News From the NRA 10th of May 2011

[Christel]

Adjournment of AGM

Due to a delay in the preparation of the National Rifle Association accounts for 2010, it has been decided by the Council that the Annual General Meeting should be adjourned until 6pm Wednesday 29 June 2011.

To allow this to occur, the previously notified Annual General Meeting due to take place at 5.30pm 10 June 2011, will be opened and immediately adjourned until 29 June 2011.

When the Associations accounts have been finalised they will be sent to all members via email. If you require a printed copy of the accounts please contact the Secretary General’s office so that they can be sent to you as soon as they are produced.

The Council of the National Rifle Association apologise for any inconvenience that this may cause to its members.

The agenda for the AGM is available for download at

http://www.nra.org.uk/common/asp/conten ... NRA&id=944

Payment for range hire at Bisley – a change in policy

As a result of the high number of late-payments and non-payments of invoices relating to range hire in recent years, the NRA is changing its policy on payment for these activities.

As of Monday 9 May 2011 all range hire must be paid in advance of shooting, in the Range Office. Payment for multi-day events can either be paid in advance of the first day or at the point of signing in at the Range Office on each day of shooting.

Failure to pay for range use in advance will result in forfeiture of the booking that will remain subject to NSC cancellation charge policy in place at the time. An administration fee will also be payable.

Official NRA teams using the NRA teams training grant will not be required to pay in advance of shooting and the normal invoicing process will apply. Each official team will be given a unique account number (e.g. GBC011) to which all invoices will be posted.

A small number of NRA affiliated clubs, associations and schools will be able to pay in arrears but only after a written agreement has been entered into, stipulating payment terms. This arrangement will be by prior agreement only, based on usage and payment history. Please contact Matthew Ensor at matthew.ensor@nra.org.uk to apply.

May we remind all customers that we no longer accept personal cheques as a form of payment for range hire. Cash and credit/debit card payments are the preferred form of payment.

We understand this change in policy will require some adaptation on our customers’ part. We thank you all for your understanding and co-operation.

Inter-Counties Meeting – R Jarvis competition

The first competition of the Inter-Counties weekend is the R Jarvis Individual match. In past years this has been open only to members of the County squads. This year it has been decided to open the event to any individual member of the NRA.

The conditions are as for Queens I (2 convertible sighters and 7 to count at 300, 500 and 600 yards). The first detail will fire at 08.45 on Saturday and the match will be completed during the morning. The entry fee is £37.50.

If you would like to enter this event, please apply to the Event Co-ordinator either by e-mail at info@nra.org.uk or by completing the form available at

http://www.nra.org.uk/common/asp/Calend ... RA&id=2617

Greshams RC and Norfolk CRA Open Meeting

This enjoyable meeting will be held at Thetford Range on 21 and 22 May. Further details and entry forms are available by clicking below.

http://www.nra.org.uk/common/asp/Calend ... RA&id=2762

Men at War – A talk by David Cooper on Saturday 11 June 2011

Colonel, The Rev’d David Cooper, ex Parachute Regiment and Special Forces will give an illustrated talk with his own unique blend of information and experience on the reality of warfare followed by a Barbecue at the Artists Rifle Club.

This is a fund raising event for the Veterans Team to the Long Range World Championships being held at Brisbane, Australia, October 2011.

For more information please visit

http://www.nra.org.uk/common/asp/Calend ... RA&id=2834

[rox]

As of Monday 9 May 2011 all range hire must be paid in advance of shooting, in the Range Office. Payment for multi-day events can either be paid in advance of the first day or at the point of signing in at the Range Office on each day of shooting.

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A small number of NRA affiliated clubs, associations and schools will be able to pay in arrears but only after a written agreement has been entered into, stipulating payment terms. This arrangement will be by prior agreement only, based on usage and payment history. Please contact Matthew Ensor at matthew.ensor@nra.org.uk to apply.

Brilliant. -1 day's notice.

I've asked for forms and terms so we can establish such an agreement in advance of yesterday's policy change.

Doubtless the reduction in losses has ben calculated to exceed the expenditure that will be required on extra staff, tills and card terminals to process the extra overhead without introducing additional delays in the already busy period before start of shooting.

