CPSA name Change AGM Proxy Vote Info

[pin]

Oh indeed the agenda will be the normal humdrum for sure, the thing I am concerned about is calling the resolution we want to vote on (and any others) by the correct name, exactly as it appears in the agenda.

 

Don't want any technicalities stopping the votes being cast. I think the chairman should offer his services as proxy for us since he has to be there, other people might not make it for one reason or another

[Catamong]

Oh indeed the agenda will be the normal humdrum for sure, the thing I am concerned about is calling the resolution we want to vote on (and any others) by the correct name, exactly as it appears in the agenda.

 

Don't want any technicalities stopping the votes being cast. I think the chairman should offer his services as proxy for us since he has to be there, other people might not make it for one reason or another

 

Pin,

 

There should be full instructions in the March issue of Pull, I also understand that Phil Boakes no less HAS offered his services as a proxy for members unable to attend.

 

Cat.

[Madcowz]

I also understand that Phil Boakes no less HAS offered his services as a proxy for members unable to attend.

Cat.

 

That's what I assume as well, unless Paul Rendell is giving Phil's name without talking to him.

 

 

/mad

[Madcowz]

Ok,

 

Pull magazine has arrived, and on page 5 is an article about the name change along with a voting form.

 

They also give the details of two members you can use as your proxy.

 

Phil says that he has had twice as many people saying they are in favour than against, which I think is pretty poor show.

 

Here is a scan of the article and the form.

 

 

I have two keeper friends who are 'not bothered' either way about this agenda so I have asked them both if I can use their votes against. If you know anyone else, might be an idea to ask them.

 

/Mad

[Catamong]

Well, my mag's late (as usual, I can't work out why my post is never in the 98% that Royal Mail say is delivered next day, and it's not as if I live in the Outer Hebrides..!!).

 

Also I've certainly e-mailed Phil to raise concerns about the name change, so mine is one of the very few negatives he claims to have received.

 

What if.........common sense prevails, the name change gets voted out, the beardie weirdie treehuggers get a bloody nose, will Phil resign, as he's nailed his personal colours very firmly to the mast on this issue, and a jumbo size piece of humble pie awaits if he loses.

 

Cat.

[Madcowz]

What if.........common sense prevails, the name change gets voted out, the beardie weirdie treehuggers get a bloody nose, will Phil resign, as he's nailed his personal colours very firmly to the mast on this issue, and a jumbo size piece of humble pie awaits if he loses.

 

Cat.

 

Surely he will just trumpet the fact that the CPSA democracy has prevailed again and how wonderful it is that the CPSA is driven by its members for its members.

 

What every good politican would do after backing the wrong horse.

[garyb]

My copy of Pull arrived this morning... It does include a proxy vote form, and a couple of Names to use.

[Bagsy]

My email to the CPSA on the subject has been included in Pull page 14 so they have my view - though looking back at my original email it has been edited. It does suprise me that so few have put pen to paper.

[Madcowz]

My email to the CPSA on the subject has been included in Pull page 14 so they have my view - though looking back at my original email it has been edited. It does suprise me that so few have put pen to paper.

 

This is interesting. The article states that 20 people have written in against the name change. 3 of them are on this forum.

 

So, out of the x thousand of CPSA members, 15% (ie us 3) are from this forum.

 

Seems strange.

 

/mad

[Catamong]

I'm convinced that if the ballot is fairly run, the name change will not go through.

 

Let's hope that there are no administrative "errors" at CPSA HQ that result in some ballot papers being "mislaid"..??

 

Having said that, most long standing members are aware that it's not the slickest machine, with high staff turnover and poor organisation of major events being the norm.

 

If I shoot this Sunday, I'll be bending the ears of others to make sure they vote..!!

 

Cat

[pin]

Looking in the accounts it seems they have spent nearly £70k on the name change already, absolutely scandalous

 

In pull it states 75% for to carry, can't see that happening, even if they rally round the "old boys"

[Suffolk shooter]

Got my copy of Pull yesterday, and I'll be voting against the name change. When you read the emails/letters posted re the response, there is an editors note that says they have been using the term "Targets" rather than "pigeons" for the last eighteen months. Seems they've already made up they mind.

 

I find it hypocritical of an organisation that says it doesn't want to be associated with live quarry, when it's magazine contains adverts from companies who supply decoying equipment and camo and game shooting clothes as well as adverts for Gundogs.

 

Can't remember the last time I saw a gundog bought for the express use of retrieving a shot clay.

 

I for one will be voting with my feet once my membership expires as I think it a waste of time and money and is only really a club setup for the boys by the boys.

 

SS

[Catamong]

Can't remember the last time I saw a gundog bought for the express use of retrieving a shot clay.

