The Wife and I were there.

Don't know what time or WHO spoke to you.

It was a Thank You BBQ for the Volunteers who worked the SSF event.

It should and could have been handled better.

I will forward this to the organizers.

BTW:  Disagreement in the ranks is Exactly what Anti 2A groups seek.

Group A Not happy with Group B who is Not happy with Croup C. 

So busy infighting that no one notices that Group D got Axed because of all the bickering.

My PC, My Opinion

I realize I am a new member and don't know much of the history or the people involved.   But as a new member in the group, I agree with what Old Man said about the nonsense of bickering and would hate to see people fighting.

Now if it was me that got that "you are not welcome here", I would probably react the same way that KingKeoni did.  Seems there is a people relations issue there that HRA could do better with and I hope that they do something about it. 

Seems there are some good people in HRA (such as Old Man and Tom_G) and I hope they can bring this up with the organizers.

That said, factioning between "HRA vs the HDF" just seems to bring no good, don't you think?

Wow that's actually kinda really sad coming from one well-known shooting community to, who as far as the individuals involved that demanded KK to leave and informed him he's not welcome, someone who could have very well been a brand new shooter. This forum may not be the proper place, but I'm hoping someone from HRA side will have something to say.

Yeah I love HDF, but please don't split this into a HRA vs HDF. We really need to stick together.

I don't wish HRA any ill will, just sounds like they have all the members they want.

I don't wish HRA any ill will, just sounds like they have all the members they want.

I agree 100%

Quote from: onfloat on December 11, 2011, 07:20:24 PM

I don't wish HRA any ill will, just sounds like they have all the members they want.

I agree 100%

True!

Thanks b2b. lol. We need work together.

I received a similar response when I stopped to watch the MPPL IPSC shooters, though when I met up with the old IDPA crew they were all cool.  Too bad they aren't shooting there anymore.  I emailed a few of the old IDPA guys and I guess there were some problems or something along with no one really helped organize.

If that's what happened to you, I'm deeply sorry.  I was sitting there when you walked up, but had given up hours ago on on the "I wonder if this in KK because I don't recognize his face" game. 

I can't speak to the accuracy of your account of events.  But to characterize a 30-something woman as "very old" is pretty far from the mark. 

As far as condemning HRA based on one set of encounters, well, that's up to you.  You have HRA to thank for the fact that handuns are still legal in Hawaii, that the .50 BMG hasn't been banned, that castle defense was passed here, and a host of other triumphs in a state that has been notoriously anti-gun since day 1.  Don't let a personality conflict get in the way of supporting HRA or any other organization striving to restore our freedoms.

If that's what happened to you, I'm deeply sorry.  I was sitting there when you walked up, but had given up hours ago on on the "I wonder if this in KK because I don't recognize his face" game. 

I can't speak to the accuracy of your account of events.  But to characterize a 30-something woman as "very old" is pretty far from the mark. 

As far as condemning HRA based on one set of encounters, well, that's up to you.  You have HRA to thank for the fact that handuns are still legal in Hawaii, that the .50 BMG hasn't been banned, that castle defense was passed here, and a host of other triumphs in a state that has been notoriously anti-gun since day 1.  Don't let a personality conflict get in the way of supporting HRA or any other organization striving to restore our freedoms.

Tom- I hope your response was not in response to my post.  As my post was about MPPL, though I believe everyone is entitled to a bad day and maybe one day I would stop by to check out MPPL and not just judge it off of one person or two people.  You, Sir, should be the public affairs rep for HRA.

If that's what happened to you, I'm deeply sorry.  I was sitting there when you walked up, but had given up hours ago on on the "I wonder if this in KK because I don't recognize his face" game. 

I can't speak to the accuracy of your account of events.  But to characterize a 30-something woman as "very old" is pretty far from the mark. 

As far as condemning HRA based on one set of encounters, well, that's up to you.  You have HRA to thank for the fact that handuns are still legal in Hawaii, that the .50 BMG hasn't been banned, that castle defense was passed here, and a host of other triumphs in a state that has been notoriously anti-gun since day 1.  Don't let a personality conflict get in the way of supporting HRA or any other organization striving to restore our freedoms.

I figured her for about 50 something.

And I'm not condemning anyone.

I don't think that any firearm organization should mistreat any individual. Especially in a state that already dislikes the ownership of firearms.
 
The "prejudice" if you will against an outsider, looking in is inexcusable.

I was simply standing there looking for the "pony tail" when I was asked to leave.

 Wow.

There is no personality conflict.

Any organization, however that allows or even condones this type of behavior is not an organization that I care to be a part of.

Although I have been an active shooter for over 3 decades, I've recently been actively looking for organizations in which to be involved.

The way I was treated today astonished me. I can not with any sincerity recommend any organization to anyone that mistreats newcomers.



On a different note, I think I saw you.

I saw a very long pony tail and right as I was about to ask the person with a pony tail if he was Tom, I was cast out of the holy land occupied by the HRA.

They treated me the same way last year. I figure that part of it is insurance and liability related. Thier insurance plan probably covers only members and active participants that sign a waiver and doesn't cover casual spectators. Their "Top Shot Competitions" are interesting, but are geared more for entry level shooters. I actually signed up for a year with HRA to enter the shoot. The winner got a box of pistol ammo from Daniel.

