Saturday, October 15, 2016

OCTOBER 16, 2016 - ANNUAL FULLBORE REPORT TO THE RNBRA AGM

2016 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE RNBRA FULLBORE SECTION
TO THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE
ROYAL NEW BRUNSWICK RIFLE ASSOCIATION
OCTOBER 16, 2016


This has been another busy year for the RNBRA Fullbore Section. We sponsored 24 matches in total, which were attended by 175 participants. Each of these matches required the services of dedicated people to prepare, set up and take down the range, to organize the event, to serve as Range Safety Officer and to set up and take down the scoring system. Many people helped in making these matches successful.



Matches Hosted by the RNBRA Fullbore Section
The following 7 Target Rifle and FTR matches were held on the Batouche Range at CFB Gagetown. We thank the base personnel for their assistance and continued cooperation with our shooting program. The "Season Opener", the "Fredericton Centennial Match", the "Memorial/MacGillivray Match", The "Coleman/Stapleford Match", the "RNBRA - Annual Prize Match", the "Long Range Practice", “The Long-Range Match”, “The Chisholm Challenge” and the "Any Rifle-Any Sight Match" drew the participation of 57 shooters.



In addition, Batouche was the venue for our section's 6 Black Powder Cartridge matches; 2 Precision Rifle Matches and 1 Military Rifle Match with an estimated total of 36 participants. These figures are based on information available at this time.


The following 4 matches were hosted by the Club de Tir Saint Antoine Gun Club at their 600 meter range. The "Sierra Bullet Match" in which the Sierra Bullets Co. donated the prizes, drew 8 shooters. Our thanks go to Sierra for their annual support. The "Inter-maritime Team Trials" and Inter-maritime Team Practice” were held in Saint Antoine as was the New Brunswick portion of the “Mini-Palma”. The "RCR Centennial Match" and the "All Comers Match" followed in the schedule. These events drew 53 participants.


This year we were again fortunate to shoot 2 matches at the Saint Gabriel Range. The "Saint Gabriel 600"and the “Gautreau 600” drew 26 participants.


Our Annual Prize Match was held on The Batouche Ranges of CFB Gagetown. The match was very well organized by Gordon Holloway, the Vice-chairman of the Fullbore Section and many volunteers. Some very good scores were recorded and all enjoyed the event.
          
Further, New Brunswick contributed 5 competitors to the Annual "Mini-Palma Match", in which a team comprised of Maritime shooters faces off against a team from the New England States. This year the match was a postal match held in Saint Antoine, Nova Scotia and in venues in the New England States. Results are not available at this time.

Projects and Issues During 2016
1. Our section successfully sponsoring Leo d’Amour as life member of the RNBRA.


2. The Snow and Burge Trust Funds  are to provide prizes to Junior members and to encourage their development as Fullbore shooters. These Funds provided a plaque and cash prizes to Junior shooters at the Smallbore MTR match held in Woodstock.


3. The Alban Emery Trust Fund is to be used to provide prizes for the Alban Emery Matches at the APM. Three plaques and cash prizes were presented to TR, FTR and F-open shooters.


4. The Al Lockett Prize Fund is for providing a prize at the annual “All Comers Match”. It provided a plaque and cash prizes to TR and FTR shooters.


5. Financially, we are on track to remain in the black after this calendar year with a present balance of 12,510.85 In anticipation of having, eventually, to replace our e-target systems we continue to set aside $10 per shooter per match for this purpose. We gratefully acknowledge $4500 received from the RNBRA. These funds are set aside for projects that will address our strategic plan for the Fullbore Section in the next few months.


6. Heather McKinnon, our liaison with CFB Gagetown, has been most helpful in arranging access to Batouche. We wish to continue to acknowledge her support.


7. The RNBRA Fullbore Blog site continues its coverage of all Fullbore activities and has been visited almost 72,000 times in total by readers in Canada and around the world.


8. The Executive of the Fullbore Section has met 2 times this year. On February 20, 2016 the main discussion centred on the re-organization of the Annual Prize Meet, our most important provincial competition. We also began our discussions of the future priorities of the Fullbore Section. On October 11, 2016 this discussion continued with the adoption of a more formal “Strategic Planning” exercise. The Minutes of both meeting are available on-line at www.http://rnbrafullbore.blogspot.ca/


9.  The Annual Meeting of the Fullbore Section will be held in Sussex NB on October 30, 2016.


10.  The annual planning meeting (known as the "Atlantic High Power Rifle Committee Meeting") of the Fullbore Sections of the Three Maritime Provinces, will be held in Amherst NS on October 16, 2016 at the Wandlyn Inn. At this meeting the schedules of our major matches is set so that there is no conflict in dates and other issues of mutual concern are discussed. The RNBRA Fullbore Section is sending 3 representatives to this meeting.


11. Lastly, the Fullbore section will again be recognizing the long term dedication to, and work on behalf of, Fullbore Shooting in New Brunswick of one of its long-time members.


Strategic Planning

The Fullbore Section has instituted “Strategic Planning” as an exercise to help us to identify our priorities and goals for the next 2 to 5 years. The steps that will need to be taken and the required resources to realise these goals will also be identified. The Executive did a “brain storming” session to help identify means by which the following goals could be supported. This portion of the planning is not complete and will be addressed more fully in the next Executive meeting.


