NSCA News

Former NSSA-NSCA Executive Director Don Snyder Passes

June 20, 2018 By Sherry Kerr

We are very saddened to report that Don Snyder, former NSSA-NSCA Executive Director, passed away Wednesday, May 30. Don was a World Champion skeet shooter, many-time All-American, and a member of the Armed Forces Skeet Association Hall of Fame.

After retiring from the Air Force, Don began working for NSSA and the National Shooting Complex, filling numerous roles over the years. He served as NSSA Chief Instructor, managed the NSCA 5-stand truck and trailer program, and was the personnel director for the National Shooting Complex. He later became the NSSA Director prior to becoming the Executive Director.

“Don and I started working for the NSSA at around the same time 25 years ago,” current Executive Director, Michael Hampton, Jr. recalled. “He was great to work with and for, and he always wanted what was best for the associations. He loved the game of skeet, having fun, and telling jokes. Not all of his jokes were funny, but man, did he enjoy telling them and laughing at them. He was a co-worker and, more importantly, a friend who will be missed.”

After his retirement from NSSA, Don enjoyed focusing on his skeet game and instructing. He won the Champ of Champs title at the 2012 World Skeet Championships.

The staff of NSSA-NSCA and the National Shooting Complex extend their condolences to Don’s wife, Bertha, his family, and his many friends. He will be missed.

Services for Don Snyder are as follows:

Memorial Service

Celebration of Life

View Don’s obituary at: http://porterloring.tributes.com/…/Donald-M.-Snyder-1061668…

New NSCA Charter Calls for New NSCA Elections

June 7, 2018 By Sherry Kerr

NSCA Charter announcement — ***Click to view larger.***

The NSCA Advisory Council has developed and the NSSA Executive Committee has approved a new charter for the National Sporting Clays Association, which is a division of the National Skeet Shooting Association. The charter defines a new governance structure and calls for elections to be held this year. The new governing structure eliminates the Advisory Council and Regional Delegate positions and creates a 15-member Executive Council, with three members from each region, elected from the National Delegate body. Five officers will be elected from the Executive Council. The new governing bodies will take office on January 1, 2019, and serve through December 31, 2020.

View the new NSCA Charter

Nominations are now being accepted for National Delegates from each state. Remember, Executive Council members must first be elected as National Delegates. The number of National Delegates from each state is determined by the number of members in that state. You can view the number of positions allocated to each state on the nomination form.

While the charter calls for the nomination period to begin July 1, nominations are being opened early due to the new structure. This will allow NSCA more time to inform members of the new charter and for members to determine their plans for possible service. Future elections will open nominations on July 1, per the charter.

Download the National Delegate Nomination Form

You may choose to run for the National Delegate position yourself or nominate another person. However, if you nominate another member, that person must agree to be a candidate. Any candidate/nominee must have the endorsement of five current members of NSCA from the state he or she would represent. The nominee and the five endorsers must sign the nomination form (below) and provide their member numbers. A nomination is not considered valid without those signatures and member numbers.

Only fully-paid, current NSCA members qualify to run for National Delegate; the position is not open to Complimentary Limited Membership (CLM) or Crossfire members (NSSA members registering NSCA targets). Note: Nominees for National Delegate are no longer required to shoot a minimum number of registered targets. Current National Delegates may run for the office again, but they are not automatically placed on the ballot. The nomination / election procedure is the same as for other candidates.

Nominations will be accepted by email or fax. Send nominations to Glynne Moseley, gmoseley@nssa-nsca.com, fax 210-688-3014. All nominations must be received by July 21 at 5:00 p.m. Ballots will be distributed by email during the first week of August for voting via online ballot.

2018 NSSA-NSCA Scholarship Recipients

May 6, 2018 By Sherry Kerr

Congratulations to eight 2018 high school graduates who are recipients of $2500 NSSA-NSCA scholarships. The scholarship winners were chosen for their leadership, academics, and participation in NSSA-NSCA. Watch for profiles of each scholarship recipient in the June issue of Clay Target Nation.

NSSA Scholarship Recipients

Olivia Grace “Gracie” Woelffer

Congratulations to Gracie Woelffer of Fort Mill, South Carolina, on being awarded a $2500 NSSA scholarship. Gracie is a recent graduate of Christian Liberty Academy and plans to continue her education at Liberty University. Her home shooting club is Mid-Carolina Gun Club. Gracie began shooting about five years ago, following in the footsteps of her older sister Maggie, who had joined the Gaston Young Guns (GYG) team. She has been recognized with many honors such as multiple Krieghoff All-American Teams, NSSA Honor Squad, HOA Junior State Champion, and placing in the Krieghoff Masters and Zone 4 shoots.

