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Home My WebLink AboutClinton News-Record, 1960-03-17, Page 7APVElitTI MEW -Clinton Newo-Record Thorsilo This modern Club House at Alma Grove was begun in 1952, four ,years after the Huron Fish and Game Conservation Association purchased the property qt the west end of Clinton in 1948, now is a complete social and community centre. The above picture was taken at Christmas time, complete with decorations. Valued at approxi- mately $25,000, it also houses the canteen from which the profits are poured back into club projects as well as many civic improvement projects. The Fish and Game Club's modern shelter pens for pheasants'at the club grounds, Alma Grove, were completed this past summer. They house many varieties, of pheas- ants, as well as quail and partridge. The birds are hatched in the club's three incu- bators at the home of Alvin Sharp. All birds are released when they come of, proper age. More buildings and pens are planned when funds become available:— uron ~ish. an Game Conservation Association ESTABLISHED IN 1942 Associated with Ontario Trapshooting Association THE ONTARIO FEDERATION OF ANGLERS AND' HUNTERS INC. "Old Mose" the black bear who makes his home in a government-approved bear pit near the Alma Grove Club House. WINVER IN 1960 OF MARY PICKFORD TROPHY The Huron Club won the Mary Pickford Trophy in 1959, awarded to the Ontario group that does the most for conser- vation in the previous year. The local club won the cup on their many projects which in- 'eluded: number and quality of trees planted at their farm; spOnsorship_ of a Junior Con- servation Club; raising and re- leasing of , wildlife f o w I; development of trout stream and stocking with fish; spon- soring Gun Club and holding various shoots; promoting good farmer-sportsmen rela- tions; giving instruction in the Hunter Safety: Training pro- gram and supporting many local civic improvement pro- jects. The trophy was first award- ed in 1937 by Mary Pickford, the well-known Toronto-born movie actress. The first two. years it was awarded to in- dividuals, but since then has been won by anglers, fish and game or conservation clubs. Clinton is one of the smal- lest clubs to win the coveted trophy. These Are The Reasons Why We Ask You To CLUB OWNS SPACIOUS CONSERVATION WORK SPONSORS BANTAM AGE ALMA GROVE AT CLUB FARM HOCKEY AND BASEBALL PROPERTY Vote YES On All Three Ballots CLUB DONATES TO FUTURE PROJECTS ALL CHARITABLE ORGANIZATIONS Purchased in 1948, Alma Grove (eight acres) has been greatly developed since that time. It is situated at the west end. ,of Alma Street, over the old railway right- ,of-way. In 1952 a club hotise was begun and :has developed into a modern building which :is used as a community centre and meeting :.place for many organizations. It also housed modern canteen facilities. Last year the club purchased •the pro- perty between the railway tracks and Erie Street south of Alma Street and have al- ready spent $800 cleaning up and draining the property. When completed this will be a modern playground and sport* field for children of the west end of Clinton. This is one project that the club sincerely hopes to complete as soon as possible. The club house is also the home of the Clinton Ladies Conservation Club, num- bering 52, who look after the social activi- ties of the club. Lately they have been catering to small banquets. • —OHO-0— • BUILDING WILDLIFE BIRD AND ANIMAL SANCTUARY The pride and joy of the Fish and Game Club is the Bird arid Animal Sanetu- ary. at Alma Grove. Hundreds of children and adults tome to the grounds each week to see the birds and animals. In just two years the club has spent $3,678,70 building pens and accommodation for the animals and birds. This is just a start on the club's proposed zoological pro- ject. The grou=nds are open to the public at all times. Before.the Fish and Game Club owned property iii Clinton, they owned an 80-adre farm on concession 16, Goderich Town- ship. Here is where the association's con- servation work is really put into practice. Nearly 8,000 trees belie been planted there in the past three years; and more have been ordered for this year. The mem- bers do their own planting, assisted by the Junior Conservation Club. One large dam and three smaller ones have been built by the members on the stream at the farm. The club stocks this stream each year with fish. The reforestation and farm improve- ment work has cost the club $754.96 during the paSt two years, Also at the 'far mare picnic grounds, complete with tables