I am creating a Spreadsheet with discounts for VCDL members...

imported post

I think to be successful in Richmond we need to grow the VCDL membership. I have personally done that by buying guest memberships for family, friends and an occasional stranger. I have also created my Open Carry Cards and my VCDL Info Recruitment Cards... Even the GSL and VCDL Magnets have helped (http://www.edsmags.com ).

Yet I still have friends that are on the VCDL alert but have not joined because they are either too cheap or they don't want to buy the cow (membership) when the milk (VCDL-ALERTS) are free!

That said, I am going to seek out places that will give VCDL members a discount by showing their VCDL membership card... creating more VALUE to being a member and hopefully growing the membership base.

If you have a business and you offer (or would like to offer) VCDL members a discount, write to me at VCDLdiscounts@gmail.com

Watch my VCDL Member discount spreadsheet grow at: http://www.vcdldiscounts.org

:dude:

imported post

Might work Ed.
The magnets were a stroke of Genius.

I stopped paying the pro bono memberships this year and what I found was that few of them plan on renewing. Part of it is certainly money and the memberships I have paid for years, were for people who would have to choose between VCDL and something else.

Before I semi retired, I offered free memberships to all my employees. I even did it with some of our clients.

Money is only part of the reason though. The other reasons are the philosophy and goals and this year certainly hasn't helped with that.

The best recruitment tools are still members like Dale, Paul, Kenny, Lee, Joe and the rest of the active members in the Richmond area.

imported post

peter nap wrote:

The best recruitment tools are still members like Dale, Paul, Kenny, Lee, Joe and the rest of the active members in the Richmond area.

Click to expand...

:: blush::

As strange as it always seems to find folks at the gunshows and other places that have no idea what VCDL is or what it has done over the years, it is always easier to sell a membership than to give away ice water in Hades.

Being out & about in OC mode is a fair way to start a conversation. Having the OC cards and a blank application helps. Need to send Ed a PM about the VCDL info cards, 'cause this is the first I heard of them. Could be from not paying attention.:uhoh:

stay safe.

skidmark

imported post

skidmark wrote:

Need to send Ed a PM about the VCDL info cards, 'cause this is the first I heard of them. Could be from not paying attention.:uhoh:

Click to expand...

http://opencarry.mywowbb.com/view_topic.php?id=34102&forum_id=54

imported post

I find it disturbing that $25 is "too expensive" for anyone. Most people spend that in a day on cigarettes and coffee and donuts.

imported post

wylde007 wrote:

I find it disturbing that $25 is "too expensive" for anyone. Most people spend that in a day on cigarettes and coffee and donuts.

Click to expand...

Agreed.. but it is a double edge sword. They get the Alert's FREE. If we try and hold back any ALERT info for "paid" members only, we only hurt ourselves... so.. being a memeber needs to have a benefit. That is what I am trying to show. Buy a couple pair of 5.11's at safetyfootwearandapparel.comand you saved enough to pay for your membership.

imported post

wylde007 wrote:

I find it disturbing that $25 is "too expensive" for anyone. Most people spend that in a day on cigarettes and coffee and donuts.

Click to expand...

Yes and no Wylde.

$25.00 isn't anything to you or me, but for many it's the difference between a weeks food and nothing.

That's one of the big problems with recruitment and why membership pretty well stops in Central Va. (Yes I know we have members further out, but the bulk are North, East and Central)

I have a lot of OV members that are self employed and only working one or two days a month. Look at places like Danville which is running around 17% unemployment. We are a couple of years away from coming out of this and some industries like building, aren't coming back like they were.

My farm is completely off grid and Last week someone from an off grid homestead made a 10 mile trip to come over. He had ridden his horse because he didn't have gas and needed LCD bulbs for light where it wasn't safe to use a lantern, but couldn't afford them. I gave him all I had.

He was one I was paying the membership fees for, carries a gun everyday and doesn't have a CHP any longer.

This is a very diverse state and it covers the full range of incomes and the impact of our economy runs the full height of the graph.

What is important in Northern Va or Tidewater isn't even a consideration in parts of the mountains or Piedmont. Several months ago I was in a store near the NC line and the owner, who was from NOVA, asked me why I wasn't going to lobby a bill that only concerned transportation in NOVA.

My answer was "Because I don't give a SH^% what happens up there". a cheer literally went up.

MY point is....it's hard to convince people to fork up $25.00 when money's tight and the representation is geared to city life.

imported post

Well, I wasn't trying to be disrespectful. There was a little hyperbole there.

I know that times are tough but, like I learned when I was younger (I did/do have pretty awesome parents) if something is important and necessary then you save up for it.

Skipping out on Starbuck's for a week (or 7-Eleven for a month, ) would cover the membership fee.

