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March 22, 2005Itasca Gun Club Northern Minnesota Newsletters 2003 and 2004
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The Itasca Gun Club Newsletter
Volume 04, Issue Number 3, December, 2004 |
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Sight in Days 2004 Final Report Thanks very much to everyone who pitched in to make this years "sight in days" more successful than ever. With the help from everyone who volunteered, we were able to help hunters’ sight in over 1300 rifles. There are lots of folks out there who expressed their appreciation of the volunteers who helped with sighting adjustments and for their great advice that makes the job go more smoothly. We all really appreciate your help. Raffle ticket sales were also brisk this year with nearly 2800 tickets sold. Congratulations to these winners; Larry Christensen of Pengilly, MN winner of the Remington Model 700 Mountain Rifle, Andy Arens of Grand Rapids, MN winner of the Ruger 10-22 rifle and Ron Nelson of Grand Rapids, MN winner of the Tasco rifle scope. A very special thank you goes to Conley Janssen for stepping up, organizing and overseeing the event. It always takes a strong phone campaign to get all of the volunteers lined up. Conley’s leadership is outstanding and he did a bang up job. As always, we had great support from Russ and Mary Jo Heavirland at Soup to Nuts Gun Shop and from Bob & Lory Warren at Rapids Printing. These folks have gone out of their way to help us and their support of this and other events is always fantastic. Thank you! 2004 Membership Dues Expire December 31, 2004 You’ll find a dues renewal form in this newsletter. Please be sure to complete, sign and return the renewal to PO Box 201, Grand Rapids, MN 55744, even if your dues are already current, including paid up life members. It’s important that we have your current information so we can keep you informed about club news and events. There is a new 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 reporting purposes. IGC Annual Banquet and Election of Officers Will be held on Friday January 14, 2005 at Ruttger’s Sugar Lake Lodge. Cost is $27.00 per person |
Meeting Agenda: 5:30 PM – Cracker Barrel Session. 6:30 PM - Dinner is Served. 7:10 PM - A brief guest appearance TBA 7:40 PM – Call meeting to order – announcements 7:45 PM - New Business from the floor 8:10 PM – Election of officers 8:30 PM – Awards presentation 9:00 PM - Adjourn *There may be discussion or resolutions regarding changes to the Itasca Gun Club By-Laws. Any member with interests or concerns should make plans to attend. This is your one chance each year to make a difference to the future of your club. Be there and help us chart a course for the future. Reservations are to be made through Membership Secretary Joanne Baker only, please do not call Ruttger’s. Last year we had some confusion about the number of guests to be present at the banquet and it cost us some money to straighten it out. Itasca Gun Club Range Development Survey Not much of a shock to us, the number of range development surveys returned has been extremely low. At this point, out of an approximate 450 sent out with last months newsletter, we’ve gotten back 16. In other words a whopping 3.5% of IGC members have an opinion that they are willing to share with us. Of those surveys returned, there is about an even split between members who favor the project and those who oppose it. Among the opposition, there was one common thread; some folks theorize that by utilizing the classroom facilities at the MSSEC, Itasca Gun Clubs needs can be easily met. Problem solved, case closed. On the surface, that seems like a reasonable case to make and maybe if the "IGC classroom" in and of itself was the only project on the table and if the "MSSEC classrooms" were affordable and if the classrooms were actually available when we needed them, it may make sense. But it’s not working out to be quite that simple. Here is an obvious opportunity to provide illumination on a few of the key points so that we can move forward with the discussion in earnest. First, let’s start with an IGC club history lesson. This project is not a new proposal, in fact the indoor range, as we know it today, was built with the notion of finishing the expansion at a later date. From the beginning, the original blueprint and subsequent building project included the location for the connecting hallway to be opened up and connected (continued page 2) |
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IGC Newsletter Page Two |
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(Continued from page 1) to the additional space. The original intent for the additional space would be to provide a reasonable amount of space for our smallbore rifle shooters to get dressed and prepare for matches while doubling as a reasonably sized clubhouse for meetings, special events and other club gatherings. These decisions taken by past IGC Club Officers, pre-date the existence or even the notion of the MSSEC project. This expansion, already slated for completion a few years ago was put on hold when part of the membership considered the need for a garage to house club equipment and provide more space for building target frames and other work projects was a higher priority project at that time. Once the garage project had been completed and paid for, our attention was again turned back to the original expansion project. Now my particular notion of a healthy club is one where the leadership seeks to promote the interests of all of it’s members and strives to provide opportunities to participate in the widest possible range of activities. A key time in our exploration of those goals occurred last winter when the discovery that water and therefore indoor plumbing could be incorporated much more cost effectively than we originally believed. This discovery changed the circumstances and allowed us to focus on a more ambitious project that would serve multiple purposes and suit the needs of a variety of IGC user groups. It is a well-known fact that Itasca Gun Club has been the leader in the Itasca area providing quality firearms safety