Lost Items, Honest Members

Sunday, 4 April 2004

Two items of value were accidentally left on the 50 yard range last month.  CRGC member Kirk Heath, being the only person left on the range, noticed the items, and picked them up to hold them until the owner could be found.  Kirk left a note on the 50 yard range, and another at the sign-in kiosk, so that if the owner returned, the items could be restored to him.  Kirk also left a message on the club's telephone answering machine, but the items had not been reported as lost, so no connection was made.  After several days, Kirk sent an e-mail message to the club's address saying that he had items for someone who had misplaced them.  As it happened, about two hours later the owner of the items sent an e-mail message to the club asking if there was any information about his property.  Club officers were able to get Kirk connected with the owner, and the items were returned to him.  All of this leads to three things:

• We should all be thankful that we have honest members like Kirk Heath who will safeguard someone else's property, and make every effort to identify the owner and return the property.  Good things like this should be published in the newspapers as an example to others on how to conduct themselves in similar situations.  Unfortunately, news like this is rarely published.
• If you have found something that someone at CRGC has lost or misplaced, then you should do one or more of the following:
  1. Leave a note where you found the items, at the sign-in shed, and with the caretakers - Bob and Kathy Tarr.
  2. If an item was left on the range, look at the sign-in sheet to determine who else was on the range around that time.  Telephone number and address information for members can be obtained at the cashier's window any Tuesday or Thursday evening, or you can send an e-mail message asking for member contact information to the club's e-mail address (see #4, below).
  3. Leave a message on the club's answering machine (503-266-2453).
  4. Send an e-mail to crgc@canby.com, and the message will be forwarded to the appropriate people.
  5. Tell an officer or director (see the list at The Board button on the web site for e-mail IDs and telephone numbers) so they can post notices and ask other members.
  6. Tell the cashier at the office window on a Tuesday or Thursday evening, so he can post notices and ask other members.
  7. Consider turning the lost items over to the club for safekeeping.  They can be held in the club's safe.  Ask for a receipt for the items if you wish.
• If you have lost something, and wish to find it, then you should do one or more of the following:
  1. Go through the items in the previous list to learn if someone has already reported finding what may be your property.
  2. Do the same things as in the previous list to notify people that you have lost something.  Include details about when and where the item was lost, a description of the item, and to whom it should be returned, along with contact information.
  3. Ask for a notice to be posted on the club's web site, quarterly newsletter, and on the bulletin boards around the club.
  4. Check back periodically to learn if there is news about your property.  Sometimes the descriptions of the lost and found items don't match too well, and a little more effort is needed to make sure that what has been found is what you lost.