Archive News
October 2011... from the President
Blink and you miss it...
I don‘t know about you, but this year really seems to be racing away?
This year has been a real test, but one we have all come through together...
More recently, the HYGM held at Canterbury Branch this year went well, that combined with our annual auction certainly made for a busy day.
I would again like to thank the Committee members, as well as the many other volunteers, and members for their help and commitment on the day, all your efforts resulting in a very successful day.
On the home front, the news is all good.
As discussed at our September meeting at the Radio Club Rooms, we have all been looking for new premises to reside as a club.
This has been a very arduous task giver the lack of suitable facilities around the city at the moment. There have been a lot of different suggestions and contributions from members, friends and family. I would like to thank all of you for giving this your attention, and offering your time in order to foster the interests of the Branch.
However, it would appear that the answer was sitting right under our noses. Thanks to one of our members (John Stockman) and his suggestion, and contacts, it gives me great pleasure to confirm that we will be moving to Riccarton Park and using ―The Parade Ring Room for our last meeting of the year on the November 24th. Yes one last meeting this month at the Radio Club Rooms sorry.
With the prospect of new club rooms at Riccarton Park this will give us all something to look forward to, and indeed a sense of permanence and security for the foreseeable future.
With this in mind, and to end the year with a bang, (so to speak) the committee have organised a supper for members at the new venue.
Just to make a fun night of it, and to ensure everyone enters into the spirit of the evening, it would be nice if all who attend could, bring an item from your collection. (This follows on from a point one of our longstanding members made at a meeting) thanks Archie. A kind of ―show and tell but not so much of a tell.
It could be anything, a new acquisition, the first rifle you bought, your best find, something a little unusual or rare, but most of all it has to be from your collection or something of a related interest that you can share with the rest of us.
There will be no MOA (members only auction) as the committee feels we could be pressed for time.
However, if you have something you wish to sell, by all means bring it along and put it on the sales table
with a price on it and your name.
Remember November the 24th at Riccarton Park.
I am really looking forward to wrapping up this year on a positive note, and I see this as a perfect opportunity to do just that
See you there...
Paul Mainwaring
Meetings
Monthly meeting 25 August 2011. It is good to see we still have some finances and that they are looking quite healthy. Members should take note that with a change in Secretaries we now have a new postal address as well:
PO Box 31
Darfield 7541
Branch President Paul Mainwaring presenting Rod Woods with The Scott Rose Bowl for best article in Gazette. Rod wrote an article about the Hotchkiss Machine gun.
From Anders, members are requested that while having supper put your rubbish in the bag hanging on the door-handle by the sink not in any other bag. The consequences aren‘t worth mentioning.
Committee meeting 14 Sept was a very brief meeting as there were still some items to catalogue for the silent auction. However one item that did come out of the meeting was that while Canterbury members were given a ― holiday for paying our annual subscription to national that time is running out and members are reminded of the need to pay their annual subscription. Also there was long discussion about items and articles submitted for publication in the National Gazette, be advised that the (National) MC is working to ensure that all submitted articles be published in a future Gazette. With regard to that, has any member who
has submitted an article or had photos taken by any Gazette Editor in the past and is yet to see these published in the Gazette are advised to contact Graeme as Branch Rep asap.
Monthly September a moment‘s silence was observed to mark the passing of Warren Taylor and Peter Scott.
This months meeting was the last meeting to be held in the present rooms, as a result of information from John Stockman and an investigation by some of your committee it was decided that a room in the stand next to the one we held our annual auction in was suitable for our needs. This room is the “Parade Ring” and meets all of the criteria, except that it doesn‘t have a data projector, this is not a major problem we‘ve never had one in the past. Should the branch think it necessary to have one we can purchase one.
We are looking for another rep to assist Graeme at the Canterbury Shooting Federation (CSF) meetings and it was moved that Graeme continue to be our representative on this group.
Members are advised that there were a few NZAAHA calendars available costing $12; please contact our Secretary Brian Foote.
Graeme advised that a new National Secretary had been located, also that the National Gazette would be produced in Wellington.
Now here some dates that you can enter on that 2012 NZAAHA Calendar that you have just bought off Brian; 7 Jul – Wellington auction, 21 Jul – MAMS, 28 Jul – Cartridge Collectors Club auction.
Murray Rawlands requested that we observe a moment‘s silence to mark the passing of the two NZSAS soldiers in Afghanistan over the past six weeks, he is also trying to locate some ground where long range shooting may be carried out.
Phil Moore advised that he had some ground down Ashburton way were the only things in danger after passing the target was the coast of Chile or stray Japanese whaling or Taiwanese fishing boats.
Malcolm Brady gave a brief run down of how South Canterbury Branch was progressing and more importantly how Russell Wood was progressing after his surgery.
Committee October. It has been decided that the October meeting will be the last meeting at the Radio Club rooms from November onwards we will be moving to the Parade Room at Riccarton Race Course.
At a recent meeting the CSF discussed and agreed to revise its constitution but to retain the current structure. This will mean that the 3 Clubs that lease the Burnett Range-Canterbury Outdoor Target Shooting, Christchurch Pistol Club and the Dear Stalkers Association- will continue to make decisions relating to this facility. All member clubs will continue to work together to provide a united front and voice for all matters that affect shooting activities.
Riccarton Park meal bring an item with a small tag about it, ― show and tell. There will not be a MOA, for the coming year we are considering that there will be no commission or buyers premium. There was long and heated discussion about the number of ― sales tables etc., at the auction, it was suggested that there be a floor plan and that this be adhered to. Some people missed out on getting tables even though they had booked one. Silent auction while not a lot of the items were sold was still a success.
Auction went off well and the pack in went well. Release of auction items after the auction was efficient. Arms officer was there in plenty of time. Silent auction putting out went well and the bidding went well. Be more ruthless about the quality of the items therefore $50 will continue. Good sales tables, coffee and tea. Good staff behind counter. Good balance of Auction, sales tables and silent (tender) auction items. The hard work done by the Secretary and Scott.
What needs to be improved: need a place for people to book tables. Need a floor plan of display and sales tables. Labelling needs to be improved, one label only. Three or four items had same number. Set up the admin table earlier - to get those who had been there earlier than the general public. Better policing of those who are there still have to pay for their entry. Be clear about what food is provided, fish and chips and breakfast on Saturday morning. Ensure that the tablecloths be used for there designated use and we need some more. That we build some gun racks. Not attracting quality items. Have zero commission and have a buyer‘s premium. Tell the vendor that their expectation may be too high. Setting clear criteria when we advertise for items. Move the silent auction items to a different location. Have a few beers after the clean up. Need to organise something for those National members who attend. Advertise earlier that we need items for our auction.
Mike suggested that the children and young people today have no patriotism; both Phil and Graeme gave examples that this may not be quite correct. However we need to encourage new members, at the next MAMS there will be a section on ―what did your relative (grandfather, uncle, father etc.) fight in a war? we should be targeting younger students who are doing projects on ANZAC etc. for NCEA. Thanks to Margo
and Georgia for a great supper, bet you wish you had stayed on the committee Scott.
Meetings will start at 7:30pm not 8pm as in the past.