SPRING WORK PARTY! APRIL 14^TH & 15TH

It’s spring, the spring after a hard winter. That means it’s shooting season once again! But like any good thing, outdoor shooting comes with a list of chores attached. Before we can get out and enjoy the range, we have to get out and make the range enjoyable.

Yes, as a CRC member, your chore to bear is spending one day out of the year lending a hand in keeping the range a fit and safe place to shoot. (That’s salesy talk for a workbond).

Fortunately for members, we try to make this chore as painless as possible by holding annual work days, when we close down the ranges to shooting, get as many members as we can together so projects can get done (and everybody can hear you griping about how hard you’re working the whole time), and members can meet their obligations and have a pretty good time doing it.

This year the spring workdays are SATURDAY APRIL 14^TH AND SUNDAY APRIL 15^TH. All the ranges will be closed to shooting on Saturday, and most on Sunday. All prattle aside it was a hard winter and there’s plenty that needs to be done to get ready for the busy match schedule ahead.

Mark your calendar and call Dave Paananen at 303- 673-0106, or e-mail him at dpaananen@netzero.net to find out what jobs need to be done, or if you have a project or some maintenance you’d like to suggest. Or just be out at the range that weekend, with your work clothes and gloves on. The club will provide what tools we can. The faster you fill your work bond now – the better shooting you’ll have all year (and less lectures in the newsletter.) Join us for this important kick-off to the shooting season!

89^th Annual Meeting

A Night to Remember

The 2007 Annual Meeting was truly a great night. The Cowboy Action shooters were all decked out in their Victorian finery and really spiffed up the place. The food was better than usual, the service faster and we got through at what must surely be a record early hour! How can you improve on that?

About 96 members, family and friends enjoyed one of the best dinners in recent years and some other came in later for the meeting at about 7:45. Cheryl Wilson, on e of the beautifully dresses cowboy shooters, won the door prize of a year dues. After introductions and announcements, Dennis and the other officers reported on our 2006 accomplishments including:

· The sporting clays picnic shelter and the equipment maintenance building were completed at a cost of about $40,000. The building is not wired for electricity yet because of the snow, but the work has been contracted.

· Last June Tony Stahl and Dave Jennings hosted a Marine reserve unit, which needed to do its marksmanship qualification before deploying to Iraq. They needed to shoot at 500 yards, among other ranges. Tony recruited a Boulder contractor to donate the construction earthwork so now we have a 500 yd firing line, which we did not have before. The line is dedicated to the memory of Lance Corporal Gregory Rund of Littleton who was killed in Iraq. We had expected another unit to use the range this fall but their plans were changed.

· Two new sports joined our lineup in 2006, Cowboy Action and 22 Bench Rest. Al Ashton is MD for the Cowboys and Bob Nation runs the 22BR. Both are sports that are easy to start and fun to pursue. Members should look into both, though they are quite different. We may host the Colorado State 22 BR Championship in 2007.

· The building permit process for the Cowboy range is underway under the direction of Wayne Harris. There are an unbelievable number of hoops to jump through but with a LOT of luck, we will get a permit by mid summer and build later in the year. The range will be on the Allis addition just east of the silhouette range.

· We have made an offer to buy the west half of Section 3, northeast of the silhouette range to improve our safety zone, but the owner is not ready to sell to us just yet.

· Everyone was asked to sign a liability release during 2006. Unfortunately about a hundred of them were not signed so that the name could be read (or even guessed at – lots of doctors in the club apparently), or there was no address or member number provided or they were otherwise not able to be identified, so the BoD has decided that all members and guests will have to sign an new release form. PLEASE make them readable.

· Jim Brummerstedt reported that our WHIP program will be completed in 2007 after a little more planting to replace things that died out. Our turkeys seem to be doing well, we hear reports of sightings from time to time. Solar panels have been donated to power the new wireless communications system on the high power range. This replaces the hard wired system that has finally succumbed to mice eating the wire insulation and other problems. Jim also ran the NBRSA 1000 yard Bench Rest Championship in September. About 40 of the best of the best in this sport attended and five new National Records were set, proving that our range might not be as tough as reputed.

· Ron Best reported that our finances are in good shape and we had a god year with our invested reserve funds. He also discussed the possibility of our hosting some important Bench Rest Matches, but these would require building a 300-yard capability on the schuetzen range. We will look into that.

· Stan Dial and Martin Everitt described the new work bond reporting procedure that took effect this fall. It was described in detail in a recent mailing and is posted on the web site.

Pres. Reul presented two awards to Jerry Davidson. The first was recognition for his service on the Board of Directors from 1990 to 2006, one of the longer such services in the club’s history. The second award commemorated his service as mid range match director from the opening of the range until last fall. Jim Monserud will be the new MD and we hope that Jerry will have more time to shoot from now on.

President Reul also recognized the contributions of:

· Bruce Benninghoff for managing the membership database and writing the software for our waiver database.

