accountable to his superiors in matters of money spending and equipment usage.

• 11. Mujahideen may not sell equipment.

• 12. A group of Mujahideen may not take in Mujahideen from another group to increase their own power.

• 13. Weapons and equipment taken from infidels or their allies must be fairly distributed among the Mujahideen.

• 14. If someone who works with infidels wants to co-operate with Mujahideen, he should not be killed. If he is killed, his murderer must stand before an Islamic court.

• 15. A Mujahid or leader who torments an innocent person must be warned by his superiors. If he does not change he must be thrown out of the Taleban movement.

• 16. It is strictly forbidden to search houses or confiscate weapons without the permission of a district or provincial commander.

• 17. Mujahideen have no right to confiscate money or personal possessions of civilians.

• 18. Mujahideen should refrain from smoking cigarettes.

• 19. Mujahideen are not allowed to take young boys with no facial hair on to the battlefield or into their private quarters.

• 20. If members of the opposition or the civil government wish to be loyal to the Taleban, we may take their conditions into consideration.

• 21. Anyone with a bad reputation or who has killed civilians during the Jihad may not be accepted into the Taleban movement.

• 22. If a Mujahid is found guilty of a crime and his commander has barred him from the group, no other group may take him in.

• 23. If a Mujahid is faced with a problem that is not described in this book, his commander must find a solution in consultation with the group.

• 24. It is forbidden to work as a teacher under the current puppet regime, because this strengthens the system of the infidels. True Muslims should apply to study with a religiously trained teacher and study in a Mosque. Textbooks must come from the period of the Jihad or from the Taleban regime.

• 25. Anyone who works as a teacher for the current puppet regime must receive a warning. If he nevertheless refuses to give up his job, he must be beaten. If the teacher still continues to instruct contrary to the principles of Islam, the district commander or a group leader must kill him.

• 26. Those NGOs that come to the country under the rule of the infidels must be treated as the government is treated. We tolerate none of their activities, whether it be building of streets, bridges, clinics, schools, madrases [schools for Koran study] or other works. If a school fails to heed a warning to close, it must be burned. But all religious books must be secured beforehand.

27. [With alleged criminality] As long as a person has not been convicted of espionage and punished for it, no one may take up the issue on their own. Only the district commander is in charge. Witnesses who testify must be in good psychological condition, possess an untarnished religious reputation, and not have committed a major crime.

• 28. No lower-level commander may interfere with contention among the populace. If an argument cannot be resolved, the district or regional commander must handle the matter. The case should be discussed by religious experts or a council of elders. If they find no solution, the case must be referred to religious authorities.

• 29. Every Mujahid must post a watch, day and night.

• 30. The above 29 rules are obligatory. Anyone who offends this code must be judged according to the laws of the Islamic Emirates.

Signed by the highest leader of the Islamic Emirates of Afghan-istan.

Let's fisk this puppy.

• 1. A Taleban commander is permitted to extend an invitation to all Afghans who support infidels so that they may convert to Islam.

Interpretation:
Our religion requires that we give you the opportunity to surrender unconditionally. If you don't, we get to kill you.

• 2. We guarantee to any man, who turns his back on infidels, personal security and the security of his possessions. But if he becomes involved in a dispute, or someone accuses him of something, he must submit to our judiciary.

Interpretation:
Believe it, mean it. Or we get to kill you.

• 4. A convert to the Taleban, who does not behave loyally and becomes a traitor, forfeits our protection.

Interpretation:
Live it, or we get to kill you.

• 14. If someone who works with infidels wants to co-operate with Mujahideen, he should not be killed. If he is killed, his murderer must stand before an Islamic court.

Interpretation:
We welcome traitors to their culture. Anyone who doesn't do this ... we get to kill you.

• 15. A Mujahid or leader who torments an innocent person must be warned by his superiors. If he does not change he must be thrown out of the Taleban movement.

• 16. It is strictly forbidden to search houses or confiscate weapons without the permission of a district or provincial commander.

• 17. Mujahideen have no right to confiscate money or personal possessions of civilians.

Interpretation:
(15) we get to kill you
(16) we get to kill you
(17) we get to kill you

• 18. Mujahideen should refrain from smoking cigarettes.

• 19. Mujahideen are not allowed to take young boys with no facial hair on to the battlefield or into their private quarters.

