Holyoke Revolver Club Newsletter

HRC Newsletter - Summer 2024

Fri, 20 Sep 2024 18:20:32 GMT

1. Petition to Repeal - Chapter 135 (Bill H-4885)

By now I am sure you are aware of the bill H-4885 presented by the MA Legislature has been signed into law by Governor Healy on July 25, 2024 as Chapter 135. This law is the most outrageous attack on our Civil Rights in Modern United States History.

HRC held a petition signing event on Saturday, Sept. 14th. The email announcement had gone out to 700+ Active members as well as another 500 past members and students.

We collected 170 ± signatures. We thank all that came to the club to sign the petition. However, we would have like to have seen more then just a 17% turnout. Every signature counts toward the 60,000 signatures we are striving for. If you haven’t signed yet, please go to: www.thecivilrightscoalition.com to find a signing location closest to you.

We will also be holding a 2nd signature event in the evening of Thursday, Sept. 26th, 5:00pm to 8:30pm. If you own a firearm, you should be signing this petition!!

2. Annual Members Dinner & Election of Officers

In November, in accordance with our Bylaws, we hold the Annual Meeting where we have a catered sit down dinner. Join us to socialize and meet your fellow members. At this time the Officers inform the members of the status of the Club, and look ahead to the future.

After our dinner we will hold the annual election of the Club Officers.

The general duties of these officers are to control and manage the business and property of the corporation. The Officers of the Board are the members that shape the future of this Club.

The Board is made up of a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, a Club Governor, a Membership Secretary and six (6) Officers at large. All Officers, except for the Officers at large, hold a one (1) year term. Two (2) Officers at large are elected for a term of three (3) years at each annual meeting.

Please consider coming to the meeting to help choose our Officers.

If you have been thinking that you would like to be more involved with the Club management, policies and decision making, please consider running for a position on the Board. To be elected you must be present at the Annual meeting, and you must be nominated by an active member from the floor that night.

Please join us for the Social before the meeting with the annual dinner catered by Hamel - FREE Social & Dinner starts at 5:30pm, and the meeting starts at 7:00pm.

For further information, please email: secretary@holyokerevolverclub.com.

3. Annual Dues - Increase

The annual membership dues for the Holyoke Revolver Club (HRC) run from January 1st to December 31st of every year. In November all active members will receive an invoice for the year 2025. You have until January 31st to pay.

This year the HRC Board of Officers has unanimously voted to raise the dues. This is the result of several things. 1) The high inflation rates that we are all experiencing has raised the cost of maintaining our club. 2) The lack of volunteers has resulted in using subcontractors.

The there will be two increases.

2025 -
- Adult $140.00 (increase of $20.00/yr. {$1.67/month})
- Spouse $70.00 (increase of $10.00/yr. {$0.84/month})
- Senior $70.00 (increase of $10.00/yr. {$0.84/month})
2026 -
- Adult $160.00 (increase of $20.00/yr.)
- Spouse $80.00 (increase of $10.00/yr.)
- Senior $80.00 (increase of $10.00/yr.)

4. Volunteers needed for the Monday morning Maintenance Crew

The Monday morning maintain crew does an excellent job of cleaning & maintaining our clubhouse and ranges. They are in need of a couple of new volunteers to join in.

If you are able to help, please contact Ron Mehlhorn (RonM@HolyokeRevolverClub.com)

5. HRC Juniors Pistol Team - Scholastic Action Shooting

We are presently seeking a new Lead Coach for our Junior Team. This person must be an Active Member of HRC, and certified either as an Instructor, a RSO, or a NRA Pistol Coach.

The Lead Coach acts as a liaison with the Board of Officers, and helps plan activities.

If you are interested, please contact Angel Colon, the chairperson of the Juniors’ Committee. Email: AngelC@HolyokeRevolverClub.com.

6. Club Activities

The Fun Shoot (Go to Website)

Western Mass Pistol League (Go to Website)

The USPSA Practical Shoot (Go to Website)

Benchrest Rifle (Go to Website)

7. New Members.

We have been doing well bringing new members to our club.

This year we will be accepting 2024 new members through October. We now have over 700 members.

We do not accept new members in November, as this is our annual meeting with elections for the Officers of the board.

8. The HRC Members Handbook (Club Rules) is on our website

It is every member’s responsibility to know the policies and procedures of our Club. This handbook covers all the Club’s rules and regulations. Failure to abide by these simple but extremely important policies can and has resulted in memberships being terminated.
If you are uncertain about any of the Club’s policies, please contact our Clubs Governor at: Governor@holyokerevolverclub.com or any of the Directors to assist you with your question.
Please click here for the Members Handbook

9. Club ID Card Labels – Officers & Range Safety Officer

The Holyoke Revolver Club has twelve Officers (Directors) and many Range Safety Officers (RSO). Should you see a member with their badge that has a logo at the bottom in yellow, know that these individuals are willing to assist with any questions, concerns, or issues you may have. Don’t hesitate to also suggest any ideas or improvements that can make our Club a better place for all. These folks are eager to listen, help, advise, and assist!!