training courses for many years. We have invested a lot of time, money and volunteer effort developing course content and recruiting training instructors. Because of this tradition and because it would serve our club well to strive to preserve the quality of this program and it’s instructors, it is only logical to incorporate some form of modest class and meeting room into the project. Let’s take a look at our options today. One major obstacle facing our instructors today is the cost of providing the courses. With course materials & class supplies already eating up in excess of $32 per student, slapping the additional expense of roughly $36 per student for classroom rental at the MSSEC (assuming that the space is available when we need it) already puts the expenses at $68. That’s $13 over the total course cost of $55.00. We attempted to solve this once by moving course cost in the right direction, but in this highly competitive area, there’s been a lot of pressure to keep course costs artificially low. Circumstance has forced the pricing back down. The problem is you can’t keep losing money if you expect to continue providing the service. |
Let’s say we use a figure of $15 for classroom expense at our own facility. This translates into roughly $3600 per year (based on 200 students annually) and would significantly contribute to paying the cost of the project while keeping a lid on the need to stay competitive. In return, we have the use of the space for additional purposes and to promote future programs or at the very least, we will have an inviting clubhouse that our members can use as they see fit. Some folks have attempted to frame this project as the result of rivalry between the IGC and The MSSEC. But that’s not really the issue. Simple arithmetic is at the heart of the discussion. It’s hard to imagine many folks in the Itasca area seeking out and signing up for the most expensive class that they can find. With that in mind, why wouldn’t anyone take advantage of an opportunity to move costs down? Add the freedom to schedule as we choose, the ability to host matches with other clubs and provide additional space for other meaningful programs and it’s starting to make more sense.It’s a fact; revenue generated for IGC from these firearm safety courses has consistently ranked high in our sources of income and we would love to recover some of our recent losses. But in my view, at a time when volunteers are precious and time is hard to squeeze out of busy family schedules, the ability to accommodate scheduled activities on our own terms is far and away the most valuable benefit to be gained. – Jeff Sundin Indoor Range Season Opening Folks who have been looking forward to the winter season are in luck! The indoor range is open for business beginning with the start up of the Indoor Bullseye Pistol League on Thursday Dec. 2, 2004 the complete league program is available on the web site www.itascagunclub.org or by contacting Jeff Sundin 218-246-2375. The indoor range will be available to members for Open Pistol shooting every Monday beginning on Dec. 6, 2004. Cost is $3.00 per lane for an hour of handgun or .22-rim fire rifle shooting. Hours are 5:30 PM – 8:30 PM Restrictions on handgun ammunition have been relaxed. Almost all plated, jacketed and hollow point bullets are allowed. The Arrowhead Rifle League begins their indoor Smallbore Rifle season on December 4th and has their first scheduled match at IGC on December 8th, 2004 Contact Phyllis Anderson 218-246-8742. If you’re tough enough, the IDPA Winter Outdoor Match Season begins on January 22, 2005 at the IGC outdoor pistol range. All winter matches are scheduled are on a weather-permitting basis. Always call to be sure the matches are Green for Go! Contact Conley Janssen 218-327-9518. All schedules available at www.itascagunclub.org |
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| The Itasca Gun Club Newsletter is published several times each year. To submit articles, event dates and items of interest; contact Jeff Sundin 218-246-2375 or e-mail jsundin@paulbunyan.net photos, articles or references to items of interest are greatly appreciated! | |||
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The Itasca Gun Club Newsletter Volume 04, Issue Number 2, September 2004 |
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IGC Gears Up For Sight In Days With the arrival of cooler weather, another summer passes and the excitement of a new hunting season is upon us. As always, Itasca Gun Club sight in days will be one of the highlights of the year for many IGC club members. This year, the arrangements for scheduling are being managed by Vice President, Conley Janssen. It would be a great help to him if we could all give him a call at 218-327-9518 and get our volunteer shifts scheduled before he has to get out the phone book and track us all down. We really appreciate the help we’ve received from all club members in the past and I’m sure this year will bring another successful event. Sight In Days Schedule Sat. 10/23/04 9:00AM to Dusk Sun. 10/24/04 9:00AM to dusk Mon thru Fri 10/25-10/29/04 1:00PM to Dusk Sat 10/30/04 thru Fri 11/5/04 9:00AM to Dusk Raffle Prizes will be drawn and awarded at the end of the final shift on Friday 11/5/04 at approximately 5:00PM. Good luck everyone! I hope to see many of you out there. Spotting Scopes: The Coleman Scope has still not been returned. Again a plea that all club members return items checked out for personal use! We will need all the equipment we have for the upcoming event.MDA LOCK-UP Fundraiser – Joanne Baker It all started when a phone call was received confirming that I was, in fact, Joanne Baker of Itasca Gun Club. It shocked me to hear my name had been submitted as a candidate to be "locked up" and that I was to submit bail money. As it turned out, it was for the Grand Rapids MDA to raise money to fight neuromuscular disease. I accepted to volunteer. In the end, I didn’t have to spend any jail time. This was due to unexpected generosity of friends and members of Itasca Gun Club and Triple T-C. A total of $615.00 was collected with $372.00 representing Itasca Gun Club. When the campaign ended and the "Lock-Up News" was received, I was proud to see Itasca Gun Club listed under the heading "A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR ALL STAR PLAYERS! (TOP BAIL RAISERS)". My personal THANKS go out to all of you who contributed and made this effort a very rewarding and heart-warming experience! Thanks - Joni Service Rifle Match Schedules There are still a couple of opportunities for members who want a chance to fire in service rifle matches. Tuesday September 21st and Tentatively Tuesday October 19th, 2004 just prior to the monthly business meetings. Contact Phyllis Anderson 218-246-8742
