Airfield Shooting Club

Today is 21 MAY 2023 and here are some important updates regarding club renewals and nominations for the upcoming Board of Directors elections.

RENEWALS:

Be advised that on 1 JUN a late fee will be applied to those members who have not paid their 2023-2024 club dues. In order to process your membership renewal, two things need to happen: 1) pay your dues, and 2) return a signed renewal form to me. If you have not received your membership card(s) in the mail yet, it is probably because one (or both) of those two things has not happened yet. Renewal forms went out on 30 MAR via email. If you don’t have a copy, check your SPAM/trash folder (some members have reported finding them there) or contact me ([email protected] or [email protected]) and I will send you a pdf copy of your form. Be sure to check the form over carefully and make any changes necessary directly on the form before signing it and sending it back to me. We were made aware that the program we used to generate the renewal forms produced some errors, specifically in the area of the NRA member # & EXP date. Again, make any changes necessary directly on the form, sign it and send it back to me. If you recently updated your NRA membership, be sure to send me a copy of your card (or label from an NRA magazine) to confirm the updated information.

NOMINATIONS for Board of Directors:

I apologize for the delay in getting this out, but pursuant to the current By-Laws, the club is now accepting nominations for the upcoming Board of Directors election to be conducted at the July meeting (15 JUL 2023) in the 4-H Conference Center banquet room. We are accepting nominations for all positions. Nominations will need to be presented to the Secretary ([email protected] or [email protected]) NLT 16 JUN 2023. Nominated members must be in good standing at the time of election. Spouses, significant others, close relatives and business partners cannot serve together on the board if they serve in a position that has control of the club’s funds (i.e. Treasurer, President, etc.). The term of office is 1 year. You can find position descriptions in the By-Laws. The current positions, with the current members filling the position (or “open” where no one is currently serving) are listed below:

President: Ray Covington
Vice President: Tim Drewry
Secretary: David Willis
Ast. Secretary: Greg Shelton
Treasurer: Kirk Culpepper
Chief Instructor: Scott Sampson
Executive/Maintenance Officer: Art Schoner
Newsletter Editor: Don Aubuchon (stepping down)
Webmaster: Open
Shotgun Director: Open
Provost: Mark Fitzmorris
New Member Orientation Director: Brenda Norton
Shotgun Competition Director: Richard Sutton
Director: Mike Lawler
Director: Tom Sanford
Director: Dale Mullin
Director: Taylor Strickland

The Black Flags are Down! The work on both of the ranges is completed. The 50-yard and 100-meter ranges are open for normal operations. Thanks to a few very hard-working members we were able to complete the frame holders (PVC) at 15’, 20’.30’, 25,and 50-yard distances. Lane 10, in front of the south wall of the SRB is permanently closed and should never be used under any conditions. Lane 11, immediately to the right of 10, is restricted for use only during rimfire challenge matches.

The reconstruction of the SRB has allowed us to improve the capability of the range. One of the areas that we have improved is the leveling of the ground between the firing points and the berm. Because of this, we can use the same size frame for all distances. As a result, we will be adding more PVC pipe in the ground to accommodate different shooting standards. With the modifications we have changed the rules for the SRB, which only allowed shooting at certain distances to now allowing Target Frames to be placed anywhere there is PVC pipe in the ground.

With the SRB, you are reminded to pay special attention to where your round is going to end up in the berm. Please make sure that your targets are placed in a proper location on the backer to ensure your rounds impact in the lower half of the berm.

It’s that time of year and the combinations to the locks (gate, sign in shed, skeet, and trap) as well as the bathroom doors have all been updated. Use the combinations provided on your new membership card. If you submitted your renewal form and made your payment, but haven’t received your new membership card, contact the club secretary at [email protected]. Please don’t contact me, as I’m not in the loop as to anyone else’s renewal status.

Art Schoner
ASC MO

The 50 and100 are currently closed. The contractor has not finished putting the facing wood on the concrete block on the SRB. That should be completed Monday afternoon/evening. The 50 (including the SRB should open Tuesday morning. But be aware that the 4-H center will be training their counselors Tuesday and Wednesday. When they are finished the 50 will be available with VERY limited selection of target placement. There are 4 or 5 frames available at 15 feet, and one point with a frame available at 25 and 50 yards. The grading/seeding and strawing is complete on the 100. The only thing left to do there is place pipes for the target frames.

We plan to rent a mechanized multi-purpose device that has an auger attachment, this Saturday to dig the rest of the holes. This work party will begin at 9:00 Saturday may 20th and run concurrently with the board meeting. We need members with transfer (flat ended) shovels, garden rakes, and wheelbarrows.

Now to address one of the most misunderstood details of the work that has been done: There will be NO (zero, zip, nada) topsoil placed on top of the granite screenings on the 50. These screening have been graded to drain towards the culvert pipe on the wall side of the range. The screenings should have little, to no. weeds growing in them. They will also be much more conducive to picking up brass and general cleanliness of the range. The 100m range was graded to eliminate the low (aka muddy) spots and will not drain down range to up range and left to right into a swale, all leading into a culvert out of the range. It was also seeded with bermuda grass and covered in straw. There are 3 tripod sprinklers set up to irrigate the 100 as well. The 4-H center is going to help with running these. There is also bermuda seed and a straw mat on both of the earthen berms.

The 100m range is closed to vehicular traffic until further notice, including well after the range itself is re-opened.

Art Schoner
ASC MO

Do you live close to the club and want an opportunity to check out the progress? If so, there is a job that requires at least 2 sets of hands. It’s quite simple in scope. All of the material in the pictures below needs to be moved off the grass and into the shelter, to enable the contractor to grade and spread screenings. If you take a non-member to help, you get twice the hours! If you’re interested, let me know at [email protected]. If possible, I’d like to get this done today, or tomorrow morning.

Thanks,

Art Schoner
MO