Saskatchewan Provincial Rifle Association Club Vision and Long Range Plan Effective June 2014 Our Values: All participants have equal access to our programs and are welcome regardless of gender, age, language, religion, background or ability. The SPRA is committed to principles of fair play. All can participate in a safe environment free from discrimination, abuse or harassment, and be assured that proper privacy policies are adhered to. All programs promote positive life skills, self-discipline, integrity, respect and acceptance of others. We demand fairness and ethical treatment of members, parents, participants, coaches and officials. The SPRA recognizes its national and international roles, with responsibilities and obligations within the national association to improve the sport at all levels. The SPRA works with sport partners for the mutual benefit of organizations and athletes. Our Vision: Our purpose is to promote and enhance the sport of target rifle shooting, in all its officially recognized forms. The SPRA encourages and supports all participants and athletes involved to achieve their maximum performance, while encouraging safe, responsible use of firearms and sportsmanlike behaviors. We will be promoting the newest full bore target rifle shooting discipline, that being FClass, which allows rifles with scopes, shot from a supported, prone position. FClass has two divisions within it, FTR 308 and 223 caliber rifles supported by a bipod in the front and a rear bag; and FOpen any caliber 8mm and under, supported by a front rest and a rear bag. These two divisions cover most rifles used today by hunters in the field. FClass is the fastest growing shooting sport in the world today. Our Mission/Purpose: The SPRA exists under the umbrella of the national body The Dominion of Canada Rifle Association (DCRA). Our role is to offer members various shooting programs for full bore rifles. The SPRA, along with its affiliated clubs, provides for the needs of the shooters of the province by providing programs for developing athletes, coaches, officials and volunteers by promoting, organizing and regulating the sport of full bore target shooting. The SPRA: a) Promotes participation in the sport b) Promotes and enhances development through technical programs c) Provides competitions and other events to enhance the sport d) Communicates with members e) Promotes and commits to responsible firearm ownership f) Supports activities working to maintain our legal rights of firearm ownership. Areas of Emphasis and Key Strategies: The SPRA will be really pushing the new FClass rifle type. The SPRA will be manning exhibits, showing our equipment, with promotional flyers, membership forms and pictures of our facilities, introducing the sport to potential new members, at local gun shops, such as WholeSale Sports, NorthPro Sports, and Cabela s in Saskatoon and at TNT in Regina. We are hoping to get more people involved with the sport, increasing our participation. On
June 28 th 2014, Keith Skjerdal and Orrin Skafel, two of our top FClass shooters will be holding our first such event at WholeSale Sports in Saskatoon. The SPRA marketing committee chairman will also be contacting other shooting organizations, such as Wildlife Federations, asking them to join our association as an affiliate club and inviting their members to come out and participate in our growing sport. The SPRA, specifically Keith Skjerdal, has in the past month contacted the Shooting Federation of Canada, asking them if they have setup pathways and certifications for officials and coaches and range safety officer (RSO) training. The SFC is in the process of remodelling their pathways and hopes to have this completed within the year. Our goal is to have as many of our members as we can certify as RSOs and to increase our number of trained coaches and officials, to allow for our growing numbers. The SPRA has also implemented a classification system allowing shooters to be sub-classed within FTR and FOpen based on scores they fire. This allows them to compete against shooters of equal scoring abilities and allows the newer shooters to win awards within these sub-classes, set goals and develop into better marksmen. The subclasses are Master, Expert, SharpShooter and GreenShot. The first three categories or sub-classes are based on their average scores shoot in competitions from 300m to 600 yds based on a minimum of 60 shots over a three year period. GreenShot are shooters new to the sport in their first year of competitions. The average shot value breakdowns are; SharpShooter is 4.39 and under, Expert is 4.4 to 4.69, and Master is 4.7 and higher. These breakdowns and classifications allow the competitor to both track his/her performance and to set goals, to move up higher in these classifications. Along with these new classifications, the SPRA has introduced and paired up experienced shooters as mentors to help these new shooters learn the needed skills of marksmanship and safety. It is believed that the DCRA will also be implementing this same model of classifications for FClass shooters within the coming year. The SPRA is planning in August of this year to offer a reloading course for its members on the proper and safe loading of ammunition, showing what is required for SAMMI cartridges like the 308 and 223 and wildcat or special designed cartridges. This will allow new members the guidance and experience of our top shooters today in this area. The cost of rifle shooting is too high if the competitor is attempting to shoot competitions with store bought ammunition. By reloading, the competitor can tune the cartridge to the rifle barrel, producing better, tighter shooting and higher scores. The SPRA is planning is also planning to hold service rifle matches in the near future at the North Star range. By adding service rifle, this would open the doors to members of the RCMP and military that participate in this form of rifle shooting today and allow them access and competitions at our range and also increase our membership numbers. The SPRA has always supported and funded our elite shooters at large scale competitions that exist in the world, such as, the Western Regional FClass Championship, Ottawa s Canadian FClass Championships and Canadian Fullbore Rifle Conference (CFRC). The SPRA will in each of these areas: Athletes: a) Provide participation and development opportunities for all levels of skills, opportunities and desire b) Provide technical programs and support to the appropriate development of athletes Coaches: a) Provide coaching development and education
