It is May already. We’ve had fabulous weather this spring and the activities at the club show it. It was a very busy month with many special events. Shooting is becoming a favorite fundraising venue for many charities; and our club has been glad to play a small part in the fundraising efforts for so many noble causes. Daily shooting has also picked up and we hope it will continue through the month of May before the weather becomes too hot.
We have a few projects in the pipeline I would like you to hear about:
First, we have a second sporting clay tournament scheduled for May 15th. To register you need to go on line to the Scoring Pro web site, click on “May Smack Em Down” tournament and follow the required steps. Or you can call Sarah at our office and register.
Our second project is the refurbishment of the club room where the fireplace is, where, we have planned some wall and ceiling work, new lighting, new area rugs, and new furniture. The work on this project will start in 2 -3 weeks.
The third project is to plan and fundraise for the second sporting clay course. Over the next 30 days we will lay out on paper the design of the course itself and prepare Sponsor and Founder packages to start the fundraising. We hope to start fundraising projects by June 1.
Soon you will also be able to hear about the club on the Outdoor Show, hosted by Jeff Lageman, on radio station 1010XL. We hope to use this venue to let the community know of shooting opportunities that the club provides.
Thank you, and I hope to see you at the club,
Z. Mincek
President
Upcoming Events
May 24, 2016
Security 101 Skeet Shoot
June 4, 2016
San Jose C of C Men's Movement Sporting Clays Shoot
June 16, 2016
DAU Alumni Sporting Clays Shoot
June 16, 2016
FWC Hunter Safety Course
June 18, 2016
FWC Hunter Safety Course
View The Complete Calendar
Membership News
Congratulations and welcome to the 57 new members who have joined JCTS since September! New members confirm the value in the club membership package. JCTS members enjoy the camaraderie of member-only events, receive member discounts on cost of rounds, bulk ammunition, and reloading supplies, as well as discounts with club vendors. Current JCTS vendors include Gunsmiths, Inc., Wild West Guns, and Jim’s Ear and Eye. JCTS is a jewel among US sporting clay clubs, offering all sporting clay disciplines, as well as the services of a nationally renowned gunsmith on the premises.
All guests of the club are invited to take advantage of membership benefits by becoming a member. If you are interested, talk to a current member or visit this link on the JCTS website.
Due to the continued popularity of clay target sports and enhancements to our Jacksonville club, we are pleased to report strong membership participation:
- Regular Memberships: 236 of which 139 also have Sporting Clay memberships;
- Life Memberships: 217 of which 47 also have Sporting Clay memberships.
Please check our calendar often, because we are loaded with events that you would enjoy, including the best times to meet new members:
- Wednesday Grill Your Dinner Nights
RSVP for dinner: 904-757-4584
Fields open Noon – 8:30pm;
- Fridays
Fields open Noon – 6:00pm; and
- Saturdays and Sundays
Fields open 10:00 – 6:00pm.
Thank you,
George Prattos
Board Member, Membership Chairman
Collegiate Shooting Sports News
By David T. Dobson, MBA
NSCA Certified Instructor, Level III
NSSA Certified Instructor, Level III
Paragon Master Instructor
JU Faculty & JU Varsity Shooting Team Head Coach
The Collegiate shooting season will be taking a slight breather as we enter the summer months, but not for long! Our season culminated in the ACUI (www.acui.org) Clay Target National Championships in San Antonio, which were held March 28 thru April 3. Over 600 collegiate athletes from 75 universities attended. The weather cooperated as some of the top shooters in the nation competed in 6 different events: Sporting, 5-Stand Sporting, American Skeet, American Trap, International Skeet and International Wobble. JU Shooters took two Gold, two Silver and 3 Bronze medals, with JU Shooting Team Captain Ron “La Machine” Palazzetti grinding out a perfect 100/100 in the Trap event, then dominating in the shoot-offs as he ground down the competition! This is the largest (ACUI) Collegiate event to-date – great news for the development of high school leading into collegiate shooting! Even better is the FACT that high school and collegiate shooting teams boast some of the highest GPA’s of any discipline on campus!
The SCTP High School and Collegiate Nationals in Ohio are just around the corner, and JU is the defending SCTP HOA Collegiate National Champion. Over 2,700 athletes from around the nation will be attending, including the major powerhouse collegiate teams. This is a wonderful testament as to the growth of our young shooters over the past 10 years, thanks to support from the MidwayUSA Foundation (www.midwayusafoundation.org) and the Scholastic Clay Target Program (www.nssf.org).
Both the Jacksonville University and University of North Florida Shooting Teams will take a slight breather, then begin practicing in preparation again as we approach the July 1 Collegiate Clay Target Shooting Season renewal. Both teams will be losing some serious talent due to impending graduations, but there is a lot of new talent joining and helping to rebuild our Collegiate teams. Please join me in wishing them great, safe shooting and a life-remembering, modifying and thrilling experience as we begin the next phase of our shooting season. Safe shooting everyone!
Many thanks to the Jacksonville Gun Club, and all of the other Clubs here and around the country who have stood behind our Youth and Collegiate shooters, as they are our future. God Bless and safe shooting!
David Dobson is one of our long-term Resident (Master) Teaching Pros and life member here at JGC. He and Addie, also a NSCA Certified Instructor, live in Ponte Vedra Beach. He is President & CEO of Dobson & Associates, Inc., as well as the founder of Dobson Performance Shooting School (www.daviddobson.com), and current JU Faculty and Head Coach of the JU Varsity Shooting Team, as well as Founding Head Coach for the UNF Shooting Team. He can be reached at: (904) 285-9500, or via Email at Ddobsonpvb@aol.com or ddobson1@ju.edu.
Congratulations to Ron Palazzetti who took Gold at ACUI Nationals!
Technology News
You may have noticed some new TV's at the club. We are working to implement a new broadcast system in the coming month that will allow us to simulcast scores live for tournament shoots and other club information. Keep your eyes posted as we continue to move forward with leveling up the club's infrastructure.
Adam Lowe
Board Member, Technology Chairman