But I do understand the diversity of the population. I have friends and family in Roanoke, inside the beltway, Augusta County, Tidewater, Smithfield, Richmond... pretty much the full gambit.

imported post

peter nap wrote:

My answer was "Because I don't give a SH^% what happens up there". a cheer literally went up.

Click to expand...

Not cool!

Actually, I don't even care what happens here anymore. NOVA is FUBAR.

imported post

wylde007 wrote:

Well, I wasn't trying to be disrespectful. There was a little hyperbole there.

I know that times are tough but, like I learned when I was younger (I did/do have pretty awesome parents) if something is important and necessary then you save up for it.

Skipping out on Starbuck's for a week (or 7-Eleven for a month, ) would cover the membership fee.

But I do understand the diversity of the population. I have friends and family in Roanoke, inside the beltway, Augusta County, Tidewater, Smithfield, Richmond... pretty much the full gambit.

Click to expand...

I know Wylde and it wasn't meant as criticism. Just an explanation of why some people won't join. There are different worlds in this state and while cash is very short in some of the worlds, there are befits. First is quality of life if you like the country, no mortgage, no insurance payments, no utility bills, extremely low real estate taxes.

That's at the extreme low end, it goes up from there.

Augusta is a good example and close to my home. There are people living on $500.00 a month in sections of the mountains and there are also newcomers that are very wealthy, living within a stones throw.

Lunenburg has two main industries. The School Board and the Prison. Both have cut back because of the budget. A lot of the residents commuted to Richmond and worked at Circuit City. It.s gone now. Tobacco farming is way down so a lot of farmers are just letting the fields grow and bailing hay for cash.

Sure, most could easily still come up with the dues but then you have to look at what they get. I'm not going to get into the bills VCDL pushed this year. I've beaten that horse enough, but the bottom line is they don't represent that world of gun owners and despite the fact that they aren't as loud as the rest of us, they are the majority of gun owners outside of the cities.

imported post

hunter45 wrote:

peter nap wrote:

My answer was "Because I don't give a SH^% what happens up there". a cheer literally went up.

Click to expand...

Not cool!

Click to expand...

No it's not, but at least it's an honest answer.

I gotta head into the City now and see how that search is going.

imported post

peter nap wrote:

Lunenburg has two main industries. The School Board and the Prison. Both have cut back because of the budget. A lot of the residents commuted to Richmond and worked at Circuit City. It's gone now.

Click to expand...

I have a very good friend who was an accounts manager (or something like that) at Circuit City but she lived in Richmond.

When they shuttered she went to work for Carrier (the HVA/C company) and then that downsized. She works odd hours at Peter Glenn (ski shop) and has been back in school working on a degree.

The financial situation is eating up a lot of people, to be sure.

imported post

wylde007 wrote:

peter nap wrote:

Lunenburg has two main industries. The School Board and the Prison. Both have cut back because of the budget. A lot of the residents commuted to Richmond and worked at Circuit City. It's gone now.

Click to expand...

I have a very good friend who was an accounts manager (or something like that) at Circuit City but she lived in Richmond.

When they shuttered she went to work for Carrier (the HVA/C company) and then that downsized. She works odd hours at Peter Glenn (ski shop) and has been back in school working on a degree.

The financial situation is eating up a lot of people, to be sure.

Click to expand...

OK.. thank you guys for youre input.. now back on topic please..

Find those gun friendly businesses that want to offer VCDL members discounts and send them my way please

imported post

If you guys know of places that will give VCDL members a discount.. have them email VCDLdiscounts@gmail.com

imported post

As far as milking the cow, maybe somebody in VCDL leadership could find something value-added that comes with paid dues other than:

1. The lobbying efforts and pro-gun representation (which is worth it unto itself to me)

2. The woefully out of date newsletter that pretty much wraps up what comes in the email alerts anyway. Yes I understand some people don't have a computer or email.

imported post

paramedic70002 wrote:

As far as milking the cow, maybe somebody in VCDL leadership could find something value-added that comes with paid dues other than:

1. The lobbying efforts and pro-gun representation (which is worth it unto itself to me)

2. The woefully out of date newsletter that pretty much wraps up what comes in the email alerts anyway. Yes I understand some people don't have a computer or email.

Click to expand...

I am not in VCDL leadership but I have been a member for years... Any member can send an e-mail to the VCDL leadership team (leadership@vcdl.org) and make suggestions on how to do things better/different. VCDL is a grassroots organization, so it takes people to do the work. Many hands make light work... propose a change, propose some solutions (if you have any) and sell it.

Ed

imported post

paramedic70002 wrote:

As far as milking the cow, maybe somebody in VCDL leadership could find something value-added that comes with paid dues other than:

1. The lobbying efforts and pro-gun representation (which is worth it unto itself to me)

2. The woefully out of date newsletter that pretty much wraps up what comes in the email alerts anyway. Yes I understand some people don't have a computer or email.

