Board of Directors Quarterly Update - April 2019

Trap (Richard Bruce):
The Annual Spirit Shoot was held in January this year. 5 different types of Trap games were played, in which there was a total of 75 individual spots open for participants. Each person who played this year won something, with prizes being awarded for all places first to fifth in each event. All of the 75 gifts were given out and a similar game plan will be scheduled for late this year, as this shoot typically is done prior to New Years Eve, hence the name.

The Frozen 50 Doubles League finished up on February 6th.  All participants were given a long sleeve T shirt emblazoned with the ASC logo and a custom Frozen 50 graphic on the back. The three top shooters in each division, handicapped and scratch scores, also received a recognition of their achievement.

We will be hosting another doubles league on Wednesdays in the Fall.  This will be a non-handicapped league with three divisions based on average. The winners of each division will have their names engraved on a trophy which will be displayed in the Trap Warming Hut, with subsequent yearly winners being added.

February 13th, we celebrated The Valentines Clay Massacre, in which a dusted pink clay won the lucky person a small, heart shaped box of chocolates.

March 17th, we had Lucky Leprechaun Day. This time a broken green clay got the shooter a bag of gold. Gold foiled chocolate, that is.

We began an open Wobbles Trap league on March 20, and will continue it each Wednesday all Spring through June 19th.  That is a total of 14 weeks with the high scorer each week winning a silly wobbly prize, and the overall top scorer, or two, will be the recipient of a custom made Bobble Head in their likeness.

We had one reported range rule violation this quarter which is more than usual for the trap fields.  Lets get back to zero this quarter. Work on the shot berm on Field #2 has begun again after the Winter hiatus, and the ever changing mounds of dirt give a lot to consider when using that field.

The Skeet Field saw little action over the Winter, but the past couple of weeks has seen some folks coming out to enjoy shooting Skeet on Thursday evening. Good to see people enjoying that game again.

Indoor Range (Al Croteau):

Outdoor Range (Phil Proto):

• Hosted Annual Black Powder Shoot on Jan 1’st. Weather was very nice and lots of fun had by all.
• Slowly replacing rubber mat backing with new steel holders. These holders allow for ease of use and allow the user to hear more of a ding when hit. This is great for users shooting lower caliber rounds for instant feedback.
• Purchased new steel plates for the pistol ranges (moose, squirrel, bear) for members to shoot.
• Fabricated new double wall sleeves for dueling trees. This will prevent sleeves from breakage when plate spins quickly.
• Fabricating new 4 ft. high steel target stands which are being placed between the 50 and 100 yard open areas.

Hosted the Battleship Shootout Competition at the Indoor Range on March 30’th

• Number entrants: 11
• Number of shots per target round : 10
• Number of rounds: 5
• Cost : $2.00
• Winner take all

Winners were:

• First Place: Eric B
• Second Place: Robert M
• Third Place: Warren H

Next event will be Rifle Madness on May 18’th from 9:00 – 12:00. Please look for an email blast. Flyers will be posted as well.

Archery (Robert Beals):
Construction of the indoor Archery building is progressing nicely.  I would like to thank Brad, Jimmy and Tim for all of their hard work and dedication in making this project happen. The planning and design for the finishing of the interior has begun as well.

We have started the annual task of cleaning and clearing the trails on the 3D course, several of the targets have been replaced and or relocated, there will be additional work done regarding the targets and their potential location. 

Appropriate trail markers and trail signage will be put on all three trails.

Some changes coming to the practice range will include a dedicated lane for shooting broad heads, as these destroy the 3D targets this will be the only place they are allowed. The work bench under the shelter will be replaced and the practice range field lights will be upgraded and potentially additional lighting will be added.

Tuesday night Archery will be coming back, any member that would like to participate in helping out would be greatly appreciate, the dates will be posted on the web site.

The practice range will be closed for bow hunter qualification on May 23 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm and May 26 from 8:00 a.m. - 10:00. 

Please refrain from re-locating our targets.  The targets are set at specific distances and are not to be moved, we have had a number of targets being relocated, this is not allowed.

Security (Bill MacKenzie):
During the first quarter of 2019 I have dealt with reports concerning mostly with member range violations. Violations were:

• Members shooting more than 10 rounds at both the outdoor and indoor ranges. Corrected verbally on the spot.
• Shooting at ground targets on the outdoor pistol range. No violator identified
• Members with guests shooting from separate shooting bays. Verbal correction, review of range rule
• Members not within arms length of their guests. Verbal correction, review of range rule
• A member with a guest shooting from separate bays with the guest shooting a .38 revolver from the .22 only bay on the indoor range. Verbal correction, review of range rules.
• A member shooting at a silhouette target on the indoor range. No violator identified

These violations are becoming more frequent and problematic. Members excuses are many but point to being unfamiliar with the range rules.

