DEFENCE RIFLE CLUB.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 September 1921, Page 3

DEFENCE RIFLE CLUB.

THE ANNUAL MEETING. The annual meeting of the Defence Rifle Club was held in the Soldiers Club, New Plymouth, last night, the deputy president, Mr. G. G. Grover (in the absence of President Ramson) presiding over a fair attendance. The annual report stated: “The year that has just closed was marked by an increase of interest in shooting amongst ■ the senior members. Attendances at practices and competitions showed a great improvement over those of the last two seasons.

“The championship of the club was won by President Ramson, who also won the Thursday cup. The Saturday cup was won by Rifleman S, Higgs. Two competitions were fired for the Sole Shield, and the winners were Deputy-President Grover’s team. Three matches were fired with teams from other clubs or organisations, in all of which this club was successful. Twelve members of the club competed at rhe Taranaki Rifle Association’s meeting, four being in the final twenty, one of whom, Rifleman C. D. Arnold, was second in the association’s championship. Two teams were entered for the teams match at the meeting, but the arrangement of these was rather unfortunate, and neither found a place in the prize list. Two of the members competed at the Trentham meeting, and met with a fair measure of success. Others competed at the group meeting at Hawera, and the district meeting at Wanganui, firing under service conditions, and some of them did very well indeed. The automatic system of handicapping was adopted by the committee, and on the whole it proved fairly satisfactory. “It* is to be regretted that any increase of interest did not extend to the junior members. The difficulty is said to be the inability of juniors to procure any rifles. Be that as it may, the fact remains that when the junior competitions were announced they were either miserably attended or not attended at all, and after several fruitless journeys to the range by members of the club in the interests of the juniors it was decided to allow the competitions to lapse. It is not intended to abandon the junior membership movement, and the competitions will be reinstated as soon as the cricumstances warrant it.

“There is very little change in the financial position of the club; the income just about met the expenditure, but that is all. The cost of marking was fairly heavy, but with the change in the weekly half-holiday this item of expenditure will be considerably reduced. It may be news to some of the members, but not less a fact, that the annual subscription to the club and cost of ammunition are lower than those of probably any other club in the Dominion. Three new members joined the club during the year; others will do so as soon as rifles are available. It has been impossible to procure any since last January, but it is understood that a supply will be available at an early date. “The thanks of the club are due to all those who have assisted the club during the year, especially to the ladies, the patron of the club (Colonel Weston), Mr. C. H. Moore, and the Press.” The balance-sheet showed that receipts totalled £45 Ils 3d. Expenditure amounted to £43 3s lid, leaving a credit of £2 7s 4d. There was a balance of assets over liabilities of £65 13s 6d. ELECTION OF OFFICERS. The election of officers for the en.su-’ ing year resulted as follows:—Patron. Mr. C. H. Weston; vice-patron, Mr. F. W. Sandford; hon. viee-presidente, Dr. G. Home, Messrs. F. Hartnell, A. M. McDiarmid, A. R. Ryder and Lieut. L .W. Andrew', V.C.; president, Mr. J. Ramson; vice-president, Mr. G. G. Grover; secretary and treasurer, Mr. E. Armitage; committee, Messrs. ('. H. Moore, S. Higgs, H. McGahey, G. V. L. Reed, T. N. Whitcombe, D. Aialcolmfion and T. Harkness. GENERAL. It was decided that the club championships ahould consist of 10 shots' with 2 optional sighters at 300, 500, 600, 800, 900 and 1000 yards. The Thursday series of competitions were struck out and instead the club will be devided into senior and junior grades. The present cup will be assigned to the senior grade and ths former Thursday cup to the junior grade. No competitor will be entitled to win both cups. The opening day of the season was fixed for October 8. It was suggested that a service match with the returned soldiers and. the territorials should be arranged, rifles unknown to the competitors to be used.

No competitions will be held on either Anzac Day, Christmas Day or Good Friday.

The fee to be collected on each packet of ammunition was fixed at Bd.