President’s Message

(December 2022)

Club Treasurer Randy Scott has informed the Board of Directors (BOD) that he will not be running for re-election next year. Dave Zierke will be replacing Randy and a transition will start in January of next year. Dave will officially be placed on the ballot for the 2023 election in March. Randy has been an integral part of our club for many years and has done an amazing job as treasurer. Thank you, Randy. I look forward to working with Dave and know that his contributions will enhance our club now and in the future. Welcome aboard Dave.

The 2023 dues invoices will be mailed by December 15, 2022 so be on the lookout for it. Payment is due by February 1, 2023.

Looking for great ideas for your holiday shopping?  Give the gift of sportsmanship with a gift certificate at Rockford Skeet Club.  For $20 you can get two rounds for a guest and two rounds for yourself to help introduce our sport to your friends.  There is no guest fee to be paid!  For the next several Saturdays at 10 am board members will be at the club house to sell gift certificates.  The offer is good for purchase through 1/31/2023, and certificates may be redeemed until 12/31/2023. Happy Holidays from Rockford Skeet Club.

The BOD is considering having a monthly Saturday breakfast and is looking for several volunteers to run/coordinate this event. Job duties includes buying the groceries, cooking, serving, and cleanup. If anyone is interest in helping out, please email me at sam.valenza@att.net.

The club will be getting a new furnace in the next couple of months. Club member Evan Bomgarden, who owns an HVAC company, has given the club a deal that we can’t refuse. As a result, the BOD has come to an agreement with Evan to install a new more efficient furnace. By the way, our current furnace is 27 years old and I would say that we got our money’s worth.

Our friends at the landfill have filled in the pot holes on the handgun/5-stand access road. Thanks much to the folks at the landfill.

As previous reported, we are still working on getting Wi-Fi for the club. The process has been slow but hopefully it will be done in the near future.

WINTER SHOOT RULES

The following winter shooting rules are affective immediately:

• Trap and skeet fields and sidewalks are to be cleared of snow before shooting. Shovels are outside of the club house and in the storage barn. The snow blower is available for use and is located in the storage barn. Do not shoot on fields that have not been cleared of snow. Doing so will compact the snow and make it difficult to remove. It is everyone’s job to pitch in to remove snow from the sidewalks and shooting fields.
• As always, gun cases are not permitted in the club house. Guns will be permitted, but it is strongly suggested that they only be kept inside if it is raining or snowing

If anyone is interested in getting certified for the handgun range, please contact Milt Schwanke at

815-988-2278, George Ketter at 815-631-9366, Caleb Davis at 815-243-1483, or Dan Gengo at 815-572-1423. You will need to bring a handgun, ammo, eye and ear protection and a $25.00 annual fee.

2022 Projects

• Rebuild trap houses – approved
• Remove clay targets on skeet fields – completed
• Pistol range heaters – Completed
• Gravel for the pistol range/5-Stand road – in process
• Club internet – in process
• Repair leak in club house roof – completed
• Move patterning board – spring 2023

2022 Events – all events have been completed

Remember gun safety is our number 1 priority.

Rockford Skeet Club Mission Statement

The Rockford Skeet Club’s mission is to promote clay target shooting and complementary shooting sports. The objectives are to promote those characteristics of honesty, good fellowship, self-discipline, team-play, and self-reliance which are the essentials of good sportsmanship. It is the duty of all members to contribute to the wellbeing, to protect, to grow, and to enhance the club and its membership.

Best Regards,

Sam Valenza

President, Rockford Skeet Club

RCS BOD, December 6, 2022                                                                                                       PRESENT:  Sam Valenza, Al Perry, Randy Scott, Steve Wiltgen, Bill Shold Caleb Davis, Mike Buckman

