By John Prendergast – Chairman

The old saying is that when you want something done, ask a busy man to head up the work. Well Leigh Williams our Yates County SCOPE (YC SCOPE) Vice Chairman is that man. Leigh has worked tirelessly with the High Schools in Yates County; Dundee, Penn Yan Academy and Marcus Whitman to get the 1st year of competition underway here in Yates County. 

Here is how the program was born. Leigh engaged with Mr. Tom Schmandt, the Athletic Director at Palmyra Macedon High School about getting the Clay Trap League going in Yates County. After a presentation by Tom and Mr. David Dandino at one of our monthly meetings in Penn Yanin 2016, Leigh was off and on a mission. 

Contact with the three High Schools was undertaken by Leigh. As one might expect, the schools were busy with the day to day operations at their schools. Getting the attention of the Administration and the Athletic Directors took some work, but that is to be expected. Once contact was initiated the acceptance of having a shooting program was quickly accepted by all of the Schools Administration. The Athletic Directors at each school, Dundee; Sheldon Gibson, Penn Yan; Tobin Tansey, and Marcus Whitman; Paul Lahue took over the task of acquiring coaches for the program. Again the faculty responded quickly and the program was underway. 

YC SCOPE quickly turned its attention to helping the embryonic program by looking at how we might be able to add financial support. It was quickly recognized by Leigh Williams that the cost of a shooting program is very dependent on targets, ammunition, coaches safety training. 

Fundraising in support of youth shooting sports has been underway with YC SCOPE for some 10 years or more. We have a history in Yates County of working with 4-H Shooting Sports. The 4-H program is run by Jen Clancey at the Cornell Cooperative Extension in Yates County. To finance the shooting program, YC SCOPE works with The Elks Lodge in Penn Yan along with the 4-H organization in putting on a Chicken and Biscuit Dinner to raise funds. The youth and families of the students receiving the funds volunteer working at the event along with SCOPE members. The success of this program has funded the 4-H program by allowing SCOPE to purchase; air rifles, 22 caliber and black powder rifles along with Shotguns as well as a Gun Safes for storage. SCOPE has also purchased Bow and Arrows for use in this part of the Shooting program. 

For funding of the Clay Trap League,YC SCOPE turned to expanding the annual Chicken and Biscuit Dinner. By reaching out to the three area High Schools, students, parents and grandparents, attendance for dinner was expanded. The community in general responded in support to the effort to finance the shooting programs. The evening of the dinner, we served some 340 dinners from 4 to 7 pm. Everyone, students were very busy serving, bussing and doing dishes. The dinner was very successful and a big hit with the community. 

Two organizations came up big at this event. The Penn Yan Elks Lodge donated all of the food for the dinner. The Elks provided the location, purchased and prepared the food, then donated the cost of all of this to the youth of Yates County. How great is that. 

The Whitetail Unlimited Inc. of New York contacted Leigh Williams and stated that they heard about the YC SCOPE support of the Clay Trap League. The local chapter from Dundee, NY, Mr. Mike VanZile attended the event, brought a rifle to raffle off at the event, handled the raffle and at the end of the evening wound up donating $600.00 in support of the youth. A big thank you goes out to Mike and the Whitetail Unlimited organization. 

Leigh Williams has met, or is meeting with the three high schools in Yates County. The YC SCOPE Board voted to donate $1000.00 to each shooting club at the schools to help them with the shooting sports expenses. Leigh is presenting these funds to the schools along with the request that the YC SCOPE Board requests a receipt at the end of the year showing how and where the funds have been expended. 

YC SCOPE encourages each County in the state to undertake the support of a similar program. We will be more than willing to work with you to develop such an undertaking.