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OC Picnic in EVERY City in the State?

cupcake

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Jul 5, 2008
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17
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Hazel Park, Michigan, USA
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I know that some folks write letters with citation of law explaining to Police Chiefs and Sheriffs asking them to educate their officers, but I'm sure that plenty often, then letter goes right to the trash. Got me thinking:

What if we reserved a picnic area in a park in every city in the state. (just hit maybe one per weekend per region or county?) Reservation under "Opencarry is Legal Foundation" or something like that. Then we send our communication to the LE agencies concerned. That agency will then have little choice but to make their officers aware that a congregation of people will be doing nothing illegal, because OC is legal here.

Sorry if this isn't a new idea, I know I'm new here, I just thought the publicity could help our cause. Maybe even make us some new friends and allies? We could put fliers/invitations at all the gun shops....
 

steve jaye

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Plymouth
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I like that idea a lot; I am new here also and would be willing to attend on in the NOVI area.
 

Venator

Anti-Saldana Freedom Fighter
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Jan 10, 2007
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6,462
Location
Lansing area, Michigan, USA
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cupcake wrote:
I know that some folks write letters with citation of law explaining to Police Chiefs and Sheriffs asking them to educate their officers, but I'm sure that plenty often, then letter goes right to the trash. Got me thinking:

What if we reserved a picnic area in a park in every city in the state. (just hit maybe one per weekend per region or county?) Reservation under "Opencarry is Legal Foundation" or something like that. Then we send our communication to the LE agencies concerned. That agency will then have little choice but to make their officers aware that a congregation of people will be doing nothing illegal, because OC is legal here.

Sorry if this isn't a new idea, I know I'm new here, I just thought the publicity could help our cause. Maybe even make us some new friends and allies? We could put fliers/invitations at all the gun shops....

This is very ambitious. The problem is that people have things to do on the weekends and going to a different city every week may get old. BUT having a few picnic spaced a few weeks apart in some of the larger cities is workable and we have been doing this since last December. I would love for someone in various parts of the state to organize a local outing with people from nearby attending. When I organized the first meeting in December we had just three OCers. Michigander, Mastiff69 and me. At the Burton meeting we have over 15 people carrying with several more family and friends. So it is growing.

I find it hard to travel more then an hour and a half away from the Lansing area, so local guys need to step up and met. Which is what I see happening on other threads...great work.
 

cupcake

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Location
Hazel Park, Michigan, USA
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Any guidance or advice would be appreciated. Do you usually reserve a picnic area and communicate with the local LE agency? Is there a good way to make sure the the communication gets to the top? I imagine that it's easier in smaller cities than the big ones. I definately understand busy. Maybe I'll just try to organize at least one for next month, try to rally some friends and anyone at the range who'll listen.
 

Venator

Anti-Saldana Freedom Fighter
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Jan 10, 2007
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6,462
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Lansing area, Michigan, USA
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cupcake wrote:
Any guidance or advice would be appreciated. Do you usually reserve a picnic area and communicate with the local LE agency? Is there a good way to make sure the the communication gets to the top? I imagine that it's easier in smaller cities than the big ones. I definately understand busy. Maybe I'll just try to organize at least one for next month, try to rally some friends and anyone at the range who'll listen.

Generally someone will propose a date and a meeting place and post it as a new thread. If you are happy with the response and the number of people that say they will come you set the date, time, and place (our first meeting only had 3 people). I like to post a map showing how to get to the park. The meetings I have set up I have not contacted the local cops. You could send an email about the legality of open carry (which is posted on other threads.) to the local chief a week or two before the event if you want. As for reserving a spot, that depends on the park and time of year. Many parks are first come first serve in regards to covered areas, etc. Some you need to reserved.

We have also had get togethers at restaurants, mostly McDonald's..fast, easy to find...and they don't seem to have a problem with OC. But you could meet at any public place for a get together, just remember that private properties can ask you to leave, unlike public parks.

You may want to give a press release to the local papers or TV media, if you are good at public relations (being interviewed, etc). They most often won't show up, but sometimes you are surprised.
 

Michigander

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Aug 24, 2007
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Mulligan's Valley
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Venator wrote:
This is very ambitious. The problem is that people have things to do on the weekends and going to a different city every week may get old. BUT having a few picnic spaced a few weeks apart in some of the larger cities is workable and we have been doing this since last December. I would love for someone in various parts of the state to organize a local outing with people from nearby attending. When I organized the first meeting in December we had just three OCers. Michigander, Mastiff69 and me. At the Burton meeting we have over 15 people carrying with several more family and friends. So it is growing.

I find it hard to travel more then an hour and a half away from the Lansing area, so local guys need to step up and met. Which is what I see happening on other threads...great work.


I remember that first meeting well. Speaking of ambitious, back then, with only the 4 of us in attendance (Mastiff's wife is cool too, even if she wasn't OCing:cool:) we pondered the idea of having individual chapters of Michigan open carriers. As in something like however many guys and gals were interested who would be part of a 4-8 county chapter or something like that, and they would get together every 2 or 3 weeks or so and meet at a a different place within their zone, to spread the word as well as possible. This could be easier than it sounds, even now with our cause growing so well, especially if OCing keeps getting press coverage. I mean geeze, you guys made the news, and not long after there was a really nice piece on Nightline about OCDO and that picnic. It's almost like the work is being done for us some times.:celebrate
 

Michigander

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DANG.

109, and it won't be long before we get a lot more than that.

Given that number, I do think would be a good time to start figuring out a map of different chapters. I like the way that could go, a smaller local meeting every 2 or 3 weeks, and bigger ones whenever they happen. There are definitely now enough OCDO members in southeast Michigan to start touring that vicinity. In any area, even if it's only 3 or 4 people, that's plenty to get the ball rolling.
 

Venator

Anti-Saldana Freedom Fighter
Joined
Jan 10, 2007
Messages
6,462
Location
Lansing area, Michigan, USA
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Michigander wrote:
DANG.

109, and it won't be long before we get a lot more than that.

Given that number, I do think would be a good time to start figuring out a map of different chapters. I like the way that could go, a smaller local meeting every 2 or 3 weeks, and bigger ones whenever they happen. There are definitely now enough OCDO members in southeast Michigan to start touring that vicinity. In any area, even if it's only 3 or 4 people, that's plenty to get the ball rolling.


You mean something like this? I did this yesterday, a bit rough but a start. We have about 10 members that just indicated Michigan, so I don't know what quadrant they are in. It would be great if someone from each quadrant took the lead and organized a get together in their areas.

Some are doing that but a northern get together would be great, My home town is Traverse City and I get up there from time to time. As I wrote in my letter to the owner of the Phoenix Cafe in Beulah (Benzie County), after he asked me to leave for open carry, I can carry in the coffee shops in Lansing with no problems. but in an "UP NORTH" hunting country area, I get the boot. So maybe more OC in the north is a good idea.

109 as of today!

Did a rough break down of member's regional locations. Rough, because some locations only said Michigan, and some were duplicates.

I broke the state into 5 zones. UP by itself, and the lower into 4 quadrants. Basically a line drawn up and down from Mackinaw City following 127 south to Ohio. and left and right from Ludington through Clare to Pinconning. Clear?

We have 8 members in the UP

2 members in the NW quadrant.

3 members in the NE quad.

20 members in the SW quad.

54 members in the SE quad.
 
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