The Cedar Rod and Gun Club will hold its 48th annual Smelt Dinner tomorrow from 3-8 p.m. at the Solon Township Hall in Cedar.

The dinner is one of the club’s major fundraisers for the year. In addition to funding club activities such as hunter safety courses, the club has been setting aside funds for the past 10 years for a new clubhouse.

Member Dave Newman said plans call for a two-story structure with a large meeting room, office space, small partial kitchen and bathroom on the top floor. Downstairs would provide a 20-yard indoor archery/air rifle range. “Our goal is to have a place indoors during the winter so we can get more children involved in hunting activities and instruction,” he said.

When the club started seeking donations for the new clubhouse 10 years ago, Newman said the goal was to raise enough money for a “turn-key” project. But, as costs have gone up, club members have revised their expectations.

“We don’t have enough money to do a turn-key so we’re going to go another route,” Newman said.

For $187,000, the club can afford to erect a weather-tight building with a framed structure. The outside of the building would be complete, but the inside would have to be completed. Newman said Thursday afternoon that the club has saved up about $150,000 in its building fund, which means members would need to come up with another $37,000 to $40,000 ti oat fir the shell.

“We haven’t made any final decisions on this, but this is what we are considering,” he said. The club has talked with Rotary Charities International in Traverse City about applying for a grant. Club members may submit another application to the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians for funds as well.

“We’ve got our feelers out there. We’re looking for dollars to put toward this project; any help is appreciated,” Newman said.

The dinner features a lot of smelt, over 900 pounds, according to club treasurer Fred Broghamer. Club members will be cleaning the frozen fish Thursday night, an activity open to anyone who wants to help.

“The fish are actually pretty clean, we just finish it up,” said Broghamer, a club member since 1956.

The club is in need of desserts for the dinner as well. Anyone wanting to donate a sheet cake may drop it off Thursday night or Friday afternoon at the Solon Township hall or the club house on Sullivan Road between Cedar and Maple City. The dinner features all the smelt you can eat, scallop potatoes, coleslaw, dinner rolls, dessert and drink. The cost is $10 for adults, and $5 for children over 5 years old.

In addition to the dinner, the club’s Education Foundation will hold its annual Smelt Dinner Raffle. Tickets are $5 each or five for $20, and will be available at the dinner.

Prizes to be raffled include:
• Ruger Model 10/22T Heavy Target Barrel 22 caliber LR rifle with scope;
• Stoeger 12-gauge Condor I over/under shotgun;
• Henry “Golden Boy” 22-caliber LR lever action rifle;
• $200 gift certificate for spa services at Impres Salon;
• Two sunset champagne cruise-for-two packages onboard the Nauti-Cat on W. Grand Traverse Bay;
• Charter fishing on Grand Traverse Bay with captain Jack Nowlin for two;
• A half-day pheasant hunt for two people at a local preserve with guide and dogs.