The Chairman of the BFTA invites anyone with any sensible query regarding the constitution and Byelaws to contact him directly. He is willing to discuss them with anyone. You can download a copy of the Bye Laws in MS Word format by clicking here <Download> should you need the file in any other format then please e-mail the web manager.
BRITISH FIELD TARGET ASSOCIATION
Byelaws of the British Field Target Association
1. General
1.1 Definitions.
1) Words denoting the masculine gender are taken to include the feminine gender.
2) “The Association” means the British Field Target Association.
3) Unless stated otherwise, “member” means a current full member i.e. a National or Regional Association.
1.2 The byelaws of the Association shall have the same force and effect as though they were part of the constitution. Where there is an unintended conflict between these Byelaws and the Constitution, then the Constitution shall prevail.
1.3 All member bodies shall be provided with a copy of the constitution and byelaws and any amendments pertaining thereto. In accepting membership of the Association members confirm acceptance of the constitution and byelaws and will be bound by them.
1.4 The Association shall –
a. encourage the formation of air gun clubs and regional associations
b. standardise competition and safety rules for the sport of field target shooting. Competition rules may only be changed annually.
c. advise on all matters relating to competitive field target shooting.
1.5 The Association shall provide, as a minimum, the following –
a. an insurance scheme, providing it remains legal, practical and financially viable.
b. a grading scheme
c. restriction of entry to certain events to holders of current registration cards
1.6 The Association may affiliate to any body where, in the opinion of the Management Committee, such affiliation would be in the best interests of the Association.
1.7 Notwithstanding any provision hereof every member, visitor or guest shall be bound by any rules or regulations of any official governing body to which the Association is at any time affiliated, and by all relevant statutes or other instruments of law which may be in force. The Association and the members of the Management Committee shall not be liable in respect of any loss or damage arising as a result of any breach or non-observance thereof by any member, visitor or guest.
2. Membership of the Association
2.1. All application or recommendations of national/regional bodies for membership of the Association must be made to the secretary, who shall be responsible for taking the steps necessary to process them.
2.2 Upon receipt of an application for election to any class of membership the Secretary shall circulate the application to the members of the Management Committee for their approval.
2.3 On a vote on any application for membership a simple majority of those present and eligible to vote shall constitute acceptance
2.4 Upon acceptance of their application the applicant is liable to pay the annual subscription appropriate to the class of membership to which they have been elected.
2.5 The national and regional associations currently recognised by the Association are;
Scotland – represented by its national governing body the Scottish Air Rifle & Pistol Association [SARPA]
Wales – represented by its national governing body the Welsh Airgun & Field Target Association [WAFTA]
The South West of England Field Target Association [SWEFTA]
The Central Southern Field Target Association [CSFTA]
The South East Field Target Association [SEFTA]
The Fenlands Field Target Association [FFTA]
The Midlands Field Target Association [MFTA]
The North West Field Target Association [NWFTA]
The North East Field Target association [NEFTA]
3. Registered Members
3.1 For administrative, grading and insurance purposes the Association will only recognise those holding a current registration card as being members of regional affiliated clubs.
3.2 Membership subscriptions are due on 1st April annually.
3.3 Annual registration fees for all members (except honorary vice presidents) shall be fixed by the member bodies at the annual general meeting.
3.4 All applications for registration with the Association must be made to the Grading and Registrations Officer, who shall be responsible for taking the steps necessary to process them.
3.5 Upon payment of the relevant fee the Grading and Registration Officer shall issue a registration membership card and enter the applicant’s name in the Register of the Association. The period of membership shall begin from the date of such entry in the Register until the 31st March following.
3.6 The Management Committee has an absolute discretion to allow a person whose registration has lapsed as a result of non-payment of fee to be reinstated upon payment of the relevant fee and of any other sums which may be due and owing to the Association by the person concerned. The Management Committee may require a person whose membership has lapsed to re-apply for membership.
3.7 Any member whose registration is terminated voluntarily or under Clause 9.12 of these byelaws shall not be entitled to any refund of registration fee or other charges which may have been paid, and will remain liable for any fees or charges which may at the date of termination be due and owing to the Association.
3.8 Any member shall immediately notify the Secretary if his authority or suitability to own, use or be in possession of any firearm or ammunition is or may be affected by any event or change in his circumstances.
4. