New Club probationary membership.

[TattooedGun]

I'm a full member with an FAC, I have access to whatever I can justify to my FEO, that doesn't mean the club should undertake it on themselves to have everything to 'train' me. safety baseline is the basics are just that, basics, and why do you need different mechanisms and shapes to prove that. that seems more than some sort of baseline....
also, why can a full club member not be shown how to use the rifle 3 years down the line if you suddenly develop an interest?
note, I'm not saying introductions to all the firearms the club has is a bad thing, a few rounds out of each gun to get a taste is nothing but a good thing, but to force folk to try things, and then mark them down as somehow being trained is odd in my eyes, and even on a taster, people will be totally uninterested.

You are a full-member of a club which grants you good reason for those firearms that are available to be fired at the club.

It is the clubs responsibility to make sure you are safe and competent in order to possess the good reason to acquire these firearms.

Without full-membership you do not have good reason for the firearms and cannot have them on your FAC.

How do you not think that it's the clubs responsibility to at least try to make sure you are safe with the classes of firearms that they cover you for on your FAC?

With regards to the latter part I believe you are misinterpreting what i'm saying about being conversant in each of the classes of firearms. Simple knowing how they operate, where the safety is, and if there are any differing courses of fire, what to know and do would be enough.

Of course someone could get trained 3 years on, but the onus then is on that person to ask for it, rather than make sure everyone has a safety baseline when they are granted full-membership to cover the clubs arse should anything happen due to them not being proficient with the classes of firearms they are able to then buy.

[Rockhopper]

As far as i am aware my club only has "club" .22 target rifles yet we have facilities to shoot most disciplines. I've been a member for two years now but I wouldn't instruct / supervise / or get involved with another shooter in any way - thats the Range Officers duty or one the qualified coaches. Maybe thats just me being cautious though!

[TattooedGun]

As far as i am aware my club only has "club" .22 target rifles yet we have facilities to shoot most disciplines. I've been a member for two years now but I wouldn't instruct / supervise / or get involved with another shooter in any way - thats the Range Officers duty or one the qualified coaches. Maybe thats just me being cautious though!

In a relatively small club, if you don't have enough qualified coaches in attendance, then who supervises probationers?

As a full member you are entitled to supervise, sure if you don't want to, then you don't have to. But in small clubs its beneficial for everyone when everyone helps out where they can.

[Countryman]

Some interesting comments here.

I would just add that it's the guys that think they know it all that cause all the problems.

On a range safety is everybody's responsibility. You might not shoot black powder but that doesn't mean you should be ignorant of the safety procedures for the guy in the lane next to you.

Some clubs have woeful training and you get in on a nod and a wink. I'd rather know that the people I shoot with have all got the basics covered.




Sent from my boing using "An application"

[Rockhopper]

We have different nights for different disciplines so BP pistol shooters will never be shooting alongside .22RF rifle shooters.

As to who supervises probationers - lets not go there!

[Alpha1]

We have different nights for different disciplines so BP pistol shooters will never be shooting alongside .22RF rifle shooters.

As to who supervises probationers - lets not go there!

Why not go there what exactly do you mean by that statement. If you think there is a problem with the way your Club handles probationers you should be flagging it up. You are not doing the new shooters any favours if you think there is a problem. If some thing goes wrong you wont have a club any more.

[Countryman]

At my club your training will be done by a small team including me as an NRA Club Instructor with a background in training by MOD.
Supervision can be carried out by any full member of the club, i.e. Someone who successfully completed the training you are expected to pass before flying solo.
Whilst you shoot a member is given the duty of RCO. (They may or may not be a qualified RCO. They have a responsibility for a overview of safety on the range. Safety is every bodies responsibility on the range.


Sent from my boing using "An application"

[Alpha1]

Looks like I'm in after completing a very intense probationary period over approx 7 month. All in all its had its ups and downs but its been fun.
The guys have been great. I now need to re think my shooting I think my certificate will be going in to take into account the disciplines they shoot. I bought a couple of .22 rifles so I could take part I think they may be going. The practical stuff was interesting but my age made it not a lot of fun so I think I will probably give it a miss. I have never been into shotguns but the shoots I have attended with these guys makes me think a shot gun or two might be fun. Black powder revolvers and long barrel revolves is not some thing I have bothered with either but that may change. The full bore shoots are very well organised and I may even go to Bisley with them for the first time in my life.

So there you go and the indoor range is ten minutes from my front door. So a result.

I feel a gun clear out coming on. hmm whats next

[RDC]

Sounds like a fairly decent club you have joined. It's certainly nice to hear of clubs offering a wide range of options.

[the running man]

Just to add my bit, a lot of shooters find it hard to grasp the fact that they want to join a members only club, a club usually run by volunteers as our is, where nothing would get done without thier good will and time (which is especially precious to some of us in todays society).

I see a lot of comments on here about why does not the club do this or that, well with an army of volunteers anything is possible, but with a few core conscripts things dont get done nor do they when you have people with personal agendas muddying the waters.... Then folk give up.

Regarding probationary period i think you will find anyone who has an fac must do a minimum of 3 months by law, nothing to do with screening people, although its a good time to assess a persons suitability as a member as all clubs have particular things they dont want at thier club, and that is the main cut and thrust, its thier club, that they built, its thier club and sport at risk if someone new visits and puts a bullet over the butts and closes the club down, so yes thats why you have a probationary period.

Regarding people's experience and why cant they just get on with it or be trained on something later, well their will always be someone amongst the members of which a good shooter will have i tergrated him or herself within that club society that will help, training officers for probationary members have enough to do and most clubs are very lucky if they have someone with the time and patience to do it. With regards to people with experience coming in they usually make the worst and most disruptive individuals and dont last long with such an attitude, remember its a club for its members not a pitch and putt rock up and pay ure money and shoot, lots of people within that club will have worked very hard to build it, why should just let folk in.

We in particular have an nra accredited training programme and probation lasts 6 months, they are trained in and on all guns available to us at club level, those with fac that come in are basically left alone but are required to show aptitude on each class of firearm and are basically signed off as ok after 3 months and are usually sponsored by another member anyhow and thus are schooled in the ways of our club...

These cubs are clubs for its members, if you dont like that then dont join, end of story... Or join and volunteer, put your money where your mouth is, and get all the things done yourself that you say tbey should be doing...