The Second Annual Report

This is, at the moment, the oldest Annual Report still known, and is therefore reproduced in total to give an idea of the place in its earliest days.

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.

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, notwithstanding inclemency of the weather, which seriously interfered with outdoor shooting.

Number of members enrolled:-

A considerable number of competitions have been arranged for the 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.

A great feature has been made this year in offering encouragement to Boys, School Boys, Church Lads' Brigades and Caddies of the Richmond Golf Club.

Trophies and Cups won by Members on Open Competition

The Alexandra Palace Challenge Cup

Won three times and now the property of the Club

The Duke of Westminster Challenge Cup (Annual)

Won at Liverpool, May 1907

The Newcastle Chronicle Cup

Won at Liverpool, May 1907

Trophy Challenge Cups and Shields won last year are now being again competed for, and it is hoped will be well defended. These comprise:-

The Daily Telegraph Cup, The Regiment Cup, The Gamage Shield

In the Competition for the Queen's Cup, our Captain Mr J Warner succeeded in the First Stage in becoming the representative for Surrey. In the Second Stage he became one of the First Twenty, and as such in the Final Stage received a silver medal from Her Majesty the Queen.

Notwithstanding the unprecedented bad weather, no less than twenty-three Club Competitions for prizes have been carried out at the Range during this Season.

The Accounts show a loss of £16 - in the Profit and Loss Account for this year.

This is due to the fact that, owing to exceptional circumstances the Printing Posting and Stationery item amounted to £22 instead of an Annual amount of £6 which the Committee consider should be sufficient.

The Club, though practically self-supporting has a very small credit margin and some means of increasing the permanent income is very desirable.

Towards this object it is hoped that when the Territorial Army Scheme is fully developed some form of capitation grant may be given to all Rifle Clubs in proportion to the number of skilled rifle shots they can show qualified to a certain standard.

In March last year an appeal was made for donations to enable a covered range to be made to the butts and for the creation of a Reserve Fund.

This was most generously responded to and the nett amount of £322 was obtained.

The covered range, which according to estimates would have cost £140 was erected for £82, owing to various members of the Club having come forward patriotically and given their services free of cost in its erection.

Great benefit has resulted from the erection of the covered Range, and it has proved an undoubted success. competitions have been carried on nightly through the winter months and it has been extensively used.

After paying for this building and for the various alterations and extensions of butts, a sum of £160 has been placed in the names of three Trustees, Lord Sudeley, Mr A Fowler and Mr F W Gridley, as a reserve fund, with power to expend a sum not exceeding £25 in any one year for various specified purposes of the Club.

It is hoped that this Reserve Fund may be gradually raised to £500, so as to make the Club a permanent institution.

The Second Annual Dinner and Concert was held at the Star and Garter Hotel on 9th October, when Field-Marshal Sir George White, OM, VC, GCB, attended and distributed the prizes, in the unavoidable absence of Admiral Lord Charles Beresford, KCB, who hoped to have been present but who was detained by duties in command of the Channel Fleet. Three hundred sat down to dinner and it proved a great success.

In October last, Sir Charles Rugge Price, Bart., most generously gave a donation of £5, desiring to see a fund created so that boys in the district, under 18, and caddies of the Richmond Golf Club, may obtain from the Club when they wish to shoot twelve rounds of short ammunition for 1d. and thus remove the great obstacle of expense which now exists, and makes it so difficult for boys and caddies to practice at the range.

A Fund was at once started under the name of the "Rugge Price Fund for Boys" and is proving of the greatest benefit.

Further Subscriptions for this Fund are specially invited. A subscription paper is enclosed.

As many members of Rifle Clubs in other parts of England have expressed a desire to join the Club as temporary members during a fortnight's holiday in the summer, arrangements have been made to give facilities for some 100 to 200. Such riflemen to form a small camp on land immediately adjoining the Range for two weeks, from Monday the 6th of July.

Besides being a patriotic and friendly act, the use of the Range will be profitable to the Club.

The Committee hoped to have considerably increased the efficiency of the Club by the erection of a 200 yard range.

The War Office Inspector who was sent down specially, approved the site, and was understood to say, that there would be no increased danger whatever in using a 200 yard range to what there was at present in using the 100 yard range provided as proposed by the Club, the same miniature rifle was used and the existing cartridges.

Unfortunately the W O subsequently refused to allow the 200 yard range to be proceeded with on what appeared to be the technical ground that a 200 yard range on these conditions was not in accordance with their regulations, when miniature rifle shooting several years ago was introduced.

The Committee hopes that the W O will see their way to remove this technical obstacle to what seems to them a legitimate and proper expansion - without the slightest increased risk or danger.

The system of handicapping adopted during the past year, not having proved successful, it has been found desirable to place all members in classes A B C D, according to their shooting records.

In the case of new members or of those who have not yet shot, their class will be ascertained on trial by shooting at 3 targets.

Based on this classification various systems are now being tried of handicapping these classes.

Full notice of the exact plan adopted will be posted up at the range before each competition.

The Club, having won outright the Challenge Cup presented by the Alexandra Rifle Club, the Committee decided to put up a Trophy to be shot for by teams of five from any recognised Rifle Clubs.

Lord Sudeley, the President, presented the "Sudeley Trophy" to the Club for the above object.

In the conditions made by the Committee, any Club winning the trophy three consecutive years or six times in all will win it outright.

Competitions to take place three times a year, or roughly at four months interval.

The first competition took place last November, when 17 teams entered, and was won by the Hendon & Cricklewood Rifle Club.

The Committee have temporarily elected Mr G S Powell and Mr R Lupton as additional members of the Committee subject to the approval of the General Meeting.

The Committee will, at the General Meeting recommend that Rule 2 should be cancelled, and in lieu thereof the following Rule should be enacted.

"The Club shall be managed by a President, Vice Presidents and by an Executive Committee, of not less than 5 and not more than 11 - three to form a quorum."

"At every General Meeting three members by alphabetical rotation of such Committee shall retire but shall be eligible for re-election"

The election of such three members shall be by ballot."

Thew Committee strongly recommend "The Walker Miniature Rifle Scoring Book," which can be purchased from the Superintendent at the Range, at prices from 6d upwards.

The Annual General Meeting will be held at the Ham National Schools on Thursday, 19th March, at 8 pm.

By Order of the Committee,

LEONARD TRIBBLE

Secretary

Profit and Loss Account

1st January 1907, to 31st December 1907

Balance Sheet

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