The Third Annual Report

This report is the basis of the "Surrey Comet" report of the annual meeting held on 17th April 1909 and which appears here. In this report the opening of the pistol range is reported and the plan for a 200 yard range mentioned for the first time.

Fees

Cost of Shooting

Members are required to purchase from the Club all ammunition used on the Range, for long a charge of 1d for 4 cartridges is made; and for short, 6 for 1d; one target is allowed for every 10 shots and no charge is made for rifles.

Members providing their own ammunition will be charged at the rate of 9d per 100 cartridges

Application for Membership must be made in writing to the Secretary, stating name and address, accompanied by the first years' subscription

The Superintendent of the Range will at all times give any instructions that may be required and if he happens to be engaged Members are requested to speak to one of the Range Committee

Committee Report

The Committee beg to report as follows:-

The Club which was opened on 7th April 1906, has during the past year been well supported.

Number of members enrolled:-

TROPHIES & CUPS WON BY MEMBERS IN OPEN COMPETITION

THE ALEXANDRA PALACE CHALLENGE CUP

Won three times and now the property of the Club

SIR ELLIOTT LEES CHALLENGE SHIELD (Annual)

Won at Manchester by Mr J Warner, April 1908

ASTOR CUP FOR SURREY (Annual)

Won at Guildford by Team of six, June 1908

NATIONAL SERVICE LEAGUE CUP FOR SURREY (Annual)

Won by Team of Eight, June 1908

SIR POWER PALMER CHALLENGE CUP (Annual)

Won at Ham by Mr W Collins, July 1908

QUEEN'S CUP

Mr W Collins succeeded in the First Stage in becoming the representative of Surrey.

In the second stage he became one of the First Twenty and as such in the Final Stage he received a Silver Medal from HRH The Duke of Connaught, representing HM the Queen.

SOUTH LONDON MINIATURE RIFLE LEAGUE

At the Open Meeting held at Lavington Street, SE, Messrs W Collins and J Warner won several first prizes and in the aggregate of the Meeting took first and second places and Mr G S Taylor, 7th place

The Accounts show a small balance of £1 4s 6d to the credit of Profit and Loss.

The Profit derived from the Dramatic Entertainment last October together with the Donation Fund, amounting in all to £55 4s. 3d. has been temporarily placed to the credit of the Reserve Fund but will be able to be drawn upon as may be desirable towards the erection of a Pistol Range, covering in of the Firing Point, and the creation of a 200 yards range, all of which developments and improvements the Committee hope ay be gradually carried out if sufficient funds from time to time can be obtained.

The Club, as shown by the Profit and Loss Account is now practically self-supporting, but the margin is a very narrow one and necessitates the utmost watchfulness to prevent its usefulness being crippled.

The Secretary Mr Leonard Tribble, resigned his post at the end of December, finding that his duties absorbed too much of his time.

The Committee have elected him a Member of the Committee subject to the confirmation of the General Meeting.

A Member of the Committee, Mr R Lupton, has taken over the Secretarial duties without remuneration, which effects a most important saving in the finances of the Club of £12 a year.

Whilst the number of Members continues to be satisfactory, the Committee are well aware that the list would by largely augmented if the cost of shooting could be reduced, as men in receipt of weekly wages find the payments, though small, a serious item.

To greatly increase the usefulness of the Club and to make it gradually a real training and recruiting ground for the Territorial Army, at a reduced cost, the Committee hopes that the day is not too far distant when the Government may see their way to give a capitation grant to each Club, in proportion to the number of skilled shots that can be shown up to a certain standard.

The Committee believing that the real and practical help to the Territorial Army can best be effected by giving boys (who eventually become the youth of the district) a knowledge and a taste for the rifle, have taken special steps in this direction.

Monday nights, throughout the winter have been given up to boys, and Members of the Committee and the Superintendent have regularly attended and given up their time night after night in instructing and helping the boys, chiefly in the Covered Range which has proved a great success.

This kindly assistance together with the great benefit derived from cheap ammunition obtained from the "Rugge-Price" Fund (which enables all boys to obtain 12 rounds of short of 8 rounds of long ammunition for 1d) has had the most direct and satisfactory result.

