Queens Badge Petition - Proposed Wording

[AlanF]

My "partners in crime" and I have agreed to go with the following wording. However we thought it best to see what the ozfclass.com membership thinks. If there are any changes that make sense and have good support, then we can change it before it goes "live". So what do you think?

To: National Rifle Association of Australia
We whose names are listed below, being members of NRAA Member Associations, respectfully request that you reverse the decision to stop awarding Queens badges to F Class shooters at Queens Prize meetings. As with Target Rifle shooters, many F Class shooters place a high value on competing for a Queens badge. Most Member Association and the National Queens have been awarding such badges for up to 10 years.

We think your decision indicates that you do not consider F Class shooters to be of equal worth to Target Rifle shooters, and we consider that to be insulting and discriminatory.

We understand that there is some concern that the NRA of GB has the power to remove the “Queens Prize” status entirely from all Australian shoots, and may do so if F Class shooters continue to receive Queens Prize badges. However, there has been no convincing evidence that they are likely to do this. Furthermore, in the unlikely event that they did threaten such action we would be disappointed if the NRAA was prepared to give in to such a threat by sacrificing F Class for the benefit of Target Rifle.

We want to emphasise that regardless of which discipline we shoot, we bear no malice towards the other over this issue, as there was apparently no broad consultation with shooters from any discipline. We are disappointed that the NRAA could allow such an old-fashioned and potentially divisive decision to occur when there has been so much effort to unify the disciplines in recent years.

Note that petition forms will be available for downloading and printing and we'll be asking you to help distribute and collect these from clubs, and send the names in by e-mail. The petition and all names collected to date will be displayed on ozfclass.com, and it will remain there and grow until the issue is resolved in a reasonable manner. The petition will never be sent to the NRAA, but will they and the S &Ts can be given its URL address.

[DannyS]

Alan, in your last line, you say that the petition won't be sent to the NRAA but that they will be given the URL. So what will be sent to them? Unless they receive an official complaint, they are unlikely to re-act.

I also think that members should be encouraged to email the NRAA and their respective State Associations. Maybe a proforma email could be written.

Cheers
Danny

[AlanF]

Danny,

Yes, I don't see why we couldn't send a copy of the current list (at the time of sending) to the NRAA, but we would want to emphasise that it is still growing - i.e. it won't go away until something is done.

Regarding e-mails, yes the web page for the petition form will also have a list of all S & T Associations and an encouragement for e-mails to be sent, although maybe best to leave it to the individual to compose, because they may want to express their own thoughts which may be different from the petition?

Alan

[Razer]

Could offer an option.
A petition from a complete club signed off on by the Captain/Secretary after a discussion in the clubhouse.

A petition from whole clubs would give added clout and also show that TR shooters in that club also support F Class equality.

Also, some clubs are, in the majority F Class, which should make it easy.

Any club that doesn't support the petition by majority vote could not exclude individual FC members from signing the above petition.

Likewise, if a TR member objected to the petition as signed off on by their club he/she could then start their own petition voicing their disapproval at F Class shooters getting an award of equal merit as themselves.

We, as State and Territory members, could request that the secretaries of said Organisations, send a copy of the petition to their respective clubs secretaries just to ensure everyone had a fair and equal opportunity to voice an opinion.

[DannyS]

Sounds good Alan. A lot of us travel interstate for Queens, so why don't we email all state associations.

Cheers
Danny

[bsouthernau]

Most Member Association and the National Queens have been awarding such badges for up to 10 years.

Just a minor typo - should read Member Associations

Other than that looks ok

[AlanF]

Ray,

Not sure about the club voting thing. I can say we'll definitely be encouraging TR shooters to read it, and if they agree, add their names. And another thing. With individual names the list would be much longer .

Alan

[AlanF]

Sounds good Alan. A lot of us travel interstate for Queens, so why don't we email all state associations.

Cheers
Danny

That's a good point, particularly for shooters who compete interstate often.

[AlanF]

So I take it most people are satisfied with the tone of the wording? We wanted to leave them in no doubt that we are unhappy with the decision, but thought more people would be prepared to put their name to it if the wording is respectful.

[Tim N]

Hi Alan,
Possibly change the wording of your last sentence from "an old-fashioned and potentially" to read
We are disappointed that the NRAA could allow such a divisive decision to occur ...
Hopefully this can be resolved, I'm sure the TR shooters who move to F class don't wish to feel they are "out of the club" by no longer being able to compete for a queens prize.
Maybe it's an Aussie thing but we don't suffer injustice very well.

[williada]

Tim you are absolutely correct. Australians know what a fair go means.

I'm not sure the word, "respectfully" is appropriate though, in a petition that is not sent to the NRAA when the word "disgusted" is applied to words spoken by the way. It would seem to a mediator, we are trying to act in the same manner as the NRAA by not communicating directly with them.

In another sense the word, "discriminatory" should be the focus for shooters who wish to seek a cheaper legal means of redress through the Equal Opportunity provisions of the Commonwealth, States and Territories. Many of our older and disabled shooters can still compete on an equal footing in Fclass.

Yes we do feel an injustice, but lets not forget who owns the rule book under which we shoot. So my feeling is that if NRAA in its wisdom does not sort this out, because the horse has bolted, then its entirely appropriate to question the validity of the rules from a perspective of statutory interpretation, custom and evolution in order to right the mischief.

My view is that we direct our attention to our associations where the power really lies, and as well determine the validity of decisions through alternative legal processes to prevent a situation where after the initial storm has passed and shooters are tired of debate they will accept what maybe a false technicality.