Goals
The following three goals were discussed and adopted unanimously:
  1. Increase the number of Fullbore and long range shooters (300m and longer). We would  aim for an average of 2 additional shooters at scheduled events for the first year of our plan. During the second year and in subsequent years, this goal would again increase by 2 shooters.
  2. Enhancing the skill level for competitive shooters to national caliber. This would involve creating a pathway to excellence in competition for new shooters and also developing an “high performance shooter” program.
  3. Retain casual competitive shooters.


Out of Province Shooting, Matches and Championships
New Brunswick target shooters have traditionally been very supportive of championships in the sister provinces of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island as well as championships hosted by the Dominion of Canada Rifle Association.
This year, Fullbore Section members went to 7 “out of province” matches (42 competitors). Our shooters did very well with several top finishes in the "PEI - Annual Prize Match" (2 NB shooters) at their Alexandra Range, the "Nova Scotia - Annual Prize Match" (5 NB shooters) at their Bull Meadow Range, the "Atlantic Championships" (11 NB shooters) held in PEI, and the "Canadian Target Rifle, F-class and Blackpowder Championships" (9 NB shooters) held in Ottawa at the Connaught Ranges.
In addition, 1 competitor went to the “Victoria Day Matches” in Ottawa. Five F-Class shooters attended the “Eastern F-Class Championships” in Ottawa. The Fullbore Section sent a team of 9 shooters to the long standing traditional “Intermaritime and British Team Shoot” held in Nova Scotia this year.
These participants were not assisted by the RNBRA Fullbore Section as funds were not available. They are to be congratulated not only for their fine shooting and competitive spirit but also for their dedication to this sport.


Shooting Excellence
A number of New Brunswick Fullbore shooters had a very successful competitive shooting season in 2016. Not only were many “personal bests” set this year but the following shooters excelled in provincial, out-of-province and national competition:


F-Class Shooters:
Paul Bastarache - New Brunswick APM - 2nd Grand Aggregate
                            Atlantic Championships - 4th Grand Aggregate
                            F-Class National Championships - 17th Bisley Aggregate
                            Eastern F-Class Championships - 27th Overall


Francis Bezeau - Nova Scotia APM - 3rd Grand Aggregate
                          F-Class National Championships - 21st Bisley Aggregate
                          Eastern F-Class Championships - 31st Overall


Gordon Holloway - Atlantic Championships - 3rd Grand Aggregate
                              Eastern F- Class Championships - 16th Overall


Ken Kyle - New Brunswick APM - 4th Grand Aggregate
                F-Class National Championships - 18th Bisley Aggregate
                Eastern F-Class Championships - 21st Overall


Adam MacDonald - New Brunswick APM - 1st Grand Aggregate
                              Prince Edward Island APM - 1st Grand Aggregate
                              Nova Scotia APM - 1st Grand Aggregate
                              Atlantic Championships - 1st Grand Aggregate
                              F-Class National Championships - 5th Bisley Aggregate


Ron Mason - New Brunswick APM - 3rd Grand Aggregate
                    Intermaritime Match - 2nd Individual Aggregate


Matt Wolf - New Brunswick APM - 5th Grand Aggregate
                  F-Class National Championships - 20th Bisley Aggregate

TR Class Shooters:
Don Coleman - New Brunswick APM - 2nd Grand Aggregate
                        Intermaritime Match - 2nd Individual Aggregate
                        British Team Match - 3rd Individual Aggregate
                        Atlantic Championships - 5th Grand Aggregate


Mark McMullin - New Brunswick APM - 3rd Grand Aggregate


Team Results: Intermaritime Team Match - 2nd Aggregate
                       British Team Match - 2nd Aggregate


New Shooters
We were pleased to see the following 12 new or re-newed shooters join us this year. A big welcome to Darren Burke, Henry Smith, Nelson Lebrun, Reade Branch, Jean Francois Canuel, Mike Connell, Julien Gautreau, Peter Keefe, Nicole Rossignol, Gale Stewart, Roly Trainor and Steve Gross. We hope you enjoyed yourselves at our matches and found a home for your shooting passion. We hope to see you all during 2017.


People to Thank
The following very dedicated and impressive people have made my job of Chairman of the Fullbore Section so much less difficult. They have also contributed to Fullbore shooting in significant ways during the past year - in my many absences. Fullbore shooting in New Brunswick could not have happened without their contributions. My thanks for your service.


  1. The Fullbore Section Executive: Gordon Holloway - Vice Chairman; Don Coleman - Secretary and Representative to the RNBRA Board;  Daniel Chisholm - Treasurer and Representative to the DCRA, Adam MacDonald - e-target custodian, Conrad Leroux - RNBRA President and Michael Lutes -  RNBRA Past-President.
  2. Ron Surette and Michelle Cormier for their work in organizing, match directing and "RSOing" many Fullbore Section events. Also, The Club de Tir Saint Antoine Gun Club for allowing us to use their facility for several events.
  3. Paul Bastarache and J.C. Gautreau for their work in organizing, range maintenance and hosting Fullbore Section matches at the Saint Gabriel Range.
  4. Gordon Holloway for his tireless work on the 2016 Fullbore Section APM and also the many volunteers who made this event a success.
  5. The following Match Directors:
Paul Bastarache, Daniel Chisholm, Don Coleman, Michelle Cormier, Brian Doherty, J.C. Gautreau, Gordon Holloway, Wayne Kaye, Conrad Leroux, Mike Leroy, Michael Lutes, Adam MacDonald, Paul McIlveen, Ron Surette
  6. Those who contributed write-ups and pictures to the Fullbore Section Blog.


Respectfully submitted to the Board and members of the Royal New Brunswick Rifle Association,

G. H. (Bert) deVink, Fullbore Section Chairman

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