The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

bP sn ET 22 -- PORT PERRY STAR -- Tuesday, August 28, 1990 Gun club members at home on the range Members of the Port Perry Rod and Gun Club have their sites set on meeting with Mem- ber of Parliament Steven- son to discuss the proposed gun Jogislation. he meeting, scheduled for Sept. 20, is set up tobe an infor- marion meeting for both mem- ber: of the club and the MP. "It is an information meeting both ways," said John Wil- liams, treasurer of the club. Club members will question Mr. Stevenson about the pro- posed legislation, as well as give theirinsight. The Port Perry Rod and Gun Club has been operating in Port Perry for about 30 years. Its humble beginnings start- ed in the basement of the Port Perry High School where mem- bers used the cadet shooting range. But as the club grew, it was evident that it would need a larger facility. The rod and gun club now op- erates out of a private shooting range on Highway 7A, east of the Island Road. The club built the range in 1980 with no assistance or grants from any group. "We needed more time on the range and it was about time we had something of our own," said Mr. Williams, a club member for 15 years. The club has now grown to 95 members and has a waiting list for prospective new members. Memberships cost $250 for an initiation fee and $100 for year- ly dues. The popularity of the club could stem from the fact that it is illegal to shoot a hand gun anywhere except in a range fa- cility. "Belonging to a gun club is the only legal way to shoot a hand gun," Mr. Williams told the Star, adding that itisillegal to hunt in Canada with a hand gun. } Many legal requirements - NOW REGISTERING - Ea MLAS Re aiigerai _caneven purchase a firearm. SE Baa i a Dae sl aE - must be met before a person "It's a long process," Mr. Wil- liams said. "It's not something that can be done i ina week, two weeks or a month." Applicants must fill out a firearms acquisition certificate form, and be subject to a back- ground check by Jollee Even after all these guide- lines have been met, gun own- ers are prohibited from freely carrying the gun around. It is against the law to have a firearm in a vehicle unless it is securely locked up in a special casing and the vehicle occu- pants are heading to or from a shooting range. When accepted as a member at the Port Perry Rod and Gun Club, each person is put on a probation period by the club. The probation is lifted after the new member has pleted 12 visits to the club and passed a safety course. But even though many re- strictions are placed on gun owners, hobby shooting isstill a very misunderstood sport by the general public, Mr. Wil- liams said. "It's a maligned sport. I think there are a lot of people who 4 WEEK SATURDAY COURSE SEPTEMBER 8, 15, 22, 29 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM - TWO INSTRUCTORS - Learn to Drive... and Survive Over 300,000 graduates recommend Young Drivers of Canada Training centers coast to coast o Driver training for all ages e Retraining courses available for commercial drivers e The Young Drivers program is only e Private in-car instruction available at a Young Drivers Center. o Defensive driving you can live with For information, brochures and course schedules call: 2 BROCK ST.W., UXBRIDGE 852-9705 VISA would enjoy it if they tried the sport." If the members at the Port Perry club are any indication, target shooting is a sport that is Soyed by people of all walks of ife "There is no single occupa- tion or walk of life that is preva- lent to the gun club," Mr. Wil- liams said, adding that its members include doctors, law- yers, teachers, retirees, farm- ers, carpenters and a photogra- pher toname afew. "We do have a small percent- age of women members, too," he said. "We encourage women to join." Clare Suggitt, president of the Port Perry Rod and Gun Club, aims at the bull's-eye. The shooting range is open to members seven days a week, 24 hours a day, but members are not allowed to shoot while in the building alone. It also has two club nights -- Financial and Business Planning Corporations - Farms - Small Business Income Tax Planning and Preparation We Now Do Window Tinting! 985-8507 MOBILE SERVICE GUARANTEED WORKMANSHIP SUNROOFS! TRUCK SLIDER! CELLULAR PHONES! BOX LINERS! RUNNING BOARDS! J Le... ) AE PERRY to glass & rim io. Tuesday and Wednesday -- when members get together for target practice. The 20-yard range can ac- commodate 10 shooters at once. When members have complet- ed 10 shots and all guns are dis- engaged, a member retrieves the targets and tallies up the Scores. "It's a hard sport," Mr. Wil- liams said. "There's thousands of rounds of ammunition back there." The Port Perry Rod and Gun Club also enters Duifetitions against other neighboring clubsin Oshawa, Ajax, Peter! rough and Toronto. Ee er OAK - PINE - MAPLE - EURO KITCHENS VANITIES COUNTERTOPS Cultured Marble CE Cuisine Expert up to 40% OFF M.S.L. We Install. Visit our Showroom. OVER 20 YEARS EXPERIENCE RR4, UXBRIDGE Durham No. 23, just s. of 47 416)852-7722 trp eg Stee FPR -------- TPP SERS