A) Work accomplished year to date.
1) The Board has held monthly meetings that include reports from President, VPs, Secretary and Treasurer. In addition, we are provided with updates from Trap, Sporting Clays, Range Maintenance, Archery, and Steel Challenge co-ordinators.
2) Significant repairs and renewal of Range B and C were completed this summer. These include: a new 50m backstop; movement of the target stand at 100 yds to 100m; construction of new target stands at 50m and 100m; new drainage on B and C; new floor on B (down to 100m) and new floor on C; side berms on B were improved down to 100m, and the B/C side berm was brought back up to meet regulations. These improvements took longer to complete and were quite costly; however, the substantive changes made have been well received by the members and should see us through for several years.
3) Maintenance on the main Club House before the Atlantic Trap shoot included: painting of the whole clubhouse; repairs to the deck; and repairs to the rear wall. The Long Branch has undergone significant repairs to the front wall and removal of dry rot. New clapboard has been put on in some areas. Improvements have also be made on the clays shed and covers for launchers.
4) Signage has been improved and first aid kits have been upgraded.
5) New contracts for 3rd party users is in place as are new release and indemnity forms. We have also clarified with our insurer the nature and scope of our coverage, particularly as it applies to 3rd parties.
6) Via work with our insurer, the National Firearms Association, new RSO have been trained. As well 3 of the new RSOs have been certified to offer the RSO course to other members. Next year we will add some more RSOs.
B) Ongoing work
Prior to the AGM this February, we will be doing a mail out to all members. The most significant thing in the mail out will be details on how a new membership system will be instituted. We have selected an on-line membership system, used by many other organizations, that will make it easier to renew membership and pay on-line. The new system will also include new email capabilities.
The changes in how membership is renewed will also necessitate updates to the bylaws. These changes and others will be circulated to the membership in a mail out before the AGM.
We have begun planning for the continuation of range upgrades on A, B and C. In particular, the backstops on A and C need to be brought back to spec, as do the backstops at 100m and 200 "yards". The floor on Range A will be upgraded, as will the floor on B, between 100m and 200. Other areas where we will need maintenance are the eaves on the main clubhouse, and roof and eaves on the Long Branch.
The Club, as you all know, is run by volunteers. We are extremely lucky to have a dedicated group of individuals who work behind the scenes to keep up our facilities and support social events. Many of these volunteers also travel to national and regional competitions for trap and pistol events.
Originally Postponed due to weather conditions the MilSurp Shoot will take place on Sunday, November 24. Weather forecast indicated bit of rain up till 9am and then mostly drizzle after that.Celebrating all things Milsurp. Match is open to any pistol/rifle combo with emphasis on getting the old warhorses out of the safe! The match consists of a mix of marksmanship and dynamic skills!There are also a pile of rifles/pistols available to borrow, just reach out to me at evan.kearley@gmail.com and we can figure something out!Evan has lunch planned and awards to be presented. Please let him know if you are coming.Match description and courses can be found on Practiscore. Accounts are free. Please register using the match link given below:
The annual Turkey/Memorial Shoot was held on 3 November, a lovely crisp November day with little wind and thankfully no rain. In total, there were 40 or so members out for sporting clays, trap, and pistol.
The goal(s) of the Turkey/Memorial shoot are to bring the various shooting sports at the club together and provide an opportunity for club members to try out each others sports. Also the Memorial portion recognizes the contribution to the club of those no longer with us. In this regard, Tony Mackey, a former Executive member, shot pistol and especially loved cowboy action. He was always around with engineering advice or on the ground doing repairs to keep the club running. Dave Anstey, a trap shooter, was President of the club and contributed much to the development of club infrastructure. John Molloy was a young enthusiastic trap shooter who died tragically much too young. Roger Bidgood was a founding father of the club and President in the early days as the club was constructed at its present location. The Memorial Shoot recognizes these and others for their support of the club and shooting sports.
Shooting action started on the sporting clays trail. There were seven stations with several challenging targets including battues, rabbits and crossers. After 75 targets, Herb was in first place with a score of 60 out of 75 while Christian and Troy were tied for second with scores of 56. Well done guys.
After a hearty lunch, competition switched to the trap field with 50 singles and 50 doubles. The following were winners in the various Memorial Shoot categories:
The Dave Anstey HOA(High Over All):was a tie between Andrea Bassan and Troy Coldwell
The John Molloy Singles was won by Troy Coldwell
The Roger Bidgood Team Event was won by Dave Beaudry and Andrea Bassan
At the pistol pit, the competition for the Tony Mackey trophy included two categories, viz. one for pistol and the other for PCC. The winner of the pistol portion was Doug Bursey and PCC was Chris Tucker.
One of our Youth Members, Grayson Kelly, successfully shot a five out of five points on the Texas Star and was awarded a complimentary visit to Complete Gunsmith’s shooting range. After watching him enthusiastically shoot the Texas Star we look forward to hearing how he does at the Complete indoor range.
On the social side, for lunch, Dave and Joan made a tasty beef/moose soup with vegetables from their garden and moose meat provided by Peter Tucker. Lunch was served by Marie and Joan. After shooting ended, Peter Tucker hosted 28 shooters to a lovely Turkey Dinner. Most, if not all, of the groceries for the turkey dinner were also donated by Peter Tucker and included two farm raised turkeys, a bucket of salt meat, all the vegetables, pickles, and bottled beets. The dessert, a slab cake from Coleman's was paid for by the club.
