Welcome to our new members, joining us after the four-week introductory programme.  This weekly email informs the membership of achievements in the past week and upcoming events.  Please ensure you read it each Monday as it is the best way to ensure you are up to date with what’s happening.  There will be a lot of information coming out over the next few weeks and it can be difficult for new shooters to understand, so please – if you do have any questions, don’t hesitate to contact me, or ask any of the regular members each week.

Five new shooters moved to slings yesterday with some outstanding results, especially Sarah May 90.2 and Wiko du Toit 90.1.  Many thanks to our coaches and organisers for your assistance, particularly Luisa Kristen whose willingness and efficiency in proactively undertaking numerous tasks with very minimal instruction was greatly appreciated.  Luisa came to the range prepared, having read the “moving to slings” guidelines in the previous few days.  She demonstrated how to get into position herself, then set up Wiko in jacket and sling, coached him on the range, afterwards sorted and relabelled ammunition containers, marked targets and carried out a multitude of other necessary tasks, before shooting a higher than average competition card.

So who shot best in the grades?  The top four scores in D Grade this week were Leilani Fam 94.2, Georgia Karantze 93.2, Rhys Mountain 92.1 and Daniel Mackey 91.2.  Neakiry Kivi led the way in C Grade with an impressive 96.3 followed by Luisa Kristen with 93.2.  Callum Osborne had another good shoot in B Grade with 97.5, and in A Grade Ross Little and Dianne Grain both scored highest with 98.4.  Meredith Ackrill was top shot this week in Master Grade with 97.3, and Evan Little scored best in the 20-shot competition with 197.13 while Hamish Guthrey achieved a new personal best 20-shot score of 191.4.

Next week another group of new shooters will move to jacket and sling, with the final group making the transition the following week.  Assistance on both days would be appreciated.

The Wellington Association is holding a business house shoot on Friday 8 April.  Please promote this at your workplace – if you are able to get a three-person team together please let me know so that we can organise equipment and coaching.

The first of the season’s open champs is being held on Saturday 9 April at the Colyton range in Feilding.

A reminder that subs are now due and prompt payment would be appreciated, either at the club next Sunday or direct into the club’s bank account 38-9005-0731057-01 using your name as a reference.

*       For adult family members living in the same household, second affiliation fee is discounted by $25. Please ignore TSNZ affiliation fee if paid already through outdoor summer shooting.

**     Junior A and B subs relate to those aged under 21 as at 31 December, but who have left college.

***   The “coaching” fee goes towards partial reimbursement of travel and accommodation expenses incurred by coaches and organisers in attending secondary school shooting competitions.

Upcoming events:

Friday 8 April, 6.30pm, WSRA Business House Shoot.

Saturday 9 April, Colyton Open Champs, Feilding.

Sunday 10 April, 9.30am, Teams of Ten trial, 2x20.