RCS BOD, November   5, 2024                                                                                                     

• PRESENT:  Sam Valenza, Al Perry, Steve Wiltgen, Caleb Davis, Dave Zierke, Bill Shold, BMike Buckman

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

2.     Minutes of October – Approved, 5-0

3.    Treasurers Report:  Approved, 5-0

New Business:

1. Club shirts and hats –   TBD
2. Water supply –   well to be drilled — within a couple of weeks
3. Amend safety rules.  In the works
4. Boy scout merit badge – in the new year
5. Annual safety officers meeting – TBD

Projects for 2024

• Card reader wiring trap fields – Completed
• Repair skeet houses – Jay Schaack — spring

2024 Events

• Completed

Meeting adjourned at 6:30

Next Board meeting December 3, 2024                                                                     

Respectfully submitted – Caleb Davis, Secretary       

President’s Message

(November 2024)

The first Youth Clays Initiative was held on October 20th for six new shooters. Thanks to coaches Ben Ratze and Jay Schaack for a great agenda and safety introduction. Chief safety officer Brad Yokum, Mike Buckman, and Bill Shold helped with hands-on firearm handling and shooting for the event. The smiles and enthusiasm from the participants breaking clays was ample reward. There were boy scouts among the shooters and two eagle scouts among the safety officers. A definite repeat for next year!

The drilling of the well is scheduled to start on Monday November 11. The work should not interfere with any of our shooting venues but if they do, please yield to the workers.

Thank you to Bob Liphart for rewiring the card read cables and outlet for the trap fields and thank you to Wess Vilmin for mowing the tall grass beyond the skeet and trap fields. It is the volunteers that make our club beautiful and affordable. Thanks to all of our volunteers.

Since we are a volunteer club, all of our members are responsible and required to keep the club house and grounds in good order. That means keeping the club house clean by emptying the garbage cans, vacuuming the carpet, keeping the sinks clean, cleaning the table tops, and general overall house cleaning, as well as picking up shells and debris on the grounds.

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.

Thanks for your cooperation.

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, or Caleb Davis at 815-243-1483. You will need to bring a handgun, ammo, eye and ear protection and a $25.00 annual fee.

 2024 Projects

• Repair skeet houses
• Purchase new trap voice calls

2024 Events – All events 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

Minutes
Board of Directors
October 1, 2024
Minutes of meeting of September 3, 2024 approved
Club has $15,535 in checking and $53,562 in savings.
Jay Schaack is still contemplated to repair the skeet houses.
Club hats and shirts pending.
Directors and officers liability insurance pending.
The 5-stand stations have been moved 40 yards, and 5-stand target throwers have
been repositioned. The new layout has been tested with 7.5 pellets shot with a
tailwind. No shot left club property.
The club will endeavor to sponsor a BSA merit badge for shotgun proficiency in
the spring.
A Youth Clays Initiative “YCI” will take place on October 20

President’s Message

(October 2024)

The lunch for the landfill folks was held on Friday September 20 in appreciations for all that they do for us. As part of this appreciation, I want to thank Bruce Knapp and Jonathan Seabold for removing a berm and building a parking lot which enable us to move the stands and machines to prevent shot from falling onto our neighbor’s property. That was a big effort and much appreciated.

The second annual fun day as held in September and was a lot of fun. Drawing for prizes, a raffle, delicious food, and followship were the highlights of the day.

Youth Clays Initiative                                                    

Do you have a child or grandchild ages 12 to 18 who would like a gentle introduction to clay shooting? Our member high school trap team coaches will offer a free 2 hour hands on explanation, demonstration, and participation session this month.  Important safety and handling, hands on familiarity with different shotguns, and a chance to shoot some clays will be included. Our coaches are also safety officers, and there will be additional safety officers to allow a one on one experience.  Parents must be present to observe only and to sign appropriate waivers. Bring your own firearm if possible and ammunition (#8, #81/2 or #9 shot), eye and hearing protection, and your enthusiasm.  We will have some shotguns and ammunition on hand provided by the club.  Each participant will be provided one round of 25 clays.

The details:                     Sunday, October 20, 2024 (no Bears Game)

                                                         1 to 3 pm

                                         Rockford Skeet Club- Clubhouse

                                          8104 Lindenwood Road

                                                          Cost: free

Respond by text if you are attending with number of kids to: Bill Shold 815-978-8686.

Club member Jeff Moecher won the NSSA Skeet US zone 5 12-gauge championship with a perfect 100 shoot off. Congratulation to Jeff.

If the skeet remotes don’t respond and throw targets numerous times, it is likely that the battery needs to be replaced. Extra batteries will be on the window ledge where the remotes are stored. The batteries last about 2 months.

