Thoughts From The Chapter President
Kent Cooper
As the fall sets in and we all look toward
the hunting season before us, I took a moment
to look back and reflect on this past year.
This will be the first October in 5 years
that the Kentuckiana Chapter has not spent
a very long week with 54,000 young people
and 5,000 teachers from the FFA. The annual
FFA Convention was a wonderful time to tell
students and educators about SCI, teach them
some archery skills and let them "have
at it" with our LaserShot. This year
the FAA has moved up the road and will holding
their Convention in Indianapolis, and we
will miss them. Much the same as we miss
the annual convention for the Blind that
had been a part of our July outreach for
so many years. Any of you that volunteered
your time to helping a blind person experience
the Sensory Safari has not forgotten it.
It is said that as one
door closes another
one opens, and boy oh boy
have we ever had
some big new doors open
this year! The Kentuckiana
Chapter becoming affiliated
with the Civilian
Marksmanship Program is
a terrific new addition
to the events that we are
involved with.
In a very short time frame
we have held two
CMP events and Mike Ohlmann
& Bob Edwards
have been trained and received
certification
as CMP instructors joining
only 2,200 other
instructors. We are the
only chapter in SCI
that has not only CMP instructors,
but an
affiliation the CMP!
This is the first year
that the Kentuciana
Chapter has sponsored the
Scholastic Clay
Target Program in Southern
Indiana. This
team of young people has
competed at the
state level in Indiana
and gone on to compete
at the Grand American in
Sparta, Illinois.
This is also the first
year that we have
financially supported the
Archery in the
Schools program at Summit
Academy. This program
in a very short period
of time has 30-40
student participating and
tested their skills
in competition already.
We have contributed seed
money to a new ATV
safety training program
in Southern Indiana
that is just now getting
off the ground.
The Kentuckiana Chapter has also reached
out to a whole new audience by being a sponsor
level underwriter of a remarkable painting
exhibit at the J. B. Speed Art Museum. "Forging
an American Identity: The Art of William
Ranney". Ranney (1813-1857) painted
scenes of hunting and sports, portraits,
the opening of the American West and help
develop the concept of an American character.
This exhibit will be at the Speed Museum
until January 1, 2007. Please take some time
and go see it, it is a wonderful exhibit....and
tell them you are a SCI member!
These are all new programs
this year!
And please don't forget
that this is only
the second year for the
Youth / Apprentice
Hunter Training Weekend,
The KYSCI/White
Oak Youth Hunt and the
Bushytail Classic!
There are two common threads
that unite all
of these programs, all
of them are sponsored
by KYSCI and everyone of
them were born of
ideas that our members
brought forward to
the board of directors.
Our members are to
be congratulated for the
broad scope of their
ideas and their commitment
to achievement.
So, as you sit in your
tree stand this deer
season and have a little
time to reflect,
think about what different
things you would
like your KYSCI to get
involved with and
achieve. If we dream big
dreams, we will
have big rewards.
Kent Cooper
THIS JUST IN!!!!!! BREAKING NEWS!!!!!!!
Subsequent to writing my
President's Message,
I have been informed that
the Kentuckiana
Chapter has, for the third
year in a row,
has been recognized as
the Chapter with the
BEST NEWSLETTER for 2006!
Congratulations to our
esteemed editor Jim
Gladden and to all of the
writers that contributed
articles in the past year!
But that is not all. The
Kentuckiana Chapter
has also been named CHAPTER
OF THE YEAR 2006!
That makes it the third
time in the last
four years that we have
been so honored.
Each and everyone of you
has made this honor
possible. THANK YOU &
CONGRATULATIONS
TO ALL!!!
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Follow Up Report
Spotlight On Our Sponsors
Since opening in July, Openrange has had
an overwhelming positive scorecard by both
the community at large and by devotees to
the shooting sports. Even non-gun friendly
neighbors have thanked us for building a
first class facility in their neighborhood.
