Abbotsford Fish and Game Club (AFGC) has received many communications from its membership regarding renewals for 2020/2021. Some of these communications are asking if we are going to prorate our membership, provide refunds, or other monetary reimbursements for the range being closed due to the Public Health Order (PHO) issued by the Provincial government.
We will not be issuing refunds or rebates on this year’s memberships as our fixed costs haven’t changed. Our single biggest cost is the insurance we provide for our members and for the facility. That insurance is still valid if you choose to go hunting or shooting in the bush.
As well, our membership rates and terms are set at our AGM each year and due to the PHO we are unable to hold our AGM prior to renewals being done. While we hope this closure won’t go on for more than the initial set period, there is a strong chance the PHO will be extended. If that occurs we may visit this issue at next year’s AGM and see what can be done for our current members at that time.
For the coming period, we have decided that if a member cannot afford to renew due to loss of income during the PHO, we will not process any waitlist memberships until one month after the PHO is lifted, giving current members the chance to renew with no penalty during that grace period. As well, should a member need longer to rebuild their bank accounts, 2019/2020 members will be able to renew next year, again with no penalty, by applying to be put on the waitlist, and then being moved to the top.
We understand the frustration felt by many members with the closure, we sought legal advice to determine the best course of action, as well as talking to our insurer and that advice was, we are a non-essential service for our members as we are a sports facility. We are; however, deemed an essential service for our law enforcement agency customers, and as such are required to provide the services they have contracted us for. Even with that being the case all but a few of them have cancelled their rentals in the foreseeable future, which is also impacting the club’s income significantly. This makes our membership renewals even more important to us this year.
Thank you for your patience and understanding through this unique time.
Robert Engh
President Abbotsford Fish and Game Club
Sounds good, Thanks for keeping us informed!
Thanks Rob. Tough times for most. The reasoning behind the lack of refunds to the club’s members makes sense. I believe the club should keep its infrastructure a priority; unfortunately this is only achievable through certain compromises from its members during these most unfortunate times.
It is what it is Rob. It’s not the club’s fault and is an unfortunate situation that can’t be helped. Many businesses are closing permanently because of this. Let’s think about all the people suffering and frontline workers having to deal with all this. Those that lost loved ones and those of us who can’t visit our parents secluded in retirement homes. It makes a $20 – $50 refund on your membership seem pretty unimportant.
Couldnt ask for anything fairer. Thanks for keeping good communications with the membership.
Appreciate the update and looking forward to this all being behind us
This is a reasonable and logical approach. Thanks for the update.
The extra resources added to the range this past year, coupled with an always great member experience makes this all worth it, thanks to all who maintain and continue to build on such a great offering!!
Totally fair in my opinion. This is a member supported club, not a business. Keep up the good work!
I appreciate the update, I take it an email will go out to all members who let their membership expire, once the PHO ends? I would very much like to come back when the range is re-opened, however I can’t financially justify having a membership that I cannot use right now. Cheers
It will be posted on the website once the PHO is lifted, not sure if we will have the ability to email those who have not renewed at that point.
Thanks for the update, it makes a lot of sense. However, I have to halt the renew of next year, due to unexpected reopen date. I will come back once the range is re-opened/PHO lifted. If AFGC has hard finical issue to be continued, I would suggest to call for donation, I would be more than willing to help as best I can.
Thanks rob, Shane and I appreciate the response, I wish involved in this mess the best of luck and wishes.
It is a tough time for all of us but it is of upmost importance that we keep our club alive so if our membership fees is part of the process we should all pitch in and pay it in full. I believe that our club is the best run club in BC so lets keep it running.
b
Clearly I feel differently about this. While it is not the Club’s fault, as someone put it, it is not our fault either. Right now, we are seemingly paying for the law enforcement to be able to go there if that’s all it is open to. I don’t think it is fair as we just had to pay our $250 (Which is already very high considering many times it ya full or being used by select groups) for our membership and we cannot use the range at all. This is likely to go on for months. So if the biggest cost is insurance for the club and no private citizen who is a member can use it, why would you need insurance other than for the law enforcement? If the bottom line is that we are being penalized because the insurance needs to be continued to be paid so that law enforcement groups can continue to train there, then I would rather it just be said as so.