Noah Dove

Noah Dove from Raleigh, North Carolina, is the son of Tim and Angie Dove. Noah is a graduate of Millbrook High School and a member of the Durham County Wildlife Club. Noah plans to study business management at East Carolina University. His skeet accomplishments are many, with places on Krieghoff All-American Junior Teams and Honor Squad, honors at the Junior World Skeet Championships, Krieghoff Masters Skeet Championship, North Carolina State Championship, and Zone 4 Championships. NSSA extends its congratulations to Noah on his scholarship and achievements.

Kyler “Kordell” Drake

Congratulations to Kordell Drake from Buda, Texas, on being a recipient of a $2500 NSSA college scholarship. He plans to use the scholarship at Texas State University where he will study construction science. Kordell graduated from Veritas Academy in Austin and shoots at San Antonio Gun Club. He started skeet shooting as an 8-year-old in the Hays 4-H Shooting Club. Kordell, an Eagle Scout, was named to Krieghoff All-American Teams from 2013 through 2017 and to the Texas State Team as a Sub-Junior and Junior in the same years.

Nicholas Godfrey

A 2018 graduate of Carroll Senior High in Southlake, Texas, Nicholas Godfrey is the son of Elizabeth Neuberger and Dennis Godfrey. He plans to study Aerospace Engineering at the University of Texas. He began shooting skeet with his high school’s clay target team where he was a three-year team captain. His shooting accomplishments include being 2016 TSSA Junior State Team Captain and many others. Among his major wins are the 2017 Blaser 28-Gauge Champion, 2017 Texas State 28-Gauge Champion, and 2017 Metroplex 20-Gauge Champion. Congratulations to Nicholas.

NSCA Scholarship Recipients

Shabaz Bassi

A 2018 graduate of Valencia High School in Placentia, California, Shabaz Bassi began shooting sporting clays eight years ago with the So Cal Top Guns youth shotgun program. He now volunteers for the team doing set-up, safety management, coaching, and clean-up after every Saturday event. Shabaz’s home club is Mike Raahauge Shooting Enterprises, and his parents are Navdeep Bassi and Narinder Bassi. He plans to attend shotgunning powerhouse Lindenwood University in the fall and will study biology. Congratulations to Shabaz on earning a $2500 scholarship from NSCA!

Garrett LeJeune

Congratulations to Garrett LeJeune of Jennings, Louisiana. He is a graduate of Hathaway High School and shoots at G.O.L. Shooting. Garrett has been shooting for nine years and is another product of a youth shooting organization, the 4-H shooting program. In addition to 4-H, in high school he played basketball and golf, was a member of the track team, and was involved in FFA. In the fall, he will attend Schreiner University as a member of the shooting team with a shooting scholarship. Garrett is the son of Nathan LeJeune and Debora LeJeune.

Nathan Armstrong

Congratulations to Haslet, Texas resident Nathan Armstrong, a recent graduate of V.R. Eaton High School. He plans to use his scholarship while attending Texas A&M University where he expects to be an engineering student. He started shooting sporting clays during his freshman year of high school when he joined the school’s clay target team and later became the team president. His sporting clays honors include being a Houston Stock Show Senior Male finalist, and class honors at the Oklahoma State Shoot among others. Nathan credits his coaches and parents for his accomplishments in sporting clays.

Cody Hada

Accomplished athlete and scholar Cody Hada of Andrews, Texas is the son of Benjamin and Jennifer Hada. Cody began shooting sporting clays in 2013, learning the sport from his dad. Among his high school honors were induction into the National Honor Society, Academic All-State and All-District in football, Texas 4-H State Games Senior 1 Division Champion, and selection as a member of the Texas 4-H State Shooting Team. He has been named to more than a dozen NSCA All-American Teams since 2014. Congratulations, Cody!

Watch for Increased Target Prices

March 18, 2018 By Sherry Kerr

Shooters will soon be feeling the trickle-down effects of higher-priced components in clay targets, according to White Flyer Targets, manufacturer of the clay targets used by many clubs across the country. Phil Murray of White Flyer explained the necessity for the cost increase in recent letters to its distributors and gun clubs:

March 13, 2018
Dear White Flyer Distributor,

As many of you are aware the aluminum industry has recently experienced a major revitalization. In the aluminum manufacturing process, pitch plays a significant role in the smelting of the ore. Because of this revitalization, the aluminum industry has now become a much larger consumer of pitch. Consequently, pitch pricing has risen dramatically over the past six months. Although the price has risen significantly White Flyer has long term volume contracts and the amount of pitch available to White Flyer is more than sufficient for our production needs.

