First they had to survive the renovation of the community center, then came the pandemic: Now the Garching shooters are worried about the fear of the future, the members are dwindling.
Garching
- The Schützenstüberl is spruced up and full of memories.
The walls of the small room in the Garching community center are papered with countless discs of honor that remind of the long history of the club: special birthdays, shooting tournaments, honors of the mayor and deceased personalities of the club - everything is immortalized on the small wooden plaques.
"We are the second oldest club in Garching, this year we will be 140", says treasurer Manfred Schweinshaupt.
However, the 80-year-old is increasingly concerned about the future of the Garching shooting club, which was founded in 1881.
Above all, there is a lack of offspring.
"We urgently need a new addition to young people," complains master rifleman Rainer Broseg (65), "22 people have left since 2017 and, unfortunately, three have died."
"It's about club life and precision."
There are various reasons why the association has now shrunk to 96 members: The Garching shooters are not alone with the problem of young talent, other associations such as traditional costume clubs are also fighting for the youth. "In the Munich North region alone, five shooting clubs have ceased in recent years," says Broseg. The image is bad. Assassinations, rampages and lax weapons handling in the United States would fall back on them. "People have something completely different on their minds when they hear Schützenverein than what is happening here," says Broseg. "Meanwhile, this is about club life and precision."
With them at the shooting range everything is calm and focused.
Safety is a top priority.
Air guns are only used for shooting, and children can practice with even less dangerous light guns.
Broseg: "We never shoot sharply."
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Treasurer Manfred Schweinshaupt (left, 80) and shooter master Rainer Broseg (65) are looking forward to new members in the Garching shooting club.
© Dieter Michalek
In addition to the already difficult situation of the shooting club, there are further problems.
Ten members resigned in 2010 because of displeasure with the smoking ban.
In 2017, the renovation of the community center, which shouldn't actually affect the Schützen's premises - but on June 23, 2017, Manfred Schweinhaupt should be taught one thing better.
He came into the club rooms and was greeted by mountains of rubble and a pungent smell from the sewer system.
"I walked in the door and it almost knocked me out."
Apparently there were communication problems between the city, the construction company and the association.
"During the renovation, I must have been dealing with eight different people," says Rainer Broseg.
But he doesn't want to talk badly about the city.
After all, she financed modern electric shooting ranges for the club in 2007 for around 40,000 euros.
"The honors are stacked on my table"
However, the modern equipment does not help the association if the members are absent.
And they can only come if there is also a club life.
But: "The renovation work went into Corona," reports Broseg.
"Now four years there has been nothing and the honors are piled up on my table."
The Garching shooters hope that the pandemic has endured at least in spring and that they can then shoot again and be together.
There should be a lot of honor plaques.
Just join in: Those
interested can - as far as the Corona regulations allow - stop by on Fridays at 7 p.m. for training and sitting together in the basement of the community center in Garching, Bürgerplatz 9, or get information on tel. 089/32 70 76 04.
You can find more news from Garching and the district of Munich here.