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Itasca Gun Club Range Development Proposal As many of you know, we’ve been working on ways to best utilize our club buildings and range space over the past few years. Our most recent and perhaps most ambitious project since the original building of the range, began with the idea to renovate the storage building adjacent to the indoor range. Originally, the idea was to simply connect the two buildings with a door/hallway and use the additional space as a "ready room" for smallbore rifle matches. This project was temporarily interrupted by the decision to first go ahead with the garage/shop project that was approved and completed last fall. Once we began moving forward with the range "ready room" project, concerns about the availability of affordable classroom space in the area surfaced and have forced us to take a new look at the project which eventually led us to the conclusion that a more major expansion could be in the clubs best long term interest. Club officers and those members who have attended monthly meetings are generally in agreement that such a facility would benefit the club and widen the opportunities to serve more of it’s members. Current plans include removing the existing storage building and placing it near the pistol range where it would be used primarily for storage of pistol match equipment, targets and fixtures. In it’s place, we would construct a new building designed primarily as a classroom and training facility. The new building would accommodate up to 25 people, include indoor water, plumbing and toilet. The new facility can also be equipped with 10-meter airgun targets for training purposes and youth matches. It will connect to the indoor range for use as the "ready room" and for scoring of targets during matches. Under current plans, the first step would be to simply have the building constructed. Once it’s in place, the water well, plumbing and finishing work would be completed as funds allow. Total cost of the project is estimated to be approximately $50,000.00 and although there are some small grants possible, the Lion’s share of the fundraising effort will be our responsibility. It’s time now to hear from the membership at large. We’ve included a list of survey questions designed to give us an idea of how the membership views this opportunity and whether the majority of members believe this project will benefit the club and the community. Please take the time to complete the survey included with this newsletter. We want to hear your thoughts and ideas of how this project affects you and your family.Completed surveys should be returned to Itasca Gun Club, PO Box 201, Grand Rapids, MN 55744. 2004-2005 Bullseye League Start Up The IGC Bullseye Pistol League is scheduled to begin on Thursday December 2nd, 2004. The league will run for 16 consecutive weeks and conclude on Thursday 3/17/05. The league will follow the same format as last year, each competitor must fire in at least half of the scheduled matches to qualify for league awards and can choose to fire in both .22 and center fire events or in either .22 or center fire separately. Contact Jeff Sundin 218-246-2375. |
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The Itasca Gun Club Newsletter is published several times each year. To submit articles, event dates and items of interest; contact Jeff Sundin 218-246-2375 or e-mail jsundin@paulbunyan.net photos, articles or references to items of interest are greatly appreciated! |
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The Itasca Gun Club Newsletter, Volume 4, Issue Number 1, February 2004 |
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Page 1 Presidents Call for Accounting of Club Items All Itasca Gun Club Members and associates with items belonging to the club are requested to provide a full and accurate accounting of these items immediately. In certain instances, we are calling for the physical return of these properties in order to examine the condition, photograph items and add identifying marks. Once the full accounting of club equipment and supplies is completed, members can once again request to sign out these items. These reports are necessary and can be filed with the Chief Range Officer – Vince Rittmiller 218-327-1358 as soon as possible. 2004 Membership Dues The 2004 membership renewals and volunteer service updates were due on January 1, 2004. This will be the final notice regarding membership renewals. The new gate combination will be set in the next few weeks and we want you to continue using the range without interruption, so don’t delay. Please be sure to complete and return the membership application even if your dues are already paid. We need to keep our records accurate to better serve our members. Volunteer Service Reports must be completed and returned along with your membership applications. All members are asked to complete 5 hours of voluntary service each year. Everything from range clean up, to administrative duties are eligible and it’s all on the honor system. If you don’t want to put in the 5 hours, you can make an additional payment of $25.00 in lieu of service and you’re off the hook. Your signature on the membership application is required and must remain on file with the membership secretary Joanne Baker, Itasca Gun Club, PO box 201, Grand Rapids, MN 55744 Itasca Gun Club Annual Meeting (click here for photos) The 2004 Annual Meeting was held on Friday January 16th, 2004. We had a nice turn out and the folks at Ruttger’s were very accommodating; they provided us with a