Clay Shoot Operations Guide

Select team captains

The Sporting Clay Shoot Coordinator, Victoria Rotary Club Vice President, will schedule coordination meetings, report to the Club regularly, and select someone to be in charge of the following:

Administration

This person is responsible for all the paperwork which includes mail-outs, registration, receiving funds, preparing auction lists, getting auction spotters, receiving the scorecards, checking scorecards for accuracy, determining the class sizes, accounting for income and expenses, updating web site, and keeping a notebook to pass to the next person assigned this task.

  • Prints and mails materials prepared by others. Provide Texas Sales and Use Tax Exemption form.
  • Post agenda for event workers and participants. Have a club directory available.
  • Receives the registration forms, logs the donor, logs the shooters, and deposits the money. On the day of the shoot has the materials for registration. This includes preprinted cards for those who have pre-registered and blank card for those who have not. Determines if the shooters want to be sold in the Calcutta and tells them the minimum bid which they must guarantee. Asks the shooters to select a start time. Asks the shooters to sign a waiver of liability. After the charity auction and Calcutta auction collects and secures the money. Determines the break out of the Calcutta money. Posts the amount of the purses. Helpers are needed with this task. Two to three additional people are needed on Saturday from 10:00 AM until after the auction. During the auction eight people are needed--four spotters, one handing cards to the auctioneer, and three cashiers.
  • Prepare a list of the shooters who are going to be sold in the Calcutta and distribute it among the bidders. Pass the registration cards for the Calcutta--store Calcutta cards separately from the others--to the auctioneer. Make cards similar to the shooter registration cards for each charity auction item. These will be used by the cashier to collect money.
  • Have at least four auction spotters. The spotters encourage bidding then take the card from the auctioneer, enter the bid, get the bidder name, return the card to the cashier.
  • As the shooters finish the course they will turn in their scorecards to the scorer. Two people can do this job--computer operator and assistant. Make sure they have been totaled (just like golf) then enter the scores in a spreadsheet. Use the modified Lewis system to determine the class sizes. Use only the Calcutta scores in determining the class cut-offs.
  • As money is received keep it secure. Have enough cash on hand to make change and fill the Calcutta purses. Try to have the bills in the purses easily divided as many shooters buy half of themselves.
  • Update the web site to reflect new sponsors and changes in the shoot information.


Auction

This person, traditionally from the Boys & Girls Club, is responsible for gathering auction items, determining the auction format, providing an auctioneer, and providing cards listing auction items. This is usually our second best revenue source.

  • Solicit the community for auction items. For bought items get Texas Sales and Use Tax Exemption form from Admin Captain.
  • List items on separate cards for the auctioneer to give to administration for collection.
  • Determine which items will be put in the silent auction and which items will be sold by the auctioneer.
  • Select the place to display the items--at least three tables.
  • Get a professional auctioneer to volunteer to conduct both the charity auction and the Calcutta. Ensure that a public address system is available.
  • Assure that enough spotters--at least four--are available to encourage bidding and put names and amounts on auction cards.

Beverage Bar

This person locates and stores the alcoholic beverages for the bar opened prior and during the steak dinner. He or she operates the bar and arranges for any needed help.

  • Determine needed supplies. Purchase supplies. Get Texas Sales and Use Tax Exemption form from Admin Captain.
  • Requires at least four people.
  • Setup table for work area.
  • Clean-up and secure left over alcohol.

Field

This person is responsible for the operation in the field which includes ordering targets, ordering trophies, getting people to man the stations on both Saturday and Sunday, training the people operating the stations, solving problems as they arise, and arranging for traps and their operation. Should keep a notebook to pass to the next person with this assignment.

  •  Orders targets around the first of January. Get Texas Sales and Use Tax Exemption form from Admin Captain.
  • In January confirm that sporting clay equipment vendor has us on his schedule.
  •  Orders trophies in mid-March.
  • Check condition of Rotary Club-owned youth shotguns. These guns are stored at Truman Transfer and are registered in Steve Seekamp's name. Have them available Saturday morning.
  • Make sure shotgun shells are available for the Boys & Girls Club shooters.
  • Develop communications system. Identify cell phone numbers and provide to Human Resources Captain and Admin Captain.
  • Determines the number of people needed (usually three per station per shift with three shifts per day) and coordinates with the Human Resources Captain to schedule them. Assign a station captain.
  • Determine location for beverage chests and how to supervise the alcoholic beverages.
  • Coordinate the Boys & Girls Club field trip, find out who is in charge of the group and where they are going to start. Make sure ear plugs are available. Contact Victoria Fire and Safety for more ear plugs. A first aid kit is available in the trailer. The Red Cross will furnish others, if needed. 
  • Makes sure everyone knows his or her duty. They need to know the terminology and rules. Provide a clipboard with the rules taped to it. 
  • After the 50 round shoot to determine class, organize the class shoot-off. Admin will furnish forms. Make sure that first and second place for the Calcutta are determined. They will not necessarily be the same as the first and second place for trophies.
  • Present trophies immediately after the shoot-off. Determine the backdrop, have a photographer available, and determine presenter (President or Shoot Coordinator).
  • Confirm next date with sporting clay equipment vendor.

Food

This person is responsible for preparing the meal on Saturday evening, setting up tables, and coordinating any other meals that are served during the weekend. Keep a notebook to pass to the next person assigned this task.

