Breaking News at Founders Ranch

This photo was taken on Saturday showing the grading for a new building. What could this possibly be Coyote's Brothel......No, we have begin grading for the new Cowboy Memorial Chapel. The final drawing for the building will be ready in a few weeks but the interior of the building will be approx. 30 feet wide by about 50 feet long with and added front porch and add room on the rear.

The grading is taking place on the west side of the creek and toward the north end of town. It will be protected from the wind by the hill side you see in the photo. There will be a foot bridge from town over to it. I will post more information as I have it.

The SHOT Show starts today in Las Vegas. Having only been here just a month ago at the SASS Convention. We are back in Las Vegas at the SHOT Show.

This show is all about Shooting, Hunting and the Outdoors. If you are at the Show the SASS booth is at 16448. Drop by and say hi to the staff.

I will make a few posts during the show on points of interest to SASS Members.

Technology is wonderful. Being able to post to my blog from my iPhone is pretty sweet.

Sent from my iPhone

Friday Fun Videos

It is Friday and time for another Friday Fun Video. This one is just amazing. You can talk about sharp shooters all day long and I am not sure this gentleman can be out done. I think I would put him in a class of his own. Truly unbelievable, you must see to believe.

http://www.wimp.com/toogood/

END of TRAIL 2011

END of TRAIL will be here before you know it and we will have our largest crowds ever. This year will be our 30th annual END of TRAIL and we are expecting for all shooting slots to fill up. (The Limit is set at 800.) This year’s theme is the Ghost of END of TRAILs Past and we will be revisiting stages from the past 30 years. Our entertainment will surpass last year’s and we will have some added excitement from Dr. Buck and the WWPAS crowd.

This year we will add Frontier Cartridge Gunfighter as a World Championship Category. As you know the Territorial Governors have discussed this category for a couple of years but have yet to make it official. So we have decided to give it a go to see if there is really any interest in it.

Also if you sign up for END of Trail by March 1st you will be automatically entered for a chance to win a Pedersoli Deluxe Lightning Rifle donated by EMF. So, enter early and enter often.

See you at EOT.

New SASS Home Page

SASS unveils new Web Home Page Today. In an effort to improve your on line experience SASS has been currently overhauling is web network. The New Home Page is the latest addition which now includes redesign of the END of TRAIL Pages, SASS Convention Pages and more recently the redesign of the Clubs and Annual Matches page. The SASS Web Site is cleaner, brighter and much more easily navigated than the old design.

The new home page includes the use of navigation buttons which allow for quick access to events and information. The icon buttons will be seen through out the site.

Although there are still a few pages that have not been redesigned we hope to have all pages changed to the new design within a month. So fell free to browse our site and offer you comments. We think you are going to like it.

SASS CLUBS — OUR BACKBONE

It’s a New Year, and along with it comes a bit of a change. SASS Clubs are the backbone of SASS, and we currently have over 600 clubs worldwide. Keeping up with those clubs is a major undertaking, so to service clubs and members, we are making a few changes in 2011.

First, we are making some changes to the club renewal process. In previous years renewal for your club’s affiliation has been on January 1^st. Beginning this year, the renewal date will be the anniversary date of your insurance. For many clubs this will still be January 1^st, but it will spread out some of the renewals over the course of the year. The renewal form can be found on line, and all you need do is to complete the form and click submit. What could be easier? This process should make it a little easier on us as well. I say “us,” but it will make it easier on Slipnoose, our new SASS Clubs Administrator. Slipnoose has been with SASS almost a year, working in customer service and in our SASS Mercantile department. She will now take on the duties of the SASS Clubs Administrator. She is responsible for maintaining all the SASS club affiliation paper work and keeping the databases up-to-date. She is also responsible for getting prize packages and buckles to Championship Matches. Clubs Administrator is really a do-everything position, and she can handle the job.

Secondly, we have updated our SASS Clubs Web Page. It now has more information than ever before, and navigation is a snap. With all this information at hand, we need your help in keeping it updated. There’s a Web Update Form on the Clubs page where the Club Contact or Territorial Governor can email us changes to their club’s information. We especially need to know the date of annual club matches as soon as they are determined for the next year.

Speaking of Annual Matches, work is under way on the web pages that display the Annual Matches. As of late, they have been sorely out-of-date, and hopefully by the time you read this, we will have the new pages installed and ready for viewing.

