I get what she’s saying about shooting sports, if the OP is female looking to meet men. I belong to a couple field-sports clubs, and I completely understand her reaction. There aren’t a lot of activities I’ve been involved in where men are both a)vastly predominant, numbers-wise, and b) “drawn to” being overtly friendly, helpful, encouraging, welcoming, etc to the few women involved.
I’m not saying I’ve had negative experiences in that regard (exactly) except to say that usually “boys’ clubs” tend to be somewhat exclusionary when women come around. Field sports like shooting, archery, etc have been, in my experience, the exception. They are predominantly male activities but they really, really like it when women get involved, too.
There are all kinds of co-ed social activities where you can meet people of the opposite sex. Nerd stuff, taking classes, gaming clubs like Scrabble or whatever are fun ways to meet people, too, but there’s something about the culture and environment of field sports that seems to me to hold an extra layer of “welcome inclusion” particularly by men toward women. If you’re weirded out about guns and hunting, the historical field sports like cowboy shooting and archery (as distinct from bowhunting) are really all about the fun of the game, and not at all about shooting living things.
I can’t believe nobody’s already suggested a swingers’ club.
The zeal is kind of weird isn`t it? I really get the impression she’s something like a marketing manager for the national association of gun clubs.
I dont mean to add to the debate by criticizing **Susanann**'s idea but I think the extreme attention a woman would get at a gun club is precisely the problem with it as an idea. I think all the men *would* fawn over her and try to teach her everything. I cant speak for Giltathriel or women in general but as a single guy I want to be in situations conducive to meeting lots of women, not in situations where they’ll be singularly focused on me. I took a martial arts class when I was 14 with almost every other member an adult and when any adult woman showed up she was just surrounded by men treating her special. I would not be at all comfortable with that.
Speak for yourself. I took line dancing in college on the advice of a friend- 65 girls, 3 guys, including me and the instructor… and he was gay.
Ah, good times.
Exactly - I was going to suggest a sex club, but not quite sure how much male bonding we are referring to. I have been in a few of those clubs, and despite what some people think, they really are about more than “just sex”, but of course, that is one of the major purposes.
(I doubt however that that is what the OP is/was looking for…)
Okay.
Virtually EVERY club I’ve ever been in has had monthly meetings. These are mostly SOCIAL FUNCTIONS. You generally dont cave at a cave club meeting. You don’t sail at a sailing club meeting. You don’t scuba dive at scuba club meeting. You generally don’t do serious astronomy at an astronomy club meeting. And so on and so on…
At these meetings, folks shoot the shit before the meeting. There is often a program, club business, and planning for future activities, usually ranging from local/beginner to advanced expeditions to the other side of the world. There are often food/snacks/beverages during or after the meeting. And many folks go out to eat after the meeting or perhaps before depending. And often there is still more verbal shooting of the shit after the meeting as well.
In addition, many of the these clubs often have an annual party or two as well. Usually some summer party and a Christmas/New Years thing. In ADDITION to all these monthly meetings, and a special party or two, there are also annual REGIONAL get togethers where many clubs in an area get together for a convention of one sort or another. And on top of that NATIONAL get togethers.
And as others have pointed out, even after ALL that, there is often AMPLE additional opportunity for socializing getting to and from the activity, after the activity, and DURING the activity as well.
And back to the totally uninformed astronomy remark. The get togethers to actually DO astronomy usually start at sunset, not 3am. Astronomy is a gentle activity that requires neither great mental or physical agility. Its dark, slow moving, perfectly safe and relaxing. What more perfect opportunity for socializing could there be? And astronomy clubs are, or at least used to be fairly heavy on the man side of man/woman balance. In addition astronomy get togethers often last well into the next morning. Do soldiers of fortune start shooting at dark and wrap it up at 3am ?
I dont know what area you live in, but if a gun club is the only place you dont get a “Tiger Woods attends the KKK meeting” reception, I’d move if I was you.
Tiger Woods attends the KKK?
Virtually EVERY activity I’ve been involved in, man dominated or not, has been EXACTLY that IME. Women and/or newcomers welcome with open arms.
