Generations Skeet Club near Patton in beautiful central Pennsylvania hosted their 10th annual Couples Skeet Shoot on September 1. Over the years, 14 to 38 couples have participated in this shoot; 17 couples participated on Labor Day weekend this year. The weather was beautiful, just a lovely late-summer day. There was a bit of wind, but without that it wouldn’t be Generations.
Young and old shooters, some who had never tried to break a clay pigeon, enjoyed the day; some had never fired a shotgun before. Shotguns, shells, ear plugs, etc. were provided as needed. All four of Generations’ skeet fields were used. Squads of four or six shooters were formed, and each couple shot 50 birds, shoulder-to-shoulder. The atmosphere was informal, but safety was stressed. Pulling and scoring was handled by experienced referees, and qualified coaches were present to help as needed.
After the 50 birds were shot at, a rather liberal handicapping system was applied, and all 17 teams (four or five teams per each of the skeet fields) participated in a 3-4-5 doubles shoot-off. The eight winners (two from each field) then shot off again to decide the shoot winners. Plenty of “encouragement” was provided by the onlookers, especially when a few of the newer shooters hit both targets at station 4. The whooping and hollering could be heard throughout the valley. The girls found it very encouraging to hear everyone cheering for them every time they hit a target. The winners were: Paige McMullen and Brian Walwro, champs; Cheryl and Kevin Smith, runners-up; and Lynn Holtz and her 11-year old grandson Camden Simanski, third.
After the shooting was finished, all retired to the Youth Center (one of the nicest barns you will ever see) onsite for a great picnic dinner. The main entrée, grilled chicken, was provided by Ryan Holtz; it was exceptionally tender and delicious this year. There were also tasty hors d’oeuvres and ribs. Many of the shooters brought delicious salads and desserts. One of the desserts that was a big hit was “puppy chow.” Some folks had not heard of this delicacy before, but all who sampled it gave it a big thumbs-up. There was also some of Roy Holtz’s homemade wine.
Kudos to all of the Generations folks and visitors who helped make this year’s Couples Shoot a wonderful time! There are not many skeet shoots where half the participants are female. And speaking of female shooters, the newest Generations’ family member Vivielle Vescovi, infant daughter of Michael and Kierstyn Vescovi, also attended the shoot. She is a member of the fourth generation of the Holtz/Vescovi shooting family. Camden Simanski is also a fourth generation member at age 11. He and his grandmother, Lynn (Lollie), placed third in the Couples Shoot.
– George Gleich