very nice meal again this year. We would like to thank our guest speaker Tom Chapin, Author of "Poachers Caught" for his presentation. Tom has lots of stories from his days as a game warden and we were lucky to have him come and share them with us and answer our questions about his experiences. Our special thanks to Joanne Baker, for organizing the event and taking care of so many last minute changes and re-arrangements. We are fortunate to have such a willing, pleasant and downright decent human being looking after us. By the way, she is also becoming a force to be reckoned with at the pistol range. This years meeting focused on moving forward with some of the projects and goals that we set for ourselves last year. We passed a resolution that established a new elected position of "Youth Development Officer" who will be charged with the responsibility of overseeing efforts to develop and enrich opportunities for youngsters to participate in the shooting sports. In connection with this effort, we passed a resolution to sell several of our older, heavy smallbore rifles. We then allocated an additional $2,000.00 (based on estimates) to replace them with some newer, lighter rifles that will be more suitable for young competitors. It is believed that the updated equipment will help in our effort to retain youngsters, once they’ve enrolled in a program. Overall, youth opportunities in the area are good and improving. The Itasca Gun Club has pledged commitment to continue moving these programs forward. We focused on improving the clarity and functionality of our by-laws by acting on motions to amend article III (3) By Clarifying that membership of spouses includes all of the rights of membership (including the right to vote). We acted on an amendment to Article V (5) That establishes the definition; "A quorum consists of all the eligible members in attendance" at an authorized annual, special or executive committee meeting and that passage of amendments "shall require a two thirds majority vote". We acted on the amendment to article VI (6) by adding "Youth Development Officer" to the list of elected club positions. Finally, we acted on an amendment to article VII (7) by adding to the description of the Vice Presidents Duties "He shall perform the duties of a public relations officer, issuing press releases and public notices. A complete copy of the by-laws is available by mail or at the gun range clubhouse. To request a copy, contact Phyllis Anderson 218- 246-8742Awards were presented to the winners and class winners of the 2002-2003 Service Rifle and Bullseye Pistol Leagues. Club President - Jeff Sundin, established and presented 12 members with the 1st annual "Almost as Valuable as the Most Valuable Member Award". The name of this award may be somewhat humorous, but it is provided to recognize members who have gone above and beyond regular volunteering with club activities. They have made contributions that enhanced our ability to provide members with the best possible service or added new opportunities to participate in matches and events. As a way of saying thank you to these folks, each one was presented with a certificate and movie tickets in the hope that they will go kick back and relax for a couple of hours. This year the recipients are; Joanne Baker, Phyllis Anderson, Bob Ross, Taylor Bunes, Conley Janssen, Wayne Christensen, Vince Rittmiller, Tom Petz, Don Novotny, Dennis Nix, Joe Oliver and Tad Lofstrom. Once again, thank you for everything you’ve done! Election of IGC Club Officers. The results of this years election of officers are; President-Jeff Sundin, Vice President-Conley Janssen, Treasurer-Bob Ross, Recording Secretary-Phyllis Anderson, Membership Secretary-Joanne Baker, Chief Range Officer-Vince Rittmiller, Chief Instructor-Taylor Bunes, Youth Development Officer-Wayne Christensen. These elected officers constitutes "The Executive Committee". |
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Page 2 NRA Whittington Center Members who go south for the winter are missing a bet when they pass up the NRA’s Whittington Center, Raton, NM. Camping space, rooms with kitchen facilities and all kinds of shooting ranges are available. Stop by and look at pictures of my elk and antelope shot there. Ed Zeidler-IGC Club Member Volunteers Needed! We are currently seeking several individuals to help out with club activities. Of course, any of these activities qualify for your volunteer hours. Reporter: We need individuals to assist with the writing of articles and updates for the web site and the semi monthly newsletter. The best part of this job is you get to write about what you’re interested in and you can do it from home. Range Attendant: We need individuals who can occasionally open and close the indoor range during winter months for open shooting sessions. Photographer: We need individuals who can assist in recording the history of Itasca Gun Club by keeping photographic records of club events and activities. Also providing photos for use on the web site or for press releases. Coaches: Itasca Gun Club will help train and assist new coaches in the forming of teams, leagues and postal events. Painters: There are currently a couple of indoor painting and general clean up projects at the range. There will be additional painting on the outdoor range this summer. Jerry Jolicoeur Matches: We need a group, team or individual to take over the planning and running of the annual Jolicoeur Matches. This event is eligible to be run as a fundraiser for your team or group. We can earmark and use the funds to buy additional equipment or supplies. Other Opportunities: If you have an interest in a certain type of shooting event, we want to make it easy to establish and run your own matches, leagues or special events. Any club member can be qualified. Bring your ideas and let us help get it going. Attention All Silhouette Shooters! Itasca Gun Club Member Eugene Varani is actively seeking members to participate in Silhouette matches. Eugene is also active with the Hibbing Rifle & Pistol Club and has helped to establish one of Minnesota's top Silhouette ranges. Please give him a call 218-744-1081 Indoor Service Rifle