CHAPTER 6 
     
     THE JUDGES' STAND 
     
    
   
   
    
     The summer of 1912 was particularly warm on 
     
     Prince Edward Island. Although tourism was a very 
     
     minor consideration, Islanders took full advantage of 
     
     the situation, and many leisure hours were spent close 
     
     to the water. John Hyndman's summer home at Rocky 
     
     Point, near the mouth of Charlottetown Harbour and 
     
     close to the remains of old Fort Amherst, was the 
     
     location where friends would gather, on occasion, to 
     
     enjoy his hospitality, and scratch their names on the 
     
     cottage walls where they remain to this day. Whether 
     
     any 'smoke pipes' were taken on these visits, or 
     
     targets thrown over the water, is not known; but it 
     
     was on one of these occasions, when fellow Newstead 
     
     Club members were guests, that a short meeting of the 
     
     Club prevailed, and a number of rather important items 
     
     were discussed: First of all, concerns were expressed 
     
     that the hosts at Inkerman, where the Club had shot 
     
     for the past season, had borne additional expense of 
     
     the fires, etc., that had made the shooters comfort- 
     
     able through those cold Saturdays, and shouldn't some- 
     
     thing be done to assist in these costs? The members 
     
     agreed immediately to an assessment of $.75 each to 
     
     defray these expenses, and help show appreciation for 
     
     the use of the home, cottage, and grounds. Also 
     
     discussed was the possibility of a permanent home for 
     
     the Club, complete with clubhouse, but at this point 
     
     it didn't get beyond the talking stage--although it 
     
     would soon have to be decided where they were going to 
     
     shoot this coming winter. Another point that all 
     
     members agreed to was the introduction of a classifi- 
     
     cation system, despite the cautions brought forward by 
     
     Fred Hyndman, who well recalled the damaging effects 
     
     that a confusing system had inflicted on the Belvidere 
     
     Club. They agreed to a system based on the 1912 
     
     shooting records, and Secretary Ted Coombs agreed to 
     
     have it ready prior to the first competition, which 
     
     was still a few months away...there was still the 
     
     upcoming fall hunting season and that, at this point, 
     
     had priority. 
     
    
   
   
    
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