Thursday’s monthly membership meeting of the Manatee Gun and Archery Club will likely be the largest gathering of club members ever held.
I’ve received scores of calls, emails and texts from members who say they’re all attending for two basic reasons: to find out why the board 
suddenly canned and banned the club’s longtime manager S.E. “Gene” Pitts, and to try to put things right.
The board first tried to fire the 74-year-old retired Marine a couple weeks ago, while he was recuperating from major surgery. Two members attempted to give Pitts’ wife Karen termination paperwork for her husband, but she refused to accept the documents. Once Pitts was released from the hospital, the board ordered him to a special meeting, during which he was fired as manager, given an involuntary leave of absence as club president, and banned from the range — actions Pitts’ attorney said the board lacks the authority to do.
Now, it appears the board is attempting some damage control in advance of the meeting. They’re trying to blame the messenger because they can’t handle the message.
Stephanie Unger, a member of the club’s audit committee, sent out an email from Ron Chapman, the attorney hired by the board to conduct an audit of the club, because of “recent rumors circulating at the range.”
“Lee Williams, columnist of ‘The Gun Writer’ for the Sarasota Herald Tribune has posted three different articles to date during the last three days about our Club and Executive Committee Members’ actions over the past couple months. I urge you to read these articles if you are interested in what is being said about our Club & Range. We have concerns about the validity of the content of these articles,” Unger wrote. “As always, if you have questions or comments you can email us or call us at 941-747-6056.”
I called Ms. Unger Tuesday morning.
“I didn’t send you any emails!” she exclaimed.
I explained that several club members had forwarded her message to me, and that I was calling to find out what concerns she had about the “validity of the content” of my columns.
“I’ll have to get back with you on that,” she said, before she quickly hung up the phone.
Blaming the messenger is a concept as old as journalism itself. It’s usually a pretty good indicator that the participants know they screwed up. In the meantime, #IStandWithGunny.
— If we don’t run into each other at the range, you can reach me at (941) 284-8553, by email at lee.williams@heraldtribune.com or by regular mail, 1741 Main St., Sarasota, FL 34236. You also can follow me on social media at facebook.com/TheGunWriter or Twitter.com/ht_gunwriter or watch us on our new YouTube Channel.
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