No less than 70 boys have entered for the competitions and a weekly average of 50 have during the winter months voluntarily come down on Monday nights in all weathers and have proved most anxious to learn and have been very keen.

The Committee feel very strongly that the Club, to be thoroughly successful, must be made as attractive as possible and have considered many different plans.

With this object a Pistol Range is now being erected and will be open for practice early in April.

From the number of applications and expressions of approval received the Committee believe that it will tend to bring in a large number of new members.

In order to keep the expense as low as possible the extra charge for the right to shoot on the Pistol range will be 2/6 a year which will be charged to all members whether Life or Ordinary. The use of the Pistol Range will also be offered ay a charge of 2/6 a year to any person wishing to shoot there under the ordinary rules of the Club.

Special Rules and Regulations have been drawn up and will have to be strictly carried out on the Pistol Range.

The Society of Miniature Rifle Clubs, by permission of the Committee, held their Annual Bisley Meeting of the 3rd and 4th July at the Club's range. It was very successfully carried out and in the unavoidable absence of Field Marshal Earl Roberts the prizes were distributed by General The Earl of Dundonald.

The Third Annual Dinner of the Club was held on 7th October at the Star and Garter Hotel, when HRH the Princess Alexandra of Teck, supported by her husband, HSH Prince Alexander of Teck GCVO DSO the Patron of the Club, attended and most graciously presented the prizes.

The Dinner was a great success and owing top generous donations a sum of £8 was carried to the credit of Profit and Loss.

On the 28th October Mrs Earle Dorling, assisted by a large number of ladies' and gentlemen most generously and patriotically gave a Dramatic Entertainment, under the direction of Mr Leo Trevor, for the benefit of the Club, at the Castle Rooms, Richmond.

Rev E E Dorling very materially helped in organising and carrying it out and the Club is greatly indebted to him, Mrs Earle Dorling, Mr Leo Trevor, and to the ladies and gentlemen who took part in it, for the great trouble they gave themselves, and for the enthusiastic way in which they carried it all out.

The Entertainment was the most brilliant success and the funds of the club were benefitted by the sum of £39 after payment of all expenses.

The Committee feel confident that they are expressing the unanimous wishes of the Club when they desire to place on record their great appreciation of the unfailing efforts in support of the Club, displayed by their President, The Lord Sudeley. To his care and organisation must be ascribed its existence and the Committee take this opportunity of expressing their grateful thanks to Lord Sudeley for all he has done on its behalf.

The system of handicapping adopted last year has been carried out with success, but this year the Committee have decided to adopt the dropped point system for the purposes of which Members are divided into 10 classes according to their averages.

All Members are placed in classes Scratch to J, according to their shooting records.

The Sudeley Trophy has been competed for in open competition held three times during the year at intervals of about 4 months and the numbers entered have been satisfactory.

No less than 31 Club competitions, exclusive of spoon competitions, have been held during the past year and 24 have been arranged for the coming Summer.

As Prize Competitions form naturally a most important element and attraction to the club, and a large number are necessary, it is hoped that some of the richer Members will generously give small prizes annually to assist in carrying this out.

The Committee will be very glad to receive useful articles of almost any description of a practical character, or if preferred, money to purchase them.

The Committee have temporarily elected Major D Phelips Chapman, MVO, Mr W S Stuart and MR L Tribble additional members of the Committee subject to the approval of the General Meeting.

The Committee will at the General Meeting recommend the Rule 3 should be cancelled and in lieu thereof the following Rule should be enacted.

The Officers shall consist of President, Captain, Treasurer and Honorary Secretary, who shall be ex-officio members of the Committee and shall together with the Auditors be elected at the Annual Meeting in each year.

Also that in Rule 7 shall be added the following clause:

An additional subscription of 2/6 shall be paid annually by all members, Ordinary and well as Life, who use the Pistol Range; but any member on joining may elect to use the Pstol Range solely and in that case will only have to pay one annual subscription of 2/6.

Also that in Rule 12 in the second line delete the words "in the month of February" and substitute therefor the words "during the first four months of each year

The Annual General Meeting will be held at the Ham National Schools on Thursday, 15th April, at 8.30 pm.

By Order of the Committee,

ROGER LUPTON

Secretary

Profit and Loss Account

1st January 1908 to 31st December 1908

Balance Sheet

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