Vice President’s Corner | Sept 2026

       At the August Board of Directors meeting, a board member asked an interesting question: “Does the membership know how much work it takes to maintain the club property and what is currently in the works?”

After taking a quick straw poll, I was surprised to find out how little many of our members know about what really goes on behind the scenes. Our monthly newsletter does a great job highlighting member activities, but we don’t often talk about the amount of work required to maintain the wonderful facility we all enjoy.

So, I thought I would give everyone a condensed update. Our Archery group is currently building a berm on their shooting side while continuing to maintain their property by removing heavy brush and dead trees. This is an ongoing job that takes place throughout the year.  Shotgun constantly maintains the clay fields, and the upkeep of their machines is extensive in both cost and labor.  Our campgrounds also require continual maintenance of both the facilities and the grounds.  Not too long ago, the Muzzle Loaders needed work completed in their area that required one of our members to bring in and operate heavy equipment.

Then there are the club grounds themselves. Keeping the grass cut and weeds under control takes a considerable amount of work throughout the season. We also have volunteers who spend their time planting and maintaining flowers around the main clubhouse, helping make the property look as good as it does. Our outdoor rifle, pistol, and action shooting areas require constant upkeep as well—sometimes on an almost monthly basis.

On top of maintaining what we already have, new shooting bays have been approved, with construction planned to begin within the next few months.

And believe me, there is much more going on around OCSC than I can fit into one newsletter article. That brings me to something the Executive Board and Board of Directors recently approved: the purchase of a heavy-duty machine capable of performing many of the jobs I’ve outlined above. There were several reasons for making this investment, but the biggest is fairly simple. We are asking our current club equipment to perform jobs that are beyond what it was really designed to handle. Continuing down that road will eventually mean breakdowns, premature wear, and unnecessary expense just to keep that equipment operational.

For many of the heavier jobs, OCSC has traditionally relied on the generosity of members who own heavy equipment and are willing to bring it to the club and help us out. We have been very fortunate to have members willing to do that.

But there comes a point where continuing to rely on their personal equipment is neither fair nor reasonable. There is wear and tear, transportation, and personal expense involved every time someone brings their own machinery to help
the club.

OCSC is an exceptional club because of the wide variety of activities and facilities we are able to offer our members. But maintaining—and continuing to improve—a property like ours takes a tremendous amount of time, volunteer effort, and, just as importantly, the proper equipment to get the job done. The next time you’re driving through the club, take a look around. A lot of work happens behind the scenes to keep OCSC the place we are all proud to call our club.

See you around the club!
Mike Stailey
1st Vice President
Oakland County Sportsmen’s Club