Turnpike Club seeks to hook young members
By Caitlyn Kelleher Journal Staff Reporter

Ron LaPlante

Ron LaPlante joined the Turnpike Club more than 40 years ago.

"It was a rod and gun club - everyone who hunted and fished came down here," he said.

The club has changed slightly as the focus of hunting on the property has decreased because of the changing neighborhood, and as the membership has changed.

"We actually have to build the membership back up," LaPlante said "I would like to see more family members coming to enjoy what we have."

The Turnpike Club was founded in 1941 on 35 acres of land off Core Hill Road. The club still owns the land, which includes a manmade pond that backs to some state-protected land. The club replaced the dam three years ago by order of the state.

The pond is home to a large stock of trout both during the spring and summer as well as during the winter for ice fishing. Randy Cormier, the club's president, said they try to buy between 100 and 400 trout at a time.

The club allows people to keep two fish a day and most fish are between one and four pounds.

"I've been fishing this pond as a junior member since I was five years old," Cormier.

The club, like many others, is declining in membership because they are having a difficult time attracting younger members - those in their 20s and 30s - with young families.

Cormier said a new member has to be sponsored by a current member, but added, "if you come in here and act decent there is always someone willing to sponsor you."

LaPlante wants to try to expand the kids' fishing derby, give fishing lessons and add events on the property. But they need the young members for those events to work.

"(The club) is whatever as a member you want it to be," he said.

The Turnpike Club tries to open itself up to the public on the last Sunday of the month for chicken barbecues. They also host other dinners for town organizations such as the Lion's Club, the lake associations and the veterans.

"They sell the tickets for any price they want and we charge (the group) for the food," Cormier said. The group then gets to keep the rest of the money.

The Turnpike Club and Habitat for Humanity will pair up in February to raise money for Habitat's construction of a home in Ashburnham.

"We try to help out everyone," Cormier said.

Habitat will hold a pork roast dinner at the club.

The house is being built for Leah McSparren and her family.

"Her grandmother and her mother were both members here," Cormier said. "We try to take care of our own. It does make a difference when you are helping someone from your town that you know."

The club tries to make donations to the school groups and other community organizations as often as possible. But they have been struggling to do that lately because they have installed a sprinkler system mandated by state regulations and they have a declining member base.

The Turnpike Club has 380 members. Membership is $35 for the first year and then is reduced to $30 a year.

Cormier noted another reason for lower membership is that interest in hunting has waned.

The club serves dinners during deer hunting season, which are open to the public. This year they only served the meals for one week rather than the typical two weeks.

"We have regulars who come here for every meal because the food is good and reasonably priced," Cormier said.

The main courses include meat loaf, roast beef, ham and beans, and Shepherd's pie. The meals range in price from $6 to $7.

The members also use the club as a meeting spot to go out hunting, which most members no longer do on Turnpike land. Houses now surround much of the property, so many members will head to another location for shotgun hunting, especially during deer season.