This page was posted to the WSC Website on December 23, 2003 and new stuff was added to this page on Tuesday, April 01, 2008
On November 1, 1932, a small group of hunters took title to sixty acres of land in what is now Tinton Falls, New Jersey.
To ease their boredom in the non-hunting season, they installed a rifle and pistol range, a trap field and something quite new...one of the first skeet fields in the United States.
The skeet houses were made of scrap lumber with single-cock-and-load traps that worked if the "trap boys" heard the shooter yell "pull" for the high house and "mark" for the low house. Doubles were chancy at best. The shooting stations were, at first, wood frames filled with sand, then filled with concrete and finally a concrete walkway was completed between the pads.
Later a sunken "release house" was built in front of the clubhouse where the traps were set and the birds released by means of cables. The trap boys merely had to place the bird on the throwing arm and stand back.
Later the rifle and pistol range was closed, the trap field was changed to a second skeet field and concrete block trap houses were constructed. Finally the old 10' X 30" clubhouse was removed and replaced by a concrete block clubhouse with a kitchen, an office a large meeting room with a fireplace and a rest room. We even had running water and electricity.
In 1970, the name Wayside Rod and Gun Club was dropped and the name Wayside Skeet Club was incorporated...'cause that was all we did.
During the 1990s our club followed the leadership of several presidents and in 2003 we applied for and were granted IRS 503 (c) (4) Tax Exempt status. In early 2004 we had a major overhaul to our bylaws and have elected new trustees and new officers with all the trustees and officers forming the Board of Directors which is charged with operating the club in the absense of the full membership sitting in convention, a body which still has overall control of the club. Our roster is currently limited to 145 and although a few members don't renew their memberships in January, the club is able to quickly fill any openings that occur.
Today, members shoot on two beautiful Beomat-equipped fields. We have a pool table and satellite TV. The daily operation of the club is managed by a dedicated squad of Range Officers who assume the necessary responsibilities for skeet shooting three times a week.
We are dedicated to the growth of skeet shooting with all the fellowship and good will that comes with friendly competition. We hold several registered shoots each year. Our Club Championship has been held in June or July and is a Closed Shoot, i.e., members only.
The Wayside Skeet Club eagerly looks forward to many tomorrows, with all the fellowship that our members enjoy today. Our club is a strong supporter of the National Rifle Association, National Skeet Shooting Association and the New Jersey Skeet Shooting Association as well as all other organizations that are dedicated to the right to keep and bear arms, good sportsmanship and the conservation of our land, wildlife and natural resources.
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