With daylight savings in effect and beautiful weather outdoors it is not a surprise that our club is bursting with activity. Everyone now has an extra hour to come and shoot sporting clays on Wednesday and Friday. Also, our college kids have been very active over the last few months; we even hosted a very large college event. JU shooters are doing really well in competition, and Dave Dobson will write about them in his article.
We are delighted with all this activity and are planning several new events and activities for you. Please look for these announcements in this newsletter or go on line to stay informed. You will also see that we have improved our web-site which is now available on your cell phones as well.
We just finished our first sporting clays tournament. It was a resounding success with 62 participants in all classes. The day was overcast but no rain; and I think all enjoyed it. Mickey did a wonderful job with food which was a big hit. Sarah and Jenny decorated the whole club in a St. Patrick’s day theme, and It looked awesome! From the standpoint of tournament administration we learned some valuable lessons and will apply those for the next sporting clay event.
To conclude, I once again want to remind all to be vigilant about safety. It only takes a fraction of a second for bad things to happen. In the future, as you come to the pro shop to sign in, you will be handed a sheet with some common sense safety rules. Please read these and keep them with you at all times. And please, please, please, do not use shot larger than 7 ½, 8, or 9 for any clay target shooting.
Thank you, and I hope to see you at the club,
Z. Mincek
President
Upcoming Events
Celebrity Charity Sporting Clays, Skeet/Trap Shoot
April 21, 2016
Rotary Club Sporting Clays Charity Shoot
April 22, 2016
Florida Hotel and Lodging Association Skeet/Sporting Clays Shoot
April 26, 2016
NAIOP Sporting Clays Shoot
April 28, 2016
CC Men's Skeet Shoot
April 29, 2016
Skeet News
Our competition shooters have completed the four shoot area marathon ending up in Palatka with the PH Parker Memorial. The next major shoot that we will be getting everyone pumped up for will be the Florida State Championships. The State Shoot is one that is always a lot of fun. It will start on Thursday the 14th of April in Palatka. The format includes a tailgate party sponsored by the clubs of Florida on Friday after the shoot offs. Saturday evening the awards banquet will take place. Additionally the Florida State Shoot has a unique event -The Special 410 Knife Competition. This event consists of four person teams shooting fifty targets per shooter. The teams are drawn by class. Each team will have a Class AA, A, B, and C or D shooter. By total score the winning team will be awarded a specially engraved Randal custom knife for each shooter. This would be the perfect shoot to start or get back to competition shooting. Please review the State Shoot Program. To ensure you get a good squad time, now is the time to get signed up.
Monthly Target Procedures
- When you arrive at the club, pick up a Monthly Target Individual Registration Report (MTIRR) and score sheet from the Cashier.
- Shoot your targets.
- Record your scores on the MTIRR.
- Submit your MTIRR, Score Sheet and daily fees to the Cashier.
Note:
- Monthly targets must be reported in increments of 100.
- The Monthly Target Individual Registration Report must be filled out completely and correctly for the gauge or gauges shot.
The Lead off Shooter is responsible to submit the score sheet to the Cashier when more than one shooter is shooting.
Skeet Fever-Catch it!
Membership News
Members and guests have been enjoying the fantastic shooting facilities this Spring, with great turn-outs on Wednesday nights, Saturdays and Sundays. If you want to grill a steak or salmon on Wednesday, please be sure to call ahead and reserve your dinner at 904-757-4584.
We invite all members to volunteer their time and talents on the Membership committee OR at any of the club’s many events. The club runs a heavy event schedule from early Fall through late Spring, with competitive, collegiate, youth, and community events. For example, the club is looking for additional volunteers as it prepares to host the NSSA Zone 4 tournament in August. The Zone 4 tournament will bring together approximately 150 of the region’s most competitive shooters in a weekend full of events. Please call the club if you would like to join our energetic corps of volunteers 904-757-4584.
Become a JCTS Member
We applaud the fantastic number of guest sportsmen and sportswomen who enjoy the JCTS shooting facilities. We also invite you to become official members of JCTS. As official JCTS members, you will 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, including Gunsmiths, Inc., Wild West Guns, and Jim’s Ear and Eye. Details of club memberships and benefits are available at this link on the JCTS website.
Happenings
Is sporting clays the new fundraising machine for area organizations? JCTS now holds a prominent place in the fundraising toolbox of area organizations, along with wine festivals, golf outings, celebrity luncheons, and fashion shows. A look at JCTS’s calendar shows most months packed with corporate or foundation sporting clay events, including the St. Vincent’s Foundation, Boy Scouts North Florida Council, Veterans and more. For sporting clay shooters who would like to support local organizations, consider these upcoming events:
- Thursday, April 21, UNF College of Computing, Engineering, & Construction
- Friday, April 22, Rotary Club of Southpoint
- Tuesday, April 26, Florida Hotel and Lodging Association
Technology News
This month has been very busy for the club in expanding our use of technology. We are excited to announce that we have officially launched our website http://www.jacksonvilleclaytargetsports.com. Additionally, the majority of the shooters visiting our site, social media properties and reading our newsletter are on mobile devices. To that end we have made investments to be mobile optimized in all of these areas. This will be a big improvement for club in delivering information to members where ever they are as well as attracting new shooters to the club.
I encourage you to follow and like the club on the following social media sites for up to the minute news and content.
https://www.facebook.com/jacksonvilleclaytargetsports
https://www.linkedin.com/company/jacksonville-clay-target-sports
https://twitter.com/JaxClaySports
https://plus.google.com/117972479885808531307
Two other benefits of the new website are the addition of the news section and that the calendar is now mobile friendly.
From a marketing perspective we have taken time to invest in our online presence on search engine, review and directory websites. We have also taken our SEO (Search Engine Optimization) to the next level. These efforts will be key in growing our presence online and being found be shooters looking for a premier clay target sports destination.
In the coming months we will be continuing to invest in new technology to promote the club, connect with our members and streamline operations.