[IainWR]

FWIW, the news above is the first official notification of this to me. I had heard already by various club secretaries bending my ear about last Wednesday, and had asked some searching questions. What has been implemented is considerably watered down from the original proposal as told to me second-hand.

Worth noting that "we no longer accept personal cheques" means exactly that. Club and business cheques are accepted (or at any rate that's what was agreed the last time our new Finance Manager tried to ban cheques, and if he's trying to change that I won't be impressed).

Iain
XO Shooting Committee

[rox]

I had heard already by various club secretaries bending my ear about last Wednesday

Not sure how other club secretaries had heard about it last wednesday - this club secretary certainly hadn't; not that +5 days notice is all that much better than -1. Setting up a written agreement in time for this weekends' matches is out of the question. I suppose we're expected to haul the treasurer out with us at 07:45 on Saturdays. And if the extra admin introduces further delays to booking-in (inevitable unless additional resources are deployed) then there will be some angry customers.

[dromia]

Just remember we are here for the NRA, the NRA isn't here for us. :(

[Dangermouse]

Well I am surprised that we do not already have to pay for range time when we book.

I expect the NRA to be cutting losses where possible and can see no reason why this should not be implemented. I have been on range at Bisley a couple of times and told that I could not shoot where I wanted because it was booked by a club - who never turned up.
It has also worked in my favour where by I have inherited a marker who had been booked by another person who failed to show.

Unfortunately some people do appear to think that the Shooting facilities are there for them to enjoy with no extra cost, whither that be turning up on the point having not booked and shooting for free or not paying at the end of the day.

As an individual I have no problem with this, but I can see that the club is going to have a larger "float" to pay for ranges before they get the money off the members who turn up. I can imagine the emails that will be written to members saying that they are going to have to cover a range day that no one bothered to appeared on.

DM

[ovenpaa]

I can understand why they are doing this but it seems very odd that it has been announced 'after the event.' As Rox points out, it is going to be chaos for the next few days and that is only for the ones that now know it has happened, no doubt some clubs will fail to receive the notification and the range office will see some deeply unhappy shooters.

Plus point.. Are the NRA going to offer 'cheap seats' for last minute cancellations?

[dodgyrog]

What a b****y shambles.
P**s up, brewery??? :evil:
Customer satisfaction - where is it?

[karen]

It could have been a LOT worse!

I would have had to turn up on Saturday with about £6000 to pay for my targets in advance as running a match for the four Home Countries plus RAF this weekend. Not only do I not have that money, I would not have been able to find the other 4 treasurers to get any money from them nor would I be able to get our treasurer to write a cheque for the total as we probably only have a grand or two in the club account.

I don't mind trying to do as much as possible to help the NRA/NSC but penalising the clubs who book lots of targets and pay promptly because some clubs/shooters take the p*** and don't pay for months isn't right.

If anyone reading this owes the NRA any money PLEASE pay it now as the rest of us are suffering as a consequence.

Love

karen

[rox]

Well I am surprised that we do not already have to pay for range time when we book.

Christ, don't give them ideas! We book in September for the following season from March to December. Payment in advance would amount to a compulsary loan to the NRA of a few thousand quid.

Last year the NRA/NSC were sending out invoices in around August for shooting the previous May. It's hardly surprising there's a shortfall with that kind of efficiency.

A club failing to turn up leaves them with the same job of chasing for payment whether the policy is payment in advance or payment at the end of the day, so it makes little difference. If a club decides not to turn up that's their choice - they still have to pay and that's nothing new.

If people are actually deliberately trying to avoid paying then what's to stop them booking, looking at the board to get their number, and then going out to shoot? Whatever the system is, they should only get away with it once; thereafter their affiliation or membership number should be barred from booking until the deficit and any applicable surcharge is cleared.

My main concern is time. There is already barely enough time to queue and book-in and get to the point in time to set-up and be ready to start a match promptly at 08:30 (without a racing pulse), and a prompt start is essential for some COFs. Of course, maybe the range office will be super efficient, and able to handle this extra admin without any extra delays.
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