News from the NRA

[Christel]

Dear Member

A Happy New Year to you all!

Vacancy for NRA Treasurer and Trustee of the NRA

We regret to announce that the NRA's current Treasurer, James Ragg, is resigning shortly due to work commitments. The NRA are therefore seeking a volunteer for the position of Treasurer and Trustee of the Association.

For further details please visit

http://www.nra.org.uk/common/asp/conten ... NRA&id=893

NRA Director of GBTSF Vacancy

The NRA is looking to recruit a Director to serve on the GBTSF Board to represent its interests in the development of Regional Services across England. It is also expected that the successful person will become a Trustee of the Association, reporting on the progress of the project to the NRA Council.

For further details please visit

http://www.nra.org.uk/common/asp/conten ... NRA&id=892

Membership Renewals

Just a reminder that individual membership renewals are now due.

Members paying by direct debit are advised that these payments will be processed on or about 15 January.

The online membership renewal system is available for those members who wish to pay by credit card by visiting

http://www.nra.org.uk/common/asp/mysite ... =NRA&page=

and entering your details. Click on “NRA Details and Payments” and follow the instructions.

If you have not yet registered as a user and would like to make use of this facility please click on “Register as a User” under the “Users” submenu and follow the instructions.

Marksmans Calendar

The Marksmans Calendar is currently being compiled on the NRA website at

http://www.nra.org.uk/common/asp/calend ... p?site=NRA

To have club fixtures, whether to be held at Bisley or elsewhere, included, please reply to this e-mail with details. Please do not include minor events such as practice sessions. Once your fixtures are listed on the website, please recheck the details and confirm that the e-mail link is directed to the correct person. Contact e-mail addresses are hidden on the website-based calendar (to prevent electronic harvesting of e-mail addresses) but are visible on the downloadable printed version. Please provide such contact details as you are happy to have made public.

We’re Going Green - Do you know what DMR is?

From mid-January 2011 the NSC is changing its waste contractor and with it the whole policy of waste management. We currently spend £50,000 a year getting rid of our waste, most of it going to landfill. This isn’t good for either the bank balance or the environment and it has to change. There can’t be many of you who, at home, don’t have at least two receptacles for waste and will be used to separating your rubbish. We here at NSC will have two bins where there is now one. There will be bins for Dry Mixed Recyclable, and for landfill (waste food etc). We will have a centrally located bin for your old laptops, televisions etc, as well as strategically placed bottle banks and bins for your old batteries, fluorescent tubes etc.

The NSC old fashioned steel bins will disappear and we will be asking you to ‘go the extra mile’ (well few yards actually) to find the right bin to put it in. With your help we can save over 30% of that 50k!

The new scheme will save the Association a considerable sum of money. There are penalties of course if we get it wrong but with your help we can move forward into a greener future which can’t be a bad thing. We will be asking you to use clear bags for your DMR and black ones for the landfill. The clear ones can be emptied (preferably) into the DMR bin and used again. We will have a container sized bin for all your large rubbish which is currently being dumped anywhere.

The new waste company have worked hard in preparing a scheme to suit our needs and which, barring the inevitable teething problems, is of financial benefit and, most importantly, is more environmentally friendly.

If you have any questions please email john.gardener@nra.org.uk who will be happy to help.

[dodgyrog]

What's the betting the name's in the frame already - AND a member of the ESTABLISHMENT!
Please prove me wrong and show you represent the rank and file!

[dromia]

I have a question about the rubbish contract, which seems only sensible BTW.

The NSC runs Bisley shooting ground which I thought was a seperate trading body from the NRA therefore how will the savings made with the new contract translate into savings for the Association?

[rox]

.

The NSC runs Bisley shooting ground

Actually, Bisley Shooting Ground is run by 'Bisley Shooting Ground Ltd'. My understanding is that they lease that specific facility from the NRA or NSC.

If you are referring to the ranges and facilities of the national shooting centre as a whole (i.e. 'Bisley Ranges') , then my understanding is that (excess?) profits made by NSC Ltd are donated to the NRA (charity), so operational efficiencies benefit the Association that way.

.

[dromia]

Thanks for the clarity there rox, it is the word "savings" that confused me as it implies that it is the NRA that is incurring the expenditure.

In saying that I'm still not certain I fully understand the NRA/NSC "separation".

For a member(?) led organisation transparency has to be transparent.

[karen]

What's the betting the name's in the frame already - AND a member of the ESTABLISHMENT!
Please prove me wrong and show you represent the rank and file!

Nope noones in the frame - we really WANT someone to volunteer for both positions.

The GBTSF one was advertised previously and noone suitable was found as far as I know

The Treasurer one is a real shame as James Ragg was starting to do a great job :(

If you want to volunteer please go ahead!

BTW who is the ESTABLISHMENT? Intrigued to hear who you consider as establishment these days - hope you don't mean me :?

Love

Karen

[karen]

Thanks for the clarity there rox, it is the word "savings" that confused me as it implies that it is the NRA that is incurring the expenditure.
.

NRA? NSC? Its all the same pot of money at the end of the day!

NSC runs the Bisley estate on behalf of the NRA - it was set up several years ago as allegedly the Charity Commissioners required it. They don't now.

However it does have its uses as it should show that the NRA is a national body and not a Bisley-based club. However as very few people appreciate the difference personally I would prefer we went back to one organisation.

Love

Karen

[dromia]

Oh thats a shame, I am of the mind that good strong contractural separation is a good management step. I was under the impression that this was the case but seemingly not.

In fact I am of the view that the best thing the NRA could do really show it is representing gun owners and shooting rather than target/match rifle shooting is for them to move out from Bisley and relocate in further north, Birmingham, Manchester or Leeds say. That would clearly show that things have moved on in the NRA and it is catching up with the real profile of the interest and activity of UK gun owners and shooters.

Bisley could then be run as first class shooting ground it should be and the profits used to help gun owners and shooters nationally through the activity of the NRA. The NRA needs to shift its effort from shooting to infrastructure development both physical, devleopmental and adminsitrative to pull together the broad church of gun and shooting interest in this country.

[karen]

Um that is just my personal opinion based on working here off and on since 1991 - I am sure there are others who agree with me and those that don't. I just don't think shooters in general appreciate the difference or understand why we are doing it.

Whilst it is true that the NRA could be run from anywhere in the UK, Bisley is its major asset and is just a beautiful place to be. I have a lovely view from my office - not sure if I would want to swap that for an industrial estate in Birmingham!

I am also fascinated by the history of the NRA (Wimbledon and Bisley) and whilst I don't disagree with you it should have been done back in 1890. However even if in 1890 we had moved from Wimbledon to somewhere in the middle of the country we would still get complaints that it wasn't Cornwall or Scotland!

Can't please everyone . . . but I am trying :roll:

Love

karen

[The Gun Pimp]

I can see where Dromia is coming from - an awful lot of shooters in the regions think that the NRA is really the Bisley Rifle Association.

I've no problem with Bisley being the home of the NRA but I would love to have an NRA like the American one - where everyone who pulls a trigger aligns themselves with the NRA.

Membership of the American NRA is $30. Why can't we make our NRA membership £25 for everybody and make it an organisation that every shooter WANTS to be a member of and is proud to be a member of?

I don't know what full membership numbers currently stand at but bring down the fee to something realistic and I reckon we could increse it ten-fold within ten years.

Cheers
Vince