McHenry Sportsman’s Club Newsletter (December 12, 2003)
Dear Members and Families:
It has been some time since the last newsletter was published.
Things seen the same, but so much has changed.
The McHenry Sportsmen's Club continued its trend to do better each year.
We currently have more members than the previous year and the members are more active.
Trapshooting has increased to the point that on some days the club operates at its capacity.
Again, another year is closing.
We hope you have enjoyed yourself during the past year.
We hope next year is a good year for all of us
We can all get together at the club and get to know each other and do one of the things we love to do... Trapshoot.
Last year at a glance:
A third Pat Trap was installed at the club.
This means we now have three of these great trap machines.
Plans are to add a fourth machine this spring.
We tried a new format for club picnic and club championship shoot and it seemed to work out great.
Youth trapshooting emphasized.
New activities were initiated.
Membership was enriched.
Events coming up:
Third Annual "HANGOVER Shoot"
JACKRABBIT Shoots
Informal meat shoots
Information included in thisnewsletter.
McHenry Family Picnic:
This year we made some radical changes to the format of the Family Picnic.
We actually made it apicnic.
Prior to this, it was a formal shoot with food available and in most cases, your family had to "sit through" the event.
It was mentioned to the board on more than one occasion by manymembers that the picnic needed to be changed.
The board responded this year by making some major changes.
The first change was to create a new club event, the McHenry Sportsmen's Club Championship, which hosted the formal shooting was added.
This removed the formal shooting from the picnic.
Getting rid of the formal shoot from the picnic opened the door for many options.
We were able to enrich the picnic and add informal shooting at a discount price.
The admission to the picnic was also dropped.
This meant the picnic was free and you could shoot a round (or more) of trap for two dollars a round, and do so with a family member or friend.
Needless to say, the place was packed with members and family and a lot of good food and informal shooting was enjoyed. by all
This was the first time we did anything like this and we all learned a thing or two as to how to operate this type of event.
We will do this again next year.
Armed with what we learned this year, this event promises to keep getting better and better.
McHenry Club Championship:
If you did not make it last year, you may want to make sure you are there this coming year.
Yes, there was food, but the emphasis was on shooting, and there certainly was shooting... strictly shooting business.
Belt Buckles were awardedas prizes, and were taken home by some of McHenry's best shooters.
If you missed out, there is always next year.
The following members took home Belt Buckles this year:
Club Champion:
| |
| | Terry Sievert (98) |
| High Overall: | Charlie Bickle (??) |
| High Lady: | Janet Bickle (92) |
| High Vet: | Jerry Haile (87) |
| High Junior: | Matt Wente (90) |
LOUIS PITZEN Handicap:
Long Yardage Champion:
Short Yardage Champion:
DIRK AISSEN Singles Champion:
| |
| | Bob Rauhut (50) |
| Class A: | Al Mielke (49) |
| Class B: | Tim Kraus (48) |
| Class C: | Sam Wong (46) |
| Class D: | Ben Rauhut (43) |
GEORGE STRODE Doubles Champion:
| |
| | Jim Schollhammer (47) |
| Class A: | Rick Van Etten (46) |
| Class B: | Shep Johnson (46) |
| Class C: | John Rauhut (38) |
Membership Renewal:
You are now able to renew your membership for 2004.
We have enclosed a renewal form with this newsletter.
You either received a RENEWAL or a VERIFICATION form.
If you received a RENEWAL form, you may renew simply by looking over the form making any corrections that may be required.
Enclose your annual dues and mail it back to the club.
If you received a VERIFICATION form, this means you are already a member for the year 2004.
Look over the form, if there are no corrections required you can throw it away.
If there are changes needed, make the corrections and return or mail the form to the club.
We use this information to keep the club’s records accurate.
The information gets used for very important projects, like getting this newsletter to you.
Fees and other related issues:
VERY GOOD NEWS:
Despite the fact that everything has gone up in cost over the last year, and it appears that it will continue to do so, the membership fees and line fees will remain as they currently are for the year 2004.
The only exception is to LOWER the line fees for trap doubles.
Currently a round of trap doubles costs you 5.50.
The new line fee for that same round of trap doubles will now be 5.00.
As previously stated, we do not plan to raise anything.
This is based on our current attendance and cost of operation projections.
As everyone knows, if something radical happens all bets are off, but from what we see now, the prices will stay the same.
Soda will also remain 50 cents per can.
Before ever raising prices, the club will make every attempt to raise money to purchase and maintain equipment to operate the club.
This may be done in the form of special events or raffles.
Hopefully, if these events are supported, we can keep our club affordable for everyone to enjoy.
Something interesting with regard to costs and contributions we should all keep in mind.
The McHenry Sportsmen's Club is a "not for profit" organization.
