TRA Annual General Meeting 2007
TECHNICAL COMMITTEE'S REPORT
This 200612007 Technical Committee Annual Report will detail a solid year's work by the Committee with achievement of most goals and objectives. Development of officials at club level continued strongly again this year and there has been some progress to get formal ASC accreditation for Level 1 Officials through AISL. However, the most significant outcome this year is a revision of TRA Supplementary Rules.
As Technical Committee Chairman I thank all the members of the Technical Committee for their contributions this year, including contributions from Ron Maine in SA:
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NSW.. Paul Golden
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SA. Yvonne Hillan
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VIC: Lindsay Braybon
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QLD: jarrelle Rossiter.
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TAS: Pat Eddy
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WA.. Owen Oliver
OUTCOMES OF 2006/2007 BUSINESS PLAN
All objectives and performance indicators set for the last twelve months were achieved
MAINTAIN ACCURATE REGISTER OF ACCREDITED TRA RANGE OFFICIALS:
PRESENT DRAFT OF REVISED TRA AUSTRALIAN SUPPLEMENTARY RULES AT THE 2007 TRA AGM:
A fully revised draft of TRA Supplementary Rules is attached to this report as an appendix. In this revision all benchrest rules have been incorporated for the first time. Changes to the original prone rules have generally been relatively minor.
This revision included consideration of over two years of important feedback about the draft benchrest rules from a few individuals and from clubs in most states. Also included was consideration of rule changes contained in a submission to TRA by Tom Woodley, and by others indirectly or by way of articles published in the TRA magazine. Both Queensland and South Australia have embraced some of those changes by holding 'any sight matches". The Tech Committee agreed that what is needed is clear TRA Policy or widespread national support, like that found with benchrest, before any changes to this level is incorporated in Supplementary Rules.
As a preamble to the Appendix there is a list of brief descriptions of the main changes to the revised rules. For most of these changes a Committee consensus was achieved. There are three outstanding issues that will be reviewed by the Committee later and do not prevent the adoption of the Rules as presented. One of these issues is the proposed mandatory use of "breach flags" in rifles except when they are in use on the firing point. While a ready supply of suitable breach flags is not available some suggested very cheap alternatives are being investigation investigated. We intend to provide more details for next years meeting.
Two new rules included in this revision need to be specifically bought to Council's attention before endorsement of this 2007 version of the TRA Supplementary Rules.
The first, Rule A.4.3.2 introduces the benchrest practise of being able to 'return to sighters" at any time during the match. This is in direct contradiction to ISSF practice and would need careful enforcement.
The second, Rule A.6.6 prohibits the taking of mobile phones onto the firing point. Although many mobile phones can be used as a stopwatch they can also be used for inappropriate activities and the use of vibrating ring tone modes can be distracting to competitors in adjacent bays.
A 10% INCREASE IN THE NUMBER AISL LEVEL 1 ACCREDITED RANGE OFFICIALS:
This year NOP Level 1 courses were held for the first time in the ACT and NSW. But because some participants still have outstanding competency testing they are not included in the figures above. They will eventually make another solid increase in TRA's 62 trained NOP Level 1 Officials.
Sixteen TRA Range Officials will be sent questionnaires this year to renew their license for another four years. Then in June 2008 another 43 Officials will need to renew their licences. This larger than normal number due for renewal next year are mostly those who converted from a Provisional license in 2004.
Most License holders that expired in 2006 were re‑endorsed for another four‑year term. So our number of TRA Licensed Officials remains relatively static at 126. TRA licenses were expected to have been replaced by AISL NOP Level 2 or 3 Licenses by now. But it is reasonable to assume these AISL courses will not be available in the near future so a well overdue update of our TRA course may be needed.
AISL have a policy and process now to get ASC Accreditation for competent NOP Level 1 participants. AISL has also given tacit endorsement of all TRA NOP Level 1 Instructors who attended the VIS course. But there is currently an as yet unexplained issue with the Level 1 curriculum.
Despite AISL's issues with its Level 1 Course, our continued use of it for club level range official development is still an important aspect of the Risk Management strategies for our sport. So TRA should continue to seek ASC accreditation of those participants that corn~ plete the AISL Level 1 NOP course.
