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Official Publication of the Minnesota Gopher State Horseshoe Pitchers' Association
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Seeking New Members
Fresh Offer for 2019
As we all know, the membership numbers of our state association have been slowly dropping, and we're aiming to do something about that !
Here's the challenge for any of you who truly love our sport and want to ensure it's future :
We Challenge you to
seriously recruit one new member this year. New member is defined as not having a card for the past 5 years.
The state will waive their membership dues of $13.00, but the new member would buy their NHPA card for $25.00. Further incentive would include
FREE entry into the 2019 State Tournament in Hibbing, provided they were qualified.
Please note that there is going to be a proposal made to change the qualification requirements for the State Tournament, which would include two ways to qualify: 1) a current league 600 shoes minimum, or 2) one tournament from the state list and a league average of at least 200 shoes. These guidelines will not bet voted on till spring, but word on the street is that it has full council support.
This new membership proposal was discussed and voted on at the Oct 20th state board meeting. It was included in the minutes of that meeting published in the last digest. Since then the council has further discussed and held another vote to accept the changes to the ruling.
We challenge all of you to seriously think about someone you know who would enjoy pitching, whether they already know how to pitch or not. If you need any assistance please contact president Rick Wright for more info.
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Obit - Lloyd Wolf
Lloyd Kenneth Wolf, age 91, Waite Park, MN, died Thursday, December 20, 2018 at the St. Cloud Hospital.
Lloyd was born December 1, 1927 in Sauk Rapids, MN to John and Lillian (David) Wolf. He was a 1945 graduate of Sauk Rapids High School. Lloyd joined the United States Army on March 27, 1946. As a private in the army, Lloyd received a citation for "The Army Commendation Ribbon" for his performance as Theodolite Operator, Equipment Staff, Task Force Frigid during the period of September 1946 to February 1947 in Alaska. Corporal Wolf performed a particularly outstanding job on the construction of a sixty-foot steel tower used for taking tracer stereographs. Through Lloyd's determination to overcome all obstacles was the assignment completed. After the military, he worked as a heavy-duty machine operator building bridges and highways in Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and South Dakota for 35 years. Additionally, he built two apartment buildings in St. Cloud and added a third building later. Lloyd married Catherine Selina Dahl on March 31, 1951 at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in St. Cloud, MN. Lloyd retired in 1986. He was a member of Holy Cross Lutheran Church
When he wasn't working, building or designing homes, Lloyd enjoyed throwing horseshoes. He pitched in local horseshoe leagues as well as pitching in 13 World Tournaments over the years. During the fall and winter months, Lloyd enjoyed bowling on various leagues. Playing cribbage and occasional golf were also enjoyable past-times.
Survivors include his wife, Catherine Wolf of Waite Park, MN; son, Mark Wolf of St. Cloud, MN; daughters, Lynn (Mark Wolfgram)Wolf of Lakewood Ranch, FL; Janice (Hank) Axt of Lino Lakes, MN; four grandchildren and three great grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers Arthur, Carl, Elmer and Earl Wolf, and sister Elsie Fisher.
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Obit - Dean Heng
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From the Prez
Hello Everyone
I hope everyone has enjoyed the holidays and recovered from any New Year's Celebrations. I know all of you pitchers out there made your New Year's resolution to play more tournaments this year and to help with that, you can find the 2019 schedule in this issue. We all know that everyday life has been getting busier and busier so this would be a good time to check out a tournament or two. Remember, life is too short, we need to slow down, relax and take time to unwind and hit the courts enjoying our sport of pitching shoes with friends and family. Have a great 2019 pitching season!
See you on the courts
Rick
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News Media
by Marlys Timm
Facebook has so many resources out there for horseshoe pitchers that I am wondering how many of our
Minnesota
horseshoe pitchers are even aware of them. The latest they have been doing is having online horseshoe tourneys in the "promoting horseshoes" group. You pay an entry fee, video your shoes you pitch, they have a set number of points & shoes and various ways to determine who wins the pot. There are 13 different horseshoe groups on Facebook. Sometimes the posts become very lively as to how tourneys should be set up, mixed play, total shoes pitched, 30 ft pitchers, 40 ft pitchers, physically challenged pitchers and lots of variables. If you are a Facebook user you really need to look up these groups which include Promoting Horseshoes, National Horseshoe Pitchers' Association, Backyard Horseshoes, Horseshoe Challenge, World Horseshoe Tourney, Horseshoe Courts Registry, Horseshoes, Horseshoe Pitchers, Just 4 Juniors, Horseshoes around Wisconsin, Nebraska Horseshoe Pitching, Rhode Island HPA, and Pine City Horseshoe League (the ONLY MN horseshoe group). Ask someone in your horseshoe club to set up a Facebook Group for YOUR club. Let's put MN on the map as we are one of the TOP states in membership so make your New Years resolution to get these up and running in 2019.
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Josh Olson
Regional Director, Stats-Man and Webmaster
Greetings ALL
I would like to start off by saying I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas and here's to a Happy New Year. I have put together (with the help of all you tournament Directors) the 2019 Winter/Summer Schedule, the Fall portion will be added later on when it gets closer to that time of year, The schedule has the information regarding the Date of the Tournament, the Deadline, and Director Contact information, please just assume that the Entry fee for the tournament is $30/Adults unless noted otherwise, the complete details of all tournaments will be available online on the website. I would like to start off by thanking ALL of you Tournament Directors for getting me the information to get this done. THANK YOU.
