Church Group mayhem...

[wristtwister]

I left the range early today... it wasn't safe. Some church group showed up and just overwhelmed the facilities with people... doing all kinds of unsafe things... pointing weapons in all directions to load... waving them around... and just being a pain in the ass by crowding the stalls.

I was trying to shoot, and had people bumping into me, piling their stuff on top of mine, etc. and just "whoopin' it up" in general... so I left. If there's a death on the news tonight about somebody being accidently shot at the gun range, I won't be surprised. Those idiots shouldn't be allowed out in public, much less handling guns. They better hope God will protect them, because they violated every safety rule I've ever known about handling guns and shooting. If they escape unscathed, it will be a miracle.

WT

 

[neviander]

That's a shame If people claim to follow the Lord they need to show respect and competency, especially while taking part in something as serious as shooting firearms.

 

[Restorer]

I haven't been at a range when it got swarmed by a church group but have been at other places when it has happened. I was snow skiing (back in the days when I could ski) when several buses from a church group regurgitated their load onto the slopes. It was like a jail break. Kids went everywhere...erstwhile chaperons, too. I was on an icy, shaded runout at the bottom of a black diamond run. I had stopped to check on one kid who had gone sailing off into the trees when another out of control kid blind-sided me with no warning, not even a "look out!". They had no business being there, they were both on the shorty rental skiis and it was maybe their 2nd or 3rd time on skiis. He hit me so hard it blew me out of my bindings and I flew about 10 feet and landed on a patch of ice tail-bone first. Had an MRI when I got home, it showed 2 bulged discs, one of which later herniated. Ta-Ta skiing days. Stupid me, I thought I was just bruised. I should have gotten the ski patrol involved and sued.

So yeah, for some reason these people don't seem to hold the group to the same standards that they could reasonably demand of its individual members.

I've been involved in organizing youth groups and trips. The purpose is noble...providing fellowship with like-minded people, but sometimes "what can we do as a group" overshadows "what should we do as a group". If adequate supervision isn't there, the trip ought not to happen. At a shooting range supervision should be on a one-to-one basis.

 

[waverace]

Praise the lord and pass the ammunition , must have been the church of the holy target but seriously , EVERYONE needs to take range safety seriously thats a given .

 

[wheelgunslinger]

Religion is never an indicator of common sense, intelligence, or the ability to make good life decisions.
There's no reason to expect people disembarking from a church bus to be any better behaved at a range than a gathering of rainbow people or anyone else.

 

[CountGlockula]

What would J do?

He'd probably have excellent muzzle discipline.

 

[JackBurtonJr]

Our church has a "men's shooting competion" with other churches in the area every Memorial Day weekend at the local outdoor DNR range and I am proud to say that we take it very, very seriously.

The leadership behind the event are certified NRA range instructors and safety is the absolute number one concern -- how can we leave a good witness behind if people think we are jerks?

I am also quite proud to say that we have mentored quite a number of the young teens into the shooting sports from the event. They probably would have not be able to shoot for the first time without coming with us.

Two brothers several years ago proved to be stone cold precision shooters on their first visit, and now they are serving in Afghanistan with the Rangers.

Never be afraid to slap a Christian upside the head with the phrase, "You are being a bad witness for your faith."

 

[GhostlyKarliion]

well, I don't know what being a church groups has to do with it, uneducated people areignorantly careless regardless of what group they are with.

it has been said that the more fearless someone is the less they understand the danger of what they are doing.

if anyone I would fault the chaperons for not providing adaquite supervision.

the comments about God in your post are unnessicary and counterproductive to conversation, they only show your level of maturity.

 

[Macpherson]

With any large group there needs to be organization, especially at a gun range. Any group going to a range should have a safety briefing before ever getting off the bus, and the chaperones/leaders need to be experienced with safety rules, or at least make sure the range has enough RO's to handle a large group. It doesn't matter what the composition of the group is, if they aren't experienced with firearms they need close supervision, which obviously did not happen in the OP's case.