As another poster pointed out, if ANYTHING, some club members are a bit too welcoming to newcomers of the female gender.
Women, even ham beasts, given the cold sholder? Never seen it.
Jesus Christ. I have nothing against guns but Susanann’s obsessive idea of how gun clubs & shooting are* the only clubs women can join to meet men!!11!!!1!!* is just truly bizarre, as is her over use of punctuation marks. She’s the one who comes across as a young kid here, who found a new hobby and has to force it onto everyone she meets.
Either that or she’s desperately afraid to lose her husband to a single woman. At a gun club, any threatening single women can easily be dispatched with a “hunting accident.”
(I kid, I kid!)
“Ham beasts”? Seriously? Do you honestly have any idea how stupid that sounds? “I swear, we’re all super nice, even to fat, ugly people”.
I think you’re trying to pick a point with me that I’m not making. I’ve participated in different sports groups, classes, gaming clubs, and so on. Many of them have been co-ed, some vastly male-dominated. I’m not here hotly advocating the position that field sports are the only or the perfect place to find friendly men, all I’m doing is generally agreeing with her initial instinctive assessment on the relative likeliness of a high male:female ratio and a general attitude of friendliness and inclusiveness at field-sports clubs. I’m not denigrating any other suggestions in any way at all. I am only saying that in my direct personal experience, I am a female person who has made a lot of lasting male friendships through field sports that did not come through similar participation in activities such as martial arts or language classes or gaming groups, though those are all good, fine, enjoyable, productive places to meet people of similar interests, too.
I am making the point that men in these clubs ARENT just nice to women they wanna bone.
So, your upset that these men generally arent sexist looking to get laid?
Would you be happier if I said “hey if your a looker come on down, if not no need to apply”
The large majority of people in the large majority of clubs I have been involved in have been nothing but welcoming with open arms to total strangers, with no more ulterior motives than to teach a newbie something.
Plently of these manly men have been very nice to me upon showing up at these things. I doubt they were all single gay men looking to score.
Heh, no, it just struck me as a comment identical in tone to “some of my best friends are [racist remark]!”
It’s nice that you’ve been so warmly embraced across the board in all activities you’ve tried. You don’t need to keep insisting on that, I’m not denying the validity of your experiences.
So, you REALLY liked the instructor ehhh? 
Back to the OP.
If you don’t already know this, or haven’t figured it out from the other posts/posters.
For many of these clubs, you probably think “I can’t do that” or “I don’t have the equipment” or “I won’t be good enough at it”.
Most people in most clubs DO NOT CARE about that. You show up at the meeting place, tell you don’t know diddly but are interested, and who do I pay the 20 bucks to so I can get my little newsletter (and membership list with phone numbers hint hint ) and attend the Christmas party.
Astonomers love to show others stuff through their scopes, don’t need a telescope. Sailboat owners love to take others out, dont need a boat. Cavers often have extra gear they will lend you. Same goes for paddlers/whitewaterers.
Actually, most folks in most activities prefer new folks DONT get stuff they need for any activity at first because newbies almost invariably get the WRONG stuff, totally wasting money their money.
And I’ve known a fair number of folks that attend XYZ club meetings that apparently never ever do XYZ and maybe even never did. Unless they exihibit rather strange socially unacceptable behaviors they are not treated like lepers.
Get out there! Try new things ! Maybe have fun. Maybe meet nice people.
“Some of my best friends are I hate negroes!”? 
Sorry, are you actually asking for clarification? My detect-a-joke meter is busted at the moment.
The nearest one is around two hours away in any case.
Sheesh! You mentioned that you like yoga. I like yoga. I’m a guy- mid 30’s though, so probably too old for you personally. I was informed of the benefits, it is a big bonus to my lifestyle, and even though most of the other yoga students are hot chicks I don’t want to screw it up by spending my time checking them all out.
So I guess that is a complicated way to meet guys, but maybe you can find a way.
Worked on Sex & the City.
I picked up capoeira… People who are not part of the college can take it… Coed sport, about equal male/female ratio… Good workout…
I’ve always been received with open arms, even though I suck at it.
I also picked up belly dancing, but I don’t think it will make you meet more guys… But you still meet people…