Fincastle WOT follow-up with Gene Strickler

Gene Strickler of the Ridge Rifle Association was kind enough to grant me a follow-up interview on the topic of his club’s recent Women On Target clinic, which my mother and I attended. Strickler is pictured above with the Range Safety Officers shortly before the start of the clinic.

When Strickler told me the Ridge Rifle Association was an NRA Gold Medal Club, I was embarrassed to have to ask what that meant.

What does it mean to be a Gold Medal Club? Well, in this club’s case, it means a full half of the club’s members — 75 of approximately 150 members — devoted an entire Saturday to helping out at the club’s recent annual Women On Target® event. (Actual requirements are 100% Club membership; a Club newsletter; belonging to the NRA State Association in Club's state; incorporating an NRA Youth Program into the Club's activities; and participating in membership recruitment.)

Strickler, who has chaired the clinic for the past three years, says the day went swimmingly. “What was so satisfying and gratifying for our club members and their wives was to see how interested the women are learning to safely shoot,” Strickler said. “The hunger these women have to participate in these events is huge.”


Also huge: the crowd at the clinic. Seventy-eight participants gathered on Saturday, October 11, at the Association’s range. Eighty-six women had registered for the event, which is a large number for a clinic. Strickler credits the Association’s advertising in the local paper, but says most women heard about the event through friends and coworkers.

Strickler said his club is happy to be doing outreach to women. “You could see the women were interested but had never even had an opportunity to handle a pistol or a rifle before,” he said. His club is comprised mostly of males, but their wives are an integral part of the membership. He hopes to get more of the club’s female members out on the range as Range Safety Officers.

“Next year we hope to incorporate more of our ladies into the actual range operation,” he said. “Kathy Cofflin has been an outstanding example of a WOT volunteer. She does so much! You can always count on her. I want to incorporate people like her into running the firing line.”

Aside from that minor transition, Strickler doubts much will differ at the Ridge Rifle Association’s 2009 Women On Target® clinic.

“Why mess with a good thing?” he asks.