The club cannot and does not attempt to make a profit.
Yes, we charge a little more that the actual cost of the clay targets and the kids who assist you in your shooting.
This additional money helps us to fund the "plant and equipment" used at the club.
This includes but not limited to trap machines, tractors, maintenance costs, utilities, garbage collection and everything else that the club has to pay for to stay open.
The only paid personnel are the trap personnel (such as the kids who run the squads).
All of the other work that is done is voluntary.
Work, such as cutting the grass, fixing the trap machines, painting,
maintaining the buildings,
electrical work,
carpentry,
cleanup and everything else is done by your fellow shooters at the club without any monetary compensation.
We have however, been known to shoot a round or two for free.
Believe me, its better to pay for the round than to be sitting in a trap house in the dead of winter ripping a trap machine apart because it is not working properly.
We realize it takes a great deal of help from the members to help contain costs and we want to thank everyone who has helped the club.
Every little thing that you do helps us.
All the work people have involved themselves with over the past few years is starting to show positive effects on the club.
Thank you for anything that you may have done to help the club.
Even the little things go a long way to make the club a success.
2004 hangover Shoot:
We are having our annual Hangover Shoot again this year.
This shoot occurs on January 1 (New Years Day).
You show up at the club nice and early (around 9:00 AM).
You bring a dish to pass and your shotgun (shells would also be nice).
You shoot a Jackrabbit format event and you may even win something.
You will definitely have fun.
Even if you do not win, (or even shoot), you will get to eat and still have a lot of fun.
Club Meetings:
Every month your club conducts its monthly meeting.
The meeting is hosted at the club on the FIRST Thursday of the month at 7:30 PM.
If the meeting date falls on a holiday, it is rescheduled for the same day on the following week.
January's meeting will elect officers and directors as well as start planning next year's activities.
This is a good time to get involved in your club.
Youth shooting passes:
If you have been shooting at the club this year,
you probably know the club offers the sons and daughters of its members
(who are under sixteen years of age)
the opportunity to obtain a ten round shooting pass for twenty dollars.
This program has been very successful and we have watched some very extraordinary trapshooting from these kids.
This is one way we can help our kids and further this sport for future generations to come.
As you can guess, the club does not make very much money from these children, but it is the right thing to do.
It is very good to see the kids progress as well as they have.
If you are interested in this program, please speak with. one of the officers to obtain more information.
2004 Jackrabbit Shoot ???
We do not know at this time if there will be a Inter-Club Jackrabbit Shoot as we have enjoyed in the past.
The McHenry Sportsmen's Club has always supported this activity and wishes to continue to do so.
The club is currently attempting to fill this void by hosting Jackrabbit shoots that are open to ANY shooter,
from ANY club, with more targets and better prizes.
We tested this last month with a five hundred dollar shoot.
The weather was terrible and attendance was very low, but there was attendance.
We gave out what ever money we made as prizes (and took a bath on the shoot), but the idea seemed solid.
We will continue to work with this.
If there is a Inter-Club Jackrabbit Shoot season this year,
we will continue to support the event,
post the schedule, and will not run any events that conflict with it.
McHenry will host Jackrabbit shoots independent of the Inter-Club Jackrabbit program.
A schedule of these Jackrabbit shoots will be posted when available.
What paid for the picnic this year?
As you may recall, the Family Picnic was free this year,
along with that,
the informal shooting being only two dollars a round.
We purchase our soda and other snacks the same way you do for your families,
(as cheap as possible).
We sell it back to you for more than we pay for it.
That makes a profit.
We save this extra money in a special account.
Ever wonder what we do with all of that money?
We maintain an account called "FUND RAISING".
When we buy pop or other "fund raising" products, we credit this account.
When we empty the pop machine we debit the account.
Hopefully the account carries a debit balance.
When it is picnic time, we empty it out.
The moral of this story.
The more pop you drink and the more frozen pizza you can stomach, the better the picnic will be.
This is what actually paid for the picnic.
The two dollars for shooting was intended to help pay for the kids who had to work that day as well as other non-food costs that were incurred during the picnic.
Gun cases and other belongings:
Because of limited space,
current cold weather,
and the number of shooters coming to the club,
we have to start thinking of ways to conserve space in the clubhouse.
One thing that has been suggested is that gun casesand other related accessories be kept in your vehicle.
I personally have tried this and have discovered that I have not had the need to bring my gun case in the clubhouse.
It actually made things easier for me.
Doing this may not be possible for you.
There is no rule regulating this currently and we really do not want to establish one.
We really just want to solve the table space problem.
In warmer weather, this does not seem to be a problem.
Your help would really be appreciated.
GOOD SHOOTING TO ALL
Sincerely,
Tom Carneal, Club Treasurer