Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1918-02-17
Part III.

Generally speaking, tho success or
failure Of shooting clubs depends upon
one mantle secretary. The wide
awake. hustling type Of secretary can
90 more TO keep the organization alive
ana active than the combined efforts
or the balance Of the officers The
very lie Of an, organization is also
measured by the number OF new mem
he:s IL adds. to its roster. Members
Will come and members will go but
the credit balance should be in favor
OF the new members if the clubyis to
continue in active existence.
know of one rifle club. at least.
lukewarnl. Indifferent go-as-y ou-ple &c
variety. The secretary virtually was
the whole club and it was his own
personality and perseverance that
started the club and kept il going,
and when the night for the first shoot
came he had good turnout OF mem
bers and friends on hand with an at
tractire program Of rife and pistol
shooting matches to keep things
going.
What the new members did not
know about shooting in general and
firearms In particular was something
awful, but the secretary was here.
there and everywhere. with the result
that everybody thoroughly enjoyed the
shoot and promised to come around
the next meeting night and bring
along some friends. They did and to-
day that club is the second largest in
the country and growing fast.
Provide n Good Program.
What that secretary was able to do
with hardly any material to work
with is the best evidence in the world
that one man with keen interest in
the sport OF shooting can succeed In
organizing shooting club in prac-
tically any locality.
But in order to keep the members
OF the new club interested and TO en-
courage their attendance regularly Il
is necessary for the secretary to pro-
weekly shoots. Practice shooting
where everybody fires at his own
sweet will. will not keep the interest
up 10 the desired point; there must be
regular shooting matches where skill
will count and where there is prize
as reward for the shooter Who
proves. for the time being at least
that his ability is above that OF his
fellow shooters.
One OF tho most popular rife shoot
Ing matches in which Skill and not
chance couts requires each competitor
to fire twenty shots on each shooting
night during the month. in strings OF
Eve shots on paper targets which allow
comparisons By counting the value Of
each shot. In other words. IL the
value or the buliSeye on each target
is ten. five shots in the bullseye would
mean the possible or fifty.
II the shooter fires his complete
score Of twenty shots and all of the
shots are in the bullseye, the total
score will he 200. That would he
very fine shooting indeed. but as II
happens even the most expert shots
fall TO hit the builseye and
in that case :. number Of points must
he deducted from his total. and that is
where the competitive spirit enters,
and the competitive spirit Is necessary
II the interest is TO continue.
At the end OF the month If there
have been four weekly meetings the
total number Of shots fred will be
eighty. the total score is computed
and the competitor with the highest
total il declared the winner and re-
ceives the prize for first place. a prize
for the runner-up and also for third
place is usually provided.
Three CIasses OF Shooters.
In most clubs there are at least three
classes Of shooters-poor. fair and
good. II is customary then TO divide
these shoots into classes. there are
known as class a, class Il and elias
G. lfnndicappinE Is also resorted to
i'll order to keep some Of the more
expert shots from winning all Of the
prizes. but the class system Ia con-