 Todd Hendreys

1.     Meeting called to order at 5:30 by President Sam Valenza

2.     Minutes of November/ 2022 – Approved, 6-0

3.    Treasurers Report:  Approved, 6-0

A. New Business:

1. Virus guidelines – Keep as is.

2.  Update guest log book. Completed

4. Handgun range heaters, Completed

5. Update website. In process

6. New grill – Completed

7. Trap voice call repair.  Completed

8. Fix gravel road.   Completed

9. Roof repair- Completed

10. Move patterning board – spring 2023

11. Long range card reader, – Researching

a. Skeet league – Completed

b. Introduction to 5 stand– next year

c. Introduction to skeet – Completed

d. Membership committee, working on new ideas

e. club internet, in process

Friends of the NRA – develop for next year

 New furnace – Approved ,6-0   

New member orientation, 1^st and 3^rd Saturday of the month

Monthly breakfast – currently investigating

Guest Waiver, Drafted

Projects for 2022 – Completed

2022 Events – Completed

Meeting adjourned at 6:30

Next Board meeting January 3, 2023                                                                                 

Respectfully submitted – Caleb Davis , Secretary

President’s Message

(November 2022)

On Saturday October 30^th the club hosted an introduction to skeet for new and current members. We had several members attend and it proved to be helpful with instruction and tips to those that participated to improve their skeet shooting skills/scores. The club plans to continue to host similar events for all of our shooting venue starting in the spring of next year.

One of the skeet lights is not working due to a failed electrical part. The part is on order and will be replaced when received. Shooting is still permitted under the light as the degradation of the lighting is minimally affected. Also, the trap lights will be adjusted at the same time that the skeet light is repaired.

It is getting that time of the year when the handgun range heater can be turned on. The heater control is on a timer switch located on the back wall next to the thermostat. To turn it on, set the timer for 10 minutes or more. DO NOT attempt to adjust the temperature setting. The heater will automatically turn off when the timer counts down to zero minutes

Rockford Country Club is looking for a part-time rangemaster for its Skeet & Trap Club, which is open October-March. Work hours are 8 a.m. to Noon Saturdays and Sundays, with the exception of the occasional special event. Responsibilities include but are not limited to: Opening and closing the skeet and trap facility, logging members rounds, maintaining a safe shooting environment, answering member questions and concerns, and performing light general maintenance such as loading target machines. Inquire with Wendy Newman, controller at RCC. Her contact information is wendy@rockfordcc.com or call her at 815-968-9881

As previously stated, Wi-Fi at the club has been ordered and Comcast is in the process of completing work to run a cable to the club house. Work should be completed in the next few weeks.

WINTER SHOOT RULES

The following winter shooting rules are affective immediately:

• Trap and skeet fields and sidewalks are to be cleared of snow before shooting. Shovels are outside of the club house and in the storage barn. The snow blower is available for use and is located in the storage barn. Do not shoot on fields that have not been cleared of snow. Doing so will compact the snow and make it difficult to remove. It is everyone’s job to pitch in to remove snow from the sidewalks and shooting fields.
• As always, gun cases are not permitted in the club house. Guns will be permitted, but it is strongly suggested that they only be kept inside if it is raining or snowing

If anyone is interested in getting certified for the handgun range, please contact Milt Schwanke at

815-988-2278, George Ketter at 815-631-9366, Caleb Davis at 815-243-1483, or Dan Gengo at 815-572-1423. You will need to bring a handgun, ammo, eye and ear protection and a $25.00 annual fee.

2022 Projects

• Rebuild trap houses – approved
• Remove clay targets on skeet fields – completed
• Pistol range heaters – Completed
• Gravel for the pistol range/5-Stand road – in process
• Club internet – in process
• Repair leak in club house roof – completed
• Move patterning board – spring 2023

2022 Events – all events have been completed

Remember gun safety is our number 1 priority.

Rockford Skeet Club Mission Statement

The Rockford Skeet Club’s mission is to promote clay target shooting and complementary shooting sports. The objectives are to promote those characteristics of honesty, good fellowship, self-discipline, team-play, and self-reliance which are the essentials of good sportsmanship. It is the duty of all members to contribute to the wellbeing, to protect, to grow, and to enhance the club and its membership.

