Range & Target Activities Committee
The Erie Shores Council Range & Target Activties Committee is a volunteer committee made up of individuals whose passion lies with various range & target activities including rifle, shotgun, archery, and other various forms of range & target activities. Individuals on this committee work with other organizations including the NRA, Shooting Sports Foundation, Wood-Lucas Pheasants Forever along with our two camp facilities to ensure safe, effective, and fun range & target activities for our young people in the Scouting program.
Range & Target Activities Interest Survey
The Erie Shores Council is conducting a short survey on range & target training and programs to identify those who hold current NRA, Scouting America, and USA Archery certifications who would be willing to help supervise/instruct district and council range & target activities.
We would also like to identify those who would be interested in these trainings and helping with events. The information you provide will help us increase the pool of volunteers to run events and help us provide training to you.
CLICK HERE FOR SURVEY
Training Events
These upcoming training events are hosted by the Range & Target Activties Committee:
April 11, 2026 - Pioneer Scout Reservation
NRA Range Safety Officer Training (RSO) = www.erieshorescouncil.org/NRARSO
April 18, 2026 - Camp Miakonda
Archery & BB Rangemaster Training = www.erieshorescouncil.org/rangemaster
Mission of the Committee
The Range & Target Activities Committee (“RTAC”) is charged with overseeing construction, maintenance, operations, staffing, training, and promotion under the Council’s guidance of the range & target activities within the Council’s jurisdiction, other than the summer camp program.
The RTAC Chairman ideally should be an NRA-certified Training Counselor or, if one is not available, an NRA-certified Firearms Instructor. The RTAC Chairman is appointed by the Council Camping Committee. The RTAC Chairman is responsible for appointing additional committee members. The RTAC will consist of eight members appointed for a period of two years each. Committee membership may be renewed with the mutual consent of the member and the RTAC Chairman.
The main goal of the RTAC is to promote range & target activities to Scouts within the Council and at any camps operated by Erie Shores Council. To accomplish these goals, the committee should institute a program to identify and maintain a list of any NRA-certified instructors and Range Safety Officers within the area that are willing to donate time and resources to range & target activities. These would include people volunteering as merit badge counselors, RSOs at rifle & target ranges, and serving as temporary instructors at various camps and Scouting events.
The RTAC should conduct an NRA-certified instructor course in either rifle or shotgun shooting and an RSO course on an annual basis, preferably before summer camp season. This program will be the cornerstone to attract and recruit more adult volunteers to the Scouting organization and range & target activities.
The committee will seek to identify any construction projects, advise on maintenance and repair issues within the facilities, and provide guidance for the day to day operations; to establish approved SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for the safe and efficient operation of the ranges; and, provide each Range Officer with the education and procedures to follow in a written form they can rely on.
The committee will provide a team to inspect all the ranges (rifle, shotgun, and archery) at all Council facilities prior to the opening of the summer camp season to inspect and review with the staff at those facilities for safety issues and procedures, and recommend remedial action if necessary.
The committee will consult with the camp staff director to identify any staffing and training issues or needs that he or she may have on a minimum of an annual basis (preferably in the first quarter of the year). The committee will also assist in recruiting qualified candidates for National Camp School training within range & target activities and enlarging the pool of volunteers for any vacancies that may occur.
The committee will endeavor to institute and maintain an accountability reporting plan with the NRA, whereas we (Scouting America ESC) use NRA instructors and Training Counselors as our primary Range Masters, Merit Badge counselors, and Range Safety Officers, and identify individuals who are willing to participate in NRA-sponsored programs specifically for Scouting America. The committee needs to be able to send quantifiable results and records to the NRA on the number of rifle and shotgun merit badge/first steps completions to gauge the success of the joint programs.
The committee needs to fulfill its mission to increase and promote range & target activities by providing safe and fun opportunities for Scouts to broaden their interests in range & target activities by conceptualizing and executing plans to fulfill this mission.