First lockdown, then summer break: Gauschützenmeister Gertraud Stadler worries that young people could turn to other sports.
Babing
- Gertraud Stadler has been in office as the new Gauschützenmeisterin in Gau Dorfen for a good ten months.
Shortly after the new elections in mid-March 2020, all shooting sports came to a standstill due to the corona virus.
In the summer it was then possible to shoot with the hygiene concept for a few months.
The shooting ranges have been closed again since November.
How does the corona pandemic affect the operation of the Gaussian shooting range in Oberdorfen?
Unfortunately, we had to shut down the entire system from mid-March to the end of June.
We were able to operate the five large and small caliber stands from July to mid-August.
How did that work
We have developed a hygiene concept for this and five shooters were able to shoot in two rounds two days a week after registering by telephone.
This was mainly used by the large-caliber shooters who have to keep their shooting records.
As the new Gauschützenmeisterin, I accompanied the shooting evenings and was able to familiarize myself with the processes and safety standards on the system.
The new board of directors used August / September to complete the rest of the renovation work on the ventilation system.
When we slowly started again in the air rifle area with round competitions, youth training and target shooting, we were slowed down again by the second lockdown.
Since November we have locked the facility again and the board members take turns with patrols through the facility.
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The first woman at the top of the Schützengau: Gertraud Stadler.
© Peter Stadler
In the autumn, the Gaussian shooting had to be canceled and income from the shooting operations was lost.
How is the maintenance of the Gaussian shooting site guaranteed?
We are in the fortunate position that we have leased the Gaussian shooting site from the city of Dorfen on very favorable terms.
Since the shooting range is completely closed, apart from heating and electricity we don't have any major expenses at the moment.
The income from the shooting operations is of course missing, as we had included this in the financing of the ventilation system.
At the moment the Gau "lives" from the share of the membership fees.
These will be drawn in by the Bavarian Sports Shooting Association at the end of March instead of in mid-February in 2021, as a courtesy to the clubs.
How does the corona crisis affect the number of members and youth work in the clubs?
In 2020 the number of members has not yet changed significantly.
However, hardly any new members could be won in the second half of the year.
At the end of 2020, we had 49 fewer members than a year earlier.
The number of members will only change significantly now in 2021.
Why is that?
Our shooting sport is mainly practiced in the clubs in winter.
Just at the time when the second lockdown began, many young people who are now allowed to shoot with air guns at the age of twelve would have joined the clubs and celebrated their first shooting successes this season.
There is a risk that, when the shooting sport is in the summer break, the young people will choose other sports.
Which events is Schützengau Dorfen planning as soon as the situation allows again?
Unfortunately we had to cancel our Gaume Championships for 2021.
They would have taken place in January / February.
We also wanted to finish the round competition that started in autumn.
In addition, the new board elected in 2020 would have some ideas for new competitions for the youth and for the women.
We also want to encourage more support shooting for senior citizens.
Are there any positive findings from the past ten months?
During the time when the large / small bore system was in operation, I was able to get to know all the shooters who came to Oberdorfen to shoot through personal registration and was able to receive many suggestions for further operation.
I am also pleasantly surprised at how many trained supervisors have agreed to guarantee the operation of the system in compliance with the hygiene concept, since the disinfection measures and the additional documentation require a lot more voluntary time.
