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Meetings

2023 AGM

Dec 3, 1:30pm  
Centre Raoul Charest
585 Rue Principale
Beresford, NB E8K 1X6

PresidentSylvain Richer
1st Vice-PresidentMarco Scichilone
2nd Vice-PresidentRonald Chamberlain
Secretary/TreasurerClaude E. Chiasson
ELECTED BOARD of DIRECTORS (term 2024 – 2025)

2023 AGM

Dec 3, 1:30pm  

Centre Raoul Charest

585 Rue Principale

Beresford, NB E8K 1X6

13:35 call the meeting to order by President Sylvain Richer

  • Welcomed members
  • Establish if quorum of 10% of members is met. We have 22 members present, therefore the quorum is met, we can have board of directors’ elections.
  • Set ground rules (bilingual meeting):
    • One (1) person speaks at a time.
    • To speak Raise your hand and wait to be recognised by the chair.
    • State your name & membership number.

President’s comments on the past year:

  • Fairly successful year, we made a profit of appx. $ 1920.00
  • 95 active members.
  • We donated $1000 to the National Firearms Asc. (NFA) for their legal challenge to gun laws.
  • We had large pistol shooting events organised every 2nd week. It went well.
  • Our range inspection was due this year but postponed to June of 2024.
  • Our land lease with ends Dec 23-2023, presently awaiting results.
  • Major range improvements were adding to the height of the rifle range backstop and surveying in the backstop heights.
  • We also resurfaced the rifle range bench tops and due to flooding, adding a new culvert to the road.
  • The bad news was an awful lot of crushed rock was stolen AGAIN THIS YEAR. This theft required the use of heavy equipment. We need the crushed rock for repairs, if it’s stolen, we will have to pay for it when we need crushed rock.
  • Giving out the combination lock number will result in immediate life time ban.
  1. 13:50 Reports by the Secretary/treasurer
    • To speed the AGM Meeting up and save time, Except for motions & elections we will take a more casual approach to the process. The membership in attendance will simply be asked to approve or disapprove with a show of hands.
  2. First order of business, Approval of the 2022 AGM minutes as posted on our web site.
    • Remark, this is to verify that the posted minutes of the last AGM reflect what actually happened. Are there any errors, corrections or omissions to the 2022 AGM minutes that were posted on our web site that must be fixed?
    • As they are no corrections, we need a motion to accept the minutes of the 2022 AGM.
    • Motion to accept the 2022 AGM minutes by Hugh Alexander & seconded.
    • Vote was by show of hands, Motion approved.
  3. Financials (up to Dec.3, 2023)
    • TO NOTE: The cut off date for yearly financials will be the date of the Dec 31.
    • This AGM financial report is preliminary and will be updated Dec. 31
      • Membership dues $ 11,632
      • Rentals Fees $ 1,830 ($ 165 Rental payment did not arrive by Dec 29-2023)
      • TOTAL INCOME $ 13,462
      • Operating Cost $ -11,542
      • YEARLY PROFIT $ 1,920
    • Finances for the year 2023 were reported and a printed financial summary of past 5 years was distribute to the membership to compare the financial health of the club.
    • Also note that detailed financials will not be reported on our web site. You must be attend the AGM for this information.
  4. 14:05 RANGE IMPROVEMENTS
    • There was quite a bit of range maintenance carried out this year. Apart from the general cleaning and hauling out garbage we spent approximately 186 hours or 23 days of maintenance on the ranges. This does not include work at home to prepare like sourcing unstamped lumber and pre-cutting wood for target stands.
      • Lawn & ditches were cut twice.
      • Pot holes on the road were repaired numerous time
      • Small culvert was washed out 3 times by heavy rains
      • Metal magnet was run to pick up nails and screws
      • 1 cement bench was added to rifle range
      • All 8 rifle table tops were re-surfaced & painted
      • All 8 pistol bench tops were re-painted
      • Two 8’x8’ outside sections of rifle range building were built & painted
      • 68 ft hemlock 6” beams were installed on top or rifle range to add height
      • Both range backstops were surveyed with a stadia rod & auto level in to get an exact height.
      • Both range backstop slopes were cleaned up using a back hoe
      • A 20ft, 12 inch diameter culvert was installed by back hoe to fix drainage problems at the access road. Work was carried out by member Robbin Daley for basically for culvert & fuel cost. We appreciate his taking time off paying jobs to help the club.
    • These are the things that go on unseen, so please help us by keeping the site clean and hauling out your garbage.
  5. UNFINISHED BUSINESS 2023
    • Proposed Range work for the 2024 range inspection.
    • Basically, we are ready, need to brush out & post new warning signs on our safety boundary.
    • We also need to modify our new range rules signs.
    • We have to spend time grading the slope angle of the back stops.
