Deciding on a club in the Metrowest area

Dip Dungles

Dip Dungles

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Already a member of the Fish in Ashland and it is not my cup of tea.

Was looking at both the Hopkinton and Southboro clubs for new membership. Main reason for wanting to join a new club is because I would like to shoot my AR.

While looking over the membership forms for both I saw the fees listed.

Hopkinton
1.) $100 initiation fee
2.) $ 180 a year pro-rated for remainder of 1st year membership. What does this pro-rated pertain to?

Southboro
1.) $90 a year pro rated for first year
2.) $100 at orientation for initiation fee
3.) $100 new member participation fee (refundable) what's refundable?
4.) $10 for access card

I would like to have the choice of an outdoor and indoor range, flexible hours, no rule Nazi's and some great members to shoot the sh&% with.

Aside from the prices what benefits are there for each clubs?

Would also like opinions from members of both clubs to help me decide. I have shot at the outdoor range in Southboro, but have never been to Hopkinton.

Thanks NES!
 
I can only comment on the clubs I know but have you considered going just a bit further out to Harvard Sportmans Club.

I would like to shoot my AR. - Check
I would like to have the choice of an outdoor and indoor range - check
flexible hours - check
no rule Nazi's - check
and some great members to shoot the sh&% with. --- check, some of the best
 
Dirtypacman said:
I can only comment on the clubs I know but have you considered going just a bit further out to Harvard Sportmans Club.

I would like to shoot my AR. - Check
I would like to have the choice of an outdoor and indoor range - check
flexible hours - check
no rule Nazi's - check
and some great members to shoot the sh&% with. --- check, some of the best
Click to expand...

Yep - Harvard's Great, Hopkinton (HSA) is Great and a lot closer.
Closer = Less Travel Time, More Trigger Time
The Annual $180 is Reduced depending how many 'Service Hours' you put in during the year. There are tons of ways to contribute and the club look and works really well for all the projects.

As for Facilities - I will just reiterate everything already said ...
  • I would like to shoot my AR. - Check (Outdoor Range to 200 yds)
  • I would like to have the choice of an outdoor and indoor range - check ; 24 Hrs access cards to indoor range
  • I have a shot gun too: Check, Active Trap/Skeet program
  • Just hole-ing paper gets boring: Check Pistol Pits and a couple rifle bays with steel
  • What about a little friendly competition: Check outdoor in summer, indoor 'Steel' shoots in winter
  • Flexible hours - check : Until 1/2 before dusk outdoors, 24x7 indoors
  • No rule Nazi's - check : Good Leadership, No Crazy Rules/RO's
  • Some great members to shoot the sh&% with. --- Check, The Best !

The pres. Bob Draper is on here from time to time as are several other HSA Members. I'm sure others will chime it.
 
Each club has its own vibe. Each club has its own focus.

Take a look at the Clubs' calendars, and see if there are events that you would like to attend.

Southborough's rifle, pistol and Trap events are generally open to all; our social events, too. Come on out and visit. Trap and Skeet every Sunday at 1PM>

I've shot at Hopkinton (Trap and in the Maspenock Pistol League) and all the people that I've met are decent folks.

We have a stronger Trap program than Hopkinton, they shoot more skeet.

SRGC's 100 Participation fee is refundable after two work parties (e.g. set up for a function, replace a fence, help with a big event like the GOAL Cup), and attend three meetings. The idea is to get you meeting a few people other than the ones on the range, and get you "involved". Hopefully, you'll get the fever to join a Committee, and lend a hand.

If you have kids, SRGC is family friendly, and has a junior rifle and junior trap program, kids' fishing derby, kids' Christmas party.

Either is a god choice.

We have no Rule Nazis, but do expect you not to be an idiot; to keep your shots on the paper, and to clean up (ideally leaving it a bit neater than you found it).
 
These are the answers I was looking for. I am going to head down to Hopkinton this weekend to check it out then make my decision.

Thanks guys!!!![party]
 
Might the Pro-rated rate be as such because of the initial initiation fee payment?

I am right next door to HSC and very interested in joining. Just need to be home when they are having their open to the public get togethers. I understand some clubs are more difficult to join then others, HSC requires a sponsor for example.
 
Most clubs require sponsors; most clubs are realtively easy to find sponsors at. If you come out to SRGC of a Sunday, and chat with the Trapezoids, or attend an event that's open to the public and meet a few people, you'll generally find a few folks willing to sponsor.

Just remove the "Linsky ROCKS!!!!!" bumper sticker from your car......
 
