Grassroots club stays grounded in tradition

NORTH CANAAN —When the Northwest Connecticut Rod and Gun Club in North Canaan was founded, Gerry Routhier was barely a toddler. Seventy-five years later, he has seen it evolve from a plot of land encompassed by woods into a community service organization with hundreds of members. 

“It’s a great, great organization,” said Routhier, a member and former president and vice president of the Rod and Gun Club. “The only time I was missing was when I was at school or college.” 

In 1947, a group of 11 local World War II veterans invested in creating a space to enjoy and preserve fishing, hunting and sport shooting. Passing it down from generation to generation, the Rod and Gun Club now boasts 14 acres and offers multiple events through the year, for both the public and its 275 paid members. 

At the forefront of the Rod and Gun Club is education about hunting and fishing, as well as a deep appreciation for the balance between people and the land. 

“We’re not just all about coming down here and shooting guns and bows and arrows. We’re a whole lot more than that,” said Millen Murray, the club secretary. “Yes, we do shoot deer but there’s crop control. If there’s too many of them then it hurts the farmers; without the crops we don’t eat.”

Before the pandemic, the club used to host hunter safety and gun safety classes, so members could obtain permits. While they cannot hold those classes for the time being, Murray said the club still hosts many events throughout the year — including their most popular event, the turkey and ham shoot, which is a sharpshooting contest with a turkey or a ham as the prize.

The club also fundraises and receives donations from local businesses and organizations; that money helps provide scholarships to members heading to college. 

The scholarship program was started in 2009. Student members who fill out an application, get teacher recommendations and hold a GPA of at least a 3.0 can receive up to $500 each year.

“This past year we gave out seven [scholarships],” said Murray. “It’s our way of giving back.”

Any resident of Litchfield County can join the Northwest Connecticut Rod and Gun Club. Members under the age of 18 pay a yearly fee of $15; for adults, the annual fee is $165. Find out more at www.nwctrgclub.clubexpress.com. There is a $25 application fee. 

For Murray and the other members, this organization is more than just being a part of a club. It is, to some extent, preserving a lifestyle that otherwise would disappear.

“You want to keep preserving it for the next generation,” said “It’s the whole sport of it. It’s passing something down from generation to generation that would get lost.”