Monroe-Chester Sportsman's Club sponsors fall Youth Day

CHESTER - By early afternoon on Sunday, Oct. 15, the members of the Monroe-Chester Sportsmen’s Club had served more than 600 hot dogs and doled out 4,000 rounds of ammunition to local teenagers who had been invited to learn the safe handling of shotguns, rifles and archery equipment as well as range procedures and the basic rules of shooting sports in a safe and positive environment. Twice each year, as a free community service, the club sponsors “Youth Day.” Hundreds of teenagers, both boys and girls, including members of Boy Scout troops and other organizations, visit the Club’s 138-acre facility for about eight hours of supervised shooting and archery activities. Although local businesses also contribute goods and services and the National Rifle Association provides some grants, 90 per cent of the expenses for each “Youth Day” are paid with club membership funds. During “Youth Day,” experienced instructors demonstrate each activity and work with all participants stressing safety in activities that are appropriate for the boy or girl’s age and abilities. Any interested youngster from the surrounding area is invited to participate. However, a parent or guardian must accompany them. Activities include instruction in 22-caliber rifle, trap, skeet, air rifle, archery and black powder shooting. Each participant is required to follow strict safety guidelines, obey the instructor’s orders and wear appropriate protective devices such as earplugs and safety glasses. All equipment is provided courtesy of the club. “The members who supervise this event are all trained NRA instructors and certified range safety officers,” said Mark Dorfman, president of the Monroe-Chester Sportsmen’s Club. Dorfman is a Master Instructor for the New York Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC). He added that junior club members pay only one dollar in dues and that each summer the club pays to send selected youngsters to Camp De Bruce, an environmental camp operated by the DEC in Sullivan County. The Monroe-Chester Sportsmen’s Club is located on Gibson Hill Road in the Town of Chester. Although the private club is limited to 600 members, it hosts numerous shooting events throughout the year that are open to the public. “We believe in firearm safety through education,” said Warwick Police Officer Fred Bramich, the Department’s firearms instructor, who also serves as Vice President of the Club and chairman of Youth Day. “There are fewer accidents in supervised shooting sports than in any other competitive sport.” For information on “Youth Day” or other upcoming events call 477-8755.