and barbetue. The grounds are open to the public for picnics during the summer. HELPED BUILD LOCAL SWIMMING POOL Actual donations to the Clinton Corn- munity Swimming Pool Fund from the Fish and Game Club was $1,945,90. The club also collected $725 in canvasses as their share of the town canvass made by the four service club tommittee. As well the dub Members were gener- ous in their volunteer labour during the building of the pool and baihhouSe. Most of this Money came from the suc- cessful operation of a canteen at the Alma Grove club house. If the club is to continue With community projects of this nature, a private club licence would be necessary to carry on the operation of a canteen. For the past five years the Fish and Game Club have been sponsoring Bantam- age baseball and hockey teams. In the past two years over $1,400 has been spent on this minor sport group. The club feel they must carry on this phase of work now that certain age groups have been takenover by all service clubs ink Clinton. JUNIOR CONSERVATION CLUB The parent Fish ,and:Game Club haye always sponsored a" Junior Censegvation Club of boys between, the ages of 10 and 16. At present the membership is 18. This club is open to all 'teenage boys, both town and rural, Two meetings are held each month under the direction of the senior club, but the Juniors have their own of- ficers. All members took Hunter's Safety Training during the past year, with 12 writ- ing and, passing their test. The parent club has Six qualified Hunter's Safety instructors who teach the course in proper use of fire- arms, target shooting and conservation methods and reasons for same. The Juniors have helped in the huge tree plant- ing program of the parent club. In the past two years approximately $250 has been spent on the Junior"Conser- vation Club, Eric Collins, a civilian in- structor at RCAF Station Clinton, is the present chairman of junior conservation work. The following partial list donations to charitable and relief grottps (from March to December 1959), gives,:an idea how the club supports many worthwhile organizations: March—Listowel Disaster 'Fund ..„$ 25.00 Member donation to above ...... 22.50 April—Crippled Children's Society ,. 1000 May—Cancer Fund 25.00 Aug.—Clinton Swimming Pool Fund 500,00 Sept.—Canadian National Institute for the Blind 25.00 Nov.—Retarded Children's Fund (a donation from a member, Fred Hulls, of the Bayfield-Clinton Golf Course> 25.00 Deci—Muscular Dystrophy Fund 10.00 Retarded Children's Fund 25.00 Clinton Children's Christmas Tree Committee .,„„,....., 35.00 The above is all in addition to the many activities and projects sponsored wholly by the Club. —0-0-0— LOCAL CHURCH GROUPS BENEFIT---CATERING TO CLUB BANQUETS During the past two years, the Fish and Game Club has left $976 with local church groups Which catered to club din- ners and minor sports banquets. —0-0-0— This January the Fish and Committee arranged fora meeting of the Canadian Ornamental Pheasant and Game Bird Association, in the Alma Grove club house. By voting "yes" on all three ballots on Wednesday, March 23, you will enable the club to apply for a private club license, therefore enabling the club to proceed with the following suggested projects: --Build an Indoor Shooting Range at Club House. —Develop Children's Playground at corn- er of Erie and Alma streets, for child- ren of the west end of town. —Add to the Club's Bird and Animal Sanc- tuary. —Continue monthly donations to local Re- tarded Children's Fund. —Develop the present Skating Pond at Alma Grove, —Carry on ],Minor Sports Program for ban- tam-age boys in hockey and baseball. —Enlarge on Junior Conservation Club work and Hunter's safety pregrarn for both Junior and Senior Club. —Help build the proposed Scout House in Clinton, in co-operation with other ser- vice clubs. —Continue conservation Work at the Club's farm any Goderich Township. Being a non-profit organizatien, all excess profit must (by charter) go into conservation and "service" club work in Clinton' and district —0-0-0-- Last July the Huron Fish and Game Club played hest to the summer Conven- tion of Huron and Erie Zone 6 of the Ontario Federation of Hunter% and Ang- lers. On all the above-mentioned activities ytheears.club spent $10,133.52 in the past two A Yes Vote on all Ballots Will Enable this Club to Apply for a Private License, and thus Carry on its Many Community Projects HURON FISH and GAME CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION BARRETT TAYLOR IVAN TURNER C. J. LIVERMORE President Secretary Treasurer Nob