Have any of you SO's from the S&W Indoor Championships found out when and where the SO appreciation dinner will be, so that we can try to arrange our schedules so hopefully my husband can attend this year (He had to miss last year because he had to work)?
I don't know if anyone else feels the way I do, but for the last couple years, the S&W nationals seem to be going downhill. It used to be that every shooter received a gun bag filled with a shirt, cup, and other stuff. The SO's had their names put into a raffle for each day they worked, and then at the banquet they would raffle for a gun. They were also served lunch while they were working all day there. At the banquet, there would be many chances to win door prizes; and the meal was great. The shooter and one guest got a free dinner, and then you could pay to bring another guest. It was a day that made you glad you shot at S&W. It was also great advertising for them.
For the last two years, things have certainly changed. Last year, they only allowed you to bring one guest, they wouldn't even allow you to pay for the additional ones you wanted. This made it difficult for many, who in the prior years, would share that day (when maybe they would be getting a trophy) with their spouses and parents. Then this year, they didn't even bother with a decent buffet meal….instead we got chicken fingers and Swedish meatballs. They gave out trophies (if you want to call them that) that not only didn't fit on the stands they were on, but they were so small that I'm not sure they would even show on a shelf. Not only does this feel like an insult to the shooters, who still had to pay $150, plus $20 to overnight it so you could insure you got in, but it also makes S&W look cheap. I didn't hear too many people bragging about the awards dinner or the trophies. Imagine showing it to other people…..sure makes it look like S &W may be hurting.
Also, it is an insult to the SO's, who take time off from their jobs, spend money on their gas to go back
and forth to Springfield (some every day of the tournament, plus the time put into setting up their stages); and the first day they are not even fed…the rest
of the days they are given pizza (4 days of pizza, yippee!!!); but they did give sandwiches, along with pizza, on Sunday (when the big shots were
there). And then they don't even do the SO raffle at the awards dinner (which everyone used to think was
great….everyone used to comment on how S&W treated their SO's). Last year they did an Appreciation
Dinner…..isn't that something you do for your employees (who get paid, but you want to give them an extra "thank you"). For people who volunteer their time, take time off from their jobs, drive back and forth on their own gas…..isn't an
Appreciation Dinner (that of course you either have to spend more money driving to it and take time off from your job or life to go to, or miss it altogether)
tacky? Almost like a slap in the face. Imagine if they had no volunteer SO's?
I guess they'd have to pay their people (overtime) to do the work and attend the tournament. For the money
the SO's save S&W, a decent lunch and a gun raffle (of a gun made by S&W), doesn't seem too much to ask, does it? It's also great advertising and good public relations for S&W. People used to be
impressed by S&W , their tournament and how they treated their SO's and shooters……….what's happened?
What's made them change so drastically over the last couple years? Does anyone know? I'd sure like to.
Deb