HRC Newsletter – Winter 2020 – 2021

Sun, 13 Feb 2022 17:00:00 GMT

Time to Renew Your Membership

The Club’s membership is from January 1st to December 31st. By now you should have RENEWED your membership. Please be reminded, if you have not renewed, your key card will be deactivated soon.
If you have any questions, please contact our Membership Secretary, Bill Burgess at Membership@HolyokeRevolverClub.com.

Board of Officers Report

A couple of changes have happened since our elections in November of 2021.
First, no one had stepped up to run for President after Bruce Hermans had announced that he would not be running. During the January Board of Officers Meeting Bruce offered to come back to fill the vacant position of President. The Board voted unanimously to accept his offer, and it was ratified unanimously by the membership at the February Members’ Meeting.

Second, the Club’s Treasurer that had been newly elected in November resigned the position in December. During the January Board of Officers Meeting, Michelle Bailey, who was the Club’s previous Treasurer, offered to come back to fill the position of Treasurer. The Board voted unanimously to accept her offer, and it was ratified unanimously by the membership at the February Members’ Meeting.

CLICK HERE to see the present list of the Board of Officers, and the links to email them.
Please remember the Board of Officers meetings are open to all HRC members. If you would like to discuss anything with the Board, please contact the President, so that you can be put on the agenda. President@HolyokeRevolverClub.com

Outdoor Shooting Hours

For February and March, the shooting hours for All Outdoor Ranges is 8:00am to 4:00pm.
A friendly reminder, failure to abide by this simple but extremely important policy can result in loss of membership.

Save The Date

April 3rd will be the spring clean-up at the Club, it is scheduled for 8:30- 12:00.
There will be a complimentary cookout afterwards with hamburgers and hot dogs. If possible, please bring a rake, leaf blower, weed trimmers whatever you have and are able to bring will help. This is a great way to meet fellow Club members and possibly even make new friends.
If you are able to make it, please E-mail Paul Sullivan to sign up or if you have any questions. memberscommittee@holyokerevolverclub.com

The HRC Members Handbook (Club Rules) is on our website

If you are uncertain about any of the Club’s policies, please contact our Club’s Governor at: Governor@holyokerevolverclub.com or any of the Directors to assist you with your question. Please click here for the Members Handbook

Club Website Update

At the January Board meeting Club member and RST&O Instructor Christopher Rawson gave an excellent presentation and his recommendations on why the Club should consider updating our website. He recommended to the Board that we move our website to WildApricot. This software is what GOAL uses and was developed for the “Club” type environment. Several features will be quite advantageous to the operation of HRC including assignment of permanent member ID numbers, easier tracking of fees due, calendar events etc. Members will be able to sign in to view members only sections of the site, etc. Christopher Rawson, Bruce Hermans, and Training Administrator Richard Anderson have already started “building” the new website. A special thanks to all three for doing so!!
At Februarys members’ meeting, Bruce Hermans presented an overview to the members present about the upcoming new software system. One thing to note is once the new website is finished each member will be required to have their own email address. No two members will be able to share an email, but with countless free email services out there, we’re hoping that won’t be a problem.
We will continue to update as progress continues over the coming months.

Club ID Card Labels – Officers & Range Safety Officer

Governors Report

Sign in book
Please remember all members and Guests are asked to sign in and out, unless attending a scheduled Club event. Please print clearly!
Our Club has a few very important but incredibly simple rules that must be followed without exception!
No outdoor shooting before or after designated times.
No outdoor shooting on restricted holidays.
Only members are allowed to shoot at our Club.
A friendly reminder, failure to abide by these simple but extremely important rules can and most likely will result in loss of membership.

Police Qualifications

The Police Departments have started their qualifications up again.
Please be sure to always check the Club’s calendar for range closures and for last minute changes.

Holyoke Revolver Club Steel Shooters

Our junior shooting team, has room for new junior shooters to join. We are looking for juniors grade 6 and up to come shoot and compete with us. Younger children can be interviewed by coach Heisler to be considered for the team as well. We shoot under the National Scholastic Action Shooting Program. We have competed regionally and nationally. We also encourage our athletes to compete in regional Steel Challenges.
Our coaches are Instructors, Range Safety Officers and NRA Pistol coaches.
If you know of a junior who would be interested, please contact Michael Heisler at coach@holyokerevolverclub.com. Anyone is also invited to come to a practice to check it out. We meet at 5:30 every other Thursday. Check the Club calendar.