There has been no further development of AISL's NOP Level 2 Course this year. It is still unclear how this TRA Committee can contribute to AISLs efforts to scope its curriculum for a Level 2 Range Official Course or resolve the issues with its Level 1 curriculum. The report from Paul Golden, our delegate to AISL's Judges Committee, should detail their current activities.
NATIONAL RECORDS:
This year three claims for a National Record Score have been received. The first two are inaugural Open and junior 50m Benchrest records from the 2007 National Championships at Belmont in Brisbane ‑ and the third one is Dual Range (20 & 50m) Open Aggregate record from the South Australian State Championships.
All records are recommended for endorsement.
-50m Open Class 3 ‑Open Benchrest Target Rifle RonMaine 597
-.50m Junior Class 3 ‑Open Benchrest Target Rifle ClintonSondergeld 593
-Dual Range (20/50) Open and Men Aggregate Robert Howell (Vic) 1194
ISSF RULE CHANGES FOR 2005 ‑ 2008,
Since the November 2005 ISSF Rule Book Second Printing Edition there have been no significant changes to the current ISSF Rules.
Incorporated in the new TRA Supplementary Rules is Council's endorsement from last year for extended use of an ISSF Equipment Control Certification 'yellow card" issued to a competitor as per ISSF Rule 7.4.1.1. The new rule, A.5.2.2 endorses the use in TRA competitions of the ISSF Certificate as proof of compliance where clothing and equipment inspection is required to be done.
An additional rule A.5.2.3 has been included. It compliments; the previous new rule A.5.2.2 and empowers the Technical Committee to approve a person/s to issue an Australian version of the Equipment Control Certification card strictly in accordance with ISSF policy and procedures for use in all our competitions.
It is a recommendation of the Technical Committee that Council gives the Technical Committee authority to approve suitable person/s to issue Australian Equipment Control Certification cards.
ISSF JUDGES LICENCE ‑ RENEWALS:
Our AISL Judges Committee Delegate, Paul Golden will report on the current status of TRA's ISSF Judges.
TRA RANGE OFFICIALS INVOLVEMENT WITH ISSF SYDNEY WORLD CUP 2007:
It is appropriate in this report to recognise and thank the following TRA ISSF Licensed Officials for their valuable contribution to the successful conduct in May of the 2007 ISSF Sydney World Cup at SISC.
Dennis Claxton Competition Manager
Dorothy Maranik Competition Manager Rifle
Aado Maranik Chairman of Equipment Control Jury
Cheryl Knight Chief of Classification Office
Ray Girdlestore 10m Chief Range Officer
Glenn Braybon S0m Chief Range Officer
Cordon DeGroen Finals Chief Range Officer
Paul Golden Rifle Jury member
Thanks is also extended to at least another twenty five TRA members who helped ensure all matches ran well to a very tight schedule of events. They performed a range of voluntary range official and administrative support roles for the nearly two weeks of competition.
The disappointing management by AISL of most volunteer officials must be noted. Volunteers received little information from AISL organisers. Most people learnt of their role by being told unofficially by someone who had spoken to a member of the WC Organising Committee. If this treatment continues it will become more difficult for TRA to encourage development of competent volunteer Range Officials for future national and international
events. Unlike coaching of elite athletes, there is little likelihood that paid officials will be engaged by AISL anytime soon so keeping our volunteer officials active should be impor~ tant to both AISL and TRA.
NATIONAL RANKING EVENTS APPLICATION:
The quality of TRA Grand Prix ranking event applications by States improved this year. However, the level of interest by competitors attending TRA events has decreased since AISL introduced its ranking system policies and AUSCUPs used for international team selection.
A Technical Committee recommendation is that Council review the relevance of continuing to hold Grand Prix events for maintaining TRA ranking. This would help to reduce the level of involvement and/or commitment required by TRA volunteer Range Officials and administrators.
Further, for development of Range Officials, TRA should seek from AISL a policy andlor procedure for appointment of Range Officials for its sanctioned events, like AUSCUPS. just because AISL has booked a venue it does not necessarily infer availability of adequate numbers of range officials. If recent swapping of AISL competition venues is allowed to contin~ ue it is unrealistic for them to expect TRA, without adequate notice, to always be able to just as quickly provide an adequate level of volunteer resources.
