Message from the President
February 2012
To the members and friends of EGC:
I hope everyone is having a great year so far. We at EGC are doing our best to provide you with opportunities to come out and enjoy yourselves. The list of upcoming events provides a broad spectrum to hopefully entice you to come out for a visit. We have been very fortunate that the weather has been cooperating on most Thursday evenings for trap league; unfortunately it has not been very cooperative for continued construction on the Rifle /Pistol Range (more on that later).
We are fast approaching our membership cap of 450 members. Once we reach that milestone, new members will be accepted only as prior members drop. This is where it becomes very important for everyone to understand the EGC policy. Although we strive to notify each member 30-60 days prior to expiration it is ultimately the responsibility of each member to be aware of your expiration month and to renew your membership on time. All memberships expire on the last day of the anniversary month and we offer a 30-day grace period. If not renewed, you will be dropped and an applicant on the waiting list will be admitted.
Let's take a quick look at what's coming up on the EGC calendar:
Thursday Night League goes on strong. Congratulations to DTWASP as the winners of Winter League. Polar Bear begins this Thursday, February 2. Looks like we will have eight teams participating until spring is upon us.
The Super Bowl Fun Shoot & Party on Sunday, February 5, has been expanded to once again include a Steak Fry to go with the evening game. For $12 you can cook your own 12-ounce ribeye steak to go along with baked potato, vegetable, salad and dessert, as well as the best place in the area to view the game and enjoy a beverage. Food will be available starting at 5 p.m.
Our Fighting Illini basketball party will be on Sunday, February 12, beginning at 11 a.m. We'll have chili, hot dogs and other snacks as we watch the Illini take on Michigan. Traps will be open for normal weekend shooting.
The Wild Game Feed and Fun Shoot is scheduled for Sunday, February 26. The fun shoot begins at 10 a.m. and consists of three 50-target trap events. The wild-game potluck will be served around noon, and we again have great bluegrass music from the Red Hair'd Boys starting about 12:30 p.m. We are accepting contributions of any and all dishes to include desserts. They do not have to contain wild game as we like to offer traditional menu items as well. This is an EGC tradition that no one will want to miss.
We'll host our popular fish fries on the second and fourth Friday of February, and then every Friday during Lent (February 24 - April 6). This will require additional volunteers and we appreciate everyone's help. It was great to see a few new volunteers at our last fish fry. Sign up sheets are posted on the kitchen door.
As I mentioned last month, we've added a fourth non-registered shoot to our schedule. The St. Patty's Day Fun Shoot & Party will take place on Saturday, March 17. We are looking forward to a good day shooting, food and fun.
Here's the monthly update on the Rifle/Pistol Range:
We have dates scheduled for the Range Officer training. The dates will be Saturday, March 31, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Sunday, April 1, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. I know many folks have verbally responded and some have sent e-mails showing interest in the training. Please contact me via cell phone (618-660-9356) or email (roland.coderre@att.com) to confirm. Unless you discuss with me directly there is no guarantee you will be admitted to the training. This is not free to the club as it requires training material and coordination with the NRA, so we are discussing the possibility of mandatory commitments prior to attendance.
The next phase of constructing the ballistic baffles involves the installation of 50+ posts that require concrete. The recent sporadic rains makes it impossible to get an auger truck and concrete trucks in place. Be assured that we are making every effort to get the new range on-line as soon as possible.
Let me close with a few notes and reminders:
Please join me in supporting the NRA and its local chapter, Madison County Friends of the NRA, at their upcoming banquet on March 3. There are flyers on the bulletin board and on the tables.
Shooting is only allowed at EGC when authorized personnel are present or during advertised club operating hours.
Please respect our shot-size limitations of #7½ or #8 shot, 3 Dram equivalent.
As always, Safe Shooting!!!
Roland Coderre, President
