For whatever it may be worth concerning the Vintagers' fall off in attendance, most of that is due to the much friendlier and accepting attitude of the Southern SxS in Sanford, NC in the Spring and the Fall event in Georgetown, SC.
Bill Kempfer in Sanford and Rick Hemingway in Georgetown put zero emphasis on Edwardian attire and most attendees there couldn't care less about the Anglophilia dress. They just put their emphasis on having fun and providing a superb venue. Southern Hospitality has no rivals.
The Southern SxS has become THE sxs and vintage shooting events for both sxs shooters AND the fine gun vendors and buyers.
JR
Hello John, The great success of THE SOUTHERN SIDE-BY-SIDE is largely due to the L C SMITH vs PARKER CHALLENGE CUP EVENT being held at Deep River Sporting Clays. Over 100 of the shooters at The Southern are there to participate in the SMITH vs PARKER event. The L C Smith Collectors Association even holds their annual meeting at The Southern SXS Shoot on the Friday afternoon of The Southern SXS.
For the last 2 or 3 years The Parker Gun Collectors Association has held it's annual meeting on either the Friday night or Saturday night of The Vintage Cup at The Elks Lodge in Easton, Maryland. The Parker Gun Club annual meeting and dinner was the main reason over 50 shooters attended THE VINTAGE CUP in Easton, Maryland for the past 3 years. Over 100 members of the PGCA attended the meetings and dinners at The Easton Elks Lodge each of the last 3 years. To the best of my knowledge our PGCA is not going to have any official presence at THE VINTAGE CUP of 2011.
The Vintager Chapters jointly held a reception and lunch at The Vintage Cup of 2010 on Saturday at noontime. This lunch went a long way towards bringing the friendly atmosphere that The Southern SXS enjoys to The Vintage Cup. Sadly there will be no reception and lunch at The Vintage Cup of 2011, Ray Poudrier would not allow it, I could not believe it. The Vintage Cup Shoot could enjoy the friendly atmosphere that The Southern SXS has if Ray Poudrier would get out of the way. Ray Poudrier has NOT attended The Southern SXS in the last 4 or 5 years. Ray Poudrier has NEVER attended the second largest gathering of Vintagers, the Friday night reception at The Flame Steak House in Sanford, NC, held during The Southern SXS.
Now the SCI and the EPIC Game Fair has taken one half of the vendors away from The Vintage Cup of 2011. The Vintage Cup event will be a much smaller party this year. Smaller could be better ! We could get back to being a vintage gun club, shooting together, eating together and sharing our guns. There is still time to save The Vintage Cup of 2011. Our Vintager Chapters could still get together and make The VC a CLUB EVENT. None of our Vintager Chapters are in business to make money, we exist to have good fun, good food and good fellowship shooting our side-by-sides. This year is the perfect opportunity to get our gun club back to being a gun club.
Good Shooting To You All, Jent
jentpmitchell@msn.com