2007 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TECHNICAL DELGATE REPORT:
Bob Marshall's Technical Delegate report for this year's National Championships at Belmont Range in Brisbane has been provided separately.
The only issue of significance arising from this report is a protest, dealt with during the first day of the Jim Smith. In an attempt to prevent a recurrence of this situation the revised Supplementary Rules includes a new rule A.6.5 Shots Per Target.
This new rule specifies the standard number of shots per target for each different format in use in Australian competitions. If any Organising Committee wants to run a competition that uses a different number of shots per target the rule includes four mandatory actions that need to be taken. If these actions are not done it may provide the competitor with some re‑course when penalised for not shooting the designated number of shots on each target.
TECHNICAL EQUIPMENT FOR ISSF COMPETITIONS:
With AISL's continued demands for TRA Officials to conduct ISSF level elite athlete events such as AUSCUPS it is incumbent on TRA that accurate equipment checking is done for all competitors. The purchase and maintenance of items by State bodies for use once or twice a year is difficult to justify.
If TRA is to provide support and development for volunteer Range Officials then the appro~ priate standard of equipment needs to be available for their use. The Technical Committee requests Council consider funding the purchase of a full set of equipment and clothes checking tools including a suitable travel box for their movement to competitions. This request includes possible replacement of gauges and Rika machine.
RECOMMENDATIONS
‑ Endorse the Technical Committee having authority to approve suitable person/s to issue an Australian Equipment Control Certification card as per new Rule A.5.2.3.
‑ Endorse all three claims for new National Record Scores as detailed above in this Report.
‑ Council review the relevance of continuing to hold Grand Prix events for maintaining TRA ranking.
‑ Endorse the inclusion of Rule A.4.3.2 in the Supplementary Rules, which allows benchrest competitors to return to sighters at any time during a match.
‑ Endorse the inclusion of Rule A.6.6 which prohibits the taking of mobile phones on to the firing point.
‑ Endorse the adoption of the revised TRA Supplementary Rules from 1 st January 2008, subject to inclusion of Rules A.4.3.2, A.5.2.3 and A.6.6.
2007/2008 TECHNICAL COMMITTEE BUSINESS PLAN
GOALS 2007/2008
‑ Increase the number of accredited Level 1 Range Officials
‑ To get all competent Level 1 Range Officials accredited in the ASC NOR
‑ To encourage every club to have an accredited range official.
‑ To review the 2007 version of TRA Australian Supplementary Rules.
‑ To promote the use of breach flags for improvement of range safety.
‑ Develop a strategy to start to get States using the TRA National Average Score.
‑ Assist AISL's NOP Level 1 course and develop a curriculum for NOP Level 2 Range Official Course.
OBJECTIVES 2007/2008
‑ Continue to cooperate with AISL's review of the Level 1 Range Officials course.
‑ Retain all currently licensed TRA Range Officials as active officials. To have 5% of TRA membership accredit as Level 1 Range Officials. Monitor ISSF Technical Committee research into proposed rule changes post 2008. Provide an affordable plan to justify mandatory introduction of breach flags. Begin to promote and gain support of Members for the National Average Score. Complete all other tasks as directed by Council or Management Meeting
KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS
‑ A 10% increase in the number AISL Level 1 accredited Range Officials.
‑ Maintain current number of Licensed TRA Range Officials in June 2008.
‑ Present a revised TRA Range Officials Course at the 2008 TRA AGM or
‑ Present a strategy for deployment of an AISL Level 2 Range Officials Course.
‑ Complete all tasks as set by Council or Management Committee.
This Business Plan is achievable without any significant level of funding unless there is support for the purchase of equipment checking tools. Also keenly sought is an opportunity to contribute to AISL activities with its resolution of Level 1 NOP issues and creation of a Level 2 Course. Finally our continued training and development of Range Officials relies heavily on Members and individual contributions from every member of this Committee.
On behalf of the Technical Committee I seek support of Council for this 2007/2008 Business Plan.