HRC Communications and Your Responsibility

The Holyoke Revolver Club provides all Club information to its membership via email and our website at www.holyokerevolverclub.com.
It is the members’ requirement and responsibility to keep a current email address on file with our Membership Secretary at: membership@holyokerevolverclub.com. The HRC assumes no liability or responsibility regarding its communications to members other than through these two channels. Please do not “unsubscribe” or block HRC emails. It is the member’s responsibility to read these emails and stay up to date with all information and possible changes at the HRC.

NRA Basic Pistol Course

The Club continues to offer the NRA Basic Pistol Course on the third Saturday of each month. Please help us advertise and support your Club by telling your friends and family about our course. Students who pass the course receive both an NRA Basic Shooting certificate and a MA Basic Firearms Safety certificate, along with a live fire endorsement. The certificates will allow them to apply for both MA and CT firearm licenses. More info on the club website. Please contact our training administrator Richard Anderson at Training@holyokerevolverclub.com if you have any questions.

First Shots Course

Looking for specific training on a new handgun you just purchased? The HRC conducts a course to familiarize new gun owners with the operation of their newly acquired guns. We will schedule the next class when a minimum of 4 people are interested. Please contact our training administrator Richard Anderson at Training@holyokerevolverclub.com if you are interested.

Shooting 101 Training Course

The Club will be starting back up the Shooting 101 Course soon….
This is a follow-up course to the NRA Basic Pistol Shooting course and provides a more hands-on shooting experience. You will have the opportunity to try up to 10 different types of handguns. A majority of class time will be spent on the range and actually handling and shooting handguns. Each participant will have 1-on-1 instruction on the range.
This experience should clearly demonstrate what you will and won’t like in a gun and which one will fit and feel best. Basically, try it before you buy it. The Club supplies firearms and ammunition. CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

Orientation & Intro to Practical Shooting

If you are interested in participating in the monthly USPSA Practical Matches this orientation is for you. You are invited to join or just observe this intro to Practical Shooting. The orientation will be held in the Clubs classroom and in the Indoor range. It is limited to the first 10 sign ups and is for members only. The orientation will be March 12th and is free of charge.
If you plan on attending send an email to instructor Christopher Rawson with any questions and to sign up for the class. RSTO@holyokerevolverclub.com
CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO

GOAL and NRA

The HRC strongly encourages its members to join The Gun Owners Action League (GOAL).
GOAL is the premiere 2nd amendment organization here in the State of MA fighting hard for gun owners, our rights, ranges, retail stores, and the sport as a whole.
Carl Eger is the Club’s recruiter for GOAL and the National Rifle Association (NRA). He can be found at the back of the room at the monthly members meetings. He offers NRA memberships at a discount, and the NRA returns rebates to the Club of $5 for renewals, and $10 for new memberships.
Those funds are used to purchase our Club’s Juniors an NRA membership if they wish.
PLEASE NOTE Carl is looking for an assistant to take his place when he can’t make it to the meetings. If you would be interested being a fellow recruiter with Carl, please let him know or contact any of the Board members.

50/50 Raffle & Members Drawing

October:
Brian Conway won $31.00 in the 50/50 raffle.
Paddy Sullivan’s number was drawn in the members’ drawing, but he was not at the meeting.

November:
Gretta Tucker won $45.00 in the 50/50 raffle.
Henry Seidel’s number was drawn in the members’ drawing, but he was not at the meeting.

December:
Rich Fulvi won $34.00 in the 50/50 raffle.
Abigail Coe’s number was drawn in the members’ drawing, but she was not at the meeting.

January:
Due to low attendance the 50/50 and the Members’ Drawing was not held.

February:
Dave Chapdelaine won $20.00 in the 50/50 raffle.
Thomas Beaujolais Sr’s number was drawn in the members’ drawing, but he was not at the meeting. $162.50 goes into the pot for March (plus half of the 50/50).

New Members

October:
Joining the Club at the October meeting was; Jeremy Rivas, Michael Curtin, Tom Doody, Alan Forcier, Bethany Healy, Jesse Kerman, Daniel Lally, and Kendra O’Neill

November:
Due to the Annual Meeting, no new members were voted in for November.

December:
Joining the Club at the December meeting was; David Cicerchia, Linda Cicerchia, Brad DeVillier, Greg Dwinell, Elias Nikolaidis, Brian Emmett, Richard Fulvi, Michael Gendreau Jr, John Hinchley, Ryan Cobb, Jim King, Ed Scott Martin, Joseph Navarro, Juan Nunez Jr, Jessica O’Brien, Kathy Peltier, Ruben Roberto, Gregory Shiel, and John Wessig.

