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

President’s Message

(July 2022)

The board of directors welcomed Steve Wiltgen to the position of director at our July meeting. Steve is replacing Todd Hendry who has decided to resign his position as a result of his busy work schedule running his family business. I want to thank Todd for his past years of serving on the board and for his dedicated service to the club.

Twilight Tuesday skeet shoots will be July 12 and 26 starting at 7 pm. Why not experience skeet under the lights with fellow club members?  Guests are also welcome, so call a friend and bring your gear for a couple of low-key rounds of skeet as the sun goes down. Shooting will be under the lights for the last round ending at 9 pm.

The road in front (east) of the skeet and trap fields is being used by the Norther Illinois Pistol and Rifle club members and by trucks bringing in materials to build their ranges. The road is being used more than in the past several years. Therefore, if you see or hear vehicles on that road, shooting is to stop until the vehicles have cleared the roadway. This is a safety precaution to prevent any persons or vehicles from be hit by falling shot.

We are planning on hosting a skeet and 5-stand tutorial in the fall. This will be an

opportunity to get some instruction on these two venues especially for new members. I will provide more information as details are finalized.

We are in need of a few more safety officers. If you are interested in becoming a safety officer and/or want some more information, please contact me at sam.valenza@att.net.

I want to remind everyone of our guest procedure which has been revised as follows.

RSC GUEST PROCEDURE

• Guest(s) and their host member shall log into the guest book and provide the required information on every visit to the club.
• The Guest will shoot at member’s round fee. The member may log all rounds (member and guest) on his/her page in the log book to pay for Guest rounds shot. Or, the Guest may pay for their own rounds by placing payment in a payment envelope and clearly marking envelope “payment of guest rounds” including the Guests name.

• The Guest will also be required to pay a $5.00 user fee for each day that he/she shoots. The $5.00 user fee will be deposited in the envelopes provided and will be placed in the club depository located in the clubhouse.  
• The member’s spouse, children, and grandchildren (under the age of 25) may shoot under the member’s membership.
• For safety concerns, a safety offices or board member is required for every four guest that are brought to the club (i.e., 4 guests 1 safety officer/board member, 5 to 8 guests 2 safety offices/board members, 9 to 12 guests 3 safety offices/board members, etc.).

Effective:  Revised July 2022

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 – June/July
• Remove clay targets on skeet fields – completed
• Pistol range heaters – Completed
• Gravel for the pistol range and 5-Stand road

2022 Events

• Landfill lunch – 9/16/22
• Club fun day – 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, July 5 2022                                                                                                       

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

 Todd Hendreys

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

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

3.    Treasurers Report:  Approved, 6-0

    A. New Business:

1. Virus guidelines – Keep as is.

2.  Update guest log book.

4. Handgun range heaters, Completed

5. Looking for more safety officers

6.NIRPC/RSC combined membership. – initiation fees waived.

7. Update website. In process

8. New grill – In process

9. New 5 stand remote. Completed

10. Trap voice call repaired. Completed

11. Fix gravel road. In process

a. Handgun league – Started

b. Trap tutorial spring – again in fall

c. Membership committee, started working on new ideas.

d. club internet, getting quotes

e. 5 stand/sporting league – started

Projects for 2022

 Rebuild trap houses, in process

 Clay removal, Completed

2022 Events

 clean up day – Completed

Fun day – Completed

Landfill lunch – 9/16/22

School trap team – Completed

Club sponsored t-shirts, Completed

New Membership day 9/24/22

Meeting adjourned at 6:30

Next Board meeting August 2, 2022                                                                                  

Respectfully submitted – Caleb Davis, Secretary

President’s Message

(June 2022)

The club has a new Facebook page that can be found at @rockfordskeetandtrap. Please visit the page and like it so we can show support for the club, share information, and bring awareness to the community that we are here. You are welcome to invite friends to like the page and to come out and join. We will keep it updated with club information and member experiences.

The club hosted our second annual fun day on June 4th. It certainly appeared that everyone had a good time. I want to thank members from the Northern Illinois Rifle and Pistol Club for coming out to enjoy the festivities. We are planning another fun day on September 24^th.

Our annual club cleanup day was very successful. I want to thank all those who came out and worked hard to make the grounds look beautiful. Also, a big thank you to the Cathedral Baptist School trap team for all of their hard work.

It was a real pleasure to have the Cathedral Baptist School trap team use our club as their home club. The students had a great time and learned a lot of shooting and safety skills. It is certainly hoped that they will be back next season.

Thanks to George and Sue Ketter for hosting a trap clinic/tutorial for our club members. We are planning on doing more tutorials for our various venues in the future.   

The new heater for the pistol range has been installed and is ready to go for next winter. Thanks to Rich Tomasewski for coordinating and installing the heater. 