b) Encourage new people, as well as senior shots to step forward as coaches c) Certify coaches as required for the needs of individual clubs Officials: a) Provide a safe environment for competition by providing competent and well qualified officials b) Train and certify officials to work at competitions and training sessions. Volunteers: a) Encourage and welcome volunteers to assist with club activities b) Open doors for volunteers to move up into participation/officiating/coaching The SPRA will continue to evaluate our goals, action and operational plans, to ensure we are on the right course and whether the right things have been attempted and whether there are other things that need to be done, to increase our competitor, officials and coaching base. Facilities: The SPRA has a long term rental arrangements for use of one of the best ranges is western Canada, the North Star Range at Nokomis SK. Over the years the military has increasingly restricted access to their rifle ranges, making the North Star Range a uniquely valuable training and competition facility. Currently accommodates full bore target shooting at 300m to 1200 yds ranges. A pistol range has been developed, however currently has flooding issues which will need to be addressed in the long term. There is space for the development of a trap/skeet range also. Current State: Individual memberships have increased with the new FClass push. We have grown from an association of 40 members to well over 200 today. We have held an open house and training day in early May of this year, were over 30 new members received rifle safety briefings and instructions on marksmanship. During our introductory days and training sessions, we can provide equipment and coaching to new members who attend. Associated clubs are primarily cadet clubs, although we have an increasing number of shooting clubs as affiliated clubs and will be pursuing other clubs in the near future. SPRA members also assist the cadet organization with running their zone and provincial championships. We have also offered introductory clinics at associated clubs when requested. Major Tasks: Give financial, instructional and motivational support to shooters Train more coaches, officials and RSOs Conduct new shooter clinics Conduct new shooter reloading clinics Promote the sport at gun shows and local supplier shops Conduct training sessions, especially at the beginning of season Have sufficient equipment on hand for instruction of new shooters Run competitions throughout the summer months Improve range facilities The SPRA holds between five and six major competitions each year, yearly hosts a major match for the Prairie Provinces Rifle Association (PPRA) were competitors from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba meet at our facility
to complete as one large group of shooters. The SPRA also hosts, each four years, the Western Canada FClass Championships with the next of these coming to our facility in 2015. Full Bore Rifle Excellence The SPRA goal is to develop the skills of qualified team members to a standard where qualifying for the national team is possible. We do this by the following means: a) provide financial and technical support to potential team members b) Conduct sufficient competitions and clinics to sustain acceptable performance levels. c) Select the provincial team to attend the Canadian Full-bore Championship (CFRC) and Canadian FClass Championship in Ottawa in August of each year. d) Encourage promising athletes to attend the Manitoba and Alberta provincial championships for experience and training e) Upgrade officials f) Assign mentors to promising new shooters. Provincial and National Teams: The selection process starts with the competitive season as it is based on rifle scores and individual availability. The teams for the Manitoba, Alberta and National Championships are selected after the completion of the Saskatchewan Full Bore Rife Championships, held in mid-july. An individual competitor s finances and availability are factors in attending the matches in Ottawa, which is 5-10 days of competition, plus travel time. During the CFRC, if a shooter places in the top 18 of the Canadian Target Rifle Championship they are offered a place on the Canadian Team to the Bisley, England for the British Championships the next summer. (The British Championships are a major international competition, regularly attracting over 1200 shooters from some 25 countries) Interprovincial shoulder to shoulder matches are held at the CFRC. Teams consist of 4, 6 or 8 shooters with the most experienced members acting as the team wind coach during these matches. Evaluation in the 2014-2015 year: Strengths: The new board has many well experienced members, with a depth of knowledge Affiliated clubs continue to support the SPRA Good working relationship with its national body (DCRA) Open door data policy, allowing all SPRA executive read and download access to the existing documents contained in DropBox, but updatable by only the secretary and treasurer Better communications and relationships between executive board members Weaknesses: Growing number of younger shooters, many in the F class category Control of our range something other provinces may not have Creation of committees to offload what in the past has been done by the few Funding & Marketing Committee Awards & Prizes Committee Firing Point and Flags Committee Clubhouse & Grounds Committee Targets & Butts Committee Budget and Planning Committee Classifications Committee Need to work at turning the lookers into regular shooters Low numbers of coaches and officials. Encourage participation of women and minorities
Work and growing young shooters into competition level shooters Encourage some of our better shooters to take it to the next level and attend the national level competitions many only participate in AB/SK/MB matches