Kidwell response to Taylor letter

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Glen Ring
Posts: 904
Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2019 3:45 pm

Kidwell response to Taylor letter

Post by Glen Ring »

I received my copy of Black Powder Cartridge news today and the cool articles are GREAT. VERY well done.

I was curious if Jim Kidwell's response to George Taylor's letter was in this issue and I am VERY pleased that he was given the opportunity to respond to it. That is the kind of fairness that I appreciate and admire.

In George's letter he alluded to the compensation to Kidwell by the NRA when he was a match director.
I can tell you first hand you don't get rich putting on matches. Jeanne Ring is my wife and has been involved with local, Regional and Now National Matches as director.
Jeanne's Professional life has demanded she be paid a MINIMUM of $125 an HOUR.. Each HOUR, over the course of a 30 year career. Even in retirement she contracts for that amount for her professional services. But she forfeits several of those contracts each summer to be paid SUBSTANTIALLY LESS to organize and run the National Championships.

Now in her role as match director she is on the hook 24/7/365 and I can tell everyone she works EVERY day, uncompensated , on making sure a quality Nationals takes place, and shooters' questions, even the goofy ones, get a return answer via e-mail or telephone call. Jeanne only gets compensated by the NRA for the times she is at Raton, just before and days after, the match making sure the ranges are cleaned up and ready for next year. We put a pencil to this little vacation and realized a part time job at Mcdonalds would yield a like income with FAR fewer headaches. I volunteer my time with NO compensation from anyone and we both pay our match entry fees ..just like all of you do.
Kidwell is a GREAT ambassador for BPCR and and my exposure to him has always been positive. He is always doing what's right for the shooters..even the cranky ones.
I have been around in life and have competed in many sports on the track, on the mat, and on the range.
I have spent a lifetime in the study and teaching of human behavior and how to modify behavior for a favorable outcome.
Your Grand parents were right when they told you Honey attracts more bees than Vinegar.
A constant stream of bloviated, negative responses does far more damage to ANY sport and will certainly turn people away from ever wanting to try it.
I was curious about Jujitsu years ago and the recruiter made it sound so appealing I paid good money to be knocked down, choked and come home bruised up and bleeding three times a week for YEARS.
Recruiters convinced me in a like manner to compete in competitive running, and many disciplines of shooting.
I was curious about BPCR years ago and all I heard were negative comments about the NRA and cost and time involved. I didn't even want to TRY this sport after all that drama...until I read one of Mike Venturino's articles..which lead to another and now, at age 63, I am shooting BPCR with both rifles and it's my FAVORITE sport above all others. Thank You Mike.

To grow this sport, and I hope it does, be a recruiter that makes it fun (Kidwell does that VERY well) , write positive articles like Mike Venturino does and by all means show the curious younger folks that BPCR matches are FUN .
There are those that talk, and those that act. Make a choice.
Dennis Armistead
Posts: 337
Joined: Thu Aug 20, 2015 5:09 pm
Location: Payson Arizona
Contact:

Re: Kidwell response to Taylor letter

Post by Dennis Armistead »

Well said Glen,
When I started shooting BPCR back in 1990 there wasn't a whole lot of resources of information that I could gather from. I would try to find matches to go to and gather info from the shooters. Most were very helpful but some seemed to think they were entitled and wouldn't help a newbie. When I joined this forum in early 2003 I found very good information from many shooters....but anyone who's been on this forum for a length of time knows that many new members have been run off by some members by comments that were to them, basically they were made to feel like shit. Many times I've read advise to new members to have THICK skin because of comments that might be made to them. So I stopped posting for many years and my membership was deactivated. I think that many of the posts now are really good and I don't see a whole lot insults any more. If we want to get new shooters involved in this sport I think we should all that we can to help them and not run them off. Just my 2 cents.
Dennis
Experience trumps intelligence every time.
jackrabbit
Posts: 1792
Joined: Mon Jul 23, 2012 12:04 pm
Location: Carpenter Wyoming

Re: Kidwell response to Taylor letter

Post by jackrabbit »

Thanks for giving our magazine another chance, Glen. I hope you enjoy it, the Garbe's work very hard trying to put out a good magazine for us to enjoy.
take care, Cody
Woody
Posts: 6060
Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2009 9:02 am
Location: Freetown, Indiana

Re: Kidwell response to Taylor letter

Post by Woody »

Look forward to reading it. I'm usually about a week later in getting my copy than the rest of you. I know and appreciate what Jim has done for this game.

Buy the way Glenn, I am one who does appreciate the work your wife puts into this sport. I'll be on the road to Raton in a couple of weeks.

Woody
Richard A. Wood
If you are surrounded. You are in a target rich environment.
Woody
Posts: 6060
Joined: Sat Feb 07, 2009 9:02 am
Location: Freetown, Indiana

Re: Kidwell response to Taylor letter

Post by Woody »

Look forward to reading it. I'm usually about a week later in getting my copy than the rest of you. I know and appreciate what Jim has done for this game.

Buy the way Glenn, I am one who does appreciate the work your wife puts into this sport. I'll be on the road to Raton in a couple of weeks.

Woody
Richard A. Wood
If you are surrounded. You are in a target rich environment.
Glen Ring
Posts: 904
Joined: Fri Jan 18, 2019 3:45 pm

Re: Kidwell response to Taylor letter

Post by Glen Ring »

Thanks Woody. It's shooters like you that Jeanne likes putting on good matches for and when she reads your response that will make her day. When people give a match director a hard time or start rumors, man could I tell some tales about that, then I remind them of the work it takes to put on a large match . Most people have not a clue and couldn't do it . Kidwell made it look easy...I KNOW it wasn't for him...but he remained Positive and was an ambassador even after folks criticized him I thought his matches were the second best nationals I have ever attended.

With ALL the responsibilities Jeanne had last year as national match director she paid her entry fee, like we all did, and shot the Lever Gun Silhouette matches to relax. ...She was advised a protest was called in to NRA headquarters about her competing.

My point is not to keep tooting the horns of Kidwell and Jeanne, but to get the word out that all shooters need to be positive , support the sport and to appreciate all of our match directors.

Shooting is a hobby and should be FUN !
There are those that talk, and those that act. Make a choice.
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