Open Letter to AGCPD

[Gary Stevens]

Back around 1980 or so when I an another individual started what we now know as the Ashland Gun Club Pistol Division we had very little and things were much different. Some of you remember those "glory days".

We had what we now call Range 6, or the Main Range, but it looked much different. No side berms, no gravel, no cover at the back of the range, no shed housing our props (we didn't have any props), no buildings full of various steel, target holders, and other items. Additionally it was about half the size it is now.

I remember when we didn't have enough money to pay our NRA insurance, or buy targets and pasters.

The road leading into the range would have been difficult for a billy goat to traverse. Often during the winter we had to use folks 4 wheel drives to shuttle folks up the hill while they parked down at the post office.

We shot different stages back then. More restricted and scripted, but still fun and challenging. We didn't know we were having it rough, we just thought we were having fun, and we were.

We had a member named Jim Francis who was a coal operator. Jim heard us talking about wanting to expand our range and delivered a D-9 dozer with an experienced operator to our range. He built what you see now with the exception of the new Range 5. Thank you Jim Francis.

As years went on and new shooters joined our band of merry folks we started the Ashland Invitational Tournament. I believe the first one had about 50 people attend. We took an amount of the profits and plowed them back into the club for additional props and returned the rest to the shooters as prizes.

The tournament went on for several years and we accumulated a good amount of hardware for the club. Storage buildings, gravel, drainage, road repair, cover at the back of Range 6, steel, targets, pasters, timers, etc. The tournament was a lot of work and at some point we let it slide into history.

More than 30 years have passed and I have seen many folks come and go at the gun club. I often wonder why they left or never returned, but I am sure they had their reasons. Fourtunately we have always had good people some from the old days and some from the current days.

I've also seen many clubs fail due to mainly lack of member participation. AGCPD is so fortunate to have folks to care about our gun club and are willing to sacrifice their time and efforts to keep it alive.

We do things a bit different at our club. We run a different format, two prize funds, along with rifle shoots each month. While other clubs will shoot more stages 6 or 7 per month, our format works and we put a fair amount of lead downrange each month. Bottom line is it works for us.

I guess some of you are thinking where is this going?

A club is more than just targets, props, and ranges. It is people. There is work being done at the range, behind the scenes, each month accomplished by people who do it because it has to be done. E-mails fly back and forth each month about projects, purchases, and future plans all by people who care about our club.

I am not going to try to name everyone as I would for sure miss someone. You know who you are and I do also.

So from one of the oldtimers at the club, I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who works so hard so that we can continue to enjoy what we have.

[S Lance]

Nicely said.

[bcp307]

I started back around 1982 shooting matches. And I second what he said.

It has been a long road to where we are now, but it has been alot of fun.

Thanks Gary for the "open letter".

[bigdaddy]

Nicely said, I haven't been nearly as long as some of you all, but I am grateful to be a member of a club with such a good bunch of people.

I've made friends through the club that I wouldn't have had otherwise.

Sometimes the matches are secondary to the fellowship.

Thanks Gary!

[creekerdoug]

Even though I'm not a club member I think I'm qualified to say the Ashland Gun Club is a little unique. I shoot at a lot of different clubs during the year and while they all have their own special "charm".... you guys have it figured out way better than most. The number and quality of the matches (USPSA, IDPA and the carbine matches) you hold puts most clubs to shame.

There's not a lot of bitching & moaning, at least that I hear. That's pretty nice. I try to help out every where I shoot and it's sometimes a little more difficult to do that at other clubs.....

You welcome new shooters better than most also. If they choose not to come back I don't think that's a reflection on the club. I suspect they find out it's a little tougher and a little more expensive to do this stuff when it's not a video game.

Anyway, thanks for letting me hang out and shoot up the greater Rush metorplex with you.

[JBOGGS]

Yea! what Gary said!

[bcp307]

Thanks Doug for you are your fellow shooters shooting with us.

We always appreciate your many contibutions and help with the club.