"The Five-Minute Handbook" INTRODUCTION This was a collection of guidelines for gun rights activists, but it seemed to be very applicable to RO duties in DURC with a few modifications so here they are : THE HANDBOOK RULES NO ONE IS AS INTERESTED AS YOU ARE. Nowadays everyone's attention span and time are limited. Be grateful if you get anyone's attention on DURC, even for a few seconds. Some wannabe shooters come in like a lion, then disappear faster than sh*t through a short dog. Take whatever you get from any volunteer. Praise and thank them. Don't be disappointed when they drift away. They will. But some come back. Keep the light on for them. THE COLLEGE STINKS. So do DUCAC, the Buildings Office, the Gardai and the government in general. At the same time, the college is the best thing since sliced bread. We won't keep our range without them. It's normal to love them and hate them at the same time. Be sure your complaints about them go to the person who can do something about your problem. Never lose your temper with them -- it's much easier to fix things when you don't. Avoid griping in public -- our opponents love it when we do. Always handle our dirty laundry behind closed doors. Always. THERE IS NO MAGIC BULLET. There is no single answer, rule, or solution. Never has been, and never will be. None of us will write the single brilliant letter to the department that will miraculously turn everything around. Keep steadily busy. Do as much as you can, whenever you can. Anything you do counts, but some things count more than others. Find out what counts. Then do it. THERE IS NO FINAL VICTORY. Preserving DURC is an ongoing PROCESS. We are winning and losing battles during this process, but the war will never be over. Becoming active to keep your club is a lot like cleaning your house: it's thankless and boring work, but necessary. Like dirt, the problems will just keep coming back. Forever. Your work will keep us winning more than losing. Problems count on wearing us down. They love it when one of us (not you, of course) gets discouraged and drops out. When you fully understand and accept the reality that running DURC is a never-ending struggle, you're automatically in the top 5 percent of all of those that help run DURC. Congratulations. DURC WORK IS BORING. It's especially boring when you are doing things that really make a difference. Most of us want drama. We want to be entertained. Cleaning the range after your night on the duty roster, filling out all the paperwork, getting logistics sorted a week before the competition, filling up a member's datacard -- suddenly, even a trip to the dentist for a root canal will start to look better. Sorry, but there is no workaround on this aspect. Running DURC is not easy. It's a pain in the ass. Get used to it, get over it, and get to work. USE THE POWER OF FEAR AND GUILT. People are susceptible to these emotions. Awaken sleeping DURC members by tapping these powerful emotions. Fear and guilt will move mountains -- and get people to show up for competitions, and to get them to volunteer for RO duty. ARM YOURSELF WITH ACCURATE INFORMATION. Paradoxically, bad information or disinformation is a plague in the so-called Information Age. When you write or talk about DURC issues, use only the facts, the truth, and the provable. Verify any quotes that you use. Back up your generalizations with powerful and specific examples. Get on the internet, and get your like-minded friends online. Join several of the hundreds of net communities that will keep you informed instantly and completely about our special issues. Information is power! JUST SHOW UP. It's been said that 80 percent of success is showing up. Being there. Showing up to do your night on the duty roster At competitions, representing DURC. At meetings, to give your opinion. On the mailing lists, to keep the discussion going. If you do nothing else, just show up. DON'T MESS WITH TRUE BELIEVERS. In the time you spend trying to pursuade one hardcore antigun or uninterested person to try target shooting, you could have gone out and signed up 20 people who already have an interest. Go with the flow. It's easier on your nerves, and much more effective. Personally, I have never managed to pursuade an antigun person to try it, and I can't think why I should try. Lots of students haven't heard of DURC. Lots of them wouldn't mind having a go at target shooting. Where is your time most effectively spent? Think about this before you spend an hour trying to get someone to join up during fresher's week. SIMPLICITY STILL MATTERS. The old rule, Keep It Super Simple (KISS), is as important as it ever was. It applies to internet postings, planning for competitions, paperwork, training -- everything. And keep it short. And keep it sweet: don't ever ridicule or insult anyone. Did you notice that I did NOT say, "Keep It Simple, STUPID?" YOU ARE ALL ALONE. Well, not quite alone. You do have some help. DURC has several RO's and committee members. But you can't count on "DURC" organising everything. YOU have to step in and lend a hand. Once you realise this, you'll be one of the more valuable people running the club. WHEN IN DOUBT, JUST DO SOMETHING. Sometimes we don't know what will work. Often your finest poster or brilliant idea will not be acknowledged, or you will just get a half-hearted response. But if you take out the bins today, the range won't stink tomorrow ! And if you bring down some milk and cookies for the plebs, maybe we'll get some of them to come back and some of those who do may be the ones that break a club record, or help run the range tomorrow. Trust yourself, trust your instincts -- and just do something.