Interpretation:
This is not right. We'll overlook it this time, but next time ... we'll overlook it again because we like doing this stuff, too. Okay? NO, we're not perverts. It's all perfectly natural, and we'll play while we wait for our 72 virgins and a carton of camels to be delivered by UPS. (Surely you didn't think we were talking about cigarettes!)

• 24. It is forbidden to work as a teacher under the current puppet regime, because this strengthens the system of the infidels. True Muslims should apply to study with a religiously trained teacher and study in a Mosque. Textbooks must come from the period of the Jihad or from the Taleban regime.

• 25. Anyone who works as a teacher for the current puppet regime must receive a warning. If he nevertheless refuses to give up his job, he must be beaten. If the teacher still continues to instruct contrary to the principles of Islam, the district commander or a group leader must kill him.

• 26. Those NGOs that come to the country under the rule of the infidels must be treated as the government is treated. We tolerate none of their activities, whether it be building of streets, bridges, clinics, schools, madrases [schools for Koran study] or other works. If a school fails to heed a warning to close, it must be burned. But all religious books must be secured beforehand.

Interpretation:
Smoking, and banging little boys, are Not Good; but they're not all that bad, either. Trust me, I know what I'm talking about.
Teaching little boys to Just Say No, however is a capital offense.
We get to kill you. Burn your school. Did I mention we get to kill you? (Not, of course, until we've whupped you to within an inch of your life. Preferrably in front of a bunch of your little-boy students.) Well, you deserve it, you capitalist running dog. Why would we continue this oppression of our fellow man, if there wasn't something in it for us?

27. [With alleged criminality] As long as a person has not been convicted of espionage and punished for it, no one may take up the issue on their own. Only the district commander is in charge. Witnesses who testify must be in good psychological condition, possess an untarnished religious reputation, and not have committed a major crime.

Interpretation:
If you're a crook, or a murderer or rapist, that's okay. No problem, Brother. But if you work against the espoused goals of the Taleban (we get to kill people), guess what?
That's right: we get to kill you.
Are we having fun yet?

• 30. The above 29 rules are obligatory. Anyone who offends this code must be judged according to the laws of the Islamic Emirates.

Interpretation:
We get to kill you, we get to kill you, la la la we get to kill you.

Columbia Cascade Section news

This information will be of particular interest to members of the USPSA's Columbia Cascade Section (CCS), which represents four clubs in NW and Central Oregon. However, the implications may be of interest to IPSC competitors in other areas because it represents the benefits of strong volunteerism in the section.

Our current Section Coordinator, Mike ("Mac") McCarter, has just been designated USPSA's Junior Coordinator, replacing outgoing coordinator Larry Houck. Mac has also a declared candidate for USPSA President. When the USPSA Board of Directors was asked whether there is any conflict of interest in the double filing, they decided that it was acceptable for Mac to serve as Junior Coordinator until the completion of the Presidential Election process in mid-2007. We're fortunate at USPSA to have such a competent, experienced and energetic volunteer available for these positions, although we in CCS are aware that we're losing so much vision and managerial ability in our local competitions.

The election of CCS Officers will be an interesting process this year, with some of our BOD running for their current offices again for the 2007 season, one (Norm) filing to advance from Secretary to Section Coordinator, a Club Rep filing to move to replace Norm as Section Secretary, and Chuck, who was Prize table Coordinator for the 2006 Area 1 tournament (a prize table of over $60,000) is filing for Competition Director.

There is still time and room for more candidates to file, and I hope we have more volunteers to come forward to offer their skills and energy at the Section level. But personally, I have a great deal of respect for the people who have already filed for office. This section can only continue to demonstrate the adage that success breeds success. A record of successful major matches, and a month-to-month presentation of quality 'club matches', brings in a consistent high number of participants. As more people are attracted to IPSC competition in the area, match fees are building the treasury of the host clubs and providing more funding for significant range improvements.

Perhaps more important, as successful matches become the standard rather than the exception, more 'quality people' are attracted to the sport. The term 'quality people' should be understood to describe people who are highly satisfied with the value of competition offered, and are willing and eager to contribute their organizational talents and time to serve in an administrative capacity.

