EGANVILLE – “The club is about more than guns, it’s about helping.” Those are the words of Rick Hunton, the Eganville and District Sportsman’s Club’s president. There was plenty of evidence of helping on Sunday at the club’s open house on Sunday September 16. Many of the club’s 200 members gave their time, knowledge and equipment so that members of the public could safely learn to use a variety of weapons. Promoting the safe use of hunting gear in a practice site and conservation are the two objectives of the club, Hunton said. Located on 400 acres between Eganville and Douglas, near the Bonnechere Caves, the club has nine all-season outdoor ranges, from 15 to 400 metres, a trap range to shoot clay pigeons and a new bow range. Hunton, from Pembroke, had grown up practicing with rifles and shotguns with friends at a dump. When they wanted to try pistol shooting, they knew they had to join a club. He was also attracted to the Eganville club because of its 400-metre range. At the club, safety is first. Almost every member is a trained range officer, versed in the safe organization of the ranges. The club has four regular range officer instructors and then others qualified in specific types of shooting, for example, self-defense pistol shooting. At the trap range, two volunteers, Daryl and Ashton Heideman worked the machine that launches the pigeons into the air. To read the full story, pick up a copy of the September 19, 2018 paper.