As members of the CNSCA you should know how YOUR money is being spent in order to understand what you get from the CNSCA.

Let’s start with the basics – what most of you probably know. The website.

It’s a central place for shooters to find out about places to shoot clays in Canada – recreational and “registered”.

Registered just means that those targets (your score) are being sent to the CNSCA to process and update shooter records – they count towards your rolling average and therefore your Class.

The website maintains a list of places in the Clubs section. We add to that list whenever anyone sends us a note about a new one so you should check there every now and again.

The Website also provides the online calendar of events across Canada of all types; fun, charity and registered.

The website also allows for online registration of events (which I ask that you all use for every registered shoot).

We also update the content as frequently as we can, given that all this website maintenance is being done by volunteers. The on-going work to collect scores and enter them into the system falls into this category.

Another thing you probably know but never really thought about … the day-to-day administration. I won’t bore you with the details but if you would like, the details are available on our yearly financial statement we make available at the AGM each year. There are International memberships with ICTSF and FITASC; and there is insurance for the association; and there are bank fees; and there are medals to purchase; and postage fees; and etc etc. Plus we sponsor various events such as ladies and juniors learn-to-shoot offerings.

Here’s a BIG ONE – one I’m not sure if you know. Did you know that half of all target fees collected and half of all annual renewals is sent to your provincial associations? That’s HUGE. The BCSCA in BC and the ASCA in AB and the SSCA in SK and the MSCA in MB. Half of all your “registered” costs go back to the provincial association that helped contribute to that pot in the first place. Those Provincial Associations can then direct that money to promoting the sport in their province.

The CNSCA works directly with the clubs hosting regional and national championships to promote the event and assists in finding sponsorship for the event. National Championships have always received sponsorship from the CNSCA and this year’s National Championship being held at the Lake Windermere Rod and Gun Club in Radium Hotsprings, BC over the Labour Day weekend will be no exception.

The CNSCA also publishes an annual booklet. This hard copy “Shoot Book” requires a lot of volunteer effort to continue to provide a signature piece. But it also comes with significant costs that the CNSCA does its best to manage. Many carry this book in their glove box and/or shoot bags each year. And some of us keep a copy of every booklet ever printed in a library. As much as we move to the digital world, I think this annual publication is worth its weight in gold.

I am sure that this news will be public knowledge by the time you read it. The CNSCA Board recently approved a motion to allocate up to $10,000 to send a team to compete, representing Canada, at the World FITASC Championship in 2020 to coincide with the CNSCA’s 10^th Anniversary. We don’t know at this point if we will be able to send a team to future World Championship Events – or if we will be able to establish an annual team. But hopefully, growth in the organization will produce growth in the financial capabilities of this association.

Hey, let’s get real, if we grow our shooter base enough, we would generate the revenue to be able to maintain sponsorship of a National team for International events. How cool would that be? You get to be part of that. And you could one day hope to BE ON that team. How cool is that?

I am sure I could come up with many more examples of value for the money you invest with the CNSCA as active members and even as occasional shooters that simply want to track their average.

But why bother. Read back up this list and say out loud which of the above examples you would like to stop seeing your CANADIAN money being spent on. And then think about how great it is to be a contributing part of the CNSCA.