Rock Ridge and Rockford Skeet Club Sporting clays and 5-stand league

$225 includes 10 weeks of shooting and a dinner at the last shoot
Rockford Skeet – 50 5-stand targets
Dates: 6/8, 6/22, 7/6, 7/20, 8/3
 
Rock Ridge – 50 sporting targets
Dates: 6/15, 6/29, 7/13, 7/27, 8/10
 
Rock Ridge: 14755 E. Edson Rd., Davis Junction
Rockford Skeet: 8104 Lindenwood Rd. Rockford
 
Top 8 scores will be taken, allowing for 2 “throwaway” or missed weeks. Shooting every Wednesday night beginning at 5:30. Rain make up days will be on Thursdays at 5:30.

To sign up contact Andrew at 815-382-1232 or Caleb at 815-243-1483

Back by popular demand, Twilight Tuesday skeet shoot will be June 21st at 7 pm.  Why not experience skeet under the lights with fellow club members?  Guests are also welcome, so call a friend and bring your gear for a couple of low-key rounds of skeet as the sun goes down.  We’ll be under the lights for the last round ending at 9 pm.

The club’s gas grill is nearing it’s end days, so the BOD has approved the purchase of a new grill. The new grill will be purchased in the next week or two. Just a reminder that the grill is available to all members who wish to use it. So bring out your burgers and Brats and have fun.

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 – June/July
• Remove clay targets on skeet fields – completed
• Pistol range heaters – Completed
• Gravel for the pistol range and 5-Stand road

2022 Events

• Landfill lunch – 9/16/22
• Club fun day – 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  ,  June 6  2022                                                                                                       PRESENT:  Sam Valenza, , Bill Shold , 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 May / 2022 – Approved ,  5-0

3.    Treasurers Report:  Approved , 5-0

 A. New Business:

1. Virus guidelines –  Keep as is.

2.  lawn crew for 2022,  completed

4. Handgun range heaters ,  Completed

5. NIRPC/RSC open house on fun day.   Completed

6.NIRPC/RSC combined membership. – initiation fees waived.

7. Update website

8. New grill – Approved   5-0

a. Handgun league – Started

b. Trap tutorial spring – Completed

c. Bird dog demo  – cancelled

e. Membership committee ,  started working on new ideas.

f. club internet, getting quotes

g. 5 stand / sporting league – starts 6/8/22

h. Projects for 2022

i. Rebuild trap houses,  June / July

j. Clay removal,  Completed

k. Heaters for pistol range – Completed

2022 Events

 clean up day – Completed

Fun day  –  Completed

Landfill lunch – 9/16/22

School trap team – Completed

Club sponsored t-shirts ,  Completed

New Membership day 9/24/22

Meeting adjourned at 6:30

Next Board meeting July 5, 2022                                                                                 

Respectfully submitted – Caleb Davis , Secretary

RCS BOD, May 3, 2022                                                                                                       

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

ABSENT: Todd Hendrey, Caleb Davis

1. NIRPC/RSC open house on fun day 6/4/22
2. NIRPC/RSC combined membership. – initiation fees waived
3. Round price increase to $5.00 on 5/1/22
4. Trap tutorial spring – May 21, 2022 by George Ketter
5. Bird dog demo – on fun day 6/4/22
6. Membership committee, Mike Buckman

Projects for 2022

• Rebuild trap houses – spring
• Clay removal – spring
• Heaters for pistol range – in process
• Club internet – Randy investigating

2022 Events

• Annual meeting –   Completed
• clean up day – 5/14/22
• Fun day – 6/4/22 – 9/24/22 Plans have been complete
  • Drawing, raffle, food
  • NIRPC invited
  • Venue supervisors are defined
• Landfill lunch – 9/16/22

New Business

• Club sponsored t-shirts, waiting for bill
• Carpet cleaning – in process
• Bank access for Mike – in process
• 5-stand league is being formed
• Club house cleaning schedule – every two weeks when service provider can accommodate schedule

Meeting adjourned at 6:30

Next Board meeting June 7, 2022                                                                                          Respectfully submitted – Sam Valenza for Caleb Davis, Secretary                                                                                                                                                                 

President’s Message

(May 2022)

As explained in my President’s Message last month, the price of rounds has increased to $5.00 as of May 1, 2022. Any payments received at $4.00 per round will be credited at $5.00 per round and the amount received will be rounded down to the nearest $5.00 rounds price.

Northern Illinois Rifle and Pistol Club (NIRPC) hosted a fun shoot/open house for our members on April 30. I want to thank NIRPC president, Roger Needham and his staff for inviting and working with us. Good food and a lot of fun.

Rockford Skeet Club will be hosting a club fun day on June 4, 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. We are also planning on a bird dog demonstration. Please check in at the club house to receive your attendance ticket before shooting. Come on out and join the fun. Guests are welcome.

Our annual club cleanup day is Saturday May 14 starting at 8 am. Please bring your trimmers, chain saws, blowers, etc. No shooting will be allowed until all of he work is done. Your help is needed in order to keep our club house and grounds looking beautiful. Lunch will be provided.

A trap clinic/tutorial for club members will be held at 9 am on Saturday May 21 by George Ketter. He will work on foot position and eye hold. George will have a shotkam (camera mounted to his gun) and you can shoot to record your shots. If you’re having trouble at one of the stations this will help identify any errors and what you need to do the correct it. Also, he will have a chronograph available to check the speed of your shells.    

