I spend lots of time thinking about how to make the SSAA better. We’re a member organisation which works better when there are more of us, so it stands to reason one of the best ways to improve is to increase our membership. That’s where you come in. Roughly 20 per cent of Australian shooters are members of the SSAA but I believe we can make this number much higher.
The best way to recruit people is through word of mouth, so if you have friends who are shooters but not members, ask them to join. Have mates whose membership has lapsed more than two years? Invite them back. The SSAA is running a competition and giving away two five-year memberships (with Australian Shooter included) for you and a friend. It’s easy to enter. Just encourage your mates to sign up with the SSAA and ask them to enter your membership number and name in the referral section when they join.
They’ll become be part of the nation’s largest shooting organisation, receive all 11 issues of Australian Shooter a year, access to hundreds of ranges around the country, the right to participate in SSAA organised competitions, $20m of public liability insurance, accident insurance, income protection insurance and so much more – all for just $115! See ssaa.org.au for full details.
And it’s also true for friends who don’t shoot. Ask them why not, encourage them to give it a go and apply for their licence. The more shooters there are in Australia, the better it is for us all. Be prepared to talk more about your sport. If people ask what you did on the weekend, don’t skip over the couple of hours at the range, tell them you went shooting. We love what we do so why shouldn’t we talk about it? In my experience, lots of people are interested in taking up the sport or even returning after a break, so a little encouragement could get them over the line.
Many of you will know by now that Queensland members are no longer receiving Australian Shooter. This is incredibly disappointing but we’re working on ways for those members who wish to continue receiving it can do so. As you’ll have seen, we’ve refreshed the look of your national magazine and had overwhelmingly positive feedback, so thank you to everyone who contacted us about it.
In finishing, we said farewell to long-serving Administration Officer Debbie Wing last month. Debbie was with the Association for more than 20 years and was an integral part of the team. We’re sad to see her go but wish her well in retirement and on her new adventures.