· Rick Blume for managing our website and keeping it up to date.

· Laura Everitt for editing the newsletter.

· Dave Paananen for managing our maintenance program and word bond compliance.

Unfortunately our roads have been snow bound for most of the winter and this has inconvenienced some of our hardier members who like to shoot under tough conditions. It was plowed out the Sunday before this meeting, but drifted shut again the following day. We simply do not have enough money to get it plowed out, and none of our members (except Steve Kingcade and another member whose name I forgot to research – sorry!) have volunteered to walk in the three muddy miles from the gate to get the grader. Plowing was futile anyhow. But it’s a good thing because it will mean lots of grass this spring, which will also mean we’ll need lots of mower operators this year!

In the Board of Directors election, 5 members had been selected by the nominating committee to be voted to serve by members present at the meeting. Steve Kingcade and Al Ashton were elected. Steve is returning to the BoD and Al was added, replacing Dave John. Dave has served on the Board since 2001. Thank you for all your service Dave!

At the BoD meeting immediately after the Annual Meeting Dennis Reul Jim Brummerstedt and Ron Best were retained in their office. Pres. Reul reported that the six-member Lochbuie Police Department has asked to use our range for arms training. It is good for the club and the community for us to provide this sort of public service, and the Board will try to accommodate them.

The meeting was done by 9:15, certainly a record!!

SERIOUS SAFETY INCIDENT

On March 25^th an incident happened on the Schuetzen Range that could have been tragic. Two veteran club members and long time experience shooters were on the range. We’ll refer to them as shooter E (near the east end of the line) and W (near the west end.) W was introducing some new shooters to our sport at 100 yards. E was practicing at 200 yards. A cease-fire was arranged and all went down range, but E had to return to the firing line to get a stapler. Since E had further to go, W was back at the line while E was still at the 200-yard targets. Whether W saw E return for the stapler and failed to notice that he had gone forward again, or if he simply had a mental lapse is not clear, but someone in W’s group fired about two shots while E was at the targets. Fortunately they were near opposite ends of the firing line and no damage was done, but E was justifiable upset and confronted W.

To his credit, W immediately admitted fault, apologized sincerely and offered his immediate resignation. A CRC Director was at the range and investigated E’s report. W is an old hand experienced shooter. He acted properly after the incident and was sincerely remorseful. His resignation should be rejected. E should have made sure that W knew he had gone forward a second time. The lesson here is that even the most serious and experienced shooter can make a mistake. With a little luck it will not result in injury. In fact, there is not a single long-time shooter who can truly say that they never had a shot get away from them.

There have been some reports of shooters going forward without asking others on the line to cease firing. Whatever their reasoning, this is EXTREME carelessness and irresponsibility on the part of such people. Accidents happen, and one serious event can get the club closed down – to say nothing of the injury someone could suffer. Fortunately – such accidents are easily avoidable. Here are some simple rules to remember and follow:

Ø The first shooter on any range is the acting range officer.

Ø It is the range officer’s duty to control the line, and see that cease-fires to change targets are properly observed.

Ø Do not go forward on the line at any time until the range officer calls the line safe.

Ø Shooters must signal to the acting range officer that they are back and the line is clear before firing will be allowed to resume.

Ø Do not begin to fire until the range officer calls the line ready and fire.

THINK GUN SAFETY ALL OF THE TIME!

SMALLBORE PRONE SUMMER LEAGUE 2007

CRC will again host a summer prone league for smallbore shooters. New and experience shooters alike can attend. You can shoot the whole summer schedule, or participate on a “pay as you shoot” basis.

The course of fire is a half match, and perfect for practice or as an introduction for new shooters to the sport. The season starts Sunday, April 22^nd, with a warm up and a Smallbore Clinic for new shooters to come and try it out. Extra equipment will be on hand that day for anyone interested in learning more about smallbore. The league shoots a couple times a month through October 7^th.

Shooters should arrive by 8:30 and the matches start at 9:00. Cost is $5 per match or $35 for the entire summer. Come out and lay in the sun with us!

Smallbore not your game? Come out to the range the 22^nd anyway – cause there’s a lot going on. There’s a 1000-yard Any/Any High power match, Sporting Clays, or a Cowboy Action shoot on the pistol and schuetzen ranges, or a Silhouette IHMSA pistol match on the Silhouette range.

NEW SPORT

.22 RIMFIRE BENCHREST

2007 welcomes a new shooting discipline to CRC, .22 benchrest. Match Director Robert Nation has put together a schedule of tournaments sponsored by CRC and sanctioned by the American Rimfire Association.

Mark the following dates on your calendar:

April 28, May 13, June 23, July 22, August 18 and September 16.

The matches consist of five 25-bull targets for a total of 200 shots per tournament. Shooters have 20 minutes to complete the target, including unlimited sighters. Any rifle chambered for the .22 long rifle rimfire using un-modified commercial .22-rimfire ammunition is fine for this sport.

