Jeff:
We eliminated the waiting list, several years ago, because it simply became too long. Some folks had been on it, for as much as 5 years and, when they were called, for an interview, they had either forgotten about it or no longer wanted to join.
Now, we start fresh, each year, with applicant submissions.
We open the membership, to new applicants, once, each year, in August. All applicants must be interviewed, then accepted, by the Board of Directors, before being brought before the general membership, for their vote. All prospective members must be sponsored, by a club member, who has known the applicant, for at least 6 months. Members are limited to two applicant sponsorships, per year and must agree to act as that new member's surety, during his/her probationary year. If, during the new member's probationary year, s/he breaks any of the rules, his/her sponsor loses his/her ability to sponsor anyone, for the following year.
Membership is limited, by our bylaws, to 200. The location is on Kean Street, off Edison Ave., in West Babylon, in a custom-constructed building, within an industrial park. The building looks like just another of the factory/industrial buildings in that area, making it impossible for anyone to tell it's not anything else.
We normally hold our first and last applicants' interview meeting, in September or October, each year, depending on the number of applications we receive. At this point, if you have a sponsor, you can complete an application, for inclusion on the interview list. Typically, we start accepting applications, on August 1st, ending on August 31st.
All applicants must be NRA members. We require your NRA membership number, which we verify, each year, as a condition of continued membership. We also very strongly recommend that you be a member of your county sportsmen's/women's federation (Nassau County Fish & Game Assn or Suffolk Alliance of Sportsmen, Inc.), to be a member of Old Bethpage. We couldn't care less, whether you're a member of NYSRPA.
We have an indoor-only facility with:
12 handgun/rimfire rifle points, to fifty (50) feet,
1 FMJ/magnum handgun/rimfire rifle point, to seventy five (75) feet,
2 centerfire rifle tubes, to 100 yards (300 feet),
2 indoor areas, which can be utilized as classrooms:
1. the upstairs room can easily accommodate 50 students, plus staff and
2. the downstairs room (adjacent to and shielded from the shooting ranges) can accommodate 80 students, plus staff,
there are separate male and female rest rooms (one each),
there is a telephone facility (pay phone) on premises; cellular service is, also, excellent,
1st year's dues are $390; thereafter, dues are $250, per year, plus participation in a work party. If you do not participate in the work party, there is a $100 surcharge to your dues.
New members are required to participate in:
1) a firearms training course, provided, at no charge, by the club and
2) a work party (the members perform 99% of the maintenance and repair work, which helps to keep the costs down).
It's an electronic card-key club, so you can pretty much come and go, as you please. However, we do have a lockout time, from 11pm, until 6am, everyday, during which no one may enter the facility but, if you're already in, no problem.
Typically, we have 8~10 openings but receive 30~45 applications, each year.
You can call me, at the office, 9am~4:30pm, M~F, at (631) 226 7202, if you have any additional questions.
Gary