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
• Remove clay targets on skeet fields
• Pistol range heaters

2022 Events

• Club cleanup day – 5/14/22
• Club fun day – 6/4/22
• Landfill lunch – 9/16/22
• Club fun day – 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

President’s Message

(April 2022)

The price of a semi-truck load of targets that we have purchased has increase from $16,957 in 10/2019 to $17,146 in 9/2020 to $18,808 in 7/2021. There was also a price increase in December of 2021 which we have not realized yet because we have not ordered targets since July of 2021. We won’t be ordering targets until sometime in early summer of this year and there is a reasonable chance that the price will increase again due to the price of oil. The club cannot absorb this increase and is forced to raise the price of rounds from $4.00 to $5.00 effective on May 1, 2022. Based on the facts, this was an easy decision for the board. Communicating the increase to the membership is never easy.

The Northern Illinois Rifle & Pistol Club will be hosting a fun shoot and open house for the members of Rockford Skeet Club at their Harrison Road range. Please feel free to bring your .22 LR rifles, pistols, ammunition, and eye and ear protection (we are limiting the event to .22 only to keep the noise for those outside the shoot house). Fun targets will be set up on the rifle range at distances ranging from 40 to 100 yards. The bowling pin shoot will be held on the pistol side. Don’t have a .22 rifle or pistol? No worries, we will have rifles and pistols on hand for you to use. To sign up for this event or if you have questions, please contact Roger at 815-243-0148 or Rneedham@forrestonmutual.com. It is import that you sign up in advance so that the Rifle Club knowns how many to count on for lunch. Northern Illinois Rifle & Pistol Club is located at 3660 Harrison Road, Rockford, IL. The Fun Shoot & Open House is on April 30th from10:00 am to 2:00 pm. Lunch will be served. Bring Lawn Chairs. This will be an excellent time to discuss membership if you are interested in joining the Rifle Club at a discounted first year rate which waves the $50.00 initiation fee. Please wear your club badge.

Rockford Skeet Club will host an open house for members of the Northern Illinois Rifle and Pistol Club during our club fun day on June 4, 2022. I will provide more details as plans are defined. Our club will also waive the $50.00 initiation fee for any member of the rifle club that wants to join our club.

The Winter skeet league concluded with a hotly contested race between

The BABAS consisting of:

                                Sam V

                                Al P

                                Bill S

                                Brad

With 711/750 narrowly edged out Rich’s Roques consisting of:

                                Rich T

                                Viktor B

                                Leo H

                                Harry M

With a score 710/750 Congratulations to the above Teams and thanks to all participants. I want to thanks Chuck Jones for coordinating and running the league.

The first pistol shoot of the year will be April 16. This will not be a scored event. Instead, it will focus on shooting techniques and the use of cover. You need to bring 42 rounds of ammunition of any caliber. Times are 9, 10 and 11. Let George Ketter know what time you want by mailing him at geosueket@msn.com.

New to the club? New to skeet or trap or five stand?  Nearly every Saturday at 10 am you can find a board member ready to introduce you to a shooting sport you want to try, but just haven’t taken the next step. This is your opportunity to have a safe and low-key experience.  Remember, Saturdays at 10 am at the clubhouse.

A membership committee has been formed and is in the process of organizing. The expected outcome of the committee is to plan and define future membership objectives. I will provide more information as the committee evolves.

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
• Remove clay targets on skeet fields
• Pistol range heaters

2022 Events

• Club cleanup day – 5/14/22
• Club fun day – 6/4/22
• Landfill lunch – 9/16/22
• Club fun day – 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  ,  April  5  2022                                                                                                       PRESENT:  Sam Valenza, , Bill Shold , 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 March / 2022 – Approved ,  6-0

3.    Treasurers Report:  Approved , 6-0

A. New Business:

1. Virus guidelines –  Keep as is.

2.  lawn crew for 2022,  completed

4. Handgun range heaters ,  in process

5. NIRPC/RPC open house on fun day 6/4/22

6.NIRPC/RPC combined membership. – initiation fees waived

7. Round price increase to 5.00  on 5/1/22

a. Handgun league – In spring

b. Trap tutorial spring – TBD

c. Bird dog demo  – on fun day 6/4/22

d. 5 stand overshoot agreement , 5 stand has been moved

e. Strategic vision and mission statement. Completed

f. No signs can be displayed publicly.  Unless board approved

g. 2022 elections,  Completed

h. Membership committee , Mike Buckman

i. club internet, getting quotes

j. Laptop for club,    Approved 6-0

8. Projects for 2022

a. Rebuild trap houses, spring

b. Clay removal, spring

c. Heaters for pistol range

2022 Events

1.Annual meeting –   Completed

2. clean up day – 5/14/22

Fun day – 6/4/22  –  9/24/22

Landfill lunch – 9/16/22

School trap team is going good

Club sponsored t-shirts ,  waiting for completion

Vintage style shoot on 6/4/22

Food truck for 6/4/22 fun day

Meeting adjourned at 6:30

Next Board meeting May  3, 2022                                                                                         Respectfully submitted – Caleb Davis , Secretary