CPSA CEO

[Bigweed]

See this month's Clay Shooting Mag. Advert for CEO of the CPSA - £65k PA

 

Anyone applying

[fluke2]

See this month's Clay Shooting Mag. Advert for CEO of the CPSA - £65k PA

 

Anyone applying

 

Theyre also after english team managers on the opposite page, red box white writing.

[clayman]

Yes,

 

My interest is already Public.

 

The CPSA needs a new philosophy, and If I can do what I did for courses 2002-2007, for members grounds and membership, there could be a transformed organisation.

 

With the positive attitude of the current board, and the right man managing, the CPSA could finally meet its members' needs - and I'm totally committed to providing that if the board and members want me to.

 

JPY

Edited September 22, 2010 by clayman

[MC]

Yes,

 

My interest is already Public.

 

The CPSA needs a new philosophy, and If I can do what I did for courses 2002-2007, for members grounds and membership, there could be a transformed organisation.

 

With the positive attitude of the current board, and the right man managing, the CPSA could finally meet its members' needs - and I'm totally committed to providing that if the board and members want me to.

 

JPY

 

 

Fair play Jerry,

 

I hope it goes well for you, I feel you will have an uphill struggle as it seems the board are the problem. The CPSA should already be meeting its members needs, that is what it exists for. I am sure you will get plenty of support from the remaining members, unfortunately for a lot of people it is already too little, far too late.

 

It would take an awful lot from them for me to ever give them another penny

[Mungler]

Good luck Jerry, you're gonna need it.

[Bleeh]

Good luck Jerry, you're gonna need it.

 

 

Bribing the interview board never hurt, either.

[Whitebridges]

Yes,

 

My interest is already Public.

 

The CPSA needs a new philosophy, and If I can do what I did for courses 2002-2007, for members grounds and membership, there could be a transformed organisation.

 

With the positive attitude of the current board, and the right man managing, the CPSA could finally meet its members' needs - and I'm totally committed to providing that if the board and members want me to.

 

JPY

 

I wish you the best of luck. If by philosophy you mean strategy then I would say you are entirely right. The BASC has done a very good job with it's high level political manoeuvres and is seen as the number one voice for shooting. Like it or not part of your thinking if you succeed should be to align CPSA far more closely to BASC. Further down the road "target shooting" ought to be covered entirely by BASC.

Look at the historical issues around fishing before the Angling Trust was established. To many stand alone organisatons trying to achieve the same broad goals. The problems are not the ethical reasons for setting up bodies to deal with bespoke matters but asking people to pay joining fees for say four or five different organisations. At a poitical level and at DEFRA heirachy they really want to discuss and deliver at one level. To express this view further this is already a done deal with BASC, CPSA shouldn't get a look in.

To quote John Swift "“Shooting generates £1.6bn for the economy every year and two-thirds of the rural land area is influenced in some way by shooting management. We want to make sure that wildlife and habitats continue to flourish. We are aware that many public policy areas could be influenced by cost cutting and there could be blunt and difficult problems ahead, but as we face that reality we must find practical solutions. BASC and its members, who enjoy their shooting so very, very much want to work with you.”

I have no idea whether 1.6bn includes or excludes clay shooting. In the context of his quote it doesn't. I wonder why?

Edited September 25, 2010 by Whitebridges

[COACH]

Yeah, good luck mate, but I`m with MC on this one. They really do need to listen to there members more. I`m hearing so much negativity against them out on the circuit it`s embarrassing to say the least.

Most of my new pupils are joining BASC or CA as they have been warned off the CPSA by friends

[JonD]

Yes,

 

My interest is already Public.

 

The CPSA needs a new philosophy, and If I can do what I did for courses 2002-2007, for members grounds and membership, there could be a transformed organisation.

 

With the positive attitude of the current board, and the right man managing, the CPSA could finally meet its members' needs - and I'm totally committed to providing that if the board and members want me to.

 

JPY

 

Good luck and I agree a change is needed from the way it is now. I support you 100% as you know what shooting is about and what the shooter wants whatever level they are at, competition or not.