  • Makes arrangements for a 100 hamburger lunch on Saturday. This includes buying or getting donations of food items. Get paper and plastic products needed for serving. Serve at 11:30.
  • Makes arrangements for a 225 steak dinner on Saturday night. This includes buying or getting donations of food items. Get paper and plastic products needed for serving. Serve at 6:30.
  • Estimates how many meals to prepare. Coordinate the number of tables and chairs needed with the Grounds Captain. Responsible setup tables and chairs.
  • Develop serving line strategies to meet health department requirements and efficient serving.
  • Coordinates help for Saturday lunch. Requires at least eight people with gloves and hand wipes. Usually someone furnishes hamburgers for the Boys & Girls Club field trip.
  • Assures that we have a vendor for Sunday lunch. Normally, the vendor gets the proceeds. 
  • Establish a clean-up team. Make sure things are spic and span after each meal.

Grounds

This person arranges for tents, trash control, toilets, tables, chairs, signs, water, ice, and firewood. Should keep a notebook to pass to the next person with this assignment.

  • Arrange with King Party Rentals for 40' X 80' tent with lights. Do this well in advance.
  • Make sure ice chests and other equipment are labeled.
  • Fill ice chests with beverages and ice. Put a variety of drinks in each chest. Do not mix alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Check with Field Captain for delivery location. Can use as many as 13 ice chests--two for each stations, two for the food, and one for the registration area.
  • Use construction tape to identify traffic trails.
  • Provide barrels with plastic liners for trash. Replace liners when cans fill. Arrange for trash trailer or construction dumpster. Haul trash off the site.
  • Arrange for delivery of chairs and tables to seat the estimated Saturday night crowd. VISD has furnished and delivered these in the past. Contact the Superintendent's office, 788-9202, and ask for 50 six-foot tables and 250 chairs.
  • Arrange for toilets to serve both the administrative area and the field. Local firms have donated their use in the past. Ronnie Morris has a nice portable toilet for the main tent area. The contact for Waste Management is Bo Egbert, 713-423-1761.
  • Place signs.
  • Furnish drinking water for the field.
  • Arrange for ice and storage freezer.
  • When wood is used for cooking the steaks, have an adequate supply of wood.
  • After the shoot make one last inspection to ensure that all trash is gone and everything is put away.

Human Resources

  • This person puts names with the tasks necessary to run the clay shoot.
  • Verify the number of people needed from each team captain to estimate the manpower needed.
  • Encourage Rotarians to commit to one of these tasks.
  • A directory will be available at the Admin Trailer.
  • Provide each station captain a work schedule. Post a master schedule at the Admin Trailer.
  • Obtain cell phone numbers from Field Captain.


Materials Update

  • This person is responsible for updating the solicitation materials and administrative materials. These include solicitation letters, thank you letters, solicitation packet materials, and forms used at the shoot.
  • Keep the look of the materials similar from year-to-year. That way donors will recognize them.
  • Change the wording from the previous year to keep them fresh.
  • Design a letter for people who have never supported us, another for donors from the previous year, and another for those who have given support in the past, but dropped out last year.
  • The sponsor sign-up sheet needs to be reviewed to eliminate any confusion and update the donation amounts.
  • The sheet explaining the sponsorships should be reviewed and improved.
  • Make sure the score sheet design is not confusing and easily tallied.
  • Update the thank you letter sent to donors after receiving their commitment.

Photography

This person is responsible for the pictorial documentation of the shoot.

  • Take digital photographs for the web site and future promotions. Get action photos of all events (setup, meals, auction, shooting, clean-up) with plenty of Rotarians in them. Shooting photos should include both adults and youth.
  • Shoot digital video footage of the event. 
  • Record trophy presentation. Get winners names for press release.

Raffle

This person, traditionally from the Boys & Girls Club, is responsible for creating a raffle and selling the tickets.

  • Gather prizes. Try to have something that will appeal to the shoot participants.
  • Print tickets.
  • Determine ticket prices.
  • Distribute tickets.
  • Sell tickets.


Solicitation

This person is responsible for coordinating the campaign to contact potential sponsors of the event and get their agreement to be a sponsor. The success of the shoot depends on this person. We do this to raise money. He or she is, also, responsible for putting together a mailing list for soliciting sponsors for the clay shoot.

  • Coordinate with Shoot Coordinator to ensure the timing of news releases and public service announcements compliments the over all effort. This includes submitting articles for the District Newsletter.
  • The list used the prior year is available for updating. A team of four people familiar with the business community should look at the list to identify obvious changes.
  • Get new recommendations from the membership.
  • Complete the update before the first mailing.
  • Return the updated list to the Administration Team who will provide three categories of donors--prior year donors, past donors, and non-donors.
  • Determine the dates for sending solicitation materials. Dates are restricted because of the United Way campaign because the Boys & Girls Club (our partner) receives a large portion of its funding from the United Way.
  • Recruit individuals to endorse solicitation materials with personal notes.
  • Recruit individuals to participate in a follow-up telephone campaign to prospects using the three donor lists from Admin Captain. A script was used in the past. This includes getting the Boys & Girls Club Board involved. Secure location, date, and time.
  • Look for innovative ways to get new donors.
  • Prepare news releases and public service announcements. Publicity should be aimed at sponsors rather than shooter.
  • Arrange for media coverage.