Rod and Gun Club looks for funds to rebuild

Loyalty to the Bull Lake Rod and Gun Club runs so deep that although the building collapsed under winter snow and ice, all those who had booked the site for a weekend in summer 2017 still wanted to keep their booking, even without a building on the site.

“There was some concern about shade and bathrooms, but the club is booked every weekend in July and August and we offered a reduced rate, and everyone still wants to go” says member Kate Arpin in disbelief.

The structure, built in the 1960s, had a single beam, unsupported in the middle, running through its length and the weight of heavy snow coupled with freezing rain in February this year caused the entire roof to collapse.

“It was that Thursday night after the rain,” says club president Bob Weber with some regret “it seemed that everyone in town was shoveling a roof. I was on my own roof, and my father-in-law’s roof...we just didn’t get to the club in time.”

Members soon discovered that the club’s insurance policy does not cover snow and ice, leaving them in the position of raising funds to clean up and rebuild, quite an undertaking for a small non-profit community club.

“We were able to salvage some things from the kitchen, a grill, and stove,” says Weber “but we had three freezers and a brand new fridge in there that are gone. We’ll see what else we can salvage when we go out there to clean up.”

At the club’s monthly meeting at Troy’s Silver Spur, talk turned to fundraising and having a bingo night at the Halfway House. The 15 members present managed to find humor in the situation as they laughed over where the bingo cards were in the ruins of the club, and who would go in to get them.

In the meantime, the group still plans to go ahead with their bi-annual fundraising event, a June 4 trap shoot. They are also holding a brews for benefits at Cabinet Mountain Brewery on Thursday the 13 of April at 5 p.m.

Arpin says the club is a community asset because “it’s one of the only sites on Bull Lake that is public. It’s really special that members get to have access to the beautiful grounds and dock.”

Membership is $5 a year but “we’re a working club” says Weber “members have to put their hours in.”

The club also has a GoFundMe page on Facebook, with a stated aim of $10,000 to pour a foundation. The final financial goal is still unclear as the club assesses clean up costs, but they hope to have to raise money only for building supplies and rely on volunteer labor to build. Donations or offers of volunteer help, especially those with heavy machinery for demolition, are welcome at this time.