starting a 10m club: what needs to be done

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savantguarde
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starting a 10m club: what needs to be done

Post by savantguarde » Sat Feb 01, 2014 5:36 pm

Quick / possibly dumb question.

aside from the obvious,(place to shoot/members) what needs to be done in terms of setting up / running an indoor 10m air pistol/rifle club in terms of governing bodies and insurance?

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pmh
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Re: starting a 10m club: what needs to be done

Post by pmh » Sat Feb 01, 2014 5:47 pm

Find a place, church hall cellars, scout huts, etc are a great place to use, and they are grateful for the extra funds.

Have a meeting to talk over setting up the target holders, etc, to ensure everybody is happy.

Contact the NSRA and get an application pack for club affiliation. This includes insurance and is £115 for up to 15 members, then increases there after.

Get some practice in, then contact Barrie to join in the Dorset postal league if you fancy some external competitions.

Hopefully, RobinC will be along to mention other postal comps which are worthy of entry.

Kind regards,



Phil
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I now have so many airguns I've had to make a list, which is >>HERE<<
>>North Manchester Target Club<<

savantguarde
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Re: starting a 10m club: what needs to be done

Post by savantguarde » Sun Feb 02, 2014 9:47 am

Thanks all good tips!
there is a club here but its not ten meter specialised. So i guess i need to ask in the Scottish forum to see if we would actually get any members. Then there are the joys of getting gear etc etc. Although with the commonwealth games shooting less than 5 miles away there might be more interest?

RobinC

Re: starting a 10m club: what needs to be done

Post by RobinC » Sun Feb 02, 2014 11:09 am

Hi
Congratulations on looking towards the 10 mt discipline, I think Phil has covered the essentials. Affiliation to the NSRA is the best route for insurance and contact. As you are north of the line I suggest you also affiliate to the Scottish Pistol Association http://www.scottishpistol.co.uk" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; who do a lot including postal leagues and open shoots.
The association is open to and welcomes affiliation from all clubs both inside and out side Scotland, and as well as ISSF air pistol, they also run open and postal events for the international events previously shot pre Blair with .22rf pistol, Rapid fire, Standard pistol, and Sport pistol, now shot at ten metres at proportional targets with five shot match air pistols for postals and 25mt at some open shoots.
Welcome to the fold and the very best of luck,
Robin

zooma
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Re: starting a 10m club: what needs to be done

Post by zooma » Sun Feb 23, 2014 5:45 pm

savantguarde wrote:Quick / possibly dumb question.

aside from the obvious,(place to shoot/members) what needs to be done in terms of setting up / running an indoor 10m air pistol/rifle club in terms of governing bodies and insurance?

I have set up and run several air weapons clubs since the early 1970's and it really is quite a simple process.

Be extra careful when selecting a premises if it is owned and/or run by another organisation as these are often run by committee whose membership can change from month to month or by directors who can change their opinions and policies about allowing air weapons to be shot on their property.

Get a good written lease agreement that specifically states that you will be shooting air weapons on the premises so there can be no doubt about the actual use of the building as this can provide you with more security if challenged by some new committee, board of directors or property ownership changes in the future.

The first club I organised in Exmouth needed a few changes of venue before we found a secure location that we could regard as "home" even though they all seemed "safe enough" at the time so don't let any unexpected disappointments deter you as determination and a true British Bulldog Spirit will see you overcome all obstacles.

Once you have found a stable place to shoot that is safe and secure then joining the NSRA is the way to go to get essential (but basic) insurance but you could also check other aspects of insurance and/or legal requirement too.

You also need to check your responsibilities if you intend to include anyone that is under 18 years of age to use your club.

Safety has to be your first priority at all times, and once that is secure and you have a good set of rules in place then good common sense and a responsible membership should give you a smooth ride in the future - or at least as smooth a ride as can be realistically expected when gatherings of individuals are made on a regular basis.

Taking part in the NSRA Range Safety Officer training is a good idea and the qualification can help you understand your responsibilities.

Clubs with no probationary membership period can have future problems removing any undesirable person or persons that chooses to pay and join the club. Three months is a good time period in which to discover disruptive, unsafe, or undesirable long term members and most well established clubs have a 3 month probationary period included in their rules. This is important for the future safety and well being of your good club members that you will want to keep as happy as possible.

Check your financial situation to make sure you can pay the rent - even if some of your members do not turn up to support you as often as you would hope as the rent will still need paying if the club is full or empty and it could be your name on the lease!

An annual membership fee can help to smooth-out the variable income and keep the range fees as low as your rent will allow, but anyone that thinks they can make a profit from running a shooting club probably lives in "cloud cuckoo land" and has probably never experienced the "pleasure" for themselves so it is wise to put some cash away to cover for unexpected problems and periods of low income so the club can survive as the membership changes.

Over the years I have seen almost everything that you can could imagine to happen in small clubs - and a lot more as well, so not much surprises me any more and it is always good to discuss problems with others that have genuine and current experience of running a shooting club as there is seldom anything new that has not been seen or experienced many times before so this can save you a lot of worry.

Please feel free to contact me by email or PM if you need any advice or help or if you think my experience can be of any help to you.
Feinwerkbau P40 Tricolour wanted.........still !
http://www.bobsairguns .com - proud to host the RMTC site since April 2011.

savantguarde
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Re: starting a 10m club: what needs to be done

Post by savantguarde » Sun Feb 23, 2014 9:25 pm

many thanks zooma, All great points.

I don't know whats happening up here at the moment. There is apparently the possibility of some kind of shooting center being set-up in the area (Permanent) as a planned legacy of the Commonwealth games (believe it when I see it) but I am going to wait to see what way that goes if any! :D

RobinC

Re: starting a 10m club: what needs to be done

Post by RobinC » Mon Feb 24, 2014 3:27 pm

As the Olympic legacy for shooting saw the olympic range being dismantled, a few recoverable items went to Scotland for the Commonwealth Games, I would look carefully in the sky to see if you can see a flock of flying pigs befoe you expect a legacy to shooting from the CW games.
And just pray that the independance lobby does not win, the Scottish Devolved Parliament are already planning to put air guns on certificate, and have expressed the view that their consultation document on it even though it was predominantly opposition, was worthless as it was "unfairly" biased by only shooters expressing oposition, so they'll do it any way, and some of the most unreasonable and oppressive police firearms depts are your side of the line so don't expect any thing helpful.
Bobs guidance is spot on, but having built clubs from scratch I'll add some more, don't expect grants or help from any one, nice if it happens, but the operative word is "if", be prepared to do it all yourselves including paying for it, then you will not be disapointed.
Best of Luck
Robin

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