 

I for one will be voting with my feet once my membership expires as I think it a waste of time and money and is only really a club setup for the boys by the boys.

 

SS

 

You'd need to send the dog after some of the birds I halved or nicked last weekend, good job the scorers had perfect eyesight.

 

It's all very well opting out of the CPSA, but you're cutting off your nose to spite your face because you will not be able to shoot serious competitions, far better to force change from within.

 

For instance, I had a go at the Chairman last year about the format of the final of the British Open Sporting, and whilst he didn't accept all of what I said, he said they would review it. Do you know what - I think they've now changed the format, no official announcements yet, but watch this space.

 

Just goes to prove that things can be changed if you put forward a sensible, reasoned argument.

 

Cat.

[Suffolk shooter]

Cat, whilst I hear and understand what you say, in my experience, things like this never change. It is a club for the boys so to speak. Look at the Notes for Suffolk and the mention of the County AGM at High Lodge on the 7th Feb. Now where the hell was the letter/memo/email/telephone call etc to the suffolk county members telling them when and where this was going to be held. I specifically have been looking for mention of this date as I noted the same happened for the previous years AGM as well.

 

You'll see they state numbers were up from previous years to 33. 33, jesus there must be easily well over 3000 members in Suffolk alone. that means that there was only <1% turned up. Why, because other than the committee members and their cronies, nobody else was aware of the meeting.

 

It always amazes me whenever I go to Drinkstone, Badwell Ash, Lakenheath etc. The same people always have the same hanger-ons. It's as if these people have mystical powers and if you're not in the click then you have no chance.

 

I would like to shoot skeet seriously, but these people put me right off. The format for shooting for your region, county, country is also off putting and elitist to say the least. What other sport do you know where you have to buy your own suit to represent your country and whereby you have to have shot at least one recognised international competition to be accepted. All of which are paid for by you the shooter not the country you represent. Why is this elitist? Because to the ordinary person who isn't in the click or doesn't have the sort of money the likes of Richard Faulds, Pinky la Grelle, George Digweed et all have you have no chance. Sponsership doesn't come easy and the cost of practise is say, shooting nearly everyday of the week at least 100-200 a day. So at the base cost of say 12p a cartridge and 20p a clay thats 32p x 200 x 7 = 448 pounds a week, doesn't include travel costs so say £50 for arguements sake, means an average of £500/week for say an average of 26 weeks (6 months) = £13,000 a year. (Just realised I didn't include cost of entering competitions or the cost of joining a club or the CPSA or the servicing of a gun or indeed the cost of a coach)

 

Hmm let me see, that means that somebody must either have a fantastically paid job, but then again if the job paid that well, it would also mean that it is a management/high pressure job demanding long hours which don't lend themselves to shooting on a daily basis. Or, it means that yet again those with the money already are the ones able to maintain the life style that enables them to practice, practice, practice.

 

Now, I am a reasonable person and i appreciate that this isn't always the case, but more the norm than the exception. So those with Families, jobs etc (As I believe you stated to me already - Cat), struggle to be able to obtain high level recognition and success. Yes there are those that are naturally gifted, but even they have to work at it.

 

Look at the basis of competition of well, you must be a member of the CPSA in order that you can qualify by shooting registered comps. Yet for two pound less, you can shoot the same targets as Birds only and I have seen more than one competition being won by someone not a member of CPSA if you look at the Scores side by side. I appreciate that there must be a ruling body to govern the sport, but think the Current CPSA to be archaic and poorly run at board and regional level.

 

If it's insurance you want go pay BASA or BASC or CLA or NRA or NSRA, you may not be able to shoot for your country but it won't be sucha waste of time either.

 

SS

 

PS This isn't a rant at you CATAMONG, just my Honest opinion of the CPSA heightened after reading the latest issue of Pull magazine

[Catamong]

Well, quite a few points raised by SS here, so here goes with a few comments.

 

First of all, all County AGM's are advertised in Pull Magazine, which every member gets free of charge, so no excuses for not being aware of the date. And, if 33 people turned out in Suffolk, then I would say that's a pretty good show, compared to Herts where probably only half that number would attend.

 

I don't get your point about the "same people always have the same hangers on", shooting is a very fair sport, all you've got to do is turn up, and hit more targets than anybody else to be a winner. You could be the richest guy in the County with the most expensive £10k Krieghoff, but you could still be beaten by the farm labourer with the Baikal O/U.

 

Also, Faulds and Digweed have made money out of shooting, but neither of them could live off their winnings, their biggest earnings come from sponsorship deals. A lot of newcomers to the sport think the likes of Digweed and Faulds are "natural" shots who, within a couple of years of starting shooting, are winning everything in sight. This ain't the case, they've both put shooting before absolutely everything else in their lives, and have been doing so from the day they were both old enough to pick up a gun, so they deserve the rewards. Like most people, I've never made that level of commitment, that's why I'll never be in their league.