Best Regards,

Sam Valenza

President, Rockford Skeet Club

RCS BOD, November 2022                                                                                                       PRESENT:  Sam Valenza, Al Perry,  Randy Scott, Steve Wiltgen, Bill Shold  Caleb Davis,

 Todd Hendreys

1.     Meeting called to order at 5:30 by President Sam Valenza

2.     Minutes of October/ 2022 – Approved, 5-0

3.    Treasurers Report:  Approved, 5-0

    A. New Business:

1. Virus guidelines – Keep as is.

2.  Update guest log book. Completed

4. Handgun range heaters, Completed

5. Update website. In process

6. New grill – Completed

7. Trap voice call repair.  Completed

8. Fix gravel road. In process

9. Roof repair- Completed

10. Move patterning board – next spring

a. Skeet league – Started

b. Introduction to 5 stand– next year

c. Introduction to skeet – Completed

d. Membership committee, working on new ideas

e. club internet, in process

Friends of the NRA – develop for next year

Projects for 2022

 Rebuild trap houses, Completed

2022 Events – Completed

Meeting adjourned at 6:30

Next Board meeting December 6, 2022                                                                                 

Respectfully submitted – Caleb Davis, Secretary                                                                                                                                                         

President’s Message

(October 20220

Rockford Skeet Club hosted another club fun day on September 24, 2022. It was a fun event with delicious food cratered in. Some members of the NIRPC were in attendance. We gave out several boxes ammo for attendance prizes and raffled off 10 rounds of shooting. Thanks to all that attended.

We also hosted our annual steak lunch for the folks at the landfill on Friday September16, 2022 in appreciation for all that they do for us. Thanks landfill folks.

On Saturday October 30^th the club is hosting an introduction to skeet for new and current members that want to learn the game and/or get some tips that may help to improve scores. So come on out at 10:30am to skeet field three if you are interested.

Carts specifically designed to carry the trap voices calls have been received and will be available for use in the next few days. These carts should help preserve the units.

Wi-Fi at the club has been ordered. Comcast has to run the cable to the club house and work should be completed in the next few weeks.

The trap houses have been refurbished with the replacement of the roofs and doors. Thanks to Rich Tomasewski for doing a great job.

If anyone is interested in getting certified for the handgun range, please contact Milt Schwanke at

815-988-2278, George Ketter at 815-631-9366, Caleb Davis at 815-243-1483, or Dan Gengo at 815-572-1423. You will need to bring a handgun, ammo, eye and ear protection and a $25.00 annual fee.

2022 Projects

• Rebuild trap houses – approved
• Remove clay targets on skeet fields – completed
• Pistol range heaters – Completed
• Gravel for the pistol range/5-Stand road – in process
• Club internet – in process
• Repair leak in club house roof – completed

2022 Events – all events have been completed

Remember gun safety is our number 1 priority.

Rockford Skeet Club Mission Statement

The Rockford Skeet Club’s mission is to promote clay target shooting and complementary shooting sports. The objectives are to promote those characteristics of honesty, good fellowship, self-discipline, team-play, and self-reliance which are the essentials of good sportsmanship. It is the duty of all members to contribute to the wellbeing, to protect, to grow, and to enhance the club and its membership.

Best Regards,

Sam Valenza

President, Rockford Skeet Club

RCS BOD, September 13, 2022                                                                                                       PRESENT:  Sam Valenza, Al Perry, Mike Buckman, Randy Scott, Steve Wiltgen, Bill Shold Caleb Davis,

 Todd Hendreys

1.     Meeting called to order at 5:30 by President Sam Valenza

2.     Minutes of August/ 2022 – Approved, 6-0

3.    Treasurers Report:  Approved, 6-0

A. New Business:

1. Virus guidelines – Keep as is.

2.  Update guest log book. Completed

4. Handgun range heaters, Completed

5. Update website. In process

6. New grill – Completed

7. Trap voice call repaired. 

8. Fix gravel road. In process

9. Roof repair- Completed

10. Move patterning board – next spring

a. Skeet league – Started

b. Venue tutorial – next spring

c. Membership committee, working on new ideas

d. club internet, voted 5-0 yes, in process

Friends of the NRA – develop for next year

Projects for 2022

 Rebuild trap houses, Completed

2022 Events – Completed

Meeting adjourned at 6:30

Next Board meeting November 1, 2022                                                                                 

Respectfully submitted – Caleb Davis , Secretary

RCS BOD, September 13, 2022                                                                                                       PRESENT:  Sam Valenza, Al Perry, Mike Buckman, Randy Scott, Caleb Davis,

