If you’re already paid up, you’ll find your 2005 IGC Membership enclosed with this newsletter. If there’s no membership card enclosed, your membership has lapsed and needs to be paid right away if you want to continue using club facilities.

There have been a couple of questions about the requirement to complete the membership application each year. This is not a waste of time! We need your completed application every year, even if your dues are already current, even if you are a paid up life member, even if your address hasn’t changed. It’s important that we have your current information so we can keep you informed about club news and events. It’s especially important to me that we have a current dated form with your signature. This assures us that you have agreed to abide by club by laws and range policies. There is also a space on the dues form for your NRA number. While it’s not mandatory that club members join the NRA, we do recommend joining and there are certain events, leagues and matches where the scores are submitted to the NRA for record Keeping. It’s helpful to have the number on file for these reports.

Once again the folks at Ruttger’s Sugar Lake Lodge provided a great banquet meal for the lucky folks that attended this years annual meeting. We have had consistently good food and service every year and we really appreciate their efforts.

We want to thank Russ Johansen for coming out to speak with us about his ongoing commitment to youth firearm safety and to share stories from his many years as a Game Warden, Itasca County Sheriff, Shooting and Trapping Enthusiast. Russ is a living, breathing history lesson and all of us learned something from his talk. We’re lucky to have him and we’d sure like to see more of him.

Conley Janssen, Bob Ross, Don Novotny, John Hachey, Stu & Phyllis Anderson, Joanne Baker and Vince Rittmiller.

All of the 2004 Itasca Gun Club Officers agreed to accept nominations for 2005 and a motion to accept a white ballot was made, seconded and carried. Club officers for 2005 are:

• President – Jeff Sundin
• Vice President – Conley Janssen
• Treasurer – Bob Ross
• Recording Secretary – Phyllis Anderson
• Membership Secretary – Joanne Baker
• Lead Instructor – Taylor Bunes
• Chief Range Officer – Vince Rittmiller
• Youth Officer – Wayne Christensen

We tried to line up an indoor 50 yard Service Rifle match at the MSSEC, but it didn’t come to pass. We thought that we had a date, but found that Saturdays were all booked up this past winter season when times might have been right for us. Soooo, we will look forward to our outdoor 100 yard Service Rifle Match program which we run on the third Tuesday of the month. That’s the same day as our IGC monthly meeting.

If the weather permits and cooperates we hope to hold our first outdoor match on April 19th, 2005. We try to start at about 3 p.m. so we can get in two relays before darkness sets in.

We use the National Match format, that’s a total of 50 record shots, plus up to 5 sighting shots. 5 minutes for sighter shots then the coarse of fire is 20 record shots slow fire prone in 20 minutes. 10 shots rapid fire from standing to prone position in 70 seconds. 10 shots rapid fire from either sitting or kneeling position in 60 seconds. And the final is 10 shots slow fire in the standing position in 10 minutes.

You are allowed to use Spotting Scopes, shooting jackets, slings and mitts or gloves in the prone slow fire, standing to prone rapid fire and sitting/kneeling rapid fire. In the Standing or Off Hand slow fire the use of a sling is not allowed. The use of eye and ear protection is mandatory for your safety and following the range commands is a must for safety. We are out to enjoy this shooting discipline and the fellowship of a good bunch of people. The IGC has M1 Garands and M1 carbines available for member use and ammo for each is also available at cost.

More information or to make arrangements to use a rifle call Stu or Phyllis at 246-2396.

The regularly scheduled IGC business meeting for March will be of particular importance, as we will have the final discussion and vote on the development of the Indoor Clubhouse/Classroom project.

At the heart of this decision is the critical question about who we are and who we want to be as stewards of the shooting sports. As club president, my responsibility to promote sport shooting in all forms is clearly stated in our by-laws and from my point of view, we’ve got some opportunities to move forward with this mission. How we decide to go about it will be the focus for 2005.