 

I'm only in my first year of membership and there seems to be a lot of people who hold a very low opinion of the CPSA, my initial reason for joining was so i could shoot at my club when there were registered events on otherwise i wouldn't have been able to shoot. I now shoot all over the place. I didn't need the insurance as a member of BASC.

 

I think ultimately they need to get out to shoots at a grass roots level, straw balers to British Open level and take the feedback of what shooters want, if they (CPSA) don't know what the shooters want they are doomed to continue annoying people. Once they have an idea of what's wanted they can develop goals to provide what is asked for.

 

Jon.

[Catamong]

Jerry,

 

Good luck, but you'll need a good haircut to have broad appeal.

 

Cat.

[Azzurri]

Good luck Jerry, you are going to need it , you will have a mountain to climb.

Where are you going to start ? Because all i'm hearing is negatives from shooters i talk to.

Most of us who want to shoot competition are only in the cpsa because there is no alternative.

We are paying enough to be in the cpsa and personally i don't feel i get much value for money especially when the 'majors' are in effect just another sunday shoot these days instead of the one you look foreward to all year.

 

Good luck anyway

 

Azzurri.

[Cosmicblue]

Being only a couple of years into the sport but old and wise too I've come to realise that of almost all of the shooting sports that clay target shooting could be the ambassador that's needed to raise the public profile of a fantastic recreational activity.

 

We have all read reams of stuff in the last year or two about all the negative aspects of shotgun ownership and what goes rapidly wrong when they end up in the wrong hands or those with evil intent.

 

So I'd like to think that the new CEO, whoever he might be (Jerry?), would look after not only the members interests but also look further out and grasp the challenge of raising the profile of the sport so as to capture the imagination of the wider public.

 

If the use of shotguns in a target shooting discipline isn't actively promoted then it will will surely become marginalised and eventually strangled out of existence.

Edited September 25, 2010 by Cosmicblue

[Salopian]

I do not think that I have ever seen the CPSA at such a low ebb.

Sorry Jerry but I don't think that you are the man to guide clayshooting out of the wilderness.

There is no doubt that clayshooting is in dire trouble as a sport and what are the CPSA and the Regions doing about it?

Apparently nothing.

I never hear a thing about what is or isn't going on either locally, regionally or nationally .

Does anyone know who won the Mitsubishi last week at Weston Park? Never heard a thing about it.

[clayman]

One of the things I have observed in the 30 years I have been involved in Clays and Shooting sports is that the UK now has a different attitude towards shooting sports from both the attitude of last century and the acceptance noted in other countries. As a participation sport the numbers involved far exceed many other sports that enjoy Government, Legislative, and Educational support - but shooting sports are at best tolerated by Government Agencies and Local Authorities, and at worst threatened and obstructed. The atmosphere that has been created has made many shooters to go "underground". Shooting clubs seek to be private and not advertise their presence, individual shooter's have concerns about public attitude.

 

The greater public can react with unreasonable fear generated by hostile media - causing Police swoops on legitimate hunting, squad cars chasing people seen "loading guns", horror, horror, into their car to go clay shooting.

 

Yes, as shooters we must exercise reasonable care about security, and not seek to cause offence or alarm - but 99%+ of us a sensible and doing nothing illegal and we dont need to be inconvenienced by alarmists.

 

In many countries shooting sports are acceptable as Squash Clubs and Golf Courses, with ranges incorporated in civil amenities. Schools participate widely and youngsters are educated in the safe use of sporting guns. The media supports shooting excellence and local businesses help promote the sport.

 

My local bank has a widescreen TV showing slides of all our local sporting hopefuls for the Olympics - but Charlotte Kerr is nowhere to be seen. The local small bore rifle club is anonymous behind grey doors. The local press does not report shooting competition outcomes - but is quick to report "Teenager arrested with replica gun" type stories.

 

Shooters are a huge community, with 30m households, and 600,000 licensed premises one household in 50 has a sectioned gun, and if airguns are included, probably 1 in 10. Few recreational activities can boast they have 10% of all UK households with active participants - yet because we are fractionalised with a multitude of small associations, and many participants belonging to none it can be easy for some to believe shooting is a tiny minority who should not be encouraged or even suppressed.