 Todd Hendreys

1.     Meeting called to order at 5:30 by President Sam Valenza

2.     Minutes of August/ 2022 – Approved, 5-0

3.    Treasurers Report:  Approved, 5-0

A. New Business:

1. Virus guidelines – Keep as is.

2.  Update guest log book. Completed

4. Handgun range heaters, Completed

5. Update website. In process

6. New grill – Completed

7. Trap voice call repair parts.  ordered

8. Fix gravel road. In process

9. Roof repair- voted 5-0 yes

a. Handgun league – started

b. Trap tutorial spring – completed

c. Membership committee, working on new ideas

d. club internet, voted 5-0 yes, in process

e. 5 stand/sporting league – Completed

Projects for 2022

 Rebuild trap houses, in process

2022 Events

Landfill lunch – 9/16/22 

New Membership day 9/24/22

Meeting adjourned at 6:30

Next Board meeting October 4, 2022                                                                                 

Respectfully submitted – Caleb Davis , Secretary

President’s Message

(September 2022)

Rockford Skeet Club will be hosting another club fun day on September 24, 2022 starting at 9 am until around 1 pm. We have invited NIRPC members to join us. All venues will be open. There will be attendance drawings for ammo, a raffle for $1.00 per ticket for10 rounds and a free lunch. Also, if you break a pink target, you will receive an extra attendance drawing ticket.  Please check in at the club house to receive your attendance ticket before shooting.  Also, a pump gun or double barrel shoot will be held and will consist of one round of wobble trap, one round of 16-yard trap, one round of skeet, and one round of 5 stand. The only cost for this fun day is for the cost of rounds. Come on out and join the fun. Guests are welcome.

The annual lunch for the folks at the landfill is Friday September16, 2022. The club house will not be available to club members except for logging rounds and bathroom use between the hours of 11:00 am and 1 pm.  

Fall Skeet League – 1 October 2022 – 30 November 2022

Grab a couple of your shooting buddies and enjoy some friendly competition. Your team decides when they want to shoot. Shoot five events, each event consists of a standard round of skeet and a doubles round. Don’t think your scores are good enough, don’t worry its handicapped. Signup sheets and details are on the tables in the club house. Questions contact Chuck Jones, 815-275-0090, email jonescacdr@hotmail.com. If you don’t have a team, a team will be assigned to you. Grind’em up.

It has been noticed that the trap voice calls have been damaged with the speakers being dented and the transmitter cables braking. Several transmitters have been returned to the vendor for repair. I am asking everyone to take extra care when using the voice calls. Carts specifically designed to carry the voices calls are on order and should be received in the next week or so. These carts should help preserve the units.

It looks like we will finally have Wi-Fi at the club in the near future. I will keep you all posted.

The Board of Directors (BOD) has approved a proposal from Rich Tomasewski to refurbish the trap houses. Work is scheduled for the week of September 12, 2022. When workers are present, no shooting is allowed on either trap field.

The club has purchased of a new grill. It is available to all members who wish to use it. So, bring out your burgers and Brats and have fun.

All safety officers have been issued new badges that identify them as safety offices. Let me know if you did not get one.

The club house roof has been leaking during rain storms and will be repaired this Saturday September 17. There will be no interference with club activities.

If anyone is interested in getting certified for the handgun range, please contact Milt Schwanke at

815-988-2278, George Ketter at 815-456-2871, Caleb Davis at 815-243-1483, or Dan Gengo at 815-572-1423. You will need to bring a handgun, ammo, eye and ear protection and a $25.00 annual fee.

2022 Projects

• Rebuild trap houses – approved
• Remove clay targets on skeet fields – completed
• Pistol range heaters – Completed
• Gravel for the pistol range/5-Stand road – in process
• Club internet – in process
• Repair leak in club house roof

2022 Events

• Landfill lunch – 9/16/22
• Club fun day/new members day/open house – 9/24/22

In memory – current and past members that have died in 2022. Let me know if you are aware of the passing of any other of our members in 2022.

• Larry Hammack
• Russ Weeks
• Don Ufkin

Remember gun safety is our number 1 priority.

Rockford Skeet Club Mission Statement

The Rockford Skeet Club’s mission is to promote clay target shooting and complementary shooting sports. The objectives are to promote those characteristics of honesty, good fellowship, self-discipline, team-play, and self-reliance which are the essentials of good sportsmanship. It is the duty of all members to contribute to the wellbeing, to protect, to grow, and to enhance the club and its membership.

