Riflery was held in a “covered car part building”, which contained seven mattresses and the target was a backboard fifty feet ahead of the lean-to. The building had been enlarged and moved in 1950, due to the proximity of the range to the cottages. (It is unclear where the shooting range was located during earlier years, but there were archival photos of riflery classes.)

According to Linda Lee Harp’s 1969 directors’ reports, there were only seven guns, so only seven could attend class at one time. The guns were in a riflery cabinet that was locked at all times. The camp charged seven cents a round, which bought a round of five cartridges, so the girls knew not to charge up too high, knowing it was going on their store bill.

The safety procedures in place included a red flag to let anyone in the area know that shooting was in progress. The horse trail ran past the range and firing had to cease when the riders went through.The correct way to hold a gun, how to site in, and the positions were taught, as well as the certificate process. Each student moved at their own rate according to their mastery of their guns and the director and her assistant kept good records for certification.

“I tried archery and riflery and loved the riflery,” said Priscilla Johns (1968+). “In fact, I saved my targets and my certificate from the National Riflery Association. My older son, who would like to go into the police academy and is a good marksman, was shocked that I knew how to shoot!”

Susan Bradford (1965) said riflery was a “blast” .”After days of shooting a 22 rifle, I received a ribbon because I had earned my marksman, pro-marksman, and marksman first class designations.” Julie Richardson (1966-68) also saved all her sharpshooter certificates, which she just showed to her son, who is also into shooting.

Coming from a hunting family helped MaryLu Clay (1947-48), but she can trace her beginnings of her love of riflery to her time at camp and eventually became a marksman and pro-marksman.

Riflery was headed to be a favorite for Kathy Butsch (1968-74) and despite having the desire and being born into a hunting family, it was not meant to be. “I couldn’t get over laying on those old mattresses with spiders always crawling all over me,” she laughed.

Other experiences on the range chased girls away. For Molly Olson (1946), the gun was too heavy. For Dorothy Niedzelski (1946-47), she shot the gun before the counselor got to the range. “She was late and I almost got kicked out of camp!” Carla Schweinsberg (1940’s) would close her eyes because she was afraid of the gun, and did not realize she needed glasses.

“Even though I loved riflery, Susie Prieskorn almost killed me,” said Betsy Falvey (1968-75). “We had six shells with our rifles and we had to follow all these safety rules, including returning the empty shells to the instructor. Susie was like Calamity Sam, walking back to the lodge. She turned around and her gun went off and she just missed me. She still had a shell left in the rifle!”

“I learned a lot at Maqua,” said Debbie Robson (1971-72), which included riflery. Although she had not had many chances in life to shoot, a Dow trip with skeet shooting was a place she was able to surprise everyone with her skills.

Others like Susan Kiltie (1960-68) credited Camp Maqua for her second favorite interest after sailing. “I hated the mosquitoes out there, but I earned my little badge, and went on from there to shooting clays with shotguns. My Dad used to go bird hunting and he would take us. We could either sit in the Cadillac and pout or you could shoot, so I would shoot. Now I run tournaments for Boy Scouts in Detroit and have been on the board for over thirty years, plus I was in the Nationals in San Antonio.”

Janet Dixon, an only child of a hunting father, was the poster child of riflery influence in 1952, when she sent postcards home to her family to request a specific rifle. (Her postcards can be seen in the book “Camp Maqua”.) Partly to please her father, but mostly out of curiousity, Janet became very proficient!

If you discontinued your riflery class, what prevented you from continuing?