 

We need to do all we can to lift the prejudice that appears to operate in many sectors of society. Open promotion of activities will improve public relations and make our sport more popular and easier to enjoy.

 

With probably 50,000 regular clayshooters and another 200,000 occasional ones, the CPSA seriously under-represents in membership terms the extent of our sport to policy makers and enforcers - so increasing the membership and profile of the CPSA and Clayshooting in general is fundamental to our continued existence.

 

The CPSA strap line "The Future of Our Sport" is meaningful. We need an association that provides what clayshooters want to the degree there are few reasons NOT to belong because the benefits outweigh the costs of belonging. Every 1000 new members increases our profile, and as we achieve 30k; 40k; even 50k membership numbers we can be a body that can limit further oppression of our activities by the anti-gun lobby.

 

I work tirelessly for shooting, and hope I can apply my philosophies to a greater degree in coming years.

 

Clayman

[clayman]

I do not think that I have ever seen the CPSA at such a low ebb.

 

AGREED

 

Sorry Jerry but I don't think that you are the man to guide clayshooting out of the wilderness.

 

LET ME PROVE YOU WRONG

 

There is no doubt that clayshooting is in dire trouble as a sport and what are the CPSA and the Regions doing about it?

Apparently nothing.

 

REGARDLESS of who the CEO might be I am back at regional level to repair the ACADEMY in my region, and four other strong CPSA supporters will be doing the same in other regions.

 

I never hear a thing about what is or isn't going on either locally, regionally or nationally .

 

REGIONS were marginlised in an attempt to take dictatorial control into HQ by the outgoing CEO, but the current board is active in restoring regional initiatives and control for the benefit of all. You should see marked changes in 2011.

 

Does anyone know who won the Mitsubishi last week at Weston Park? Never heard a thing about it.

 

http://www.mmwsc.com/results.php

[Salopian]

JPY,

Thank you for that information.

So the Academy will be managed by the same corrupt people that were involved in its previous demise?

Thanks for the link to the Mitsubishi World Series . I see that George Digweed won last year and because of the fiasco in running it they haven't bothered to update the site for a year!

That says it all about the state of clayshooting in GB.

[clayman]

JPY,

Thank you for that information.

So the Academy will be managed by the same corrupt people that were involved in its previous demise?

Thanks for the link to the Mitsubishi World Series . I see that George Digweed won last year and because of the fiasco in running it they haven't bothered to update the site for a year!

That says it all about the state of clayshooting in GB.

 

Academy

 

My first successor was self employed and had his contract ended by the board when new blood on the board with a real interest in the coaching program were in a position to query his policies and the direction the Academy was taking. The late CEO appointed a new Training Manger who had been a Regional Coaching Rep for many years, but the current caretaker CEO let him go recently with board approval as they considered no progress was being made with the Academy. In line with the Board's general policy to return many aspects of operations to regional levels, all eligible candidates for Regional Courses Representative were invited to apply within their regions, and the Regional Committees decided on their choices from the applicants.

 

The five appointees are:

North - Keith Stoker

SW - Ian Cawthorne

EM - Steve Andrews

WM - Nick Phillips-Holt

SE - my self

 

Every one of these is a dedicated high calibre person, and we form together a committee to run courses, with each Representative responsible for course throughput in their region. Regions will once again benefit directly financially with a portion of surpluses passing to the region. The new scheme of things has yet to be initialised as it will follow what-ever courses sub-committee meetings are needed to initiate the Board's policies on CPSA courses.

 

World Series

 

I am sorry if the link I provided does not carry the results you are seeking, it is indeed poor if its not being updated, but thats not the CPSA's fault, rather more commercial apathy on behalf of the sponsors. I'll have a word with Nathan at Countryman Fairs and see if we can get that fixed.

Edited September 25, 2010 by clayman

[GStrider]

The Mitsubishi was won by the colt Adam Ewens.

 

Skip to 12:10 on the latest field sports tv show to see the details.

 

http://www.fieldsportschannel.tv/

[HDAV]

HAving shot clays for about a year i can honestly say membership of the CPSA has never been mentioned, proposed or encouraged! I found out myself that there is a £5 commission for introducing a member.... Perhaps it's because i live in wales (no one has offered membership of the WCTSA either!) There seems to be those who join and those who don't, but I know the BASC has more things going on locally, despite it not being much... surely the CPSA should be advertising and marketing at every ground.... never seen them at any, there may have been a faded banner but that's about it!