An order was placed and was received for a third 5 stand remote.

The drilling of the well looks to be close as the drilling company has started preliminary drilling and flagged the grounds for installing the plumbing.

There are several pallets located outside of the barn and are offered for free for anyone that wants them. Any remaining pallets will be moved to the burn pile.

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, or Caleb Davis at 815-243-1483. You will need to bring a handgun, ammo, eye and ear protection and a $25.00 annual fee.

 2024 Projects

• Install card readers – completed
• Repair skeet houses
• Trap fields rewiring for card reader system

2024 Events

• Fun days– completed
• Landfill appreciation lunch – 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 3, 2024                                                                                                     

• PRESENT:  Sam Valenza, Al Perry, Steve Wiltgen, Caleb Davis, Dave Zierke, Bill Shold

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

2.     Minutes of July – Approved, 5-0

3.    Treasurers Report:  Approved, 5-0

New Business:

1. Club hats – passed 5-0
2. Water supply – well to be drilled — TBD
3. Club ammo for events – Purchased
4. Landfill will move berm for 5 stand
5. 5 stand lift to be sold, 5-0
6. Club safe for files – completed
7. New member shooting incident, disciplinary suspension until hunter safety course has been completed.  5-0
   1. The above motion was amended on September 4, 2024 to the following: A motion was made that the boy can continue to shoot under Brad’s supervision and is required to take a clay shooting online course that was recommended by high school trap coach Jay Schaack and utilized by trap team. This amendment was approved by 6-0.

Projects for 2024

• Card reader systems – Completed
• Repair skeet houses – Jay Schaack

2024 Events

• Fun day – 9/14
• Landfill lunch – 9/20     
• Venue Tutorials, Trap, Skeet 7/13, 5stand 8/17 completed
• Annual meeting – Completed

Meeting adjourned at 6:30

Next Board meeting October 1, 2024                                                                     

Respectfully submitted – Caleb Davis, Secretary       

President’s Message

(September 2024)

Rockford Skeet Club will be hosting a club fun day on Saturday September 14, 2024 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. Guests are welcome. Come on out and join the fun.

The lunch for the landfill folks will be held on Friday September 20 from 11 am to around 1 pm in appreciations for all that they do for us. The club will be open to members but the club house will be reserved for the lunch attendees.

It has been brought to my attentions that there appears to be two issues that are occurring at the club. First, new spent shells were found on skeet field 1 marked with 7 ½ shot. Shot larger than no. 8 is strictly forbidden to be use at our club. This rule has been in place for many years. Second, it is rumored that some of our members have been poaching targets from the left-over targets from the preceding group. As I stated in my card reader orientations and newsletter, the extra targets are to only be used for broken birds or gun malfunctions. You are only paying for 25 targets and any additional usage other than described above is stealing from the club. If caught using 7 ½ shot or larger or caught poaching target, termination of membership may result.

Club hats and patches with our logo will be available for sale in the near future. I will provide more information regarding price and availability when known.

An order was placed for a third 5 stand remote and should be delivered sometime next week. Please remember to load the 5 stand machines when done shooting and to turn off the voice command on the remotes if in use. Also, the stands will be relocated back towards the handgun range in order to avoid shot from falling on our neighbors’ property. The folks at the landfill will be removing the berm located near the handgun building and will be putting in a parking lot. This work will be done in the near future. I want to thanks Bruce Knapp, who manages the landfill, for agreeing to do the work. Much appreciated.

The drilling of the well is now schedule to start mid-September.

There are several pallets located outside of the barn and are offered for free for anyone that wants them. Any remaining pallets will be move to the burn pile.

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, or Caleb Davis at 815-243-1483. You will need to bring a handgun, ammo, eye and ear protection and a $25.00 annual fee.

 2024 Projects

• Install card readers – completed
• Repair skeet houses
• Trap fields rewiring for card reader system

2024 Events

• Fun days– 9/14/2024
• Landfill appreciation lunch – 9/20/24

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 2024)

A 5 Stand tutorial will be held on Saturday August 17 at 10 am. The tutorial will cover basic 5 Stand shooting instructions including hold points, break points, and stance. Please let Al Perry know if you plan on attending at alans_perry_10@comcast.net.

We have experienced some issues with the voice calls on the trap fields. In an effort to remedy this situation we plan on buying new voice calls from Long Range sometime in the fall when their voice call units have finished Beta testing (field testing).

Drilling for our new well has again been delayed. It is hoped that the drilling will start by the end of August. It will take about two weeks for it to be completed.

The summer five stand/sporting clays league finished up on July 17 with dinner at Rock Ridge Sportsmen’s Club.  Congratulations to Steve Howlett who finished with the highest average score over the ten weeks of competition. 

