It’s time to start thinking about the 2014 indoor shooting season.

As you know, we sold the Brooklyn range last year and moved out in October.  It was hoped that we would be able to shoot this year in our new renovated facility at Bell Road, but unfortunately things have not progressed as fast as planned, and the club therefore needs to share the Royal Tiger range in Newtown.

With four other clubs already using the Royal Tiger on Mondays through to Thursdays, we have opted to hire the range on Sundays for Brooklyn’s use.  The 2014 college training squad and others requiring coaching will shoot from 4.30pm until around 6.00pm, then we’ll break for dinner (see preliminary thoughts below), and the evening non-coached session will commence around 7.00pm.

As Sundays are often “family days”, an idea was to have a shared dinner for our shooters and their families between the two sessions.  Rather than opting for various takeaways each week, we wondered if there would be any mums, dads or better halves who would be willing to be rostered to prepare a healthier meal, with all costs covered by a small charge for each person attending (probably around $5/person).  The Newtown range does have the benefit of having a fully functioning oven.

At Bruce Avenue, because only six could shoot at once, everyone enjoyed the social side of the club with good conversation upstairs between squads.  This is a contributing factor as to why our club is strong – we get to know each other and we support each other.  In an effort to keep this happening, while also taking advantage of being able to have more shooting at once at the bigger range, we will limit numbers per squad to eight or nine but have the flexibility to increase if necessary.  We may use only the bottom mounds one week, the left hand mounds another week, odds or evens, etc, which also encourages shooters not to stick with any particular mound.

The 2014 college open day is being held on Sunday 2 March with sessions at 5.30pm, 6.30pm and 7.30pm.  The open day is a very important day on the club’s shooting calendar as it is a major step towards forming the following year’s club membership.  There are numerous tasks to do (meet and greet, entry money and forms, squadding, safety talk, ammo filling, target preparation and changing, coaching, range officering, marking, checking marking, talking with shooters and parents, collation of targets and forms).  We need as many people as possible to help run this event, so please come along and assist.

Our club season will start with a practice day on Sunday 9 March, with the club competition commencing on Sunday 16 March.

Upcoming events:

• Sunday 2 March, 5.30pm, college open day.  Assistance required.
• Sunday 9 March, BSRC shooting season commences with practice session.
• Sunday 16 March, BSRC club competition commences.