January:
Joining the Club at the January meeting was; Susan Martin and Jack Maspro.

February:
Joining the Club at the February meeting was; Rose Andrejczyk, Jeremy Carriere, Sean Mortell, James Bradford, and Dave Chapdelaine.

Welcome to all of the new members!!!

If anyone has any news they would like to share or to report any errors in our Newsletter
please contact us at Newsletter@HolyokeRevolverClub.com.

HRC Newsletter - August & September 2021

Wed, 01 Sep 2021 22:24:41 GMT

November Annual Meeting and Elections

The HRC Annual Meeting and Elections will be here before you know it. Please consider coming to the meeting to help choose our officers. If you have been thinking that you want to be more involved with the Club management, policies and decision making, please consider running for a position on the Board.
Please click HERE for all the information and details.

Outdoor Shooting Hours

For the month of October, the shooting hours for All Outdoor Ranges is 8:00am to 6:00pm.
A friendly reminder, failure to abide by this simple but extremely important policy can result in loss of membership.

Special Event

In recognition of many wonderful volunteers that help make our Club one of the best, we are planning an event to honor those volunteers! A special BBQ and social outing at the Summit View Meeting House, 555 Northampton St. Holyoke, on October 22nd. Lots of fun planned and special recognition for all. If you are a volunteer, you will be receiving an invitation via email soon. It is completely free and complements of the HRC for you and your guest. Please note you must follow the link in your invitation email and reserve you and your guests spot. You must pay a $20 deposit each that will be refunded to you, in cash, upon joining us at the event. More details to follow soon.
Please save the date and keep a lookout for your special email coming soon!
Please direct any questions to Maureen Couture at: maureenacouture@gmail.com OR Gretta Tucker at: grettatucker43@gmail.com

The HRC Members Handbook (Club Rules) is on our website

It is every Members responsibility to know the policies and procedures of our Club. This handbook covers all the Club’s rules and regulations. Failure to abide by these simple but extremely important policies can and has resulted in memberships being terminated.
If you are uncertain about any of the Clubs policies, please contact our Clubs Governor at: Governor@holyokerevolverclub.com or any of the Directors to assist you with your question.
Please click here for the Members Handbook

Club ID Card Labels – Officers & Range Safety Officer

Police Qualifications

The Police Departments will be starting their qualifications up again soon. Please be sure to always check the Club’s calendar for range closures and for last minute changes.

HRC Communications and Your Responsibility

The Holyoke Revolver Club provides all Club information to its membership via email and our website.
It is the members’ requirement and responsibility to keep a current email address on file with our Membership Secretary at: membership@holyokerevolverclub.com. The HRC assumes no liability or responsibility regarding its communications to members other than through these two channels. Please do not “unsubscribe” or block HRC emails. It is the member’s responsibility to read these emails and stay up to date with all information and possible changes at the HRC.

A Welcome and a Thank You

The Club would like to formally welcome and thank Richard Anderson for taking over the very important job as HRC’s Training Administrator, managing all of the Clubs training classes. We would also like to thank Club President Bruce Hermans for handling that task for many years, as well as developing and updating much of the course. The job consists of scheduling and organizing the students, payments, scheduling instructors and RSO’s, including several other tasks in order to make our Clubs NRA Basic Pistol Shooting Course one of the best in the area.
Richard can be contacted at Training@holyokerevolverclub.com

NRA Basic Pistol Course

First Shots Course

Looking for specific training on a new handgun you just purchased? The HRC conducts a course to familiarize new gun owners with the operation of their newly-acquired guns. We will schedule the next class when a minimum of 4 people are interested. Please contact our new training administrator Richard Anderson at Training@holyokerevolverclub.com if you are interested.

GOAL and NRA

50/50 Raffle & Members Drawing

August:
Joe Topor won $23.50 in the 50/50 raffle and donated it to the Juniors team.
Elizabeth Ferris name was drawn in the Members Drawing, but she was not at the meeting. $23.50 goes into the pot for September.
September:
Mike Heisler won $23.00 in the 50/50 raffle.
Scott Lessing’s number was drawn in the members’ drawing, but he was not at the meeting. $46.50 goes into the pot for October.

New Members

August:
Joining the Club at the August meeting was; Holden Krueger, Anaya Colon – Junior, Aiden Colon – Junior, Abigail Cie – Junior.
September:
Joining the Club at the September meeting was; Keli Krok of Ludlow, James DeRosa of Springfield, Amanda McIntosh of South Hadley and Miguel Rivera of Holyoke.

Welcome to all of the new members!!!