SSAA NSW MILITARY SERVICE DISCIPLINE
Revision: 24/11/2008
Note: Following is a guide for shooters and organisers relevant to branches or clubs hosting SSAA State Events or State Sanctioned Matches. This should be used in conjunction with:
- National Rulebook,
- NSW discipline rule amendments and by-laws,
- Any other guide or information relevant to the course of the competition/event.
Many states have matches that are very popular and carry much prestige, and NSW is no different. It is often the case than different branches and ranges will want to host the same event in the same year. The allocation of any event must be fair to the discipline and it’s participants. To achieve this, an application to host form must be submitted. Consult the relevant SDC or state web site for the appropriate application form/s.
Branches considering the opportunity to host a state event should ultimately decide in the presence of the branch committee. A “team” should be formed to plan, organise, co-ordinate and execute the requirements to host such an event.
The right to host a state event can be done by any NSW SSAA branch, affiliated club or other as per a special agreement. The branch must campaign their ability to run such an event by filling out an “Application to Host” form and submitting it to the State Discipline Chairman (SDC) or authorised delegate.
The application will be presented at a general discipline meeting (made up of delegates and/or members), half AGM, or AGM (depending on the event being campaigned and it’s timing with relation of the mentioned meeting). The meeting attendees will consider the application to make sure it fulfils the minimum requirements in accordance with the discipline guidelines, state rules, national rules and will be good of the discipline in general.
The successful branch running the event will become known as the “hosts”. They are responsible for working with, and reporting to, the SDC with updates of requirements for the event such as:
- range facilities and requirements, such as distances, shooting positions etc
- time schedule – including practice (Normally events run Friday – Sunday)
- catering (lunch and dinner – or as required)
- an area to host the discipline AGM – possible to use in all weather conditions
- targets & frames – quantity & quality (normally new, or near new targets) - 15min
- range officers – experience and quantity
- presentation facilities – handle all weather facilities
- power - for a scoring system if required and general meeting lighting
- firing line facilities – firing positions, numbered, shooting mats etc
- camping facilities etc etc (primitive acceptable)
Satisfying shooter requirements is simply based on the basic formalities. Points for particular attention are:
- running a pre-organised event with minimum confusion to participants,
- catering for the local, and travelled contingent,
- host workers may still have the opportunity to participate,
- flexibility built into the event in case of the unthinkable.
Keep it simple and running smooth is 90% of the secret.
SSAA branches and affiliated clubs may campaign to host any of the recognised state discipline events such as:
- NSW State Championships - Individuals event
- NSW City Vs Country - Individuals and teams event
- NSW Clubs/Branches Challenge - Individuals and teams event
- NSW ANZAC Day Memorial - Individuals event
or
- A round of the NSW Grand Prix Series - Individuals event
The above matches are detailed in the relevant section of the NSW discipline web site.
It is certainly possible for any two, or more, of these events to be shot simultaneously (e.g. State Champs and City Vs Country), but every step should, and must, be taken to reasonably run each of the above events separately. A thorough examination of the state calendar should be carried out prior to setting and advertising dates to keep the events apart maximising the possibility of high attendances.
The successful applicant (branch/club) must, and expected to, accept total responsibility for the success of the event. The SDC must work with the hosts as an adviser and guide to ensure the shoot it run correctly and to expectations, and spirit, of the discipline and competitors wherever possible.
Hosts are responsible for providing experience RO’s to the numbers required to run the event to a high standard. RO’s from other ranges may assist if asked provided the hosts allow them.
Scoring facilities, equipment and peripherals are to be supplied, and the responsibility of the host club. The hosts, competitors or any other persons wishing to help, as agreed by the host club or controlling authority may share scoring duties.
A disputes committee must be formed at the beginning of the event and announced to the competitors – as per the guidelines in the national discipline rulebook. Some events may have conditions and stipulations of the disputes committee beyond the national rulebook and therefore, the User Guides for each of these events should be consulted first.
It is expected the host branch/club provide a light lunch, which costs are to be covered in the Range fees. Beverages are expected to be extra.
Experience has shown most shooters are keen to camp at competitions or events. Efforts should be made to accommodate this. Facilities are not always seen as important as one might first think. Roughing it is sometimes seen as a good thing. It is best to convey your camping facilities prior to the event for visitors to plan ahead.
If a firing line is not fully grassed (it is dirt or concrete), it is expected the host will provide carpet or some other type of matting to protect the shooter from getting unnecessarily dirty or shooting uncomfortably.
Details should be kept to a minimum by maximising detail shooting positions/target numbers. Details of more than 5 or 6 can get boring which many believe is against the spirit of this discipline.
The range should be in perfect working order with consideration to all the required facilities to successfully host and run the event as smooth and efficiently as possible.
If the range is equipped with a target gallery pit and stop butts which will be used for the competition, then thorough instructions must e given prior to butts duty.
All costs associated with running such events should be covered by the entrance fee’s which should be set by the host club and advice from the SDC if possible. Unless nominations are used to know competitor numbers, a reasonable estimate should be considered using any form of experience, knowledge and communication reasonably possible. This estimate of competitor numbers should be divided into all the costs associated with the event to derive at an entry fee. This entry fee may then be broken up into sections based on matches and classes etc etc.
Some of the major costs associated with events that should be factored are:
- targets and target frames
- trophies
- range fee’s
- consumables
- catering…..etc
Advertising may be in the form/s of”
- flyers
- web site information
- adverts in the Australian Shooter
- NSW News Letter etc
Hosts should draft up an advertisement based on the competition and courses of fire and forward to the SDC for input and/or recommendations. Once the advertisement is final, it should be forwarded to the AS and NSW N/L for publishing.
All results for state based events and competitions MUST be forwarded to the SDC for records and processing, where needed, by the next working day, if not at the close of the competition.
It is preferable that these results be electronic in the form of EXCEL or similar.
Layout of the results MUST show the following details:
- Shooters first name
- Last name
- Club/Branch
- Grade
- Specify if Junior, or other shooter class if needed (eg. Senior, SMLE, etc)
- Final Scores for each match
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