As a result of above, White Flyer Targets finds it necessary to announce a price increase for its full line of targets. All orders presently on the White Flyer books as of today March 13 and shipping before April 1 will be at OLD White Flyer pricing. All orders placed today March 13 and beyond will have new White Flyer pricing. We regret any inconvenience that this may cause your gun clubs and customers but this new pricing became absolutely necessary.
The pricing of our Biodegradable Targets has also had a MODERATE increase due to increase in production costs plus the rising cost of raw materials that go into the Bio Target. We trust that you will understand our reasons for these increases being passed on.

Although other target companies announced price increases in early February due to this pitch crisis, White Flyer has tried to hold off as long as possible before implementing these price increases. Unfortunately, we can no longer delay these actions. We certainly appreciate the role our distributors play for White Flyer, your support and input continues to make White Flyer #1. We ask that once you receive this new pricing that you contact each of your customers to let them know the
new pricing.

We sincerely appreciate your consideration and understanding on this issue.

Phil Murray
White Flyer Targets

March 16, 2018
Dear White Flyer Distributor/Gun Club,

Many of you have expressed some concern regarding the recent price increase. We are also concerned that we were forced to increase cost of targets due to raw materials. This isn’t the first time we have seen a spike in pitch prices. In late 2011 one of our suppliers shut down due to a fire drastically reducing the available pitch which drove prices to a record level. At that time we had to take $1.00 per case increase. Months later the prices started dropping and we immediately lowered our pricing by $.40. A year later raw material prices dropped again and we passed on an additional $.45 per case decrease .We haven’t had a price adjustment since the end of 2014.

The reason for the current price increase is tied directly to the aluminum market. Several years ago China flooded the market with cheap aluminum products in Europe and North America. When that happened aluminum plants in these areas where forced to shut down because they could not compete with the lower prices. The aluminum market uses pitch to manufacture the carbon electrodes which are used to smelt the ore.Additionally,the pitch plants either shut down or drastically reduced their productions. Fast forward to today and with our thriving economy the demand for high quality aluminum has created a comeback for the North American and European aluminum industry. The reemerging industry is consuming the same pitch we use in our targets; however the refineries have not scaled up pitch production accordingly. Since Europe is experiencing a similar situation it has forced them to use less than desirable and expensive pitch alternatives in their targets. White Flyer wants to continue to deliver high quality targets to all of our customers and we will not cut corners with cheap raw materials. Raw materials are the largest component in the cost of manufacturing targets and history shows that our pricing tracks with the cost of those raw materials. In addition to the increases White Flyer has also taken four decreases since 2008. If we had not taken those decreases the cost of targets would already be above what was announced on March 13th. If pitch production increases and prices drop, White Flyer as we have done in the past will pass those savings along to the consumer.

For over 125 years White Flyer has done our best to deliver high quality targets that shooters have demanded. We continue to support the shooting world by sponsoring more events and organizations that any other target manufacturer. We sincerely appreciate your consideration and understanding on this issue.

Phil Murray
White Flyer Targets

Get Your Krieghoff K-80 Raffle Tickets

March 4, 2018 By Sherry Kerr

The annual Krieghoff K-80 raffle has begun, and tickets are now available! Krieghoff has generously donated a K-80 Suhl Scroll shotgun, Pro-Sporter edition with 32-inch barrels. The gun is valued at $23,990.

The raffle benefits the NSCA USA Sporting Clays Team and the NSSA-NSCA All-American programs. The drawing will be held in October during the 2018 National Sporting Clays Championship at the National Shooting Complex. You do not have to be present to win.*

Tickets are $100 each, and only 500 will be sold. To buy your tickets, contact Lori Hartmann (NSCA), 210-688-3371 ext. 254 or Michelle Lee (NSSA), ext. 263.

You can also purchase tickets from the NSCA trailer at NSCA Championship Tour events:

April 8-15 – U.S. Open Sporting Clays – Coyote Springs, AZ
April 25-29 – Western Regional – Quail Point, CA
May 16-20 – Northeast Regional & North American FITASC – M&M Sporting Clays, NJ
July 25-29 – South Central Regional & National FITASC – Side X Side Ranch OK
August 15-19 – North Central Regional & American Grand Prix – Northbrook Sports Club, IL
September 12-16 – Southeast Regional – Forest City Gun Club, GA
October 20-28, 2018 – National Championship, National Shooting Complex, TX

* The Krieghoff shotgun winner must have a valid U.S. social security number, as NSSA-NSCA must collect tax and report the winning value to the IRS. We cannot ship firearms outside the U.S.

Click on any image to enlarge

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