Best Regards,

Sam Valenza

President, Rockford Skeet Club

President’s Message

(August 2022)

The Board of Directors (BOD) has approved a proposal from Rich Tomasewski to refurbish the trap houses. Once work begins the trap fields will not be available for shooting. I will let you know when the work will start.

The folks at the landfill will be putting more gravel on the road behind the club house to fill in the pot holes that have developed. I want to thank Tim and his crew over at the landfill for doing this for us.

August is National Shooting Sports Month. We are always looking for new members and this is and added an opportunity for you to bring out guests and get them acquainted with the shooting sports and/or our club. If a guest fills out an application, the guest fee will be waived. Also, every Tuesday is Twilight Tuesday in August.  Join your club members for shooting under the lights starting at 7 pm.  Lights go on when it is dusk, and we finish at 9 pm.  Last week we had both skeet and trap under the lights.  August 9th is shotgun show and tell night.  Bring some hardware with a story!

For safety reasons, we will be moving the patterning board between skeet field 3 and the handgun range berm. There is concern that people using the patterning board could be in danger with shooters on trap field 2.

I want to remind everyone that badges are required to be worn on club property.

Trap shooters please be aware that when you talk while on station birds are being released through the voice calls. Please keep you talking to a minimum and thanks for you cooperation.

The BOD has approved a donation in the amount of $250 to sponsor a shooting station during the boy scout shoot scheduled in September.

All safety officers will be issued new badges that identify them as safety offices. The new badges will be available in the next week or two.

If anyone is interested in getting certified for the handgun range, please contact Milt Schwanke at

815-988-2278, George Ketter at 815-456-2871, Caleb Davis at 815-243-1483, or Dan Gengo at 815-572-1423. You will need to bring a handgun, ammo, eye and ear protection and a $25.00 annual fee.

2022 Projects

• Rebuild trap houses – approved
• Remove clay targets on skeet fields – completed
• Pistol range heaters – Completed
• Gravel for the pistol range/5-Stand road – in process
• Club internet – investigation is in process

2022 Events

• Landfill lunch – 9/16/22
• Club fun day/new members day/open house – 9/24/22

Remember gun safety is our number 1 priority.

Rockford Skeet Club Mission Statement

The Rockford Skeet Club’s mission is to promote clay target shooting and complementary shooting sports. The objectives are to promote those characteristics of honesty, good fellowship, self-discipline, team-play, and self-reliance which are the essentials of good sportsmanship. It is the duty of all members to contribute to the wellbeing, to protect, to grow, and to enhance the club and its membership.

Best Regards,

Sam Valenza

President, Rockford Skeet Club

RCS BOD Meeting – August 2, 2022                                                                                                       

PRESENT:  Sam Valenza, Bill Shold, Al Perry, Mike Buckman, Randy Scott, Steve Wiltgren,

1. Meeting called to order at 5:30 by President Sam Valenza
2. Minutes of July 2022 – Approved, 5-0
3. Treasurers Report:  Approved, 5-0

2022 Projects

1. Handgun range heaters, Completed
2. Update website – In process
3. New grill – In process
4. Fix gravel road – In process
5. Club internet – Randy Scott is investigating Comcast and T-Moble
6. Rebuild trap houses – approved/in process
7. Broken clays removal – completed

20222 Events

1. clean up day – Completed
2. Fun day – Completed
3. Landfill lunch – 9/16/22
4. Club fun day/New Membership/open house Day 9/24/22

New business

1. NIRPC/RSC meeting scheduled for August 16. Agenda for meeting is in process
2. Guest waiver was discussed and is being researched by Steve Wiltgen
3. Clay for scouting – BOD approved a $250.00 station donation
4. Safety officer badges – BOD agreed to have badges for safety officers. Caleb to make and distribute
5. Patterning board will be relocated between skeet field 3 and handgun range berm for safety reasons
6. Badges are to be worn on club property
7. Investigating venue coaches for tutorials
   1. Caleb Davis and George Ketter to conduct 5-stand tutorial

Meeting adjourned at 7:30

Next Board meeting September 6, 2022                                                                                 

Respectfully submitted – Sam Valenza for Caleb Davis, Secretary