Matches Wanted At the October meeting Phyllis and Stuart Anderson reported that there are several people interested in organizing one or more Indoor Service Rifle Matches for this winter. The Andersons have hit the jackpot for getting involved in just about every kind of shooting event there has ever been and they’re involved with at least four shooting venues that I can think of. How about a little help from one of you? There’s a lot of interest in shooting the M-1 out there and it would be great fun to see one of our enterprising service rifle shooters take the bull by the horns and get this winter indoor stuff organized. Call Stuart and Phyllis at 218-246-8742. Youth Air Pistol Introductory Sessions Available Kids need a special introduction to the art of pistol shooting. It’s important to start off with lightweight equipment that’s easy for small hands to manage. IGC is accepting names to form a small group of youngsters to receive a free introductory session utilizing lightweight airguns. Special equipment, targets and handouts will make it easy to get kids started off on the right track. We’ll cover the fundamentals of sight alignment, trigger control and safety rules. Contact Jeff Sundin 218-246-2375. Arrowhead Rifle League Seeking Shooters Unfortunately, there is still a serious deficit in the number adult shooters needed to participate in area small bore rifle matches. The Arrowhead Rifle League is an existing organization whose member clubs participate in small-bore matches in Duluth/Superior, Hibbing, Virginia and Grand Rapids. The Itasca Gun Club Team, which at one time consisted of some of the states finest competitors, has declined to the point where we no longer field a complete team at these events. Using "dummy scores" to fill out the scorecard seldom yields a winning score and at the same time makes recruiting those future competitors more challenging. Somewhere between the youth team in development and the veteran shooters who remain active, lies a group of talented marksmen who take their .22’s out to the pit and plink at cans or whatever else they can find. We need some help finding these folks and exposing them to the competitive side of rifle shooting. Your ideas are welcome! You can organize your own matches, practice sessions and training. You can be as active as you like. Call Wayne at 218-327-9033 and help out. Web Site Updates www.itascagunclub.org is the address of The Official Itasca Gun Club Web Site. You can use the web site to check on club events, get the newsletter, sell an item or schedule your own event. Eventually we would like to use the web site to provide the bulk of our information to members. It’s a lot faster, less expensive and can be updated more frequently. I want to encourage everyone to pass on articles or information pertaining to events that may be of interest to club members. Winter Outside IDPA Matches These are OUTSIDE MATCHES so everyone should dress accordingly. No side matches but each match will have at least one low-light/night shoot. Bring a flashlight! The shooting will start at 2:30PM. These will be shorter matches with a round count of 40-50 rounds. Match Dates; 2-22-04, 3-21-04 and 4-18-04. Contact Conley Janssen for details. 218-327-9518 |
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The Itasca Gun Club Newsletter Volume 3, Issue Number 3, December 2003 |
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2004
Membership Dues The
2004 membership renewals and volunteer service updates are due on
January 1, 2004. You’ll find a dues notice enclosed with this
newsletter. Please be sure to complete and return the membership
application even if your dues are already paid. We need to keep
our records current in order to better serve our members. Volunteer Service Reports must be completed and returned along with your membership applications. All members are asked to complete 5 hours of voluntary service each year. Everything from range clean up, to administrative duties are eligible and it’s all on the honor system. If you don’t want to put in the 5 hours, you can make an additional payment of $25.00 in lieu of service and you’re off the hook. Itasca
Gun Club Annual Meeting The 2004 Annual Meeting has been scheduled for Friday,
January 16, 2004 at Ruttger’s Sugar Lake Lodge. There’s no doubt
about it, the folks at Ruttger’s do a wonderful job on these meals and
if the past history is any indication, we’ll be in for another great
treat this year. Our guest speaker will be DNR Conservation Officer Tom
Chapin author of the book “Poachers Caught”. Tom will share stories
from his book, answer questions from the audience and offer signed
copies of his book. There
will be several opportunities for those wishing to seek both elected and
appointed positions with the club this year. The position of Vice
President is currently open after being vacated in October 2003 by Kraig
Kiger. Recording Secretary Phyllis Anderson has asked for someone
to step forward as a nominee for her elected position as well. Notice of intention to modify IGC Club By-Laws. In accordance with club rules, this notice serves to inform you that matters pertaining to Itasca Gun Club By-Laws will be open for discussion and voting at the annual meeting. All adult club members are eligible to vote on By-Law changes and we strongly encourage you to attend in order to take advantage of your opportunity to shape the future of our club. 2003
Fall Sight In Days Report Congratulations to the winners of the 2003 Sight in Days Raffle. 1st prize Remington Model 700 BDL 30-06 Mountain Rifle went to Don Mortenson of Grand Rapids, 2nd prize Ruger 10-22 Went to Gordon Snyder of Grand Rapids and 3rd prize Tasco World Class 3X9 Rifle Scope went to Al Wilson Hamlet, Indiana. Indoor
Pistol Season Begins December 1 For
all of us “winter shooters”, the time has come to polish the
hardware and load up. Open Pistol Shooting begins on Monday
12-1-03 and will run through March. Shooting hours are from 5:30PM until
8:30PM every Monday. The Bullseye Pistol League begins on
Thursday 12-4-03 and runs for 16 weeks. You can shoot .22 only or you
can choose the 2 gun matches, which include .22 and any center fire.
