LONG SERVICE

Evening Post, Volume CI, Issue 54, 4 March 1921, Page 10

LONG SERVICE

PIONEER OF RIFLE SHOOTING

COLONEL COLLINS RETIRES.

Colonel R. J. Collins, C.M.G., Chief Executive Officer of the Dominion Rifle Association, who announced his retirement yesterday, has a long record of service. Bo was shooting in 1867 in Taranaki, was one of the founders of the Taranaki Rifle Association, of which he was president and subsequently secretary. H e won the Tavanaki Championship in 1874-5. In 1875 he qualified as a. representative for ths Colonial Prizefiring Meeting. Since 1879 Colonel Collins has been actively associated with the New Zealand. Rifle Association, and with the Dominion Rifle Association since its inception as a" member of the executive. With the former association he filkd the position of treasurer for rrany years, and was also statistical officer from 1886 to 1903. In 1904 he was appointed chief executive officer of the Dominion Rifls Association, succeeding Colonel Sommervilks, and since then has controlled the affairs of the association. Colonel Collins commanded the team sent to the Commonwealth inaugural meeting in Sydney in 1901, and also the Bisley team of 1904 which won the Kolapore Cup arid ma&y other prizes. For many years he commanded the Wellington City Rifles, one of the best shooting corps in New Zeala-nd, taking an active part in all its competitions. President of the Wellington Rille : Association—and now its vice-patron—he has been responsible for the great improvements at Trentham, which, under his supervision^ have been increased from one range of 25 targets to three ranges with 75 targets available and range accommodation up, to 1000 yards.