The end of the year has come in a rush (as always) and here we are in December. The past five months since I joined the Association in July have been pretty hectic as I’ve found my feet, so now seems a good time to say some thankyous.
The state associations continue to go about their work, delivering services on the ground and advocating for members around the country. Thank you. On top of this, SSAA Victoria delivered the highly successful return of SHOT Expo as you’ll see on Page 20. It takes a lot of effort over a long time to stage an event like this, so congratulations and well done Victoria.
Of course the states rely heavily on volunteers, from range officers, club helpers and committee members right up to board members and everyone else who makes a contribution at working bees and events, so I’d like to send my gratitude for your contributions which make our sport possible.
The board of the national association have been extremely helpful and patient and I thank them for the work they do on behalf of our members around the country. They’re volunteers too and it’s a substantial commitment, which means less time at the range for them so our shooting goes more smoothly.
Many of you will have talked to the membership team over the years, though there are a bunch of others who make sure our publications go out, projects are done and the various nationwide offices hum along. They’ve also worked their way through some challenges and have done it happily and effectively, so I’m grateful to all of them on your behalf. And not forgetting the valued contributors who fill our magazine with quality content for you to enjoy.
The festive season is almost upon us so check out our Christmas Wishlist, the new ‘Hunter Inside’ T-shirt in the online shop and standby for new T-shirts and merchandise next year. By the time you read this you’ll be able to set up auto-renew on your membership, making sure you’re always covered by the great value SSAA insurance products, won’t miss an issue of Australian Shooter and comply with states laws where they apply.
We’ll be taking a well-earned break over the Christmas/New Year period with offices and membership services closed from December 20 until January 6. So from all of us here at the National office, have a happy and safe Christmas and all the best for the new year.
Tom Kenyon, CEO, SSAA Inc