[Report by Mike Kettle at the 2023 annual dinner and prizegiving.]
Those of you who have been with us for less than two years probably don’t know Graham Rowcroft.
Those of you who have been with us longer probably know him as our longstanding chairman and have probably been helped by him in some way during your membership of the club.
Graham was a stalwart of the club for many years until he suddenly had to give up shooting for medical reasons. The fact that it happened quickly probably means that we miss him more intently than we would have otherwise.
While Grahams condition has improved and I understand he has now returned home, he is still in need of 24-hour care, so will be unable to return to the club.
I don’t know the exact date he joined the club, but I joined in 1980 and I seem to remember him being around most of that time. There was a short break in the middle when his work took him away from East Grinstead. However, as soon as he returned, he renewed his membership and remained an active member ever since. He finished his tenure at the club as our well-loved Chairman.
Graham was always happy to help whether you were a completely new member just getting to grips with the idea of letting the sling do its job and not “muscling it”, looking for some advice on what to buy, needing some assistance in modifying kit, designing and building the indoor steel bullet traps and the outdoor bullet catchers, or just tackling a lot of the other ongoing maintenance that is always required for a building that was constructed in the late 1960s. The list goes on…
The committee and some keyholders have been picking up the tasks that Graham used to undertake but even now we are coming across more things that he used to do.
So, in recognition of his tremendous contribution to the club, the committee have decided to honour him by naming the indoor range. From now on it will be known as “The Graham Rowcroft Range”.
A small token perhaps but one that will ensure Graham, and his contribution to the club, is remembered for a long time to come.
