MINIATURE RIFLE SHOOTING.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17012, 10 April 1923, Page 3

MINIATURE RIFLE SHOOTING.

PROSPECTS FOR 2 923. In opening thh column for the eommg season Trigger” wishes all miniature rifle men a highly successful season tor VijSA Hitn two new clubs in existence and several new team*, com poling m L.be winter tournament, the season should bo n record one for iiic t nnstohurch Miniature Rifie Associat,on Hince last season the old range vStroet whicli was kindlv lent to the Association bv the firm oi ' vn rd and Co. Ltd., has been demolish ed owii-.g to the propert-v having i ron leased lor a long term of venr:;. This compelled tho Miniature Rifle Associathough the energy <■-( tlic -secretary. Mr A. 'i'ongue, a. building in Columki Street hear Moorhouse Avenue has been leased'from Mr H. C*. Snuth- of the City Market for three years, and the range will be an improvement on previous association ranges. The range will be lighted hv electric light and tho single mounds will he replaced bv one continuous mound. There is sufficient width for eight targets, but there is ample length in the building to have a supper room and an office for the secretary, which ks badly wanted, more especially on championship da vs. To provide for all this the executive have had to go into the ouestion of finance Owing to the Association having been free for a few years, clubs have had to pay next to nothing for range rent. Now it will be necessary for them to meet- the increased cost. hut tho amount will not be law;;©, and what

Will he required of them is n- more than ch.de «.:ir>ide of the « n )■ —/ had to face m tb~ past . Th© .Wc<-;.-non ’ vr - t hi a recent, meeting pu moci tlw :uldir ional expenditure :- Raising rl.c afniumeii fro front 15, t* 61 Is. a team entrance lee of 10s fothe winter competition, and a remtratiou fee o| i s per member. 1!i rererue from these source: . with th** add:'ion of several donations, shouh put tlie parent bodv in a sound tiov. and make the task of the honor*? secretary and treasurer much light© than it has been in nast reasons, tht last season heiuc about th- onlv one in which the Associ«bion has slum n a substantial.br.lance. Secretarv Tongm

iuforms me that the new range is now on it. way to completion and will he official]v opened bv the president. Mr W. S. Wharton, and that it is the intention tu run a few competitions on .Saturday nights. These .should be much appreciated hv riflemen as Saturila.y is generally an off night. CLUB DOINGS. ’the prospects of the New Brighton Club for tne coming season are very bright, the seaside club hr«s been considerably strengthened by the addition of several new members, among them being .Norman Wood, who was a member of the club when it won the junior cup. The Duthie Bros, who ate also well known iu the shooting world, and C. Burmeister, have also signified theli intention to shoot for the club this season so. that with these and other wellknown shots. New Brighton should have a particularly strong team. The club is considering the advisability of entering two teams in the senior grade.. New Brighton Club members have done some good shooting since the season opened and the possibles have been scored by Messrs A. Mturns (2) and G. W. Bishop. Hobbs arid G. Caiton (1) each". Arrangements are being made for the two oversea matches with the Birmingham and Ripon (Yorkshire) Clubs. ' The following officers have been elected to govern the shooting:—Target- checkers. Messrs Light-foot, Bnsschel. Tims. Cooke, Curtis and the captain of the team when away, haudicappers. Messrs Bishop and Munjo ; selectors. Messrs Bishop, Cooke and Munro ; supper committee, Messrs Hayes. Hnwkes and Hobbs. A schedule was drawn up of the duties of range officials. Two members will be appointed for each night and their duty will be to see that competitors are ready aiacl that the members are dbwti. record the score on. the blackboard, and see that tlie rifles are cleaned and put away. Iu other words they are the responsible for seeing that everything is carried out as it should be. These appointments will leave, the secretary and coach free to carry out- their duThe Ladies’ Chib at Brighton opened the season on Monday. Their team has heen weakened by several of its members leaving and joining the newly formed Ladies’ Club at Ward and Co.’s The tl Lyttelton Times ” Club, which was formed recently, wili ho very strong in numbers the membership being round about 50. Mr W. S. King, who will perhaps be better remembered as • Bandmaster ” King, and who won the New Zealand Rifle Championship the. year it was held in Oaraaru has consent to act as coach. Under such an experienced rifleman the members should make satisfactory progress. The normal meeting of the SnmnerRedcliffg Club was held last- month when the president, Mr C. M. Roswell presided over a good attendance of members. The report and balancesheet showed a most successful season’s working. Four new members were elected. The election of officers was as follows: Patron, The Mayor of Sumner: president, Mr J. Edmonds; vicepresidents. Messrs A. B- Hines. C. M. Roswell. G. Humphries, J. L. Treleaveii, W. S. Wharton. S. Dean and H. Rowe and Mr« K. Kennedy; club captain. Mr (•'. Hines: vice-captain, Mr C. Timbrell ; bon secretary, Mr J. J. Smith; bon treasurer. Mr W. Horner; Mr G. Moon was elected a- life member. Mr G. Moon, who for the past two years has been captain of the Men's Miniature Rifle Club, was recently entertained by the members on the occasion of his leaving for Papanui. Mr C. M - . Roswell, in making a. presentation of a Kaianoi rug, referred to hi*c connection with rifle shooting since the days of old C.D.O. He had taken a. prominent part in originating the present chib .and had always been : an enthusiastic, member. On behalf of the members, it him much pleasure to offer some mark of appreciation and express their best wishes for hi; prospeifitv and success in his new home. Tt is with regret T learn that tlie Tinwood Club, one of the oldest clubs 1 it. Christchurch, has had to disband