To date, Openrange has been a huge success
with Pistol and Rifle shooters calling Openrange
"the best shooting range", "amazing",
and "first class". Youth have had
a blast on our indoor Paintball / Reball
Arena (Paintball statistically has a strong
cross over to the shooting sports to help
keep the shooting sports alive). Businesses
have had team building and employee appreciation
retreats on both the shooting ranges and
the Paintball Arena. Hunters have lined up
non-stop to sight-in in a perfect ballistic
environment for the hunting season with all
calibers welcome.
Our next goal is to create
leagues and competitions
to challenge rifle shooters
on our indoor
100 yard range and pistol
shooters in our
interactive 25 yard pistol
bays. We are now
researching bulls eye leagues,
air rifle,
small bore rifle, high
power rifle, bench,
Glock leagues, Single Action
Shooters and
Pistol and Revolver leagues.
We are looking
for experts in those disciplines
to assist
us in their creation. One
of Openrange's
more exciting goals it
to groom an Olympic
shooting team from local
talent and possibly
work hand in hand with
local school teams.
This is a terrific opening
for our youth
and also re-introduces
the benefits of the
shooting sports to youth
and the local community.
Imagine locals in the Olympics.
Imagine seeing
them on TV. I have.
Our Mancom target system
at Openrange is
designed to make you a
better shooter and
is the best available.
The system is programmed
to challenge both beginning
and advanced
shooters with targets that
turn and run,
present randomly either
back or front and
can charge, creating a
series of events which
ultimately will make you
a better shooter.
Our system runs on a super
steady gondola
which transports the target
downrange with
its own lighting. You are
never in a lighting
deadzone as with other
systems. The gondola
stops dead in its tracks
at the exact distance
you program at the terminal.
Bulls eye shooters
will appreciate the rock
steady targets.
Our mid level of challenge
is with "Timed"
shooting where the target
presents itself
at set intervals to the
shooter which engages
the shooters hand-eye coordination.
The advanced
level sends the shooter
through a series
of events where the target
not only changes
distances randomly, but
also presents the
shooter with "shoot
/ no shoot"
scenarios where the system
presents either
a shoot target or a non
shoot back. The shooter
must make split second
decisions based on
time, distance and what
target presents itself.
Nowhere else can you get
this experience
and exposure to this training.
As a member of the Safari
Club I understand
the financial commitment
to a hunt. Tens
of thousands of dollars
go into a hunt yet
hunters seemingly leave
two of the most critical
elements to the last minute
on a farm or
an outdoor range with questionable
ballistics.
Zeroing and practicing
with your rifle. Only
at Openrange can a hunter
"perfectly"
sight in their rifle. No
wind or elements
will throw your shot out
of alignment. What
that means is a perfect
'zero' where you
can now make informed choices
in the field.
Otherwise you are simply
chasing zero, and
if you've been there before
you know what
I mean. You also learn
about your rifle's
trigger pull, scope, reach
etc without any
other distractions. Perfect
practice makes
for better shots in the
field. And if you
only get one shot, it better
hit the mark.
Openrange allows all calibers under a .50BMG.
No muzzleloaders or black powder. No steel
core, incendiary, armor piercing, or ballistic
tips bullets allowed. Only slugs in shotguns
(no shot). Our rifle range is a full 100
yards with 5 shooting stations and concrete
tables. Shooting bags are included in admission
as is the first target. Pistols, rifles,
and machine guns are available for rent.
Most popular ammo is available. Premium knives
by Kershaw and jewelry quality William Henry
knives are available. A full line of conceal
carry handguns are available for sale. Paintball
accessories are also available.
I hope you all come visit
soon and become
part of Openrange. We are
committed to the
advancement of the shooting
sports and know
what is at stake in the
future. Ranges are
being forced to close across
the country
because of politics. We
need your support
and your commitment to
Openrange to keep
our sport alive in our
community.
Barry Laws, CEO
OPENRANGE
Premier Indoor Sport Shooting
and Paintball
6401 Cross Keys Blvd
Crestwood (N/E Louisville),
KY, 40014
502-243-8282
www.openrangesports.com
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