The Fate of The Vintagers

[Kevin McCormack]

The following was just posted by "Foxnut" on the AHFCA Forum:

Our local Vintagers Chapter President (Western Great Lakes) received the following e-mail from the National Organization and forwarded out to our group yesterday……


Hello Vintage Gunners Chapter Presidents,

This email is to share recent developments with the Vintage Gunners and the Vintage Gunners Cup.

First, the Vintage Gunners Cup will remain with Hopkins Hunting and Sporting Clays indefinitely. We have given the event to Hopkins with the understanding that they are committing to holding at least two more events, and more hopefully, if it makes financial sense for them. We are providing Hopkins a cash subsidy to help cover some costs for those first two years. The Hopkins family truly wants the VGC, and wants to grow it again. They have the location, the facility and the experience to do so. Our organization is simply no longer in a position to manage this.

Please encourage your memberships to attend and support Hopkins and the Vintage Gunners Cup. We want to see it grow and thrive again.

Which brings up the second topic of this email. Last week the Vintage Gunners Board of Directors voted unanimously to close the national organization. The proposal to close reads in part, "Whereas the Vintage Gunners can no longer fill its officer roles, or effectively carry out its primary mission of providing a Vintage Gunners Cup event, and being unnecessary to the healthy function of the Vintage Gunners chapters, the dissolution of the National organization is proposed."

The closure of the Vintage Gunners national organization does not impact local chapters, other than that local chapters no longer need to remit dues to the National organization. Local chapters are free to continue their activities as independent entities as they desire. Please let your memberships know that they do NOT need to submit any dues to the National organization any longer.

We intend to wrap-up business operations by year end. There will be one more newsletter before year end as a retrospective and finale.

Thank you all for your support and help over the years. Hammers back!

Matt Haney
Secretary, Vintage Gunners
mmhaney@comcast.net

[6pt-Sika]

FWIW I enjoyed my day at Hopkins this year , but as I’m finding out anymore the people I was shooting with and chatting with made the event for me .

[Bill Murphy]

We knew it was coming. What ever happened to the "rumor mill" that usually drags things out for months or years. Very good of them to get the word out quickly.

[john pulis]

How will the national organization provide a subsidy to Hopkins if they dissolve? Will that responsibility fall to the chapters to organize and underwrite Hopkins and the Cup?

[Bill Murphy]

George Hopkins is very good at making a shooting event pay. He won't need the Vintagers or their local chapters to assist him.

[Mike of the Mountain]

I hope they decide to host the event in September. If it stays in October we'll be at the Fall Southern.

[B. Dudley]

Originally Posted by john pulis

How will the national organization provide a subsidy to Hopkins if they dissolve? Will that responsibility fall to the chapters to organize and underwrite Hopkins and the Cup?

I bet they got a loan from Dirty Harry.

[William Davis]

The 2024 Vintagers at Hopkins was a fine event from a shooters point of view. As good as any clays event I have attended. There was very little vendor turn out though. Exactly the opposite from the spring SxS at Deep River. Excellent vendors, excepting the Rick Hemingway run challenge events, nothing good to say about the Deep River course

William