The club has fixed expenses besides insurance just as everyone has at their own home. We want to have a place to shoot when all this is over assuming Trudeau doesn’t pull an Australia after this last incident in Nova Scotia and ban everything. We need to step up and keep the club going through this and if you can’t afford the membership dues the club has provided options Hopefully this will soon pass and restrictions will be lifted in the not too distant future.
Tania, some of the insurance costs that the club incurs are for the property and the buildings, and the agencies definitely pay their fair share. But as of the start of the PHO, all agencies have cancelled their rentals for the foreseeable future.
All of our insurance is fully paid at the beginning of the year based on the amount of members we have at the time, and any refunds from them is not possible.
A large part of your membership fee is your personal liability insurance that covers you for $10,000,000 in case of bodily injury, including death of any person and damage to property of others as a result of his/her hunting and fishing activities. That covers our members on and off the range, if they decide to go shooting in the bush.
Please also remember that if you do not have an active membership at a shooting range, you will be unable to acquire any restricted firearms, as an active membership at a club is a requirement by the CFO in our province.
The membership is not supporting the agencies at AFGC, it is actually the opposite. The club is funded by the members, but all of the extra luxuries that we have added over the years, like heaters on every range, LED lighting on every range, flush toilets for members to use, additional ranges like 2B and 5, were all added due to the income generated from rental agencies. Those things would not be possible if we only relied on membership dues.
We understand the many people are not able to afford to renew their memberships at this time, which is why we have implemented the above policies for renewal.
Thank you for what you guys do. we all understand it can be additionally hard to manage through these times beyond what is normal.
I have some thoughts on this myself. if places like Langley indoor range and silvercore can offer club memberships with 10,000,000 liability for $50 Canadian dollars then we can safely assume that $50 of the $250 you collect is directly to cover the liability insurance. Yes there are some physical assets onsite at the range and there is additional insurance for operating a shooting range that I am sure comes out of this but it feels like you’r e only sharing a small part of the picture with us. It would have been a gesture of good faith to at minimum take the “Workerbee” charge off our renewals as a show that you realize that while most costs are fixed that there is no offering of services right now as well as there are some variable costs that are most likely being reduced at this current time.
I am concerned with your statement regarding agencies that use our facilities. Should they not have the same requirements that we have as members to sign and pay for yearly use? I would suggest that after this when these agencies approach you to use member facilities that you look at a yearly contact or a minimum cost and not just rent out facilities on a per use basis for regular usage. if you need fixed costs from your private members you should be getting the same from your agency members as well.
We are all struggling with hardship right now and we’re all being asked to make sacrifices on many fronts including financially, socially and emotionally. we’re not asking you to completely nullify our fees and renewals but we’re certainly asking for AFGC to show some understanding of the situation we’re all in and join in with the rest of the world and help everyone through this time.
Hi Nick,
Thanks for your comments. The insurance cost for members is around $50 depending on whether you are a single or family member. That is why an associate membership is less expensive than a regular membership as it doesn’t include the liability insurance.
The workbee fee you pay is actually in reference to whether you volunteered the year prior or not. So workbee fees for this year are assessed on your next renewal. The BOD will be discussing what will happen if there is no opportunity to volunteer all year.
There are contracts and cancellation policies in effect for agencies that have been negotiated over the years to be fair and valid for all parties involved.
When will the membership stickers be sent out? We need the stickers to be able to prove we have insurance in order to hunt in the Fraser Valley.
Hi Chris, thanks for your patience, we will be discussing that tonight.
As the province eases COVID19 restrictions for low contact sports with distancing measures in
place, and the recommendation from the Public Health officials to please go outside. Is there any plans to re-open the range on or after May 15, 2020?
on the subject of re-opening.. I got notice that the Langley indoor range is opening on Monday May 18th.. I am of the feeling if an indoor range can open i am certain that our outdoor range can…