Not a lot of positive reviews on Fish and Game. It's so close to my house that I'm always tempted to go for a visit, just to see what it's like
 
Dip Dungles said:
Hopkinton
1.) $100 initiation fee
2.) $ 180 a year pro-rated for remainder of 1st year membership. What does this pro-rated pertain to?
Click to expand...
The yearly fee is pro-rated when you join, so basically, they don't make you pay for the entire year, just from when you joined till the end of the year. I joined in Oct 2012 and I owed the $100 initiation fee and then like $45 for the rest of the year.
The next year, I only owed the $180.

Great club, btw.
 
Almostelmo said:
The yearly fee is pro-rated when you join, so basically, they don't make you pay for the entire year, just from when you joined till the end of the year. I joined in Oct 2012 and I owed the $100 initiation fee and then like $45 for the rest of the year.
The next year, I only owed the $180.

Great club, btw.
Click to expand...

Thanks Elmo for explaining that. Greatly appreciated. Going to check hop's sight in a few to see what is going on today and try and make an appearance.
GF has a baby shower today so that might be a challenge.
Rep inbound!!!
 
Dip Dungles said:
Already a member of the Fish in Ashland and it is not my cup of tea.

Was looking at both the Hopkinton and Southboro clubs for new membership. Main reason for wanting to join a new club is because I would like to shoot my AR.

While looking over the membership forms for both I saw the fees listed.

Hopkinton
1.) $100 initiation fee
2.) $ 180 a year pro-rated for remainder of 1st year membership. What does this pro-rated pertain to?

Southboro
1.) $90 a year pro rated for first year
2.) $100 at orientation for initiation fee
3.) $100 new member participation fee (refundable) what's refundable?
4.) $10 for access card

I would like to have the choice of an outdoor and indoor range, flexible hours, no rule Nazi's and some great members to shoot the sh&% with.

Aside from the prices what benefits are there for each clubs?

Would also like opinions from members of both clubs to help me decide. I have shot at the outdoor range in Southboro, but have never been to Hopkinton.

Thanks NES!
Click to expand...

I'm a member at both clubs and they each have distinct advantages, it depends what you are looking for. I could walk you around each club, if you are interested PM me. To your questions, the prorated 180 at Hopkinton is exactly as it sounds. You pay the 100 initiation and the remainder of the months in the year you are joining. So if you joined HSC you would probably be live beginning March 1. 12 months/180x10 months in 2014 remaining. Your Southborough question is pretty simple as well. You pay a new member fee of 100 dollars. Attend two work parties and I think three club meeting and they give you your benji back.
 
Is there a work party commitment /refund at Hopkinton like at Southborugh?

Im a member at Southborugh, but I've been thinking about joining Hopkinton too.
 
LuvDog said:
Is there a work party commitment /refund at Hopkinton like at Southborugh?

Im a member at Southborugh, but I've been thinking about joining Hopkinton too.
Click to expand...

Yes, you can "work" off up to $50 of your dues. Attending a general club meeting gets you 1 hour! We have work parties pretty regularly so you can cut some brush or rake/shovel and earn work hours easily. No requirement to do so however.
 
I think Hopkinton lets you "buy out" of the work requirement, but does not lower the dues. You can show up at a work party, or figure out a way to help the club and work out a deal with El-Prez.

One thing to look at besides facilities and rules is the club culture and attitude. Some clubs have cultures in which safety is a game of "Lets see who we can criticize so we can prove we are safety experts", and had attitudes a few decades out of date ("who are these dang whipersnappers who think they can put a loaded gun in a holster and even have it loaded with all 21 rounds?"). Hopkinton had some elements of this 20 years ago, but that way of thinking has been totally purged (ironically, thanks in part to the two oldest member of the board who have since expired).

Hopkinton passes on the attitude test - no silly rules, just the basic safety stuff. The only thing that is restrictive is the rule that all 200 yard shooters have to be qualified by the committee (very easy to schedule an appointment) and no guests may shoot at the 200. Other than that, it's pretty much open - self serve on everything except the trap and skeet machines, 24x7 access to the indoor range, no factionalization or petty bickering between the various shooting disciplines - everyone seems to accept the styles of shooting they are not involved in as equally legitimate.

The club has 5 new outdoor pistol ranges (10 to 33 yards deep), so you can often get one to yourself, and a very generous guest policy. The indoor range (6 position, 50 ft) is nice and clean - just remember to call the Prez if you damage anything - you won't get in trouble, but will be asked how long it will take you to repair it.

If you seen an old guy with a pipe and really old guns shooting at a gong on the rifle range in the summer, be sure to say hello. He's a really cool guy, and will pretty much insist you try out his guns, plus you can have great conversations about explosives (he's a court certified expert witness in the subject).
 
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