iwing to lack of support. The eI.A •v.d great difficulty in carrying »n last Tear and then only pulled* through b\ I;© hard work of several old members w:th the assistance of one or two nc\* ones. Men like Arthur Taylor (wcl: ‘ ,nn u crick©fc circles), W. K. Bridg 0:111 • J- M atkins, H. Bowker at:-, ■•thors whom the writer has had it ; rivilege to meev wore the mainsrr, of the club. Tliey were the old Liwood unity of the C.D.C. wl.en w; broke out. and f remember as a me. her of the Cashmere C.D.C. unit rh--shot many an exciting contest ithe Lin wood Hull iu Rolleston stre<t * 1 iji pleasing to know that severa ol last year'- m-Jinbers will be sbo.-i ‘.ng for other chibs. Cashmere C.l.h opened tin* -«a*ov some four week ago and hn 6 aliendv firod several competitions Tlie fir-t handicap mmtv.ition wa. w,m bv s Uuusloy. with !• r. Hogarth in ' &■ fud place. Tins week the c-luh wili vonsn;enee a three hoot competitioi* TO.- gold med?l pr- vnted l,y Mr *V * s '’ vtou - r he shoot will he ter. :.ot.< with optional sight©.- on a bandid'oot t, T ;I^r ‘-' atG ot thr.,. JorriNGs.. I' reddy 1 ightfoot, captain of I; st year s Limvood seniors, has joined •=!' tvith Now Brighton, and wili uni-.-iderabiy strengthen tho seaside club. Stan ” Shju man. who was very su< - cessful wit!/ the Crown Brewery team, 1 v>t year’s champions, will also h« si noting for tho Brighton Club. Ihe minin^irifle is evidently c;itch>i.g on. Two new clubs iu the Lvtielton Times aiid M. TL Harris and (o. have been tormen. There is every prospect of the former entering two -earns m the winter competition. It is the intention of ‘‘Harris” Club 1 > enter in the h:u?or grade. • Arthur Haimsb.aw. in addition to 'o aehiv.g last veal’- champion team •( roan Brewery) wili Vo coaching n. Harris and Cj.s Ciuh. Tho lattn ! »idocd lucky to get such an efficient coach from the Loginning. • Artliuv r experienced loth with the miriatw. . iiri the -o0?». iiavitig won the Smith Uland championFiiip a t. Reddiffs Christinas week. C bar Tie ’ IV-a grain, tf. Gamblin* Rudgson, and W Wdlq of last year’lin wood lean:, have thrown in tliei lot with, the Sumner-Reddiff.i Club--1 ..mice that the president of th« association had Veen appointed ;. vi-.e president of the Sumner Club. I Iu- tluinks of lb© association art due to the club members who formed c working bee during the past few weeks and put tlie range in order. A number gave up a portion of their Iv.ster 'holidays to a*?rt in tho work. M beu this sort, of enthusiasm is displayed the sport is sure to go ahead. .Sumner are r.lmost sure to have » ''■uiiov team iu the competition this year. With £ ‘Claude ’ Timbrell, Pea» gram and others they will be a hard nut to crack. Vv'haL do tho s.hotfi ot the opposition seaside borough think of the inter-oorowgh prospects thi-> year? *Jim” Edmonds, who shot with Ward's Brewerv Club last year, is president oi the Sumner Miniature Rifle Club for 1923. All miniature riflemen arc sorry to see Lin w ood drop out. The club* was formed in 1915. “ Len ” Pimm, last year's Goodlrart Oup winner, together with D M Donskl, last year’s junior aggregate chain* picn. will be ; gain defending tlieir titles. The executive of the Christchurch Mimature Rifle Association hold thei* first meeting to-night at the, new range. All delegates are urged to attend, as business is important. Amongst one of the items on the order paper at to-night’s meeting will he the notice of motion dealing" with the eight shots with compulsory sighter in place of the seven shots with optional sight©?.* as at present. There will be arguments for and against, as it will l>e- hard to get away from the custom of a nun taking his sightev if it is a hull, as in done botli in miniature and .303 shooting. Of course, there has heen a lot of trouble ever since the five*-Hill target came into vogue, owing to some competitors putting shots on wrong bulls, etc. T>> the writer this appears always likely to happen, - uo matter what rules are made, unless the executive get down a strict routine, to compel a mau from shooting one shot here and another there, instead of storting at a certain bull, sav on the bottom left, and continuing round until his shoot is finished. In any ease there are. old shots bn the executive who will be able to find a way out of the difficulty, btfD if should be. fixed up at onoe, so that clubs can practise the way they will have to shoot ?n the winter competition. “ Trigger” welcomes oontributaona in the shape of club news, matched, personal notes or anything of interest iu the miniature rifle world. Theae should be addressed iC Trigger*'* Star ” CWice, and reach this officenot- later than noon on Saturday©. Will club secretaries please note?