Click to expand...

Our mission is primarily:

1. Lobbying efforts to protect and enhance our right to keep and bear arms, both openly and concealed.

2. To serve as a watchdog for government agencies violating our right to keep and bear arms. That watchdog mandate can include suing if necessary to get a government agency or locality to comply with the law.

3. To serve as a source of information and education on guns and gun laws to our membership, to the press, and to the government.

4. We are also a CMP affiliate club.

While we have done a few shooting matches, they are not our primary focus.

But we are always open to ideas and suggestions.

imported post

paramedic70002 wrote:

As far as milking the cow, maybe somebody in VCDL leadership could find something value-added that comes with paid dues other than:

2. The woefully out of date newsletter that pretty much wraps up what comes in the email alerts anyway. Yes I understand some people don't have a computer or email.

Click to expand...

So give your copy away! After taking care to ensure your personally identifying information is protected (depending on who or where you leave your copy), find someone or some place that the hard copy newsletter will be seen by more eyes.

Not advocating litter, but there are always places where reading material is welcome.

TFred

imported post

ed wrote:

paramedic70002 wrote:
I am not in VCDL leadership but I have been a member for years... Any member can send an e-mail to the VCDL leadership team (leadership@vcdl.org) and make suggestions on how to do things better/different. VCDL is a grassroots organization, so it takes people to do the work. Many hands make light work... propose a change, propose some solutions (if you have any) and sell it.

Ed

Click to expand...

Paramedic..I have to disagree with that. The news letter and for that matter, VCDL is staffed with Volunteers. While I have some issues with an EM or two, that's personal and doesn't reflect on VCDL.
It's common knowledge that I don't care for the legislative agenda but again, VCDL as a whole is still doing what a Grass Roots lobby does, and they do it well.

The NRA has very professional documents that are sent to everyone, even me and I'm not a member.
Their lobby efforts are non existent though.

They have insurance...but I don't think they've ever paid a claim.

They are the PTA of the gun world.

VCDL on the other hand is in the trenches every day. Think of the amount of time Philip puts in. What he does is exhausting work. Bruce Jackson drove all the way to Buckingham County for the VDOF hearing and gave a masterful presentation at the end of that trip. Dennis Oconnor is at every committee meeting I know of and is nnearly as effective a speaker as Philip. Ed is always hustling ideas. There wouldn't be Magnetic GSL stickers were it not for Ed.
Paul, Dale, Kenny, Lee, Doug and all the other local members, spend time and money every day to futher the goals.

They are VCDL and they are imperfect volunteers..Every person involved in VCDL should be congratulated for trying instead of being held up to the leadership as a weak point.

In short, VCDL works. When they get as large NRA and forget how to fight, I'll resign. The Newsletter will be better but the group won't be worth belonging to.
I'll take them the way they are now. Doing real work!

imported post

peter nap wrote:

ed wrote:

paramedic70002 wrote:
I am not in VCDL leadership but I have been a member for years... Any member can send an e-mail to the VCDL leadership team (leadership@vcdl.org) and make suggestions on how to do things better/different. VCDL is a grassroots organization, so it takes people to do the work. Many hands make light work... propose a change, propose some solutions (if you have any) and sell it.

Ed

Click to expand...

Paramedic..I have to disagree with that. The news letter and for that matter, VCDL is staffed with Volunteers. While I have some issues with an EM or two, that's personal and doesn't reflect on VCDL.
It's common knowledge that I don't care for the legislative agenda but again, VCDL as a whole is still doing what a Grass Roots lobby does, and they do it well.

The NRA has very professional documents that are sent to everyone, even me and I'm not a member.
Their lobby efforts are non existent though.

They have insurance...but I don't think they've ever paid a claim.

They are the PTA of the gun world.

VCDL on the other hand is in the trenches every day. Think of the amount of time Philip puts in. What he does is exhausting work. Bruce Jackson drove all the way to Buckingham County for the VDOF hearing and gave a masterful presentation at the end of that trip. Dennis Oconnor is at every committee meeting I know of and is nnearly as effective a speaker as Philip. Ed is always hustling ideas. There wouldn't be Magnetic GSL stickers were it not for Ed.
Paul, Dale, Kenny, Lee, Doug and all the other local members, spend time and money every day to futher the goals.

They are VCDL and they are imperfect volunteers..Every person involved in VCDL should be congratulated for trying instead of being held up to the leadership as a weak point.

In short, VCDL works. When they get as large NRA and forget how to fight, I'll resign. The Newsletter will be better but the group won't be worth belonging to.
I'll take them the way they are now. Doing real work!

Click to expand...

+1

To all generally:

If you think that more should be done or that it should be done differently, step forward and lend your shoulder to the wheel. Our strength comes not from one, but from many - all volunteers. Imperfect, but very effective and always striving to improve.

Yata hey