Burn-out has always been a problem with IPSC competition. As an amateur sport, it is dependent on volunteers to do the real work of organizing matches; designing and constructing stages which are challenging, fair and consistent; establishing policies and practices to provide consistency across the section; and encouraging other competitors to step forward to make a similar contribution to "pay back" the sport which has provided them with so much rewarding competition.


The growth of IPSC competition in CCS is a reflection of the growth of each individual member club. Over the past few years, all four of the clubs in this section have re-invested their match fees in range improvement programs.

The Dundee Practical Shooters started it out with digging out new shooting bays, surfacing all bays in thick gravel (when it rains in Oregon, this is necessary to avoid slipping in mud), building new berms, building a new "Stats Shack" with electrical power from a generator, importing more porta-potties, installing a wash-up station (using water from the fast-running rill that runs through the range), pouring concrete pads, bringing in picnic tables, installing overhead cover on most stages, setting up a second Safety Area, buying more steel targets, building more props, and initiating a club-member core group known as "The Old Guard".

This last improvement may be the most important in terms of their ability to continue hosting challenging, fun matches on a monthly basis. The Old Guard members are distinguished by their distinctive shirts and hats, which they wear at every match. When competitors encounter problems on a stage (such as a range-equipment failure which requires immediate repair, or running out of tape, or discovery of a faulty timer, or a rules question which requires intercession by the Match Director), they can search out the nearest Old Guard member. That designated club representative will make every effort to see that the problem is resolved, to insure that the match continues as smoothly as possible.

It's The Old Guard designing and constructing stages, and seeing to it that they are torn down at the end of the match. (Usually, they charge an extra $2 in the match fees to pay for 'someone else' to tear down the stages, to the utter delight of often-exhausted competitors.

It's The Old Guard scheduling the matches, insuring that the stats are kept accurately and in a timely manner, serving as MD and RM, building innovative props, and seeing that match scores are posted to the internet within a day or two of the match ... often, the same evening as the match is completed.

Tri County Gun Club, in Sherwood (I've written about this club before), recently completed a HUGE range expansion program which has been advancing step-wise for serveral years. The first stage was little more than digging out a couple of extra bays and surfacing all bays in thick gravel. Some overhead shelter was provided, in part financed by private contributions from club members.

The last phase was completed in 2006, just in time for the Area 1 Championship Tournament. The surrounding hillsides were extensively dug out to make room for a total of 13 shooting bays, parking for 200 cars, and all of these surfaces were covered in thick gravel.

Berms were constructed of huge concrete blocks (similar to the "New Jersey" concrete barriers often found on interstate freeways, but of a different cross-section allowing them to be stacked and interlocked like Lego toys). The concrete berms were faced with dirt banks, to absorb the bullets and prevent the deterioration of the concrete due to bullet-strikes and the consequent splatter, spalling or recochets of bullets which would otherwise strike bare concrete.

More overhead cover was erected, and while not ALL bays yet have protection from sun and rain, most bays which are commonly used in IPSC competition have this improvement.

Some of the new concrete-bermed bays are fifty yards deep, and almost as wide, allowing a wide range of challenging stage designs to be presented there. Those bays almost invariably include a niche where a safety table can be provided for each bay. The convenience of a safety table is a great advantage where competitors can work on malfunctioning weapons (pistol-caliber carbine and practical/tactical shotgun matches are also held in this range) , practice their draw or reloading, bag and unbag safe weapons, and any other function which the IPSC rules allow to take place in Safety Areas.

They also installed a number of extra porta-potties for the relief of busy, active competitors. Speaking for the Super Senior contingent ... thank you, TCGC!


The COSSA Practical Shooter (as far as I can tell, COSSA stands for Central Oregon Sports Shooters Association) is located 22 miles East of Bend, Oregon, on Highway 20.

Because they are geographically located so far away from the Willamette Valley, which contains the other three clubs, their attendance is much smaller on a monthly basis. Added to the distance, consider that their Winter weather is much more severe than that found in the mild Valley, all of which combines to make a trip to Bend a real treat.

They joined the Columbia Cascade Section a few years ago, and one of their first acts was to add more shooting bays for a total of 13. The High Desert climate allows them to use the natural surface of the ground, which is sandy, so they don't have thick gravel in the bays.

