Eagle Cap Shooters Association Newsletter, 22 Feb. 2007

Tom Crooks (432-2580)–Editor

Reminder: 2007 Dues are PAST due. You will not receive a bill. Please make out a check to ECSA and mail to PO Box 928, Joseph, OR 97846. Current dues are: Individual–$55, Couple–$75, Family–$100 and Youth (under 18)–$25. If you can document the donation of 12 hours to Association activities in 2006, these costs are reduced by one-half for adults. Youth members need to have donated 8 hours work to receive this reduction. If you wish to participate financially in the Association, you may include donations with your membership payment.

Newsletter: This is along the lines of "Illiterate? Write for free help.": If you are getting this in the US Mail and you have an e-mail address, please let me know so the Association can save the cost of copying and mailing a hard copy. If you changed your e-mail address, let me know so it can be corrected. If your Post Office address and phone number have changed, let me know so it can be corrected on the member list. If you just don’t care, and want me to quite clogging up your mail box, let me know.

Financial: Contributions for the 2008 land payment and/or the 2007 insurance payment checks should be made payable to the Eagle Cap Educational Alliance. The Alliance also needs cash to finish paying the cost of obtaining the 501 (c) 3 status–this allows us to give tax receipts for donations. If you want your donations, of any kind, to be tax deductible, completion of these payments is essential. The Eagle Cap Educational Alliance is also seeking members. If you are interested in participating in this sister organization, contact Duncan Hunter at 569-2008–they have very a few short meetings during the year.

Spring Sale: The Cloverleaf Hall has been reserved for Saturday, 19 May. Ralph Stewart is organizing this event and needs help from the members. Call Ralph at 432-5052 to get in on this hot deal now. It is not too early to roundup donations of outdoor recreational equipment, stuff, or anything that can be sold.

An additional feature of the sale will be the Association’s assistance in selling firearms. We will sell guns for members for a $10 donation to the ESCA, $15 for non-members. Another service offered is resale valuation estimates on your firearms for a small donation. Additionally, you may bring in a gun with a problem for diagnosis and a repair cost estimate, again for a small donation to the organization. This is a golden opportunity to either sell, or figure out what’s wrong with your shooting iron.

Donation from WC Construction: WC construction donated the contents of a large storage unit to the Association for resale and use in Range Development. Consequently we have quite a stack of vinyl siding and accessories to be sold–enough to completely side a small building. Plus we have a large amount of assorted lumber and sheet goods to build target stands and other structures at the range. We owe WC a huge thank you. If you have the need for some inexpensive vinyl siding, please contact me at 432-2580–the price will be right.

Range Development: Our Range Maintenance Director, Tom Thornton, has resigned his position to spend some of his retirement traveling. He has done a great job of organizing needed work, and has helped move the range development further ahead than could be expected by one individual. Along with other members, I certainly am going to miss his contributions to the Association. Tom will be a tough act to follow, but we have the urgent need for someone to take over this important job. Contact me at 432-2580 if you want to be considered for this position. Don’t be bashful about having an opportunity to do something worthwhile for the future of sports shooting and youth shooting education in Wallowa County.

Target Stands: The Association needs donations of 4" aluminum or plastic pipe to use on the range for supporting target stands. We need 24" lengths minimum and we don’t really care if the metal is dented or dinged. Any contribution will be welcome. We also need 2X4s–salvaged, new, twisted, etc. for target stand construction. If you have pipe or lumber to contribute, contact me (432-2580). We will load and haul anything you care to part with from your "some day I might have a use for this" pile.

Monthly Shoot: February’s shoot was canceled due to the wet weather and the soft ground conditions on the range. The next shoot is scheduled for 18 March, 1:00 (ground conditions permitting). This shoot is sponsored by Duncan Hunter—A Squirrel Gun Tune Up. Bring your favorite squirrel gun and ammo. We will take about an hour to sight in and then have a fun competition. Rimfire guns will shoot breakable squirrel sized targets up to 150 yards and center fire guns will be shooting bouncing iron squirrels out to 300 yards. Sounds like fun. We may have to park on the edge of Ant Flat road and walk in so be prepared for the possibility of MUD. Do not drive onto either the roadway or the grass when the ground is as wet as it is now. The frost has gone out of the ground and you stand a good chance of getting stuck. At the minimum, the ruts will be there for years to come. If you have any ideas for future 3^rd Sunday shoots you want to see, contact Mark Blake (886-0142).

The 2^nd Annual Machine Gun Shoot: 16 and 17 June. Contact Eric Kozowski at 432-2214 if you want to work on getting this great event organized and running.

Schutzenboomer. Will be scheduled late summer or early fall. Contact Eric Kozowski 432-2214 for information, or to volunteer to help.

Long Range Black Powder Cartridge Rifles. If you already are a shooter, or are interested in becoming a shooter, contact me at 432-2580. I would like to put together some kind of event for one of the 3^rd Sunday shoots later this year just to get some of the old style cartridges and guns shooting. We have an excellent resource in Jack Thompson, who is willing to provide advice, assistance and recommendations for the sport to Association members. This seems to be one of the fastest growing shooting sports in the US, with a lot of sources for supplies previously not available. It has come a long way since I shot car hoods at 600 yards with a .43 Spanish rolling block in Montana.

Classes: A Concealed Carry course is scheduled 24-25 March. Since this class is full, if you want to get your name on the list for the next course now is the time to do it. A Range Safety Officer course will be scheduled as soon as 20 members pony up the bucks ($35 plus $3 for the SOPs). Contact Duncan Hunter at 569-2008 to pay your money to get on either of the two lists.

Ladies Activities: Karen Raminha is planning a 2nd meeting of women members at 5:00 PM, 5 March, at the Wallowa Brokers office on North Main, Joseph ( across from the Post Office). The objective of this meeting is to plan a fun event for the Association. Call Karen with questions at 432-9999 during the day and 432-8888 evenings. How she got these phone numbers must have involved either a lot of $ or some incriminating photos of telephone company bigwigs.

Friends of the NRA: The 2^nd Wallowa County Friends of the NRA banquet/fund raiser is on the calendar for Saturday, 18 August at the Joseph Community Center.

Advertising:

If you have something you want to buy, sell, trade or give away, contact me (Tom Crooks) at 432-2580 and I will include it in the next newsletter.

ECSA Gun Sales: Call Duncan Hunter at 569-2008 to look at the 2 remaining guns for sale. All proceeds go to the ECSA.

High Standard derringer in .22 LR (Donated by Carl Lincoln)- $250 -stick this in your sock.

Armalite AR 7 Explorer in .22 LR (Donated by Carl Lincoln)- $125 –easy packing for your trip

If you wish to donate a gun or other outdoor equipment to the ECSA, through the Eagle Cap Educational Alliance (ECEA) contact either myself, Duncan Hunter or Ralph Stewart. It will be offered for sale through Duncan’s shop or the Spring Sale, or both. We need your help in getting things to market for the benefit of the Association.