 

CPSA things to do list...

 

Introduce its self too shooters and offer new shooters something...

 

 

I currently see no benefit in joining...

[Salopian]

Jerry,

Thank you for the update.

Somethings don't change at CPSA do they?

Quote 'all eligible candidates for Regional Coaching Representative were invited to apply within their regions'.

I don't think (know) that is not the truth, Jerry. Once again 'The old boys network as kicked in'.

I am very sorry to see the CPSA in such a sorry state of affairs.

I think a new organisation to administer clayshooting is long overdue.

[David BASC]

The CPSA is an important organization for shooting in the UK and clay pigeon shooting needs a strong well resourced CPSA. OK it’s easy to criticize some of the decisions they have made in the past, but let’s move on, we can’t go back and change what has happened, but we can learn from it.

 

As to working more closely with BASC, well all I can say is that who ever the new CEO is, BASC will be more than wiling to work closely with them.

 

Lets work together to get ore people into shooting!

 

BASC would encourage anyone wishing to shoot live quarry such as pigeon, rabbit, pheasant, corvids, partridge and so on gets plenty of practice and hones their skill on clay pigeons first. We would encourage those who are regular shooters to keep practicing on clays – let’s get more people into the clay grounds!

 

If they want to take up clay pigeon shooting, then the CPSA IS the organization for them, if live quarry shooting is their sport, then it’s BASC, and if both – join both!

 

Who ever the new CEO is, I hope one of the first calls they make will be to BASC to set up a meting to review how we can work more closely for the benefit of clay pigeon shooting.

 

David

 

 

PS if i lived a bit nearer I would be tempted to put in my CV

[Dekers]

The CPSA is an important organization for shooting in the UK and clay pigeon shooting needs a strong well resourced CPSA. OK it’s easy to criticize some of the decisions they have made in the past, but let’s move on, we can’t go back and change what has happened, but we can learn from it.

 

As to working more closely with BASC, well all I can say is that who ever the new CEO is, BASC will be more than wiling to work closely with them.

 

Lets work together to get ore people into shooting!

 

BASC would encourage anyone wishing to shoot live quarry such as pigeon, rabbit, pheasant, corvids, partridge and so on gets plenty of practice and hones their skill on clay pigeons first. We would encourage those who are regular shooters to keep practicing on clays – let’s get more people into the clay grounds!

 

If they want to take up clay pigeon shooting, then the CPSA IS the organization for them, if live quarry shooting is their sport, then it’s BASC, and if both – join both!

 

Who ever the new CEO is, I hope one of the first calls they make will be to BASC to set up a meting to review how we can work more closely for the benefit of clay pigeon shooting.

 

David

 

 

PS if i lived a bit nearer I would be tempted to put in my CV

 

PERSONAL RANT!!!!

 

Do we need the CPSA....WHY?

 

They have been a joke for years, they have lost all credibility as far as I'm concerned, been run by crooks with nothing but personal gain in mind, the Beretta Worlds gets more entries than any CPSA competition and the CPSA customer/member profile/service is ****.

 

Go to Bisley on a Sunday, one of the busiest days of the week.......CPSA CLOSED!!!

 

We have too many organizations in this county allegedly supporting the shooter, the majority have little but their own interests at heart and therefore have very little clout, the NRA crawls at the Governments feet and the CPSA........enough already...ok I feel better for that, now, where did I leave my tin hat?

 

PS

The word on the street is the role is already filled, the CPSA is just going through the motions!

[clayman]

PERSONAL RANT!!!!

 

Do we need the CPSA....WHY?

 

They have been a joke for years, they have lost all credibility as far as I'm concerned, been run by crooks with nothing but personal gain in mind, the Beretta Worlds gets more entries than any CPSA competition and the CPSA customer/member profile/service is ****.

 

Go to Bisley on a Sunday, one of the busiest days of the week.......CPSA CLOSED!!!

