Cancel the Internationals?

[19 Turkeys]

Should IHMSA no longer host an International Championship? Please vote the poll above.

Steve W.

[Robert Becherer]

I can't say either way since I have not attended an International,or any other championships other than a couple of state matches,but how many shooters show up for these matches,especially for other countries?With everyone prices on everything going up,I feel that not alot of people may show. I could be wrong though

[plumbdude]

The way I see it it any match shouldn't be cancelled,,, east coast and west coast are gonna get all there guns taken away anyway

[19 Turkeys]

TIf it is self sufficient then I say keep it going, if it is costing the organization money the I say cancel it.

The Fort Stockton match is a huge looser and has been for at least 6 years, possibly longer. Hence, my reason for asking. Is it really worth it when we are loosing cash reserves annually and have been since 2008. The 2012 loss was $13,000 per the March paper.

Steve W.

[260 Striker]

I have only attended three Internationals and I would hate to see it canceled since that might be another nail in the coffin for IHMSA. However, I agree the match should be self supporting or at least minimal cost to IHMSA. I would like to see how the costs of the Ints in OH compared to TX since there seemed to be more turnout for the OH Ints. The OK Ints should have been a money maker for IHMSA since I heard the great club in OK that sponsored the match absorbed most of the cost. Does anyone have any stats for the past 10 Ints, attendance and cost to see which locations were the most attended and most cost effective? Unfortunately with todays scare ammo and supplies and high gas prices, even the most cost effective location may not prove cost effective for IHMSA. I think we need an Int match each year to show our solidarity to IHMSA if nothing else. I commend the foreign IHMSA shooters for they bear the most restrictions and costs to attend an Int match. We here in the USA should not complain about cost compared to what the foreign shooters have to bear. I think 10 year stats would give all members a better idea of the effectiveness of the different locations for future planning.

[KickBass]

Cancelling an organization's signature event would be a major mistake. How to make it economically viable is the problem needing solved. If the WCC can make money (which I am making the assumption that it does), then why not the Internationals? It would be nice to see a balance sheet specific to the Internationals to see exactly how much is truly lost. There were a couple of things I couldn't figure out looking at the balance sheet. One was on the expense of Intl Pins/Hats/Shirts being $1884.37, wheras the income side of T- shirt/Buckle sales was $442.00. That cannot be correct. I bought 3 shirts and a buckle, and I think my brother purchased 4 shirts, so right there would be around $150--I find it hard to believe that 2 people made up 1/3 of the money made on T-shirt sales, particularly seeing how many people were wearing those very nicely designed shirts throughout the week in OKC.

I hate to say it because It sounds like Ft. Stockton has been very good to IHMSA, but is that the place to hold the Internationals? OKC was a great place to take the family and do things after a day of shooting. Fort Stockton pretty much has a nice gun range and that is about it. I can't imagine making Ft. Stockton as largely attended of an event as compared to other places.

[19 Turkeys]

In reviewing the 2012 financials, one could make a case that the OKC Internationals made just over $5,300. Historically, there has been a debate as to should or should not the directors'/officers' travel & lodging expense paid by IHMSA be charged against the Internationals because they meet there. Travel expenses were $9,457. Was that all for the Internationals? We can't tell. There was travel to the SHOT Show. Was it IHMSA funded? Unknown. If you do charge travel against the Internationals (a generally accepted IHMSA practice in the past) it lost money.

At least 6 years ago, I requested that the Internationals be run on a separate ledger with just one line item in the General Ledger entitled Internationals Profit. It it made a profit, it would be a positive number, if a loss, a negative number. I was told that change would be made and it has not. Thus, we as members do not know if OKC was profitable or not.

At any rate, Fort Stockton will not be unless more attend than were at OKC. Thus, the reason for this poll.

Steve W.

[KickBass]

How does the WCC do from a financial standpoint? I haven't been there yet (though I am planning on going this year), but it sounds like attendance to that is getting close to that of some of the Internationals.

Totally agree with having a profit/loss line from Int'ls.

[19 Turkeys]

The WCC has been run for 12 years and has made money every year but 1. It is very successful plus one hell of a party!

Steve W.

[35isit]

I am the scatter brain that came up with the ECC. We are a small club with only one bank of each discipline on mechanical reset. We can not run through a large number of one discipline in one day. But if shooters vary their guns they can shoot all the disciplines over the week of shooting.

That said. I think we still need the Internationals. It is our signature event. It must be self supporting. But it's getting harder and harder for most of us East of the Mississippi to attend

Myself and my crew of volunteers have worked since last September to make this happen. We have spent close to $1200.00 or more in range improvements and worked until 11:00pm in frigid temperatures. We don't expect to make much if anything. We hope to break even. If much is made it will be put back into next years match.