February 2009 President message
Do you remember the ‘Life. Be in it’ television commercials all those years ago? The Australian government of the day was encouraging us to get outdoors, go for a walk, take up a recreation and, well, just get involved in life. The other week, a radio journalist asked a colleague of mine why he had “a fascination with guns”. It always strikes me as a selfish way of thinking to dismiss another’s interest just because you have no interest in it as a valid pursuit.
Take, for instance, hang-gliding. While many of us prefer to keep both feet firmly on the ground, we should be open-minded enough to allow others to participate in their chosen activity, with as few ‘Big Brother’ rules and regulations as possible. No doubt, hang-gliders and their associations utilise proper safety methods and training and take all the precautions possible to ensure that their members will return for the next weekend. There is also the camaraderie, the magazines, websites, competitions and events, which become part of the experience and in that sense, hang-gliding is very similar to other activities and sports, such as shooting.
Shooting and hunting are not just about the firearms. To go back to the earlier question by the radio journalist as to why my colleague had “a fascination with guns”, I would proudly tell them that I enjoy the whole experience that sports shooting opens up for me. I enjoy hunting, being in the outdoors, camping, cooking, fishing, boating, the company of good friends and family and in my younger years, I enjoyed learning and competing in a sport that was a lot of fun. I also appreciate studying the engineering and mechanics of firearms and the history of them.
To our members, firearms represent a key to opening the door to many of life’s experiences. It is our ‘Life. Be in it’ and a way of life that we want to pass on to our children.
Ever since we began the membership drive for juniors, in particular the ‘Sign Up a Junior’ campaign, our percentage of junior members has enjoyed a healthy increase and it gives me great confidence in the future of the SSAA and our sport. Our overall membership figure has also risen, as has our audited readership of this magazine. We are on the right path and we will continue to implement strategies to expand our membership base.
In the 2007-2008 ‘Sign Up a Junior’ campaign, we offered a youth quad bike as a prize for one lucky new member. I am now pleased to congratulate Liam Johnstone of Victoria and welcome him to the SSAA.
Please continue to sponsor and sign up juniors - they are a vital component of the future of our sport. We will also enter the names of sponsors and juniors into a competition with great prizes, with the details to be announced soon.
Bob Green
SSAA National President
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