Everyone with an interest in this project should plan on attending this meeting or at least get in touch with us to express your point of view. For those of you who want to get up to speed on the project discussion to this point, please log on to the web site and click on the Newsletter archives links. You’ll be able to find most of the details there. Contact me at 218-246-2375 with any unanswered questions. Please try to attend-Jeff Sundin, President, IGC

The Itasca Gun Club Rifle team has a 3 to 1 record of wins this year with two matches cancelled do to the weather. Mike Theis, 392 ; Wayne Christensen, 383 and with the help of Ashley Lane’s 377 in the first match and two league average scores to round out 1884 to win against Hibbing's 1873. Their second match against Hibbing saw Mike Theis with 385 and Wayne Christensen 382 and used three league averages "366" to round out their 1865 to 1858 win. The two shooters lost their first match to Virginia with a score of 1867 to 1903 as Theis fired a 393 while Christensen fired a 376, but they had revenge in their second match as cleaned Virginia's clock with 1874 to 1860. This time Theis fired another 393 and Christensen held a 383. Nice going folks!

They have one more round with both teams plus two make-up and one shoulder to shoulder match with Duluth/Superior team. Check the attached schedule for details.

The indoor range is still open for business. Indoor Bullseye Pistol League Meets on Thursdays from 5:30 to 8:00. The complete league program is available on the web site www.itascagunclub.org or by contacting Jeff Sundin 218-246-2375. The indoor range is available to members for Open Pistol shooting every Monday evening from 5:30 PM to 8:00 PM. cost is $3.00 per lane for an hour of handgun or .22-rim fire rifle shooting. Restrictions on handgun ammunition have been relaxed. Almost all plated, jacketed and hollow point bullets are allowed. The Arrowhead Rifle League indoor Smallbore Rifle season schedule posted on the web site or you can Contact Phyllis Anderson 218-246-8742. If you’re tough enough, compete in the IDPA Winter Outdoor Matches at the IGC outdoor pistol range. All winter matches are scheduled are on a weather-permitting basis. Always call Conley Janssen 218-327-9518 to be sure that the match is Green for Go!

(continued) Unfortunately, this facility must be supervised during use and our limitation is the shortage of volunteer range officers to staff the range. Any club member can establish scheduled events, matches or leagues including scheduled open shooting sessions that utilize the facilities. If you have an idea, please don’t be shy. We will help organize, schedule and supply your group to make the program work. All we ask in return, is that the event(s) be advertised and available to all club members and be supervised by a qualified club member.

Each year the Itasca Gun Club sponsors and staffs several 2700 point Bullseye (conventional) Pistol Matches that are held at MSSEC on Peterson Rd, in Grand Rapids. On Saturday, January 14^th, 2005 competitors fired .22 caliber, center fire and .45 caliber slow, timed and rapid fire events. A total of 270 shots were fired during the day. George Kasat from Eagan, took first place with a score of 2627-114x. Jack Vespa, Hibbing was next, scoring 2621-104x Larry Nelson, Ashland, Wis took First Master with a score of 2601-93x, Joe Kovach, Butternut, Wis was second Master scoring 2561-84x. Chris Fleming Oakdale, took First Expert scoring 2471-55x, Joanne Baker Grand Rapids, was second Expert scoring 2470-54x.

On Saturday, February 12^th, another 2700 point Bullseye Pistol Match was held at the Minnesota Shooting Sports Education Center. Kevin Vacura, from Red Wing, took first place with a score of 2619-108x. George Kasat, Eagan, was next, scoring 2617-118x Dave Schultz, Grand Rapids, took First Master with a score of 2491-57x. Dan Dietz, Hopkins, took First Expert scoring 2522-63x, Joanne Baker Grand Rapids, was second Expert scoring 2476-41x. Lee Hestnas, Red Wing, took First Marksman with a score of 2282-33x, Jim Bleskan, Superior, Wis, was Second Marksman, scoring 2083-21x.

The final 2700 point Bullseye Pistol Match of the season is scheduled to take place on Saturday, March 12^th at the MSSEC facility.

The Minnesota State Indoor Pistol Championship sponsored by the Minnesota Rifle and Revolver Association is scheduled at the MSSEC on Saturday and Sunday April 2^nd & 3^rd, 2005. For match information contact the MRRA Pistol Chairman, Jeff Sundin 218-246-2375.