There were twelve club members who competed at the Illinois Sporting Clays Championship last weekend at Rock Ridge.  Congratulations to Illinois State Champion in 20-gauge, Caleb Davis.

Punches awarded were: Caleb Davis – 20-gauge, 28-gauge, Pump  

                                       Mike DeGould – FITASC

                                       Bo Dylak – Main 5 Stand, Super Sporting

                                       Hugh Funderburg – 410 gauge

                                       Steve Howlett – Main 5 Stand

                                       Kent Piske – Main sporting clays, Main 5 Stand,

                                                            Preliminary, Super Sporting,

                                                             28 gauge

                                       Bill Shold – 12 gauge

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, or Caleb Davis at 815-243-1483. You will need to bring a handgun, ammo, eye and ear protection and a $25.00 annual fee.

 2024 Projects

• Install card readers – completed
• Repair skeet houses

2024 Events

• Fun days– 9/14/2024
• Tutorial – 5 stand 8/17/24
• Landfill appreciation lunch – 9/20/24

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

Minutes

                             BOD Rockford Skeet Club August 2024

Dave Z. provided a financial report that we have about a combined $71,600 in savings and checking.

In the near future, Sam V. and Mike B. will inventory the total targets thrown and by venue. This may take place on a regular basis, i.e., monthly or quarterly.

Bob Liphart will be asked to install conduit for the wiring of the new Long Range trap field components.

Repair to the skeet houses has not started; work may have to be delayed to next season or a contractor may have to be retained.

The club will have hats and patches with the club logo made, but no shirts.

The 5-stand area will be improved by removal of a knoll, creation of a gravel parking lot and moving the shooting stations to west.

The board authorized the purchase of 2 sets of Long Range voice callers for the trap fields.  Only one set will be purchased, the second upon favorable evaluation of the first unit’s performance.

Respectfully submitted.

Steven Wiltgen

Recording Secretary Pro Tem

RCS BOD, July 2, 2024                                                                                                     

• PRESENT:  Sam Valenza, Al Perry, Steve Wiltgen, Caleb Davis, Dave Zierke, Bill Shold, Mike Buckman B

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

2.     Minutes of June– Approved, 6-0

3.    Treasurers Report:  Approved, 6-0

4.    2024 budget – Passed   6-0

New Business:

1. Club hats – TBD 
2. Gun Sold for 400.00
3. Water supply –   well to be drilled mid July
4. Target quotes awarded to Midwest
5. Club ammo for events – Purchased
6.  Committee of the whole started at 6:00 adjourned at 6:14
7. Club safe for files 6-0

Projects for 2023

• Card reader systems – Completed
• Repair skeet houses – Jay Schaack

2023 Events

• Fun days – 6/8 and 9/14
• Landfill lunch – 9/20     
• Venue Tutorials, Trap completed, Skeet 7/13, 5stand 8/17
• Annual meeting – Completed

Meeting adjourned at 6:30

Next Board meeting August 6th    2024                                                                     

Respectfully submitted – Caleb Davis, Secretary       

President’s Message

(July 2024)

The card target management system has been installed and is operational as of June 1, 2024. All member’s cards that were not picked up at the club have been mailed. Let me know if you have not received yours by emailing me at sam.valenza@att.net.

The 5-stand machines have been repositioned and adjusted to prevent shot from falling on Landfill and ACME property. The only shot that is allowed on club property is 8, 8½, and 9. 7½ shot is strictly prohibited.   

A Skeet tutorial will be held on July 13 at 10 am. The tutorial will cover basic skeet shooting instructions including hold points, break points, and stance.

We have experienced some issues with the card reader system on the trap fields. In an effort to remedy this situation, the card reader, receiver, and antennas on both fields have been relocated from the side of the barn to the posts under the overhang in order to improve reception. It is to be expected that issues will arise when a new electronic system is implemented. So please have patients as we work through these issues.

Member George Ketter will be driving to pick up cast bullets {not loaded ammo} from SNS Casting. If you want any let him know by emailing him at geosueket@msn.com . Make sure that you check their web site to see if the bullets you want are in stock. There will be no shipping charges.

Drilling for our new well will start sometime in mid-July according to the latest information. It will take about two weeks for it to be completed.

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, or Caleb Davis at 815-243-1483. You will need to bring a handgun, ammo, eye and ear protection and a $25.00 annual fee.

 2024 Projects

• Install card readers – completed
• Repair skeet houses

2024 Events

• Fun days– 9/14/2024
• Tutorial – trap 6/15/24, skeet 7/13/2024, 5 stand 8/17/24
• Landfill appreciation lunch – 9/20/24

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