Shooting times are 5:30PM (.22 only), 6:15PM 2 Gun Match and 7:30PM .22
or any center fire (mixed line). Shooting positions are on a first come
first served basis. For more information on Pistol Schedules call Jeff
Sundin 218-246-2375. Pistol
C The TripleTC group has a firearm
safety class scheduled for December 6, 2003. Class size is limited so
call right away to check for availability. This course satisfies the
requirements to obtain the “Minnesota Permit To Carry A Pistol” and
is sanctioned by the Itasca Gun Club. The pistol permit
application-waiting period takes a month (including renewals), so it’s
important to plan ahead. For instructors seeking opportunities
to keep their certificates current, Triple T-C will help instructors
maintain their status by allowing them to sit-in on a class or help at
the range. Contact Conley Janssen 218-327-9518 for dates and
availability. Range
Improvements Update Thanks to good planning by IGC Volunteer Tom Petz and
the timely delivery of services by our builder, the new range storage
garage is up and finished. On
the range workday, just before sight in days, we moved most of the
equipment and supplies into the building and it looks like we’re in
good shape. Thanks very much to the crew who helped out! We got a lot of
work done in a hurry. |
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Indoor Service Rifle Matches At
the October meeting Phyllis and Stuart Anderson reported that there are
several people interested in organizing one or more Indoor Service Rifle
Matches for this winter. The Andersons have hit the jackpot for getting
involved in just about every kind of shooting event there has ever been
and they’re involved with at least four shooting venues that I can
think of. How about a little help from one of you? There’s a lot of
interest in shooting the M-1 out there and it would be great fun to see
one of our enterprising service rifle shooters take the bull by the
horns and get this winter indoor stuff organized. Call Stuart and
Phyllis at 218-246-8742. Arrowhead
Rifle League Seeking Shooters Thanks
largely to the efforts of IGC volunteer Wayne Unfortunately,
there is still a serious deficit in the number adult shooters
needed to participate in area small bore rifle matches. The Arrowhead
Rifle League is an existing organization whose member clubs participate
in small-bore matches in Duluth/Superior, Hibbing, Virginia and Grand
Rapids. The
Itasca Gun Club Team, which at one time consisted of some of the states
finest competitors, has declined to the point where we no longer field a
complete team at these events. Using “dummy scores” to fill out the
scorecard seldom yields a winning score and at the same time makes
recruiting those future competitors more challenging. Somewhere between
the youth team in development and the veteran shooters who remain
active, lies a group of talented marksmen who take their .22’s out to
the pit and plink at cans or whatever else they can find. We need some
help finding these folks and exposing them to the competitive side of
rifle shooting. Missing
Range Supplies And Tools - (The
Saga Continues)
I’m
afraid I need to spend some time complaining about the irksome habit
some of our members have of walking off with small tools and range
items. I know, it all seems so trivial. “A stapler here, a screwdriver
there” a spotting scope…and so on. In terms of money, you’re
probably right, it’s no real big deal and we can afford to replace a
few tools here and there. But in terms of providing a service, it really
sucks when we want to help someone adjust his or her iron sights and the
sight pusher is missing or when someone needs to staple up a new target
and there’s no stapler. You’ve
got to realize that we didn’t go out and buy this stuff because we
wanted to start a collection. We have certain items on hand because we
are sincere in our belief that we can provide a good service for our
members and occasionally, for public guests. We are all volunteering our
time to build, improve and operate a first rate shooting range and when
you walk off with the tools, the service is going to suffer. I’m sure
that I speak for everyone who helps out at the range when I say that
it’s a lot more pleasant working out there when you have the necessary
equipment on hand. We would really appreciate having the tools when we
need them and you can help by leaving them there, please. |
| The Itasca Gun Club Newsletter is published six times each year. To submit articles, event dates and items of interest; contact Jeff Sundin 218-246-2375 or e-mail jsundin@paulbunyan.net photos, articles or references to items of interest are greatly appreciated! |
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The Itasca Gun Club Newsletter Volume 3, Issue Number 2 September 2003 |
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2003
Fall Sight In Days Schedule Once again fall
arrives and preparation for another hunting season is upon us. As always
this is a big event for IGC because the fall sight in is one of our
primary annual fundraisers. Range
Work Day In preparation
for sight in days there will be a special range workday on 10/22/03. To
help persuade folks to come out and give us a hand, I’m planning to do
another fish fry after the work is finished. It will be a nice fun
afternoon and the work should go pretty fast. Please call Jeff Sundin
218-246-2375 to get signed up. If you want to get fed, you need to
let me know you’re coming so I know how many fish I need to catch. Carry
Permit Classes Range
Building Update As of our meeting
on 9-16/03 the range storage-building project has moved forward to the
point of the slab being poured and ready to build on. According to Tom
Petz, the builder is on schedule and we should see the building up and
ready to finish before the snow flies. I would like to thank Tom very
much for all the effort he has put in planning and following through on
this project. Tom is a great asset to our club and a heck of a nice guy.
