On Saturday, the Martha’s Vineyard Rod and Gun Club hosted a seminar on gun safety and marksmanship at which 13 young people had the opportunity to shoot at a target on the club range under close supervision.
Club members Dick Carlson of Oak Bluffs and Ray Sylvia of Oak Bluffs lent their expertise for the day to the youngsters and their parents.
“It was fun,” Mr. Carlson said. “The kids learned about gun safety and had a great time.”
Indoor instruction was followed by an opportunity for each youngster to shoot a .22 rifle with open sights and a scope. Each shooter received a special certificate.
Matt Hayden, former Cubmaster for the Martha’s Vineyard Cub Scouts, told The Times the event was part of an effort to bring together a group of parents interested in having their children learn gun safety and how to correctly handle various types of weapons safely.
Mr. Hayden said video games allow kids to shoot weapons without understanding anything about safety or the fact that guns can kill. His goal is have kids learn about the use of weapons for sport and hunting.
“These winter months are a perfect time to have parent and child work on learning the art of shooting safely,” he said. “Every kid that shot took their time, and when using the gun with a scope, all got a bull’s-eye.”