For 50+ years, the Club has met on the first Monday of the month. About 110 members receive a monthly newsletter. Three events bring people from the region: Ice Fishing Derby each February, Annual Fish Fry in spring, and Turkey Bingo night in the fall. The Club provides financial support to 4H shooting sports, Water Festival, SD Wildlife Federation Conservation Camp, GFP Foundation, Dakota Nature
Park, and other activities and events. The Club was organized in 1957 and the first meeting was held in the new clubhouse in July, 1962. The original purpose was to promote the interests of Lake Campbell area. The bylaws state that the goals are “conserve, restore, and manage the game, fish and other wild life and its habitat at Lake, encourage safety measures in fishing, hunting, boating and swimming, promote interest of youth in outdoor activities, improve the beauty of the area, work with the Game and Fish Commission. Among the 175 early members were local folks with names like Kershner, de Blonk, Jackson, Borden, Bortnem, and Meester. A Ladies Auxiliary worked to raise funds for the kitchen, piano and other amenities. A 1958 GFP Conservation Digest listed 73 clubs named “sportsmen” or “rod and gun” and 25 Isaac Walton League Chapters in South Dakota. In Brookings County, there were two clubs, The Brookings County Conservation League headed by W. A McMillan and E., R. Mitchell, and The Lake Campbell Sportsmen’s Club with Ed Harrington of Sioux Falls, President, and E. Borden of Brookings, Secretary. The club house was built on lake shore property donated to the club by the Bauman family. The club house has been rented for various social events including Township meetings, graduation parties, SDSU faculty retreats, family reunions, and 4-H club meetings. The Club installed rural water and a septic system, thanks to a generous grant from the Lake Association. The newly renovated club house (in 2017) has a great fireplace of field stone, ample meeting space, kitchen, rest rooms, lake view windows and doors leading to an outdoor deck with picnic tables. Members decorated the walls with historical photos, memorabilia, wildlife prints and taxidermy art pieces. The Club partnered with GFP in the Shoreline Restoration Program and will serve as a demonstration site for public information and education about the program. Eight evergreens were planted on the property boarders. A 20-ft wide gravel launch site has been added for canoe and kayak users. A dock is also provided for public use for fishing and boating.