 

We have too many organizations in this county allegedly supporting the shooter, the majority have little but their own interests at heart and therefore have very little clout, the NRA crawls at the Governments feet and the CPSA........enough already...ok I feel better for that, now, where did I leave my tin hat?

 

PS

The word on the street is the role is already filled, the CPSA is just going through the motions!

 

The CPSA remit is to run domestic competition in the sport and to promote it.

 

Its existence benefits every-one who clay shoots whether they are members or not, as they represent the sport to legislators and enforcers. Without the group of NGBs that represent the fire-arms lobby and gun sports, it is very likely that the ownership and use of guns as we know it know would be very different.

 

I believe the current board is completely aware of reservations members and non-members alike have with regard to the quality of competition within the CPSA, and substantial improvements are likely to occur in the medium term.

 

The Board would have no desire to be accused if providing anything but a level playing field for any applicant to apply. External Professional recruitment screening is being used to ensure your criticism has no justification. The final appointment will be the board's decision following a screening and interview process of all applicants, and the person appointed will be the best in the view of a board majority decision.

[David BASC]

I think it is important that all the target sports have their own representative body, if nothing else to run the competitive side of the sports and ensure fair play and to continuously develop suitable and affordable training for those coming into or wanting to develop within the sport.

 

They also, as has been said, represent firearms owners at government level, and can also secure funding as a sport governing body.

 

Could there be more cooperation and communication between them and say BASC? Well of course, we could always do things better!

 

Should the CPSA, NRA and NSRA have merged? Well in my view yes, but that opportunity seems to have been lost…for now but who knows what the future holds.

 

I am not a member of the CPSA any more, so maybe I should not pass comment, but I don’t know what the issues are that some seem to feel so strongly about, but I must say I still cannot fathom the stopping of non CPSA members shooting ‘birds only’ at CPSA events, without paying the extra ‘shooting tax’ to become a day member of the CPSA…

 

But speaking from the position of having worked for BASC for over 15 years all I can say is that if members want change then it’s up to the members to make the change- as after all it’s a members organization!

 

I have no doubt the board is aware of the feelings of members so it’s up to the board to make changes and / or improve communication with the members, often I have found it’s a breakdown of communication that causes most ill feeling within organizations, but let’s remember it takes two to talk and two to listen.

 

The new CEO has their work cut out, but I have no doubt with a bit of work we can have a strong, growing, and well respected CPSA.

 

David

[clayman]

QUOTE I am not a member of the CPSA any more, so maybe I should not pass comment, but I don’t know what the issues are that some seem to feel so strongly about, but I must say I still cannot fathom the stopping of non CPSA members shooting ‘birds only’ at CPSA events, without paying the extra ‘shooting tax’ to become a day member of the CPSA… END QUOTE

 

The concepts of Registered entry are widely miss-understood.

 

The CPSA is a NGB of its sport. Probably 25% of its revenue goes into providing Referee Training, Safety Officer Training, maintaining rule sets, auditing grounds and layouts, and maintaining the Registered Grading system for the benefit of members. It also costs grounds additional money to put on a Registered shoot over a simple club shoot.

 

When a CPSA Registered shoot is put on by a ground, this is a shoot for CPSA members who have paid a premium membership for the right to shoot in these competitions.

 

In recent years some Ground Owners have complained that they can only make CPSA Reg competitions viable if they allow unregistered shooting on the same layout. This is not the same as a "birds only" entry which is still a full registered entry, the only difference being that a "birds only" entrant has not paid into the prize fund, and is not eligible for payout. Perhaps part of the confusion is that to a CPSA member, birds only is still a competition entry, just without prize money. Perhaps "Competition" and "Prize Competition" would be clearer terminology?

 

To assist ground owners recoup some of the extra costs of staging registered shoots the CPSA decided that a "Day Ticket" was appropriate with 1/2 the fee to CPSA and 1/2 to the ground. This small fee is in effect a PAYG fee for non members to enter into what would otherwise be an exclusive shoot for those who have paid full CPSA membership fees, and also for clubman members, who don't wish to pay Full CPSA competition Membership.

 

It may be that there are other solutions, but this is currently the one adopted, and its not an unfair solution to a difficult problem.