They already have a huge area available for parking, vendor tent and other facilities, so it is easy for them to host major matches. So far they have hosted USPSA National Championship matches for two years, and the Area 1 Tournament in 2003. (I note that this took place in May of 2003, and the first day of the match we started out in a bit of snow. The local sporting goods store enjoyed a profitable run on rain gear, warm coats and waterproof boots that week.)


Albany Rifle and Pistol Club, located off "7 mile road" (take exit 228 from the Interstate 5, West of the Corvallis Exit) has, under the leadership of Mike McCarter, exhibited which must be the longest-running and most extensive period of range improvements in the section.

Starting with six muddy, wide-open bays, ARPC has (in approximate order of completion):

• Surfaced all bays in thick gravel OVER a visquine (sp) fabric base OVER a drainage system
• Used receipts from IPSC matches almost exclusively to pay for more and better targets, props and facilities on the North Range (which is the 'action pistol' range at this club)
  
• Provided 3-sided steel buildings to protect from sun and rain, on concrete pads
• Added porta-potties within a couple dozen yards of every covered bay
• Added a seventh bay, with steel building cover on a concrete pad
• Provided an internet connection to the already electrically wired and heated stats shack, so that match results can be posted almost immediately after the completion of the match
• Added 5 LARGE bays on the East side of Saddle Butte (which constitutes the 'back berm' for the entire range); some of these bays allow 50 yards depth, almost that much width
  
• In conjunction with the last bays ... which brings the total to 12 bays ... added another pair of porta-potties (at least one of which is designgated 'for ladies only')
• Added safety-tables between every other bay on the North Range
• Added CONEX or other steel-construction prop containers for some of the disciplines which use the North Range
• Placed a major emphasis on the Junior Program, to encourage younger shooters to compete. Some of the features of this local program include: providing pistols, ammunition and gear; a dedicated Junior Team coach, with scheduled practice sessions often monitored by their parents; shirts to help identify the Junior Team shooters; paid entry and transportation to the USPSA Nationals, with parents acting as chaparones
• A $2 addition to the monthly match fees pays a 'crew' to tear down stages after the monthly matches. (Note: this is usually members of the Junior Team, and their monthly 'payment' usually goes to the Junior Team bank account)

These improvements not only make monthly matches more enjoyable, but also make it possible to host Major Matches. For example, after completing ALL of the above improvements, ARPC hosted the USPSA Multi-Gun Nationals in July, 2006.





Summary:
Oregon gun clubs are active, shooter-friendly, busy, innovative, well-funded and the epitome of volunteerism. Burn-out is not a factor, because so many local participants are eager to step up to the mark and pitch you nothing but fast-balls.

The funding from increased participation, generated by better facilities and more attractive conveniences (such as tear-down crews), has kept participation levels high and competitor satisfaction even higher.

As each generation of volunteers provide fascinating, challenging matches, more funds are available to provide the next generation of competitors with bigger matches, better range facilities, and more 'important' matches.

This is the future of IPSC.

An involved, energetic leadership helps to grow IPSC competition. Wise re-investment of the match fees generates bigger, better clubs and bigger, better matches.

The Columbia Cascade Section is working hard to attract new shooters, keep the shooters they already have, and encourage a solid base of dedicated participants who are ready and willing to volunteer for administrative duties within the section.

If you are a CCS member, and you think you have something to contribute, please don't think that just because candidates already have been found for each Section office, you shouldn't file for office.

With approximately 100 competitors signed up for the Points Race alone (and remember that not everybody who competes signs up), there is a large base of participants who are available but who have not yet paid their dues by volunteering. This is your chance to pay back to the sport. Many of us help out with match set-up, or other activities. But there is no reason why you can't be part of the "Pointy End" of the spear of volunteerism. If you prefer not to give your time as a section officer, consider volunteering to help your home club by serving as a Club Rep. Many BOD members have served for multiple years, some are even holding both Club and Section offices, and they would appreciate your help

If you're not a member of CCS, the same encouragement applies to you.

Volunteer to help lead your section to a better competitive year. Or to work with your club, in whatever capacity you think would be the best way to temporarily take over for someone who has become almost a local institution. They would appreciate the opportunity to relax for a couple of years and just ... shoot!

Relax, you don't have to serve forever. Just for a year or two. Your choice. It's a great experience, and a satisfying one.

It's pay-back time.