I think a very small 'man with a stick' is good for the 2 lower classes but just a little pin for the MW would do. Most shooters that have been shooting for any time at all have way too many strophes that are gathering dust in the attic. When I am in AZ, H have to drive at least 60 miles one way to a match so that cost is something to consider. No trophy and a cheaper match fee is a great plan as far as I am concerned. At the TRC HP monthly matches all our fees go to the club and we set our own targets. Everyone seems just fine with that. Turn out varies from 4 to 10 depending on what else is going on such as hunting season. We even put up with a belly shooting charcoal burner shoot with us. Life is good even when the wind blows that stinkin stuff our way.

Emietenkorte, I read your post twice and really like it. Your viewpoint working directly with youth makes perfect sense. From my standpoint our HP shooters are all veterans of the game. We have no youth shooters using the big guns right now. Our more recent adult additions to the HP ranks "graduated" from the local SB matches we have here. To my knowledge there are no youth SB shooters any where near ready to get into HP, if we even have any at all. I do agree though, a permanent recognition such as a trophy is, using your words, something to take home to be proud of, and leave them wanting more.

Lots of good points being made, keep them coming.

Adam,
I've been attending your match for a long time and have been shooting for 17yrs. I feel that getting rid of the option to receive the pins would be a huge mistake. Especially for the new shooters. It is a sense of accomplishment that they can share with their family and friends. I just checked at R&S enterprises and match winner pins are $1.60, class award pins are $1.30 and 5-10 in a row pins are $1.10. If a shooter chooses to shoot both guns at your HP Match they spend $22. If they are match winner and take both pins you pay out $3.20. Or $1.60 per match. I'm assuming that you would plan on paying more than $1.60 for match winner if you were to give monetary awards instead. I've seen it done all ways and I feel the best way would be to give the shooter a choice. When their name is announced and they walk up you ask "Do you want money or the trophy?" If they take the money they receive what they want. And if they take the pin they receive what they want. And at a cheaper cost to the club. And keep track of attendance before and after and see if it causes an increase or not. Harrisburg Hunter and Angler used to do it this way and I personally liked it. That could be your differential advantage that may make people want to attend.
Upon reading your question again I see there was a part of reducing the fee and doing away with the awards. This was done at Shippensburg HP and shortly after the match fizzled out. I cannot answer if this was coincidence or not but something to consider. As an aside Shippensburg had everything going for it. Flat as a golf course and just south of Central Pa.
Mark Varner

Eric has a great point about awards. In the past I have removed nameplates from many of my awards (plaques and trophies) and given them to clubs for reuse with new nameplates.

Mary W

G'day All

With a lot of help from my wife, I run an annual BPCR silhouette match at a small range 2.5 hrs away from me. For the rest of the shooters it is anywhere from 5 to 10 hours.
From the start I have tried to run this match at minimal cost to attract shooters. I have also tried to make it a match that folks want to attend and return again.
I have to pay a fee to the local club for the use of the range. We set our own targets, although I provide RTV's to make it easier.
There are no options for daytime meals in the nearby town so I provide a basic cooked breakfast and lunch. The evening meal is usually at the Pub at the shooters expense.
Each event I have provided mementos for all competitors, embroidered cap, coffee mug, bumper stickers.
I also have a prize table usually made up with donated items. The value of which is around $1000 in total. All names go in a hat and are drawn out at the end of the match. Everyone gets a prize.
We have also had donations of wine from a local winery as well, enough for a couple of bottles per shooter.
So to sum up, you get 3 days shooting on the range, breakfast and lunch for 2 days, a nice memento to keep, a couple of bumper stickers and what ever you get from the prize table. ( prizes range from $25-$150 )
Last years fees were $50 and we had 24 shooters. I think the shooters enjoy the week-end, they keep coming back
We do not hand out awards for placings, although last year the Pom donated 1st,2nd & 3rd plaques for overall.

I personally thought the best awards were at CLSC in PA on Tuesday night shoots long ago. Pins, standard practice ammo, and chocolate bars. At that time ammo was a buck a box, so cost was nominal. Chocolate is good.

Word on the street has it Mr.Bonner will be having the "money shot" thing going on at the Co. state SB match this weekend. Target #8 will be painted florescent orange in each bay. Three bays, twelve on the line at each relay, two full relays. This will be done for match one only each day. The match is a 3x40 shot affair each day. Hope he has enough cash on hand! He is also using recycled award plaques with new brass tags on them. His place awards will have SK ammo, too. His brother Dan will be cooking burgers and brats after the match.

Most of the official type matches that I have shot in have either awarded a medal for the top three places per grade or a packet of 100 small rifle primers for the same. Being someone that is only still reasonably new to the sport coming home with a couple of medals is still pretty cool but I have to also admit that the "free" primers also come in handy when reloading time comes around. That's if I can actually get my act together and shoot well enough.

Geo

The way Dustin runs the year long club match is probably the best way to get attendance and new shooters to come back. Since it is handicapped anyone has a chance to win if you simply keep improving you should be able to beat all the Master class shooters. Then just give out one nice prize for the end of the year and call it done. I also like simple certificate type awards in a Dollar Store frame they cost $2 at most to print for larger events. It says everything a trophy says and is easy to display and pack. Plaques are nice as well but I know they are costly too.

I recently downsized and tossed out boxes full of trophies I have carried around for decades from all sorts of sports. I took pictures and they hit the trash can. Cool unique trophies are nice for a match winner etc but I think most long time shooters are fine with a little cash. Forget ammo like a box or two of SB or primers just give the cash and let the person buy what they already use.

Dee

I'll make the following observations: The BPCR boys absolutely disdain receiving money...or food stuffs (turkeys hams etc). They assert that they want some evidence of their success, so O'Malley the match director gives out playing card size anodized/engraved awards that have a 'stickum tape' on the back and they adorn their shooting boxes. They say when they are asked by friends what they won they can point to that for approved matches (better stuff at a regional). They dislike trying to explain that its not a meat shoot or cash shoot but an actual contest of marksmanship. As far as HP or SB the money just isn't enough and besides do you show your non-competing buddies the 5 or 10 spot that you won...hell a six pack or two or three ...has more appeal. While some eschew plaques etc the folks who are new at this or not as accomplished crave such things so they can brag etc ....witness how 5 and 10 in a row pins make folks happy. Giving a class winner something to take home and show around only serves to attract new or no-so-expert shooters.