(Tournament Director's if some information is not correct, or needs to be changed, PLEASE LET ME KNOW ASAP)
A few more things, as the Stats-Man, Part of my job is to put together some teams to represent Minnesota in the upcoming Team World Event that is held in Beloit, Wisconsin (3rd Weekend every May). I will be putting together the Top 2 Teams and then if there are others that would like to participate that might not have been contacted by me, please feel free to email, call or Text me regarding wanting to be on a Team, I will help make it happen.
Don't forget to Sign up for the Winter Tournaments they are filling up fast, Jerry LaBrosse's NHPF Benefit Tournament filled up before December, so don't wait to sign up. Shawn Warnemunde has tournaments in Isanti, and Joe Mueller and Myself will be running tournaments in March and April in Upsala.
I would like to encourage everyone to do their part and get a new member to sign up this year and get them sanctioned, hopefully with help from the new member proposal outlined at the top of this publication. We have some great tournaments and Leagues out there and are always encouraging new faces. I would also encourage everyone to consider making the trip to Wichita Falls, Texas this Summer for the 2019 World Horseshoe Tournament July 22nd- August 3rd. Remember you need 4 Sanction events prior to middle of May 2019, so get in those Winter tournaments if you need them.
Website news, I am working on updating the picture home screen that runs through some old favorites and some new photos, brings back memories for ALL it is great to sit and watch and reminisce. I also will have the Tournament schedule available to print, multiple different formats for all. And of course, results and schedules will be posted on a timely fashion both on the Facebook page and on the website.
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South Vice President
Jerry LaBrosse
I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas with your family and friends, and I wish you all a prosperous and healthy New Year !
If you are the type of person who likes to make "resolutions", then here's a chance to
resolve to improve your horseshoepitching skills. If you play once per week in a league, it isn't very likely you will improve your overall average. Studies show that you need to practice or play at least three times per week on average to improve your skill. The length of your practice sessions need not be long. I suggest that you throw about 20 shoes to warm up, and then throw two or three 50 shoe sets. Keep score of your ringers to help monitor your progress. Try challenging yourself by setting up a leaner/blocker on each end and throwing at them. Or perhaps practice throwing on top of a double ringer on each end. To keep it interesting, try challenging yourself to see how many you can get out of every ten shoes, and how many ringers in a row you can throw. I think you would be surprised at how a little practice can make such a difference. A reasonable goal for improvement in my opinion is a 5% gain over the previous season. I've seen much bigger gains than that, but any gain is good, and a 5% gain would be a great achievement.
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Memory Lane
We thought it would be fun to post some vintage photos from the earlier years. Some of the folks in these shots you may not know. Feedback is always welcome. Enjoy.
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Tournament Info
UPCOMING EVENTS
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Publishing Schedule for the MGSHPA Ringer Digest
January-February-March
April-May-June
July-August-September-October
State Tournament Issue
November-December
Send all digest materials to the Jerry LaBrosse Jlabro6186@aol.com
Use these simple sign up forms to receive the Ringer Digest and NHPA Newsline publications:
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MGSHPA Executive Board MGSHPA Directors
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President
Rick Wright
50586 Shorewood Circle
Rush City ,Mn 55069
651-491-2404
PO Box 353
Bertha, MN 56437
218-639-4641
North Vice President
Eric Dehkes
18923 North Lake Ln
Pine City, MN 55063
(320) 420-4821
South Vice President
Jerry LaBrosse
8170 Fern Lane
Greenfield, MN 55357
612-819-7353
Jlabro6186@aol.com
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Ringer Digest Editor
Jerry LaBrosse
8170 Fern Lane
Greenfield,MN 55357
612-819-7353
jlabro6186@aol.com
Statistician
Josh Olson
PO Box 353
Bertha, MN 56437
218-639-4641
Webmaster
PO Box 353
Bertha, MN 56437
218-639-4641
Nominations Director
Joe Mueller
2057 152nd Lane
Ham Lake, MN 55304
612-718-0921
Constitution and Bylaws
Gordy Schmidt
5631 187th St. W
Farmington, MN 55024
651-460-8084
Promotion/News Media Director
Marlys Timm
4210 Woodhill Drive
Loretto
,MN 55357
612-751-1525
martimm2@aol.com
Junior Promotions Director
April Lynch
25679 Friesland Ct
Wyoming, MN 55902
651-226-7970
Communications Director
Jerry LaBrosse
8170 Fern Lane
Greenfield, MN 55357
612-819-7353
jlabro6186@aol.com
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About Us
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MGSHPA's Ringer Digest is the official newsletter of the Minnesota Gopher State Horseshoe Pitchers' Association. It is free to members of the MGSHPA and other interested parties. Changes of email address can be sent directly to the editor Jlabro6186@aol.com
All submissions to the Ringer Digest Editor is subject to editing, available space, and must be received by the 10th of the month preceding the date of issue.
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