  6. 14:10 NEW BUSINESS (2024)
    • 6.1) RENTAL AGREEMENT with St. Isidore Asphalt
      • Our 5-year rental agreement for the shooting range expires Dec. 2023.
      • We have met representatives of St. Isidore Asphalt.
      • They are concerned about our insurance.
      • They want St Isidore also listed as insured.
      • We may have to wait till May for the new insurance.
      • We are waiting for a decision from Mr. Ronald Losier for a new rental agreement.
    • 6-2) INSURANCE
      • Our insurance rates are sky high
      • For 2024 we will have to return to our club policy of members only (NO guest shooters allowed).
      • We will revisit our new insurance policy in April 2024 when new insurance comes into effect.
    • 6-3) VISITOR, GUEST POLICY is revised for 2024
      • Originally the club was a members only club.
      • We are returning to that policy.
      • ONLY PAID-UP MEMBERS ARE ALLOWED TO DISCHARGE A FIREARM AT THE RANGE SITE.
      • The only Exception are the members children from 12-17 years of age who are allowed to shoot if supervised by a parent.
      • This is subject to what our new insurance policy coverage is in 2024.
      • Note: This is only fair to full time members who pay but rarely shoot. Our guest policy did not get us any new members but some past members come to shoot regularly as a guest. Not fair to our members who pay full price.
    • 6-4) NEW WEB SITE
      • The web site is 10 years old and had become unreliable prone to breaks downs.
      • Cosmo Creations stated that it was beyond repair and he was getting out of the business.
      • Mike Haywood, a club member offered to look into a new cost-effective site.
      • He offered to maintain the site for us.
      • It won’t be a copy of our expensive and difficult to maintain original site, but a more simplified web site.
      • The original site cost $ 6500 to set up and close to $1000 a year to operate.
      • We hope to have it up & running by late December
    • 6-5) 2024 RANGE INSPECTION
      • Both our pistol & rifle range are due for our 5-year inspection/certification and presently delayed to June 2024.
      • Basically ready, need to brush out & re hang warning signs on our safety boundary.
      • We have to spend some time grading the slope angle of the back stops.
      • We will need new signage to reflect the new rules due to returning to a members only club. Cost estimated $700 for 4 large club rules signs.
    • 6-6) NEW PORTA POTTY
      • We would like to replace the porta potty, Well passed it’s useful life, roof collapsed, damaged beyond repair.
      • Membership agreed.
  7. 2025 MEMBERSHIP RATES
    • We haven’t changed rates in quite a few years.
    • Costs are all going up, we need extra help in repairing and cleaning the range.
    • The rates will be going up $10.00 for 2025.
    • We will always give years notice of the rates going up.
  8. RANGE ROAD OPENING
    • We do not plan to open the range road before May 1st at the earliest.
    • The main access road to the range gate must be down to gravel before we consider opening the road.
  9. MEMBERS CONCERNS OR QUESTIONS ASKED
    • We will look into 2024 insurance requirements, to see if spouses and kids under 18 are insured.
    • It was suggested that club e-mails should only be sent on certain day, example Sunday mornings.
      • It will be done as suggested for regular correspondence.
      • Any urgent or time dependent information will be sent at any time depending on the circumstances.
    • Discussions of moving the AGM back to down town.
      • Explained as too expensive and the present site is halfway between the range and south and east Bathurst.
  10. 14:50 ELECTIONS
    • The present board re-offered for another 2 years.
    • Hugh Alexander challenged for the position 2nd vice president.
      • There was a heated discussion about the language policy of the club for executive positions, mainly stating New Brunswick is officially bilingual and therefore members should be served in the language of their choice.
      • The room was rented only till 3pm (our mistake will be rented for the full afternoon in the future) so it had to be cut short.
      • We will re-visit the issue next year.
      • Hugh Alexander was allowed to challenge Ron Chamberlain for 2nd VP position.
      • Vote was show of hands, 7 votes for Hugh Alexander and 11 votes for Ron Chamberlain.
      • Ron Chamberlain re-elected as 2nd
    • VP BOARD (term 2024-2025) of DIRECTORS remain: President Sylvain Richer
      1st Vice-President Marco Scichilone
      2nd Vice-President Ronald Chamberlain
      Secretary/Treasurer Claude E. Chiasson
    • To Note: On a motion by Hugh Alexander, the present members of the club voted to approve a free life time club membership to the secretary treasurer.
      • All were in favour.
      • Secretary’s Note: On hindsight, I was caught off guard by the offer. I appreciate the thought but will decline the life time membership. I don’t agree with free lifetime memberships.
  11. 15:05 MEETING ADJOURNED