Range Safety Officer Course
The club will hold an NRA Range Safety Officer training course the weekend of March 3 and 4. The course is full but anyone interested in taking the next course should contact the club. Rob Lombardi and Norm Desilets are the training counselors.
W.M. Pistol League Banquet
The annual WMPL banquet will be held April 21 at Tony and Penny's Restaurant in Ludlow. The event is open to any HRC member and his or her guest, regardless of whether they participated in this year's matches. Tickets are $23 and are available from Ron Mehlhorn.
HRC Joins the NSSF
The board of directors recently voted to join the National Shooting Sports Federation. The NSSF is a trade association of the firearms industry whose mission statement is 'To promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports.' The NSSF sponsors programs for clubs to improve their facilities and protect the environment.
Badges
Following a recent discussion by the board of directors, the membership voted at the February meeting to purchase plastic ID carriers so that HRC members can display their membership cards while on the club ranges.
50/50 Raffle
New member Barbara Lynch won $36.00 in the February drawing. Badri Debian's name was picked to win $200.00, but he was not present, so the money will be in the March drawing.
Practical Matches The club holds practical matches on the fourth Saturday of the month. New shooters should arrive at 9 a.m. for safety instruction. Participants should bring a centerfire pistol or revolver and 100 rounds of ammunition, extra magazines and speedloaders, a holster, which is not a shoulder or crossdraw model, a baseball cap and eye and ear protection. Chris Fila is in charge. Volunteers are needed to set up the stages, and should arrive at 8 a.m.
Women On Target Ann Robinson and Robin Torrey are planning a Women On Target session to be held at the club at a date to be announced. Anyone interested in participating in the NRA-sponsored event should contact Ann or Robin.
Reloading Course The club will hold another reloading course April 7, according to instructor Ralph Rechenberger. The one-day program is an NRA-certified course in metallic cartridge reloading. Cost is $60, and it is limited to 12 participants.
New Pistols
The club has ordered new Ruger Mark III .22 pistols for the monthly NRA Basic Pistol course. When they are delivered the current Ruger Mark II pistols will be offered for sale through a local FFL dealer. Any member interested in purchasing one should leave a message on the club phone or speak with one of the club officers.
New Locks
HRC has returned to the keyed padlock system on the club gates. Members have received keys with their 2012 membership cards. At the end of the year the keys should be returned to be used in a future year.
New Members
Junior member Jacob Prystowski of Southampton, Eric Szlachetka of Chicopee, Glen Zeh of West Springfield, Jason Ryan of Southwick, Elsworth Wilmot of Springfield, Christopher Dupuis and Barbara Lynch of Westfield, Howard Tuber of Monson,Dale Desmarais of Hampden and Thomas Kane of Holyoke all joined the club at the February meeting.
Western Mass. Pistol League
The annual matches of the Western Mass. Pistol League are under way. The club competes in a .22 caliber round-robin league with other local teams. All matches will be fired at Holyoke on Monday evenings throughout the fall and winter, with the results shared by email. Any HRC member is welcome, regardless of experience, and loaner guns are available for new shooters. Ron Mehlhorn is team captain. This season the league welcomes new teams from the Hamilton Rod and Gun Club and Ludlow Fish and Game.
NRA and GOAL
The club encourages its members to join the National Rifle Association and the Gun Owners Action League, the state rifle and pistol association. Ed Pelland is the club recruiter for both organizations, and handles membership applications and renewals for both. Club members can save $10 per year by renewing their NRA memberships through Ed for $25, rather than the standard $35. Ed receives NRA points for each renewal or new membership, which he applies to NRA memberships for the junior members of the club.
100th Anniversary The club will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2014. Dave Matuszek has volunteered to head the planning committee, and welcomes other HRC members interested in the club's history to join him. Dave is also looking for photographs and other memorabilia from the club's past. He has set up a website at hrc100year@gmail.com.
Fun Shoots
Dave Sparko is holding fun shoots on Tuesday evenings at the club. Competitors shoot .22 pistols at steel plates and a "Dueling Tree" of spinning targets, trying to move all of the discs to the opponent's side of the tree. Match schedules will be posted on the club's website and calendar.
Junior Rifle
The club's junior rifle program meets on Thursday evenings at 5. The junior program is open to 12 - 20 year-olds with parents' permission. Several Scout organizations received Merit Badge training, as the club instructors are now certified as merit badge counselors. Interested parties should call the club phone at 539-9345. Jim Torrey is in charge.
Pistol Course Holyoke Revolver Club conducts an NRA Basic Pistol course every month. Successful participants receive both the NRA certificate and the Massachusetts state certificate required for firearms licenses. Information is available at the club website or by leaving a message on the club phone at 413 539 9345. The club is now listed on the NRA website and will appear on a zip code search for NRA instruction. The club now has more than a dozen NRA-certified pistol instructors and a similar number of certified Range Safety Officers. Marshall Johnson is the chief instructor.
HRC Hats and Patches New embroidered hats with the club's logo and club jacket patches are now available for sale from Membership Secretary Bill Burgess.