On January 1^st, we begin sending out applications for the 2012 SASS State Championships. You may request them by emailing the SASS Office at sassclubs@sassnet.com or by calling the SASS office at 877-411-SASS (7277). The process runs from January 1^st until May 1^st, and any club may apply. If only one club from the state applies for the State Championship, that club is awarded the SASS State Championship, so long as the club’s affiliation is up to date and the club is in good standing.

If more than one club applies for the State Championship, the Territorial Governors of the state are asked to vote for the club they feel would do the best job. The winner gets the match. This year SASS is sanctioning SASS Action State Matches, SASS Mounted State Matches, SASS Blackpowder State Matches, and SASS Wild Bunch State Matches. Again, the process is very simple, and there are only a few simple requirements to meet.

Last but not least, we always have a few questions about how we handle our Regional Matches and National Match. These matches cannot be applied for and are awarded by the Wild Bunch. We award them to clubs that have a track record of putting on successful SASS Matches, and they are also clubs we know have the best interest of Cowboy Action Shooting™ and SASS at heart. These matches rarely change from year to year, and they are the some of the brightest spots in our Shooting program.

So, please take a look at our new SASS Clubs web page, I think you will like what you see!

THE SASS INTERNATIONAL SHOOTING PROGRAM

But, “my gosh,” where did this year go? It seems like just yesterday I was at END of TRAIL, and now the SASS Convention has come and gone. I guess the old adage is right—“Time flies when you’re having fun,” and going to SASS Championships is all about having fun.
The SASS International Shooting Program is made possible by you, the shooters. SASS just recently welcomed its 90,000th member, and with over 600 clubs worldwide, this makes for a very stable base upon which to build our International Shooting program. This shooting program starts with a foundation of some 200 annual club matches. Any SASS Club can put on an annual match, and SASS supports these annual matches through prize donations, advertising in The Cowboy Chronicle and the SASS Web Site, and a post match article in The Cowboy Chronicle, if submitted.

The next step in the program is the SASS State Championships. Clubs can apply for State Championships beginning in January for the following year (i.e., in January 2011 one can apply for the 2012 state match). Any club meeting the requirements may apply for a SASS State Championship. Contrary to popular belief there are very few requirements for putting on a State Match. Clubs have the option of running their state match under total time or rank points, and although a match is required to offer all SASS categories, they only have to actually provide those categories where there are five or more in the category. Also, state matches and above may offer any category they deem appropriate and for which they have sufficient shooters to fill the category. So, Senior Gunfighter or Senior Blackpowder Duelist, along with others, are acceptable additions.

After State Championships come the Regional and National Championships. One cannot apply for Regional Championships or the National Championship. The Wild Bunch awards them. Once they are awarded, they don’t move very often. The Wild Bunch, when choosing a host for a Regional match, looks for a club with a great track record of putting on successful matches and looks for a club with good, strong leadership. These matches are the jewels in the program, and they will be some of the largest and best run matches around.
Last, but not least, is the World Championship of Cowboy Action Shooting™, END of TRAIL. Here you are likely to see winners not only from the US National Championship, but from all over the world. Unlike other shooting competitions, anyone may shoot END of TRAIL or any of our other Championship matches. You do not have to earn any number of points or win any number of matches. All you need is to be a SASS member in good standing, have a good attitude, and be comfortable with the game.

So, who can win a state, Regional, or National match you ask? Well, SASS recognizes the highest placing male and female residents of the state, Region, or country as the SASS Champions. These people receive the SASS buckle and entry to the next match in the chain. The overall match winners are just that—“The Overall Match Winners,” and they should be recognized for winning the match along with all the glory that goes with it. As for category winners, there is no set SASS policy, but many matches are recognizing the overall category winners as well as the resident category winners. Multiple winners can result in many trophies, although often certificates work just as well. We are not giving away an expensive new Cadillac, and it is good public relations to recognize as many folks as you can. Everyone likes his or her 15 seconds of fame, and if they walk away with a smile on their face, they will most likely come back. I expect there to be considerable discussion regarding this at the TG Summit this year!

In past years we have referred to national championship matches outside the US as Regionals. Beginning in 2011 they will be referred to as National Matches. The winners of these matches have to be from the country or Region where the match is held. An example is the European Championship—Days of Truth, the SASS Champions must reside in Europe. By making this change, we clear up several recent issues.

As SASS continues to grow, so will our International Shooting Program, and 2011 is shaping up to be another great year of shooting. I hope ya’ll have a great holiday season and a blessed New Year!