Management’s Musings

Thanks to all the 122 shooters who appeared at Sunnyvale. We were all treated to a very well run shoot by the Sunnyvale Club. The attendance set a South Bay record at Sunnyvale, and we were done with shootoffs by 5:28 pm PDT. Well done Sunnyvale Club Members and well done SBTL office staff! We think the attendance running at a 120 person per shoot average this season is a real tribute to our volunteer office staff and all their hard work. Like all great performers, we are sure they see the high attendance this year as a tribute and thanks for their dedication and efforts!

A special welcome goes out to James Mullen and Robert Xuereb our new shooters for the month of June and Vince Le a returning shooter. We are happy to have you join us and look forward to seeing you at our future shoots!!!

We have received wonderful feedback on the useful shooter accoutrements that have become part of our awards menu - selected and procured by Bob Graves. Thanks Bob! Also, we would like to recognize the excellent descriptions of the various monies and purses by Warren Fay, and all his efforts to bring us into the 21st Century with our data analysis and tracking system. These efforts have gone a long way in making the shoots runs smoothly, the data integrity superb, and the office staff having the time to consume all the snacks we throw at them on shoot days. Thanks Warren!

By now you have had time to digest the new handicap yardage safety rules for our 19 and 20 yard shooters - no more than one yard difference between adjacent shooters in the squad and no more than a total difference of two yards in a squad. We worked through the required changes thanks to you shooters and a little extra effort by our squadders. Safety is always our first concern.

We’ve completed five of our SBTL shoots so far this season, and there have been numerous changes to shooters' handicap yardages. We always try to accommodate all shooters and their preference to stay on the same squad. Our general rule-of-thumb is that a shooter that "shoots themselves off the squad" will be moved unless the whole squad agrees to advance their yardage to accommodate him/her. Where a shooter’s handicap reduces to the point where they are no longer safe on a squad/post, the shooter is given the option to work with the squad to change posts, "declare a minimum yardage" and stay on the squad/post, or continue to float with their handicap and change squads. Before we adjust anyone's handicap yardage for a declared yardage increase, we must get positive confirmation from that person. Squad Leaders - any changes to starting posts can be accommodated, but any yardage increases will require the affected individuals to acknowledge their yardage change.

We need to remind all shooters that we are again in the "Grand" time of the year. By the next shoot, both the PITA and ATA California State Shoots will have been completed. While we do mix the electronic data that we receive from the PITA and ATA into our automated handicapping, our information is always in arrears. It is imperative that all ATA/PITA shooters update us at the next shoot if their handicap yardage has advanced. Failure to do so risks disqualification for year-end awards and the loss of any trophies/monies won at the tournament.

C U in Livermore on July 9th. Registration starts at 9:00 am, and shooting at 10:00 am. We’ll be using 6 traps - so don’t show up too late and miss your squad! Help us hit the 140 shooter mark for July!

Dennis and Warren