Bob points out that .22 benchrest shooting is great for all any competitor who wants to better learn the effects of wind on your shots; for smallbore shooters benchrest competition allows an evaluation of equipment and ammunition that cannot be achieved when shooting prone; and for all other benchrest shooters it gives you more trigger time and more rounds fired than any other benchrest discipline. This helps aggregate scores for all competitions. Plus it’s an ideal way to introduce someone to shooting in the first place. You learn about the equipment and the techniques, and start to really enjoy shooting, long before your elbow knows what it’s in for!

The range opens for practice 8:00am and match firing will begin at 9:00. Everyone is welcome, but space is limited, so call to sign up today, or for more information contact Robert Nation, email RHNation@aol.com, or call him at (303) 373-0071. Enjoy this new addition to our shooting line-up!

AR-15 CLINICS AT BUFFALO CREEK

The Buffalo Creek Gun Club near Bailey is again holding AR-15 Service Rifle Clinics. There will be four throughout the year, beginning Saturday, May 26. Rifles and ammo are provided. Spend a day outdoors, learn some new shooting skills, someone else hauls the guns and brings the ammo – what a deal! For more information, see www.bcgc.com, or call 303-588-6608.

WANTED

Two regular size innerspring mattress sets for the ranch house. Must be reasonable firm and clean with no torn fabric. CRC will arrange to transport the set to the range, and the donating member will be given one work bond credit for each. Contact Dave Paananen at (303) 673-0106, or Ron Best at (303) 986-0836.

NRA STUFF

The NRA will be holding an NRA Club University program, coming to Denver May 5^th. The program is designed to be a forum for State association and club leader development. Topics covered include: Youth Programs; NRA Foundation Grants; Competitive Shooting; Database Management; Women’s programs; and a roundtable discussion, among others.

The program is free and a complimentary continental breakfast and a lunch are included. If you’ve wanted to become a more active part of the shooting community, but felt you lacked some information, this is the perfect opportunity to learn more.

NRA Club University will run all day, Saturday May 5^th, at the Red Lion Hotel in Denver. The program is free but must you must register to attend. Register at www.nrahq.org/clubs/club_university/default.asp or call 800-672-2582 for more information.

NRA Board of Directors Nominee

Steve Schreiner has been nominated to serve on the NRA Board of Directors. Schreiner is a Vietnam Veteran, Airborne Ranger, and has been awarded CIB, Bronze Star with V Device and Silver Star. He has been President of the Firearms Coalition of Colorado; was awarded NRA’s Best Volunteer Organization of the Year, is a member of the NRA’s grassroots Committee and has successfully lobbied the Colorado Legislature on several gun control measures.

He has stated that he stands for: Reaching out to everyone, especially the younger generation, using their means of accessing information, about the positive aspects of the NRA; Placing more emphasis on range development and protection of existing ranges; and to protect our shooting rights in National Forests and on other Federal lands.

IN MEMROY OF

RAY STEELE

We sadly report the passing of CRC Club member Ray Steele passed away in March. Our condolences to Ray and his family and friends.

MARIANNE DRIVER

The shooting world has lost one of the great ladies of the sport. Marianne Jensen Driver passed away March 3. She may not be a famous household name, but women smallbore shooters can’t be in the sport too long before they hear about Marianne.

Marianne was born in Transylvania in 1913, and emigrated to the U.S. when she was just 16. She started out as a tennis player, but she married Max Jensen, a prone shooter. If you know prone shooters you know you know if you want to spend time with them, you better be a shooter too. Marianne took up shooting and was soon winning matches. She shared the sport with her two daughters, Lenore and Marianne (Bobbi).

After Max’s death in 1952, Marianne married pistol shooter Marvin Driver. She became an NRA Board member and began a serious competitive career that spanned 50 years. She held three women’s any sight National titles, and the ladies titles in Ohio, Michigan and North Carolina. She was adjutant to the U.S. Women’s Team in the 1962 and 1966 World Championships.

But she is best known for her years of competition on the US Randle Team. She was a fixture at Camp Perry, a Randle team member several times, a line coach many more times, and her daughters have carried on her legacy. Between Lenore and Bobbi, they have 53 Randle team appearances between them. Marianne didn’t keep her skills just in the family either. She mentored several of the nations current top women smallbore shooters including Edie Reynolds and Carolyn Millard Sparks.

I was lucky enough to meet her myself, and every time I went to Camp Perry, one of the first people I’d look for was Marianne, quietly peering down-range from her lawn chair.

The NRA honored her lifetime of commitment in 1999 when she was given the Sybil Ludington Freedom Award, for her “dedication to mentoring others in competition and recreation shooting, promotion of the NRA service as a competent ambassador for smallbore shooting, and encouragement of participation in the shooting sports, especially among young people…”

She will be very missed, and it will be hard to picture Camp Perry without her, but her legacy will go on in the careers of the many shooters she inspired.