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V.G.C.A NEWS NOVEMBER-DECEMBER '00
Dues. This Newsletter starts off with something
new this time. Annual dues are due to be paid at the due date in
January. If you want to pay your $20 00 at the meeting in December or
send your check to Ed Costello before the due date comes due, feel
free to do that as soon as possible because your dues does more for
the VGCA when it is deposited early than dues does when deposited
later.
October Meeting and Program. Anybody who missed this meeting missed a
most memorable event. The auditorium seats slightly less than 200. Every seat was filled, and
there were more people standing than ever before. I stopped counting
at 225, and there were more than that. In addition, about 50 people
were turned away by the NRA Security Guard because he took it upon
himself to determine that we were overfilled according to the fire
laws. We have been assured that it will not happen again. This was the
last joint NRA Museum-VGCA meeting of the year and, in my opinion, it
stands alone.
Why do I say what I said? It started with The Pledge of
Allegiance. More than 200 loud voices in unison “pledging allegiance
to the flag of the United States of America” gave me goose bumps and
choked me up. I know that
I am not alone in those feelings.
Other attendees said the same.
Jim Land, who is Secretary to the
NRA, presented the program. He
was born in Nebraska, set seven National Shooting records, attended a
one-room schoolhouse, and graduated from a high school with 54
students. A career Marine
Corps officer, Jun was in charge of the USMC Marksmanship Program and
started the Scout-Sniper School in Hawaii He gracefully accepted
Honorary Life Membership in the VGCA.
Jim displayed a number of military
sniper rifles and pieces of equipment and traced the history of
sniping in the U S military services His display included a
Springfield 1903 with a Warner-Swasey scope, a USMC 1903A1 with a
Unertil scope used in WWII, a 1903A4, a M1C, a MID, and modern-day
military sniper rifles. Production
of the newest military sniper model, the M40A3 with a 10-power Unertil
scope, goes into production in February 200l. It will have a bipod,
adjustable cheekpiece, and be capable of one-half minutes of angle at
100 yards. That equates to 5 inches at 1,000 yards! Wow!!
Revised Bylaws and Articles. A short business meeting was held after the
program, and the ballots were counted. Ninety-two ballots were either
mailed in or brought to the meeting.
The vote was 88 to 4 in favor of adoption.
Show and Tell.
Because of the late hour, this portion of the meeting was informal
after the meeting, although some people saw the stuff before the meeting. Bill Edwards had a sniper
rifle that was assembled sometime between 1860 and 1865. Based on its
features, it was probably a Remington. Moe Phillips had a couple of
antique rifles, and Young Addison and Vernon Cochrane had modern
military rifles.
The Next Meeting. The program will be presented by Phil
Schrcier. The subject is the Rifles of Teddy Roosevelt, so bring your
big-bore rifles for Show and Tell
New Members. Five new members were welcomed to our
Association. They are Harry Andree, Dominic Casciano, Elmer Fulkerson,
Russell Grasso, and Charles Pellerin.
Sick Call. Phil Orem recently spent some time in the
hospital He is home now and, hopefully doing well. Ed Wages appears to
be back in good health. He was active again at the last meeting and is
back at work.
Secretary’s Subtleties. Of
the four votes against the revised Bylaws and Articles of
Incorporation, only two members expressed their reasons. One did not
approve of the Executive Committee having the power to disband the
VGCA. The other did not like Gun Dealers having priority over members
for tables at our gun shows. Neither reason is correct. If the VGCA
ever ceases to be, the EXCOM will have to dispose of the assets
according to established rules, not somebody’s whim. Dealers do not
have a priority for tables. The fact that they were listed first in
the categories list does not mean they have precedence over anybody
else. In fact, if any table renter doesn’t renew his tables in
accordance with the Show Rules, the renter, regardless of who he is,
loses his priority for tables at the next VGCA sponsored gun show—and
that’s another fact.
Many members are not happy
with our gun shows because we have “too many dealers with modern
guns. Our shows were supposed to be like the Baltimore show and should
still be that way.” Well folks, let me bring you up to date. Right
now, the only difference between our show and the Baltimore show is
modern pistols and revolvers. Modern military rifles are common at the
Baltimore show, and the last show there had some modern hunting
rifles. Some dealers who
rent space in Baltimore have only 20th
Century military arms—and that’s another fact.
President’s Corner. First
of all, I want to thank
everyone who made the last meeting such a big success. At the same
time, please, all who were turned away, accept my apology for what
happened. I’ve been told it won’t happen again. I want to also
extend my thanks to all who voted in the adoption of the Revised
Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation. You showed that you care, and I
hope that in all future elections, more of you will care. All
elections for Officers and Board members will now, in accordance with
the Bylaws, be by mail-in ballot. This will give the many of you who
are unable to attend meetings a say in what the Association does and
does not do. For those who might argue that if you don’t show up,
you don’t know what’s going on, I counter that the Newsletters
keep the membership current. What’s really missed are the programs,
and I’m sure everyone will agree that they, both the joint programs
and ours, have been nothing short of magnificent during the Year 2000.
I am looking forward to 2001 with
even more anticipation for even a better year for the VGCA. We have accomplished a great
deal in 2000, some of it long overdue. I want everyone to know that
none of it could have been done without the support I get from the
Officers, members of the Board, advisors, and, last but not least,
you.
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