by Vicki Winston, Hall of Fame Committee Chairperson

The NHPA Hall of Fame Committee has elected three individuals who will make up the Class of 2015 and who will be inducted into the NHPA Hall of Fame at the 50th Annual NHPA Hall of Fame and Awards Banquet to be held on Sunday evening, July 19, in Topeka, Kansas. (See article below for ticket information.)

read more for bios on each inductee

This year the NHPA will be hosting the 50th Anniversary Hall of Fame Awards Banquet. The special event is open to everyone and will be held Sunday, July 19 at the Sunflower Ballroom in the Capital Plaza Hotel, host hotel of the World Tournament. This is your chance to meet many of the greats of our sport up close and personal. Social hour begins at 5 p.m., followed by dinner and awards ceremony.

Tickets are $30 per person and can be purchased along with your World Tournament entry (in one check) or separately by mail. Send banquet ticket requests to: NHPA, 17259 Jefferson Street, Omaha, NE 68135.

All tickets ordered by mail after June 15 will be available for pickup at the NHPA tournament office. Tickets can also be purchased during the first week of the World Tournament at the NHPF booth at the Kansas Expocentre.

Charters, clubs and individuals are being encouraged to pre-order 2015 World Tournament shirts. T-shirts and polos feature the tournament logo and are customizable with your name - first and/or last - and state. Shirt orders can be shipped to you for a charge or picked up in Lawrence, Kansas, beginning July 11. The shirt vendor will be onsite at the Kansas Expo Center July 11-25, taking orders and printing logos and lettered shirts there too. See the order form for additional details.

by Jerry LaBrosse, 4th Vice President and Charter Communications Director

Have you sent in your World Tournament entry? It must be postmarked by May 18. If it is late, you will be placed on a list and filled into the tournament only if an opening occurs within your class.

Remember, you need four sanctioned events in your division within the past 12 months (May 18, 2014 - May 18, 2015) to be eligible. Leagues count for qualifying events.

We encourage all charter officers and league directors to print off copies of the entry form from the NHPA website to share with those members who may not have internet access.

This is going to be the largest tournament we've seen in years, and there are lots of exciting extras in the works. If you have never been to a world tournament, this would be the perfect year to try it out. This is the only tournament in the world where you can go up against a class of players who are nearly the exact same skill level as you are. You will meet new friends from all over the country, as well as some other countries like Canada and maybe others.

by Mel Yockstick, NHPA Statistician

NHPA Officers approved a World Tournament Participation Patch (pictured at right), much like the Membership Patch, to be awarded to those who have pitched in 10+, 20+, 30+, 40+, 50+, or 60+ World Tournament events. A new World Tournament Participation file has been created for the NHPA website showing each player's years of tournament participation and results.

Thanks go out to Lombard "Bart" Sargent from Massachusetts who has kept our past pitching history available and up to date by compiling the National Horseshoe Pitchers World Tournament Record Book from 1909-2003. He recorded every player that pitched in world tournaments, their state, class, position, wins, losses, ringers, shoes pitched and percentages, plus other important data.

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by Jerry Smith, 3rd Vice President and Sanction League Director, Junior Scholarships

As a new NHPA Officer, I felt I would use this first article to introduce myself. Those of you that frequent the World Tournament probably know me from the stat room, my home away from home for the last five years.

I got my first NHPA membership card in 1985 and pitched in (and won, by the way) my first tournament in April 1986. In November of 1988, I was elected to 3rd Vice President of the Northern California charter (NORCAL) and in 1989 directed the first of many state championships in both California and Idaho. In 1991, I was elected to the position of NORCAL Charter Secretary/Treasurer and, in 1994, to the position of statistician. I felt honored to be elected to the NORCAL Hall of Fame in 1999. I held these offices until 2012 when my wife Diane and I moved to Idaho.

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by Tina Hawkins, 2nd Vice President and Publicity/Promotion Director 

You are always encouraged to recruit, recruit, recruit!

But what do you do with those new people once you get them?

Be a mentor to your new members!

Many people come home from a horseshoe tournament, complaining about how Joe Blow doesn't even know how to call his score, Jane Doe never knows who is supposed to pitch first, and Little Jimmy never stands in the right place while his opponent is pitching.

Maybe nobody has ever taken the time to explain proper horseshoe pitching etiquette to them.

by Bill Marvin, 5th Vice President and Regional Director and Court Sanctioning Director

The calendar says it is Spring, which means the outdoor pitching season can begin (in most areas). Tournament schedules have, for the most part, been set. Take the time to call in advance to notify tournament directors if you are planning on attending their event. The tournament director will appreciate it, making their job easier.

While on the subject of tournaments, plan on arriving early and help out. Simple things like uncovering courts, setting up scorekeeper chairs, filling water cans ... you get the idea. These tasks take time and should be shared. And bring correct change for entry fee; expecting change for a $50 or $100 is just silly.