 

Also, I don't think Pinky's made much money from shooting, she was born or married into money.

 

The selection shoot procedure for England Team events is very fair, nobody is given a freebie into the team, absolutely ANYBODY who is a CPSA member can get in, all you have to do is shoot the shoots, and submit your best 4 scores from the 6 shoots, and that's it, you could get in. There is no requirement to "have shot at least one recognised international competion" as you suggest.

 

OK, shooting is an expensive sport, I spent quite a few years shooting only Woodies before I got into Clay Shooting, because I simply couldn't afford it, things tend to get a tad easier in this respect as you get a bit older, nowadays it ain't the money that's in short supply, it's time..!!

 

I would have to agree with you that the CPSA is not well managed, but if you think it's bad now, you should have been a member during the 80's / early 90's, when the CPSA was very nearly bankrupt and there was more than a whiff of dodgy dealings in the air.

 

So what are the options..??, do all of us clay shooters resign from the CPSA, join BASC or the CLA and hope that they'll represent our sport.....dream on folks, or here's a good idea, let's form a breakaway group, run by shooters for shooters........that's been done before, by guess who...., none other than Phil Boakes, who is now the current top dog in the CPSA..!!

 

I don't see the CPSA through rose coloured spectacles, but I do believe that you can make things happen if you put forward careful, logical arguments.

 

Hope to meet up with you soon, unfortunately I won't be able to make Lakenheath on Friday, too damn busy at work..!!

 

Cat.

[Madcowz]

Bump.

 

Don't forget to get your completed forms posted.

 

I very nearly wrote on mine where Phil asks at the bottom to 'vote for the future of our sport, not with emotions'.

 

That sort of comment makes me want to punch him in his weasley face, there, an emotional response.

 

/Mad

[Catamong]

Mad,

 

Steady on old chap, Phil is only putting forward the views of the CPSA Board, he may not personally agree with the proposed name change..??

 

Cat

[Madcowz]

Mad,

 

Steady on old chap, Phil is only putting forward the views of the CPSA Board, he may not personally agree with the proposed name change..??

 

Cat

 

You are quite right Sir,

 

and to be honest, I wouldn't hit him, more likely to wag an admonishing digit at him while tut-tutting.

 

 

/Mad

[Suffolk shooter]

Are you sure it's the views of the board, coz if so then it shows clearly that they think nothing about us, the members, feelings and thoughts towards it. The whole voting thing is a smoke screen, deals done Cat.

 

Government will get it's wish and then renege on the supposed agreement to allow GB pistol shooters to practise in this country, along with no pressure being put on gun laws etc. Sounds like a conspiracy theory, well that's because it is a conspiracy .

 

What I want to know is what does the board themselves get out of it :blink: :o

 

SS :blink:

[Mungler]

People are lazy and the thread is getting long.

 

I reckon one of you good chaps should stick a correctly completed version of the proxy up on line so people can copy it and get the essential details in one place:

 

1. deadline

2. where to post to

3. name of proxy

4. number / details of resolution

5. AOB

 

Is everyone sending theirs registered post just in case "there is a problem with the post".

[Catamong]

Mungler,

 

It's on the inside front cover of Pull magazine which all CPSA members now have a copy of, and it's not that difficult to fill in, even I managed it OK

 

It reads in pretty plain English so they clearly didn't use a member of the legal profession to draw it up. :blink:

 

Cat

[Catamong]

Latest comments from another forum re the name change, obviously they've counted up the proxy votes that are coming in, perhaps it's not a "done deal" after all, we will know soon enough..??

 

"G**** D****** is the one who appears to be telling people that the proposal is sunk. A friend of mine contacted HQ yesterday to ask a couple of questions and asked what the state of the polls was at present, G**** then said there would have to be a huge turn round for the proposal to go through at the AGM.

I'm still going and I urge everybody else to go still as it could be a ploy."

 

Cat.

[Madcowz]

But Phil said in the latest issue of Pull that most people were in favour of it and he had only had 20 people contact him against the proposal.

 

Thought that was a bit fishy, as 3 people on this forum alone had said they had contacted the CPSA about it.

 

 

Please let common sense prevail on this.

[LEFTY478]

I'v joined the CPSA this week; I'm opposed to the name change, is it too late for to vote and if not, how?

I don't have a copy of 'Pull magazine'.

[Catamong]

Lefty,

 

I think it's too late to vote now by proxy, you could always go to the AGM in Peterborough on Saturday 24th to vote in person.

 

Details are on the CPSA website.

 

Cat.