The Chairmans Report

Over the last month as Kent’s CPSA chairman, I have learnt a lot!

For instance, do you, as CPSA members, know that a county funds itself? Yes that’s right, a county committee receives no funds to help run its county shoots for its members! We are solely reliant on income from “levees” received from qualifiers or selection shoots for the county teams and from county championships (£1 from qualifiers for each entry and £2 for each entry to a championship).

Unless as a county we can attract a large entry for any of these events, the total cost for champion’s badges alone, this year over £600 due to the large variety of disciplines and up to five champions per discipline, can exceed our total income!

Fortunately in Kent we have a small amount of money from previous years when, I am told, the main board of the CPSA used to give part of the membership income to the regional committee to distribute to the counties. Kent’s income from this was approximately, £300. Not a huge amount of money but possibly the difference between covering our costs and having to dip into Kent’s capital to make ends meet.

By the time you read this, Kent’s teams selection shoots will be over and thanks to the generosity of some of our local grounds, Greenfields, Dettling and The Kingsferry, we already have nearly half of our costs met, in no small part due to three very hard working  members of our committee, Peter Kemsley, Jonny walker and Gordon Lee.

Over the last month I have spent some time emailing two “high up” members of both the main CPSA board and the CPSA management over a different issue.

Although I was told quite early on by one of these officials that convention dictates my contact should be via my regional committee, (please note this is a convention not a rule) they have both to a greater and lesser degree corresponded with me; up to the point, that is, when both I and my vice chairman wanted a direct answer to a direct question.

I was then sent an email by one of the “high up” individuals saying they no longer wanted to correspond with me over this issue!

It would therefore appear from my perspective as county chairman, because of this last email, my questions need not be answered, and my views not given much consideration from such a lofty position.

Having had overwhelming support over the issue in question from both county and regional level, it would seem that the main board and management do not wish or feel the need to acquiesce to either its county or regional committee’s requests sighting once again convention not rules, which makes me wonder if we have a two tiered CPSA. County and regional, then management and board! Surely we should be one association with the view of promoting safe and enjoyable clay shooting and to look after each member’s rights. When a “convention” held at board and management level is challenged by a county and regional committee, shouldn’t their views be taken into account and a “rule” put in place for the future protection of all members, or at least discussed openly to canvass I will let you know next month of any further developments.

the views of all members, including a lowly county chairman?

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