However, there were three incidents brought before the Board of Directors for disciplinary hearings. The following is a list of disciplines in the first quarter of 2019:

January 3:

• A member being on a closed range.  Warning added to members file.       
• A member shooting on a closed range.  Suspended until attends Safety Orientation.
• A member shooting on a closed range,  being un-sportsmanlike toward fellow members.  Suspended for six (6) months and must  write a letter of apology to the BOD.

January 9:

• A member being on a closed range and being un-sportsmanlike toward fellowmembers.  Suspended for ninety (90) days and must attended a Safety Orientation.

January 30:

• A member shooting on a range without eye and ear protection, shooting at pressurized cans, shooting beyond the firing line, staging a video on club property involving alcohol and not living up to the objectives set forth in the ASC By-laws. Membership was revoked and no longer allowed on ASC property.

Community Relations (Stephen Pasco):

Andover Sportsmen’s Club (ASC) proudly sponsors multiple scholarships each year to neighboring high school students who enjoy the outdoors and have an appreciation for conservation. Scholarships to Date:

• Andover High School
• North Andover High School
• Greater Lawrence Technical School

Charitable Events:

• Ducks Unlimited: World leaders in wetland and waterfowl conservation – ASC contributed to, and will attend, DU’s Annual Fund Raiser.
• Herren Talks: Chris Herren was a professional basketball player from 1999 to 2006. Unfortunately, Chris Herren struggled with substance use for much of his career, ultimately ending his career. After completing intensive rehabilitation programs, Herren has been alcohol and drug-free since August 2008. Herren now travels the United States sharing his story through Herren Talks with the goal of making a positive difference in the lives of others. ASC proudly sponsored Chris Herren’s Herren Talks Presentation on February 7th @ Andover High School. Students, parents and faculty were present for Chris’ very moving story. ASC members proudly introduced Chris Herren to those in attendance.
• ASC Annual Children’s Fishing Derby: ASC will hold its 70th Annual Children’s Fishing Derby on Saturday, May 4, 2019. The Derby will be held at Sudden Pond in Harold Parker State Forest. The Event is for kids between the ages of 1-15 years old. The Derby is open to the public and all kids are welcome. ASC supplies the bait, food, prizes and more. A great amount of work is necessary in order to plan and coordinate this historically fun filled time. 
• Massachusetts Junior Conservation Camp (MJCC): ASC proudly sponsors two campers each between the ages of 13-17 (girl or boy) to attend the MJCC. We selected two campers earlier in the year who enjoy outdoor activities and want to learn more about the environment. Our campers will enjoy traditional summer camp activities such as swimming, fishing, boating and volleyball. Other activities include archery, rifle and shotgun familiarization, hunter education, and forestry survival. Summer camp will take place at the Horace Moses Boy Scout Reservation in Russell Massachusetts.
• North East Veterans Outreach: The ASC proudly donates to the NE Veterans Outreach organization each year. A group of ASC Members is planning to visit the facility in April in an effort to maintain and strengthen our relationship and support to this worthwhile organization.
• Geographic Outreach: ASC would like to expand its actives in neighboring cities and towns. We have identified five locations, Wilmington, Lowell, Reading, North Reading and Stoneham, where we will investigate opportunities to be more involved in these communities. We will start by soliciting feedback from ASC Members who live in these respective cities/towns to determine what activities make the most sense for our club to be involved in.
• ASC Children’s Annual Christmas Party: The 2019 Children’s Christmas Party is scheduled for Sunday, December 15, 2019. We will post this annual event on our websites Events Calendar.

Training (Steve Cioffi):
Training has had a very successful first quarter. We have added 7 certified instructors to our ever growing training program. We have 35 certified NRA RSO’s (Range Safety Officers) that will be very active during our special events.

Training has held 5 LTC class so far this year. We continue with our very popular 1 on 1 beginners pistol coaching. Our youth program is going strong and we will be adding youth competitions very shortly. Accuracy class still proves to be very popular.

I am pleased to announce the start up of “Ladies Night” which takes place every third Thursday of the month. We have had a wonderful turn out for this event.

Training will begin with all levels of shotgun training as the weather is starting to become nice! We hold basic shotgun training , intro to trap classes , and beginner trap night will soon start up again.

Keep an eye on the calendar as training will start to introduce new and exciting classes for our membership.

Membership (Dave Williams):