Sunday, 28 March 2004
The club pays for three types of insurance: liability, property, and officer/director. The most costly of the three is the liability insurance, which protects the club in the event of an accident at the club, or one involving people or property which surround the club. There are very few sources for liability insurance for a gun club, and the only reasonable source is through the NRA Endorsed Insurance Program. In 2002 the company which had been providing insurance for the NRA program went bankrupt as a result of claims filed because of acts of terrorism, specifically the ones which occurred on 9/11/01. The NRA obtained another company to replace the defunct one, and the club's insurance has continued to be in effect. At the February, 2004, meeting the board of directors learned of increases in the cost of the club's liability insurance, even though we have never had a claim. The board members also reviewed the liability limits on the insurance the club has, which had not been changed from the minimum level purchased many years ago, and then voted to increase the club's coverage. The club's annual liability insurance premium, at $6654 per year, is now the largest single item in the cost of operation of the club. It takes the dues of 121 members, or 27% of the regular membership, just to pay for the insurance to protect the club in the event of an accident.
The message here is to be careful and safe at the club, and to be aware of the encroaching development, so that we do not incur any larger costs or greater risks than we do now. In addition, we would appreciate any thoughts or suggestions for increasing the club's income to cover this, and other, increases in the cost of operation of the club. If you do have such suggestions, for lowering (or at least not increasing) costs, preserving the club's property and assets to avoid replacement costs, or increasing the club's income, please communicate them to a member of the board. You can do so by talking or e-mailing to one of the directors, (use The Board button for e-mail IDs and telephone numbers), or call the clubhouse (503-266-2453), or send an e-mail to crgc@canby.com, and the message will be forwarded to the appropriate person. Please take some time to think about the problem, and consider what we can do.