Thank You! Please
Don’t Shoot The Poppers! When you visit
the range and find special IDPA steel targets on the pistol range, Please,
Please, Please don’t take them to the rifle range! These targets
are made of soft steel and are not suitable for rifle ammunition. When
these targets become deformed from rifle ammo, we could experience
serious ricochet problems with the soft pistol ammunition. We don’t
want to take this risk. Please use only the approved paper targets on
the rifle range. We strongly recommend that you plan ahead and bring
your own targets when you visit the range and if you encounter someone
shooting at anything else, let us know who they are and we will make an
effort to correct the situation. Web
Site Updates In case you
haven’t heard, www.itascagunclub.org is the address of The
Official Itasca Gun Club Web Site. You can use the web site to check on
club events, get the newsletter, sell an item or schedule your own
event. Eventually we would like to use the web site to provide the bulk
of our members with information that used to be mailed out in the
newsletter. It’s a lot faster, less expensive and can be updated more
frequently. I want to encourage everyone to pass on articles or
information pertaining to events that may be of interest to club
members. Final
Outdoor Service Rifle Match
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Bullseye League Start Up The IGC Bullseye Pistol League is scheduled to
begin on Thursday December 4th, 2003. The league will run for 16
consecutive weeks and will follow the same format as last year. Each
competitor must fire in half of the scheduled matches to qualify for
league awards and can choose to fire in both .22 and center fire events
or in either .22 or center fire separately. Contact Jeff Sundin
218-246-2375. The Itasca Gun Club Annual Meeting is set for Friday, January 16, 2004 at Ruttgers Sugar Lake Lodge. |
| The Itasca Gun Club Newsletter is published six times each year. To submit articles, event dates and items of interest; contact Jeff Sundin 218-246-2375 or e-mail jsundin@paulbunyan.net photos, articles or references to items of interest are greatly appreciated! |
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The Itasca Gun Club Newsletter Volume 03, Issue No. 1 February 2003 |
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2003
Annual Meeting Report The annual business meeting and banquet was held at
Rutger’s Sugar Lake Lodge on January 17, 2003. As usual, the folks at
Rutger’s, put on a very nice spread and the service was excellent. It’s
always a treat to meet there. The business conducted at this years meeting was
extremely light and was limited to the presentation of awards and the election
of club officers. There was discussion leading to the proposal that The Itasca
Gun Club consider creating a new position of “Youth Director”. The proposal
was not put in the form of a formal motion, but members present agreed to
consider this in up-coming club business meetings and the discussion will carry
forward. Thank you to everyone who has stepped forward to accept
responsibility for running this club. We are lucky to have a group of people so
devoted to the shooting sports, that they are willing to sacrifice their
personal time to make better shooting opportunities available to others. As with
many other clubs, the responsibility is shared by a small group and I hope that
the individual effort that each one of these folks put into our club never goes
un-noticed. Itasca
Gun Club Logo Search While I’ve been gathering information for the up-coming
Itasca Gun Club web page, I’ve been trying to locate the original artwork for
the Itasca Gun Club Logo. Since the original artwork may be either lost or
possibly insufficient for the job at hand, we thought we might be better off
looking at the development of a new one. Newsletter
To be Available On-Line One of the benefits of having a club web page will be to make
the newsletter available on line. Currently, there is a lag time between writing
the newsletter and the mailing of it. In some cases, events that we want to
publicize are already over before the newsletter arrives in the mail. Another
down side of the mailing is that it’s costly, time consuming to produce and
not necessarily required by all members. The benefits of making it available on line are instant
access by members who wish to read it as soon as it’s written, reduced cost of
mailing to members who don’t need a written copy and increased readership
because of the availability of the newsletter to potential new members who log
on to the site. Members can still choose to receive the newsletter by mail, by a
simple check box on the membership form that we fill out each year. The
membership secretary would simply mail to only those members who have requested
a written copy. 2003
Membership Fees Are Due Now Please be sure to complete the membership form and send in
your dues payments. Everyone must complete and sign the membership forms,
including life members and those who have paid their dues prior to receiving it.