Membership in a sanctioned league is a good way to give exposure to our sport, while at the same time honing your skills. It is also a way to introduce horseshoes to newbies. The same faces each week will make them more comfortable while learning how to pitch, keep score, call points, every facet of the game. No league in your area? Contact 3rd Vice President Jerry Smith for the details on getting one going.

by Stu Sipma, NHPA President

The NHPA Council thanks all charters who provided nomination letters recommending individuals they feel deserve an NHPA Achievement Award. The council will be reviewing the applications and the recipient will be receiving their award at the Hall of Fame Banquet in Topeka.

Connecticut horseshoe pitchers Mitchell Miles and Mathew Shanahan will be attempting to set the Guinness world record for continuously playing the game of horseshoes. They will begin at 3 p.m. on May 22 and plan to pitch until at least 3 p.m. on May 23, at the American Legion Hall in Bethlehem, Connecticut. Mitch is the president of the Bethlehem Horseshoe League, and Matt is a member of the league.

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by Stu Sipma, NHPA President

After many years of serving on the Hall of Fame Committee, Ottie Reno and Andre Leclerc have decided to step down. Thanks to Ottie and Andre for all of their years of service on the committee. As the NHPA President, I have appointed Joan Elmore and Mark Seibold to serve on the HOF committee. My sincere appreciation to these two individuals for agreeing to serve on the committee.

by Dan Sanders, 1st Vice President and Bylaws/Rules/Grievance Director

Most of you are probably aware that 2015 is the year for Charter Delegates to consider and vote on Proposed Rule Changes (PRC) to the RGS Book. This voting will take place at the NHPA Convention in Topeka, Kansas, the location of this year's World Tournament. There have been an unusually large number of PRCs submitted this year and it is taking longer for our Rules Committee and NHPA Council to process all of these proposals.

So, instead of publishing them in this issue of Newsline, they will be distributed in a future communication via the NHPA to the Newsline distribution list. If you are getting Newsline, the proposed rule changes will arrive in your email box shortly.

by Jerry LaBrosse, 4th Vice President and Charter Communications Director

I wonder how many games, class titles, or even tournament championships have been decided incorrectly because a crooked or otherwise inaccurate measuring tool was used. Have you ever checked your tool for straightness? Do you know for sure what part of your tool measures six inches for a point?

If you have a caliper-style straightedge, pull out the calipers to a right angle and measure from the tip to the back of the tool. It should read six inches exactly.

The first-ever tools of this type were built this way, and set a standard for all similar tools into the future. This is the way the NHPA views these types of tools. I can tell you that not all tools are built this way, so I want you to check yours to see if it is accurate ... it could save you a win.

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by Stu Sipma, NHPA President

This summer's delegate meeting will have a large agenda with this year addressing our rule proposal changes and two sites competing to host the 2017 World Tournament. The NHPA Council wants to remind all charters that when you choose your delegates, make sure you provide the information to them prior to the meeting so they are prepared to vote and maybe speak on each topic.

by Casey Sluys, President, National Horseshoe Pitchers Foundation

Please check out the top contributors by state on the NHPF website. There has been some movement. Congratulations to Texas, as they moved up to the tenth spot. Is your state listed among the top 15? If not, it should be.

We have plenty of bricks left for you to purchase.  All charter presidents were sent about 100 or so NHPF brochures.  If you need information on the brick order see your charter president or see this link. More will be available at this year's World Tournament and anyone who would like to distribute them is welcome to take some back to your charter.

How much shopping does your family do online?  Do you shop around Christmas time, birthdays, for the convenience of having it delivered to you home in days? It certainly beats driving a 50-mile round trip to a box store. There is a new program with Amazon where half of one percent of your purchase will be designated to the charity of your choice. The NHPF has applied and received permission to become one of those recipients. 

You can now make your AmazonSmile purchases just like a normal Amazon purchase and the NHPF will benefit from your shopping. Our registered number is 62-1671910, if you need to submit it.

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by

Junior Dylan Holmberg

Aleena Lepak, Junior Promotion Director

It all started on a warm sunny day in Tampa, Florida. Dylan Holmberg was helping his mom with the dishes when he saw his dad and a friend outside. He asked his mom what they were doing and she replied, "playing horseshoes."

Intrigued, Dylan went outside to give it a try. His first shoe was a ringer and the sport has stuck with him ever since.

Three years later, at the age of 14, Dylan is still in love with the sport. He practices every day in his backyard, keeping his eyes focused on the stake ...

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by Bob Dunn, NHPA Historian
 
In this issue, we will take a look back in history and determine who is the greatest woman horseshoe pitcher of all time. Very little has been written about the Women's Division in World Tournament competition, although it dates back to 1920. There is a written book, "The World Champions of Horseshoe Pitching," that is somewhere between being published and some other form of distribution. That book does tell all about the women in the World Tournaments and all the other divisions also. Being that I did the research and wrote the book, I am equipped to write this article and determine who are the great ones in the women's history.

It began in 1920, in Akron, Ohio, as Marjorie Voorhees (Asbury Park, New York), won the first Women's World Championship. There was little fanfare for this event, as there were just two contestants, but it was a start for the ladies. That is significant, as the sport was a male-dominated sport, and remained so for four more decades.

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REMINDER: Logo Design Contest entries must be sent to publicity@horseshoepitching.com in order to be considered. Entries are due by June 30.