The fundraiser for the Community Food Sharing Association included cash donations and a raffle for a Pelican gun case / travel vault. The case was generously donated by Peter Tucker and then donated back by the raffle winner, Dan Donnelly, for a second raffle. The Molloy family also donated $50 to the fundraiser. In total, $660 was raised for the Food Sharing Association. The Community Food Sharing Association have been reporting higher usage in recent months and are anticipating a busy holiday season. Our donation will certainly help them provide a necessary community service.
Thanks to everyone who came out to the shoot but special recognition to Leo, Herb and Spence for setting up the sporting clays targets; Troy and Duncan for setting up trap; and, Monty for the steel shoot. Andrea and Christian welcomed everyone and signed them up for the various events. Johnny Tucker as usual was quietly helping out wherever he could to ensure everything went smoothly. Best left to last but big thanks to Andrea and Dave for bringing it all together. It takes many volunteers to organize and run a shoot so without our volunteers these shoots would be impossible to pull off.
Best wishes everyone.
Trap - 2024 Season FinishedThe Sunday trap shoots are done for the year and will resume in the spring. Thanks to everyone that helped run shoots this year. See you next year.Trap Committee
Sporting Clays had a great shoot yesterday on Saturday, October 5, 2024 celebrating Thanksgiving. It was a beautiful fall day with light winds and moderate fall temperatures.
Leo and Carston were tied for 1st place with scores of 72(out of 100). Scott was in second place with 65 and Dave 3rd with 64.
Sporting Clays Comm.
On Saturday July 20, Rick Igercich, President and Firearms Education and Training Chairman of the National Firearms Association, gave a Range Safety Course at the club. Rick was joined by Donald Feltham, a club member, who is Secretary of the NFA and Regional Director of Atlantic provinces for the NFA.
Twelve members of the Club participated in the course and qualified as RSOs. This is a nationally certified course with no expiry date. Those who participated were: Andrea Bassan, Troy Coldwell, Dave Reddin, Samantha McMullin, Dan Donnelly, Evan Kearley, Christopher Tucker, Christian Winter, Brad Ryan, Doug Bursey, Gerry Carr and Herb Butt. This group of members includes representatives all of the shooting sport groups at the club.
Ever wonder what your shotgun pattern actually looks like when you're breaking clays or swinging on a passing duck? Patterning your shotgun is a great way to determine how it is actually patterning at various ranges with the loads and chokes that you use.So how do you do that? You put shot to paper!Here is a great link that provides step-by-step instructions on patterning shotguns and checking point of impact: https://www.browning.com/support/faq/shotgun-poi. html Target loads up to size #7.5 (i.e. #7.5, 8 & 9) can be used on the trap and sporting clays ranges; however, the most convenient location to pattern your shotgun at the club is Range C, which is approved for shotgun use using larger shot sizes typically used in hunting scenarios. Please check the club calendar before heading out to use Range C.
1) The new Board has been meeting monthly in person and has had one on-line meeting to address an urgent matter. The operations of the Board have changed somewhat as we have adopted a more formal structure for full meetings, based on Robert's Rules. The most significant change is the monthly Treasurer's update. Heads of Committees also report monthly, wherein those who are on the Board report directly, while those not on the Board report via an appointed Board member. These measures were taken to keep all of the Board fully informed and educated in the way all aspects of the Club function.
2) Another change in the management of the club is that all fees collected by the various groups (Trap, Sporting Clays, Archery, Rifle/Pistol) be paid to the Treasurer at the end of each month. These monies must also include documentation of the number and names of the participants, and if they are club members or guests. For Trap and Sporting Clays there is a significant amount of Club money that must be recovered for clay targets: this year with the Atlantic Trap Championships being held here ~ $45K.
3) The Club website has undergone some changes in structure that are meant to provide information to the user in an easier fashion. We are also going through the existing content and updating or removing material.
4) Orientations continue to be held on the first Sunday of each month. We are trying to ensure that Members of the Board, representing the various groups in the Club, are present. This way our incoming member's get to meet a few of the Board, and the Board members can better explain the intricacies of their own groups.
5) Safety is a of prime importance to us all, so we are updating information and signage in areas where we felt there was a need. We are also updating our first aid kits and AED machines.
6) Based on the Chief Firearms Office inspection of the range last year, we are beginning to start repairs. These repairs impact primarily on Range B, Range C and Range A. Work on Range B down to 50m will start on June 24th. This involves relocating the backstop at "50" yards, and installation of a new target stand at 50m. Upgrades to drainage and the range floor will be made at the same time. Additional maintenance will also be taking place on the Long Branch and main Clubhouse.
7) We have changed the way we rent the range facilities to outside organizations. These fall into 2 categories: law enforcement groups; and security companies. We are charging on a daily basis now, with the anticipation that the extra income will help us maintain the ranges and keep our membership fees low.
8) The Club continues to co-operate with the Provincial Wildlife division in supporting the BOW and Youth programs. A successful BOW event was held in May, and the Youth event will take place in late August.
9) We have been in contact with our insurer, National Firearms Association, and they will be running an RSO course for us in late July. This has restricted numbers, but we should be able to have some participants in that qualify to offer the course in-house.
10) We are in communication with the NFA about the details of our coverage. This has lead us to hire a legal consultant to rewrite our contracts with external bodies and also advise us on waivers for external users of the range.
Sample Content
Update for the archery shoot schedule for the next couple of weeks as we enter into our transition from our indoor to our outdoor season. Please see below:
May 17th - regular shoot
May 24th - no shoot (grad weekend at school)
May 27th - 3D shoot and start of our regular Monday 3D season
May 31st - indoor shoot (final Friday shoot for season)
June 2nd - indoor tournament (details to follow)As always, these dates are subject to change, however if you do not see a posting stating otherwise our shoots are a go each week.
Archery Head