This helps us keep your records up to date and so we can provide you with the
best possible service. This is the final notice before the combination to the
range locks will be changed, so please be sure to get them in. Call
For Inventory Accounting Of Club Items Election
Of Officers The
Elected Itasca Gun Club Officers Are: |
Natural
Resources Commissioner Could Be A Welcome Change For Sportsmen
After weighing out the results of the past 12 years, it’s hard to imagine that any new DNR Commissioner could have been more disappointing than what we’ve already experienced. So it wouldn’t have taken much to make most of us feel better than we did. But the announcement of Gene Merriam as the DNR Commissioner and Mark Holsten as the Deputy Commissioner is getting an above average rating from most of the sporting groups in Minnesota. Merriam is known to be a hunter and fisherman and he’s also known for giving issues a fair and complete hearing. In the end, if he disagrees with your position, you will at least feel like your point of view has been heard. Another of Merriam’s qualities is his ability to “crunch the budget” and in a time when budget crunching will be the rule, many of us are hoping that he can find a way to cut back on lunch meetings, exercise rooms and new computers, instead of cutting our valuable DNR field staff. Merriam also happens to be a close friend of our DNR Regional Director John Guenther and good relationships between St.Paul and Northern Minnesota are bound to be helpful at some level. Mark
Holsten,
who would have been the first choice for DNR Commissioner as far as most of us
were concerned, will be a valuable asset to all of us who love to hunt and fish.
Holsten has been highly regarded in the hunting and fishing world for
quite a while and he is a straight forward, “No BS”, kind of guy. The only
problem is that now we won’t have him in the senate any more and he was sorely
needed there as well. State
Championship and Sectional Match Season Is Upon Us The months of February, March and April are busy times for shooting clubs, teams and individual competitors. Living in Itasca County, we are really fortunate to have so many opportunities to compete in a variety of matches, all so close to home. Some of the up-coming highlights are Several State Smallbore Rifle Championship Matches, The State Bullseye Pistol Championship, State Airgun Championship and the Samllbore Rifle Sectionals. Check the schedule for a complete listing of area rifle, pistol and airgun matches. Legislative
Alert! The Lead Police Are Back
Minnesota Senate bill number SF0023 introduced on January 8, 2003 would ban the use of all “fishing sinkers” weighing 1 ounce or less. According to the language of the bill, it seems to include all devices containing Lead and would presumably include Lead Jig Heads. A
bill for an act relating to game and fish; prohibiting the sale and use of lead
sinkers; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota Statutes, chapter 97C. BE IT
ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:” An angler may not use a
lead sinker to take fish on any waters lying wholly within the state or any
portion of boundary waters within the jurisdiction of the state.
A person may not sell or offer to sell a lead sinker in the state.
For purposes of this section, "lead sinker" means a device
that:(1) contains lead; (2) weighs one ounce or less; (3) is designed to be
attached to a fishing line; and (4) is intended to sink the fishing line.” The basis for introducing the ban is supposedly a Massachusetts study linking lead sinkers to Loon Mortality. The problem is, Minnesota has not conducted any research on Loon mortality in the past ten years and has no information to support the legislation. The Loon population in Minnesota is either increasing or remains stable (depending on which report you read) so it’s questionable whether the ban would have any impact on Loon populations in the state. On the other hand, the bill would have a devastating affect on Minnesota’s anglers, tackle manufacturers and bait shops. The legislation would dramatically raise the cost of fishing in the state.The current spin on the bill is that it was introduced simply to “get a dialogue on the topic started”. However, according to reports, Ted Takasaki, owner of Lindy Little Joe, said a spokesperson for the Minnesota Audubon Society told him that this bill is slated to go through the legislature at lightning speed. Some
other legislation to watch, Carry Permit Legislation. Minnesota
Senate Bill SF0089, Moves Authority For Granting Carry Permits from “local
authorities” to the County Sheriff. Firearms Hunting License Legislation, Senate
Bill SF0129 requires firearms hunting license purchasers to sign an
“eligibility statement” declaring that the purchaser is eligible to own a
firearm.
Following
legislation in the Minnesota House and Senate
is easy to do by logging on to www.leg.state.mn.us
Annual
Jerry Jolicoeur Memorial Matches To Be Expanded For
the past several years we’ve been holding the “Annual Jerry Jolicoeur
Memorial Pistol Match”. Since Jerry was so active with the Itasca Gun Club as
a pistol shooter, it was only natural to have a pistol match in his honor. Wanda
Jolicoeur and the rest of Jerry’s family have always wanted this event to
include as many new shooters as possible and this event has always been open to
members and non-members alike. |
| The Itasca Gun Club Newsletter is published six times each year. To submit articles, event dates and items of interest; contact Jeff Sundin 218-246-2375 or e-mail jsundin@paulbunyan.net photos, articles or references to items of interest are greatly appreciated! |
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