They treated me the same way last year. I figure that part of it is insurance and liability related. Thier insurance plan probably covers only members and active participants that sign a waiver and doesn't cover casual spectators. Their "Top Shot Competitions" are interesting, but are geared more for entry level shooters. I actually signed up for a year with HRA to enter the shoot. The winner got a box of pistol ammo from Daniel.

It's really sad.

The more I talk to my friends that have been shooting for years, they tell me similar stories of how they were mistreated by the HRA. 

I too have seen some of the HRA's PR woes.  However, The HRA is one of the only organizations we have that has the political pull to keep our rights, remaining rights, intact.  If it was not for the HRA then we would be living in a city/state similar to Chicago, IMO.  Do not forget that the HRA supports what the HDF is doing, and, as far as I know, is continuing to support the HDF's cause.  Which is, or should be all our common cause, restore our rights as US citizens to keep and bare arms.

Therefore, I will continue to support the HRA with my membership, and dollars.

I do agree that the public relations area of the HRA is somewhat rough around the edges, and I do think that when ever the group is out in public, the general mood should be that of constant recruitment, never turn down a possible new member.

With that being said, I would not let any small infraction of word or action deter me from seeking the means to bring about the change that this city/state needs.  Personallities differ and some are not as compatible as others, poeple need to understand that these differences are petty, when looking at the bigger picture, and need to work though these issues, and strive to achive the ultimate goal.

I am a HRA member, but not an active one.

I stopped going to the Fun Shoots a long time ago and when I did go it wasn't bad (as far as how people were treated).  I just got tired of the Fun Shoots being a preach and teach.  Anyhow KingK, sorry to hear about your experience.  Hopefully those involved will treat this as a learning experience and make changes.

Thanks for the post, I was getting ready to stroke off some checks this week for the NRA and trying to decide on a local group.

Im new to the island and this board ,but KingKeoni's remarks seem very rational and in perspective. The 1st run in with the female I would have set aside, but when he got the 2nd cold shoulder, my reaction would have been the same; you can burn.

Just the shear verbiage of "you are not welcome here" reflects so much on that individual and the HRA that it would take ALOT for me to overcome that. As others have said, 1st impressions are lasting ones. It also seems with the other posts, this is not an isolated incident.

 I also would have shared my experience, positive and negative with others to make a more educated decision on group affiliation. After all, thats what these boards are for.

THANKS OP!

Lifer.........Kokohead is a very clique-ish place.  You have the HRA bay, the cowboy action guys, the IDPA/IPSC whatever guys, the shotgun guys, the bullseye pistol guys, the rifle guys, and the silhouette guys.  Some people are into more than one set of these and even amongst those areas there are other cliques as well. 

It doesn't surprise me that KingK ran into these types of people, I'm just surprised it as in the HRA bay.  There definitely are those guys in the rifle, shotgun and silhouette bays though.  I don't know about the IDPA/IPSC guys because I never go into that bay.  FWIW the most chill people out there seem to be the cowboy peeps.  Those guys are pretty cool from to little I've been in their bay.  Always friendly and always willing to talk to you.  What they do looks like a heck of a lot of fun.

Lifer.........Kokohead is a very clique-ish place.  You have the HRA bay, the cowboy action guys, the IDPA/IPSC whatever guys, the shotgun guys, the bullseye pistol guys, the rifle guys, and the silhouette guys.  Some people are into more than one set of these and even amongst those areas there are other cliques as well. 

It doesn't surprise me that KingK ran into these types of people, I'm just surprised it as in the HRA bay.  There definitely are those guys in the rifle, shotgun and silhouette bays though.  I don't know about the IDPA/IPSC guys because I never go into that bay.  FWIW the most chill people out there seem to be the cowboy peeps.  Those guys are pretty cool from to little I've been in their bay.  Always friendly and always willing to talk to you.  What they do looks like a heck of a lot of fun.

Sad.

It was my entire strategy to just go to Kokohead one day and hang out to get the feel for the place and its protocol's. I dont want to be that Haole, new guy screwing up the "rulz".
Its funny because I have a little bit of everything in my safe and want to shoot the entire range.
Sounds like I'll need to bring my body armour by walking into the wrong bay. 

Hell, what should I wear, what should I say, not say, sounds like middle school all over again.......Oh well, I'm going to shoot and mind my own business.

FWIW, everyone on this site seems pretty cool; I dont see many people offering up their weapons to strangers to shoot and indoctrinate into shooting, very cool and the way it should be.

Thanks for the advice.

I don't go to the range very much,  and always keep to myself. I even once saw a gun registration guy from the firearms department, and he may have even recognized me (just registered the day prior with him), but I pretended not to notice. Just kinda socially awkward like that. Wait what was my point again......oh yeah, so, as a casual user, I don't really see the cliques that GZire was talking about. The only clique that is abrasive enough for someone like me who is just trying to mind his own business to recognize are the geezers that park their gear on a table and then jack off with the other geezers at other tables for the entire time I'm there, after I waited an hour to get a table of course. Not really abrasive, but rude as hell.

So anyway, I haven't personally recognized the kind of cliques mentioned above, but maybe because I have proverbial horse-blinders on when go there.

I'll probably get "scolded" for this too

I did