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