My church actually owns a camp with its own range, and the rules are that no one can shoot there unless there is an RO present.

 

[Treo]

I would lay partial blame on the RSO for allowing that many people on the range.

I don't see how that could have been an enjoyable experiance for any one.

 

[JWarren]

You could insert any group in place of church group and get the same results.

My wife has lead her class in a few "Field Trips" and I've heard the horror stories.

Basically, anytime you plan on taking any significant number of people ANYWHERE, you better bring the BIG bottle of Excedrin.


-- John

 

[Eyesac]

What would J do?

He'd probably have excellent muzzle discipline.

HAHAHA! That looks like a great new sig line!

 

[MT GUNNY]

Would have been a great time to educate them on proper handling?

Obviously you had spare time, since you left earlier than expected.

 

[SJ1]

That's exactly why I drive very far to go to the range I do. They don't let very many people on the range at once and are very careful about safety.

Can't say that about a certain gun shop I visited this week, tho. I left there very deliberately.

Glad you left.

 

[TimboKhan]

Basically, anytime you plan on taking any significant number of people ANYWHERE, you better bring the BIG bottle of Excedrin.

I took my sophomore US history class to a speaking engagment at the local university done by a holocaust survivor, and I out and out threatened them with death if they acted out of line. Given that I was obviously pretty serious about that threat, and given that the principle AND superintendent got on the bus before we left and gave pretty much the same threat, I didn't have many problems, although before the talk I caught a couple of the boys who "went to the bathroom" trying to impress college chicks. The looks of horror and outright rejection that the girls gave them were punishment enough, lol.

We took the entire school, 9-12, (small country school) to a local rec center for a reward day after the standaridized test days were over, and it was a headache. Not so much that they were acting bad, but that it was very hard to keep an eye on all of them. It wasn't too bad, but I was very, very happy when the day was over.

 

[17Chap]

To which were they clinging the most, guns or religion?

Chap

 

[JWarren]

To which were they clinging the most, guns or religion?

OK...now that is funny.


My answer would be both.... they just BECAME a stereotype as stated by "He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named."


-- John

 

[MattTheHat]

It almost sounds like the group stopped at the local bar first.


-Matt

 

[romeo212000]

It's a shame. All to often church groups are the most inconsiderate groups around. They come into a restaraunt cause problems and leave a 2% tip or no tip and a tract.

 

[yesit'sloaded]

Sounds a lot like one of those "teen day care" youth groups. Usually understaffed by irresponsible chaperones barely out of college with some liberal arts degree that can barely control the kids under the best of conditions. Who in their right mind thought that guns should be added to the situation? These groups are disruptive and obnoxious enough at a bowling alley. Call the pastor of the church and tell him of the groups behavior, usually they have no clue about how the youth group acts.

 

[Starship1st]

Range manners and professionalism shoud be maintained at all times; especially at a range. The Range Natzies at the public range here would never allow a bunch of undisciplined group to just stampede on to the area.

 

[skywarp_]

Try working at a restaurant after churches get out. I did asa teen. Kids running everywhere, people yelling over each other, general raucous behavior and always crappy tips.

 

[Clerihew]

Here in Michigan the private range I volunteer at as a Safety Officer has had many groups and such come out. I have only been there a few times, the kids are young but we have either the person in charge of the safety for the range or one of us RSO's there along with the member of the club that also belong to the church. I never saw the kids mishandle a weapon because they got drilled before even being able to touch them about what to do and what not to do. The kids were excited to shoot but the adults there were able to keep them under control and safe. All in all was not a bad experience but it requires the proper adult supervision to say the least.


Clerihew

 

[CRITGIT]

It's a shame. All to often church groups are the most inconsiderate groups around. They come into a restaraunt cause problems and leave a 2% tip or no tip and a tract.

There are sociological explanations for this but here's probably not the place!

 

[JB Books]

I'd love to hear the explanation, because what these posters say is true.