The Birmingham age-herald., 1916-03-12
ORGANIZATION ID | PROMOTE INTEREST
 IN TRAPSHOOT|NC
Amateur Trapshooting As sociatiOn Welcomed Into Sport Circles-TO Work
 Betterment for Sport
B. PETER P. CARNEY

association. which came into existence with the new year, has been royalty greeted by the scatter gun enthusiasts of this fair country~--the land of the free and the home of the brave.
 It is such an organization as tho amateur trapshooters have wanted for these many years. It Is the first step In the government of trapshooting by the active participants. Golf. tennis, track and field sports, and, in fact, every branch of sport has a governing body except trapshooters.
 The A A T. A will try to run a sport that for years has been running itself-and this will be no child's task. The only organization that trapshooters have known previous to the birth of the American Trapshooters associa- tion was the Interstate association for the encouragement of trapshootings, an organization which, in its own way. has done @ wonderful lot of good for the sport. The Interstate association well comes the A. A. T. A.. for the new conner will do many things for the sport that the Interstate association was wondering if ever would be done.
 IN ENTIRE ACCORD
 The organizations are in entire ac- cord. The purpose of the Interstate as- sociation is to promote interest in trap sooting by contributing to the trophy and money prize awarded at registered tournaments. The purpose of the Amer ican Trapshooters' association Is to increase interest In the individual clubs s regular practice shoots by system of medal and trophy awards. While the Interstate Is concerned only in regis tered tournaments, the A. A. T. A, medal and trophy plan applies only to shoots and tournaments that are not regis tered by the Interstate association. Hence the work of the A. A. T. A. SUD- plements the work of the Interstate. It is the aim of the new organization to do as much for club shooting by providing incentive and recognition as the Interstate has done for tourna- ment shooting.
 The American Trapshooters' asso- citation was chartered for the purpose of promoting the sport of trapshoot- ing and for the advancement of the in dividual shooter" And if this is done the association will do a wonderful work, for there is plenty of room for improvement in the way trapshooting tournaments are managed. handicap ping, etc. The association has gone on record as saying that it will undertake any endeavor that has for Its object the improvement of conditions affecting the sport of trapshooting. It will take sometime for the association to get | the trapshooters lined up, but as the officers have begun in the right man. ner there Is no doubt of the organization I being a success.
 OVER 6O0,O0O SHOOTERS | There are more than 600,000 trapshoot- ! CTS in the United States and more thar | 4000 clubs. The purpose Of the asso- ! citation is to enroll everyone of these i individual gunners as members, just the same as the A. A. U. has the ath- lletes register. Clubs are given an ar hliated membership. The A. A. T. A. in Hts efforts to strengthen and stimulate club organization and greater devel- opment of the individual shooter, has offered five sets of medals for compe- tition in club shoots. It Is the feeling that if 8 shooter can win prize ol some kind he is more apt to remain in terested than the fellow who falls to rise to the occasion.
 The medals are classified in this way 75 per cent. bronze; 80 per cent, alumni mum; per cent, sterling silver; 90 pel cent, solid gold. 10 carat; 95 per cent solid gold, IA carat. To win the bronze l medal 1t will be necessary for shooter 1 to break B targets or more out or 6) Il times. He will have to break 40 out ol | 50 10 times to get the 30 per cent badge
 4S out of 50 10 times to get the S5 per cen badge; 45 out of 50 20 times to get the g per cent badge and AS out of 50 30 times tC win the 95 per cent medal. It is necessary l for the shooter to win the 75 per cenl medal before trying for the 50. He mug win the medals in order, and the effor'
 becomes trifle harder each time. There ! is no limit to the number of medals a xr,tv a a q a Y1-
 Der of the A. A. T. A. and can break l the targets The officers feel that this
 method should develop club interes
 among the individuals, and with the indi
 viduals and clubs always interested trap
 shooting can do aught but prosper. I WILL PURCHASE TROPHIES | Should the receipts of the association
 any year be more than the disbursements the money will be spent in purchasing trophies for affiliated clubs, the same te ! be put up as club trophies The A. A l T. A. will try in every way to be ol benefit to the individual trapshooter anc | to his club. General information will bt
 supplied to all with reference to trap
 shooting, conducting of tournaments. club
 county, state or sectional champion
 ships.
 John Philip Sousa, the bandmaster. and
 one of the staunchest supporters of the amateur trapshooter, is the president o.
 the A. A. T. A. MT. Scusa would rather shoot at the inanimate "clay birds" thar
 lead his celebrated band. He is a req 1 ''bug." Dr. Horace Betts of Wilmington
 Del, president of the Delaware Stat, ! Sportsmen's association, is the first vic, president. The second vice president i. 1 Charles w. Billings of Glen Riege, N. J.
 and third vice president is Prof. James | l.. Kellogg of Williamstown, Mass Int 1 secretary-treasurer is Stanley F. With, | of Baltimore. MT. Billings explained tn, | American team in the Olympic game,
 of 1912, and was runner-up 70 the individ
 ual worlds champion. MT. Kellog founded 1 the Williams College Gun club. and MT Withe is responsible for the Intercollegi ate Trapshooting association.
 The board of directors will be com posed of the above officers and the pres | ident of each state association, who will be vice presidents of the association 1 Each state will control its own affairs
 but the same rules will be in vogue every.
 where.
 PIONEER SPORTING