Club Membership Fee - What's yours ?

[Rutty]

Terry,

I merely state the facts as they relate to Home Office Approval. Nowhere in the leaflet on "The approval of rifle and muzzle loading pistol clubs" is any requirement to be affiliated to a governing body stipulated. This is the Home Office interpretation of the law, specifically Section 15 of the Firearms Act 1988 and as subsequently amended.

The other issues you raise are relevant mainly to the use of MoD ranges and thus the subject of regulations imposed by the range operator.

Insurance is an important element and usually a major selling point as far as affiliation goes. However it is available independently, although usually at greater cost, should you wish to go down that route.

As far as supporting my "national body" is concerned, I have done so for the last 40 years.

Rutty

[thibben]

Rutty,

Concur with your comments, but my original post was trying to point out that unless you take the costs of NRA affiliation and Home Office registration into account you cannot readily compare your particular club fees to anothers.

Alan,

Re. not registering a club with ther Home Office.

I do not beleive a member would be able to quote a club as a 'good reason' for applying for a FAC unless it is a registered club -unless I've missed something. If this was the case then anyone could say they were a 'club' and obtain FAC's on the strength of it?

Agreed, HO registry is not necessary if your members have FAC's independant of club membership.

Liability insurance is a requirement of using MOD ranges and to ensure all our members are covered we use the NRA route.

Regardless of what you use on a MOD range you have to have a SSC and probationary members (post July 1st last year) must complete an approved probationary members course - you Club Secretary has signed papers saying he will ensure it happens and he will record progress etc. along with a lot of other items. Again if you never want to shoot on a MOD range this does not apply.

As much as I hate the current state of affiars we enforce the SSR on all our members even if they only shoot on the non -MOD range we use for the simple reason if there is a serious accident then how do 'we' (club officials that is) defend that fact that we run training for and 'check' on some new members but not bother with the others.

Brgds Terry

[BigAl]

I know that it would be very difficult to get an FAC to shoot at a non HO Club. Infact you would effectively have to already have an FAC inorder to join. Now if I and a group of friends wanted to form a club specifically for LBR/LBP shooting what would we do? The HO would not be able to approve the club as there is no such thing as a LBR or LPB club. If we had a suitable range to shoot the guns then the police would have to issue a certificate. I would certainly have good reason, well as good a reason as anyone at any other club.

Alan