Sportsman’s Club puts safety first, readies for Membership Drive

Sept. 25, 2019 | Dennis Hackett

The Westfield Sportsman’s Club offers archery among other activities.
Reminder Publishing submitted photo

WESTFIELD – With its Membership Weekend coming up, the Westfield Sportsman’s Club offers plenty of activities with a safety-first mindest.

One of the qualities of the Westfield Sportsman’s club that distinguishes it from other groups is its growing membership among women. Sue Gamelli, one of the club’s members and organizers, said, “about 20 percent of our membership is female and that number is growing every year.” In addition to growing membership among women, Gamelli also said the club will have a woman as its president when Erin Harris takes over for the new year.

The Sportsman’s Club offers a variety of different membership options and levels according to Gamelli. The club offers discounted memberships for seniors, people with disabilities and spouses of members. Kids over 12 are also allowed at the range under strict supervision and their parent must be present at all times.

Gamelli said the club has different membership levels as well. At the white level, the member just has a pistol permit. At the purple level the member has a firearm ID or they are 15 to 18 years old with a firearms ID and parental supervision. The red level is for more specialized activities like black powder or air gun shooting.

Gamelli said one of the biggest draws to the club is the black powder range.

“It’s a bit slower than our other firing ranges but it’s a lot of fun to do,” she said.

Along with its shooting ranges, the Westfield Sportsman’s Club offers plenty of activities for its members and their families including fishing and an archery range.

According to Gamelli, one of the main attractions the club offers is the fishing pond. In the spring, the club hosts a fishing derby for kids under 15. Gamelli said the club stocks the pond for the derby. but the pond is open year-round for its members.

Normally members fishing in the pond can only take home three fish on any given day, but Gamelli noted most of the members like to catch and release the fish.

“I think our members just like the peace and quiet of being out there fishing rather than catching the fish to take home,” Gamelli said.

She added that members and neighbors of the club like to take their dogs for walks around the pond as well. However, the pond is currently closed to everyone due to algae concerns.

Gamelli said safety is a priority with the club and they must follow strict guidelines to ensure the safety of the members. In order for anyone to be able to shoot at the range there has to be a Range Safety officer on site, even during regular business hours.

“If  there isn’t a Range Officer, we all have to clear out of here, even if it’s when we are supposed to be open,” Gamelli said.

“Safety is our number one concern here, we want to keep our people safe while offering a good experience for our members,” Gamelli stated. She added the club offers safety classes twice a month on the second and fourth Saturday.

The club is offering tours of the range and an open house as it ramps up its Membership Drive for the new year, which begins on Oct. 1.

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