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PRESIDENT’S LETTER
– DECEMBER 2011 |
Dear
Everyone,
We
have finished another year. It ended well with a great Christmas fun day and
BBQ at the range. Thanks to Simon who
created the novelties;, we will certainly be seeing
more of them next year (perhaps on the 5th Sunday?) and, of course to
Lucky as usual who worked his magic over the hot plate.
On
a far more important matter, the Club is still struggling with the tragedy of
last August when a probationary member stole a club pistol. She has been found Not Guilty of shooting her
Father by reason of Mental Illness and is sentenced
indefinitely to a secure mental hospital within a prison, probably at Long Bay.
Hard as the consequences of that event
are on the Club and its members, it has had unimaginably sad consequences for
her Mother and Sisters who have lost a Husband/Father and Daughter/Sister. There can be no doubt that the P650 scheme needs close examination, His Honour Mr. Justice Hall mentioned in his
judgment that she had lied to both us and Woollahra Rifle Club in answering
“no” to the question are you “suffering from any mental illness or other
disorder that may prevent you from using a firearm safely?” Neither we nor any
other of the 360
Pistol Clubs in New South Wales are capable of knowing that that answer was
wrong. There has to be a system, if P650’s are to be maintained, that clubs fax the completed
form to FAR and until a positive response has been
received from FAR (several weeks) the intended shooter is not permitted anywhere
near a firearm.
The
club will attempt to have its H licence returned next year as the lack of Club
guns is severely affecting our ability to attract and retain new members,
Patrick’s appeal will be in March.
I
welcome David Moore and Shaun Bowers to the Committee and congratulations to
Simon who is now one of the Vice-Captains (the next committee meeting is 14:00
on the 15th January).
I
wish all members a Merry Christmas and a Happy and Prosperous New Year and look
forward to seeing you all in 2012.
Cheers,
Ian