M.P.C.P.A.
February 12, 2005	WINTER 2005
	MOVING FORWARD I would like to congratulate our new board members (They are at mpcpa.org under Board of Directors). It was touch and go for awhile but we look forward to maintaining and increasing our membership. I would also like to welcome aboard (that a marine thing!) our new MPCPA members. CONGRATULATIONS and WELCOME!! We look forward to helping you enjoy your sport of PPC shooting. WE ARE PART OF A GREAT ORGANIZATION! Reflecting back on my shooting career, I have had a great time shooting PPC. I am concerned now that future policemen and women along with a great number of civilians will not be able to compete in PPC. Our match numbers continue to drop, year after year. I am not sure what it will take to turn it around but I have some ideas (we will discuss them later). It is now, more than ever, obvious we need to increase our membership. We need as many persons involved in the MPCPA and shooting PPC or we will not have a sport. I have included the written speech I gave at the O.C.S.O. match on Sunday January 30, 2005. As you read the speech I am not slamming the NRA. I am trying to prove a point. As I compare the MPCPA and the NRA, please realize that we need the MPCPA to maintain our PPC as the NRA has maintained our 2^nd amendment rights. I would like to take a moment to speak about the MPCPA. Since I have become the President of the MPCPA I have been asked several times “what can/will the MPCPA do for me? I really never had a good answer to that question until this past fall. As we pondered shutting down the MPCPA due to lack of participation and no one wanting ANY of the office positions, it became clear what the MPCPA is most valuable for. Let’s compare it to the NRA. Now the NRA is on a much larger scale and was started by the US SENATE but lets compare the two briefly. When you joined the NRA what did you get? A card, patch, pin and a magazine subscription. Since that time what have you gotten from the NRA? Better yet, how much more money have you sent them in donations? The MPCPA a card, patch, pin and a newsletter in once in awhile! You can see so far there is not much difference! Now the NRA has fought hard and desperately to uphold our 2^nd amendment rights, to the point many US citizens can now defend themselves against pieces of poo, at least in their home state!!! The MPCPA on the other hand, has fought hard and desperately over the years to organize PPC shooting across the state of Michigan. Last fall as I contemplated not running for the President job some things became clear. What if we dissolve? How will any organized notification of matches take place? The website would be closed and slowly but surely we would all loose contact with each other and the numbers at our matches would fall drastically. Matches could no longer be held because of the costs. When I think back some pretty prominent names stand out as members of the MPCPA, these are in no particular order: Jeff Renshaw, Dennis Willing (Currently running for a NRA director position), Bill Bolin, Milt Soditch, Mike and Norma Patrick, Bill Forbes (Just passed away, Founding member), Walt McIlmurray (he either trained you or sold you something or both), Mike Delaney, Larry Miller, John Ousnamer, Lyle Schroeder, David Krupp, Joe Leinenger, Dell Austin and we cannot forget Lori Norman! So my answer is this, As long as we maintain, participate and increase our membership, we will stand a much greater chance of preserving one of the greatest pistol shooting competition both indoors and out, the shooting sport of Police Pistol Combat better known to young and new folks as PPC, Please Join Tonight!!! SOME IDEAS! I have stated many times, I feel the person/persons that can contribute the most to increasing participation in our sport are firearms instructors. Every student you have contact with is a potential PPC shooter. We need to stress to these people it’s not about being a “great shooter” it’s about doing something exciting with your firearm that will increase their ability to use the firearm under stress. When I ventured into this sport with a little persuasion from Mr. Ken Ball (how many remember Ken), I was a reserve for Pontiac PD (later with the OCSO). I thought “If I have to use this firearm, it will probably be to defend my life” I entered PPC shooting to make me a better shooter, thereby increasing my chances of winning the “gunfight”. That turned into a great love affair with PPC shooting. So, it is up to YOU, it doesn’t matter if you have been shooting PPC for 30 years or 3 days, 600 shooter or 400 shooter if you/we don’t keep adding to the PPC shooting discipline there will be no PPC. Club instructors, police instructors, you and your fellow shooters need to be constantly informing your students of the importance of competition. Every time anyone has an opportunity to increase/generate participation you should do so. We have tried to increase the numbers by pushing the match on our deputies at the OCSO. Mr. Bruce Michaels and Don Demenuik have started a PPC School at the Oakland County Sportsman’s Club and it has been doing great. I know there are more out there pushing the sport and I salute you. Please drop me a line about anything I can pass on to help our sport. MILT WILLIAMS President, MPCPA Deputy, OCSO
	WEBSITE Our website is being updated a little more frequently thanks to Mr. Ward. Please visit the website and look around. Don’t forget the scroll bar on the right side. This may help you find those things that are hidden. The stats should be currently updated, match dates and flyers posted, match results and upcoming meeting dates and locations. Board members can be contacted by emailing from the Board of Directors page. FROM THE TREASURER I would like to thank and welcome the new board to the board. It was touch and go there at the end of last year. I really thought we wouldn’t have an Association this year. I am very pleased I was wrong. I am looking forward to working with the new board members along with the current members. We are doing pretty well as far as the bank account being about where it was last year at this time. I am hoping we are able to get some new shooters to join. We do have a few this year. So remember, if you get a friend to join, you will receive $5.00 off your dues next year. We are also always looking for advertisement on the web site from businesses or individuals. We are hoping to be able to get enough advertisers on the site to make it pay for itself. It costs us every time we update the site. So if you know of anyone interested in advertising on our site, get a hold of a board member. Good luck to all this year and keep your eye on your sites. Canadian Point Of View If you are a Canadian shooter and are not involved in the MPCPA, why is that? The MPCPA is a very valuable resource for shooters that are as spread out as we are. With the website problems solved we now have access to match schedules, results and areas such as the forum section (a good place to find information related to shooting). The MPCPA also promotes both indoor and outdoor shooting in Michigan by hosting a championship each as well as a Governor’s Twenty in each. This can only happen if there are shooters involved so if you are a member great! if not, contact me or any board member for info on joining. Don’t let apathy kill our sport. Tom Vanner Canadian Director STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS Check out the website for info on the Indoor State Championships. More to come. Please to shoot and support the MPCPA and PPC shooting. HAPPY SHOOTING!!!!!!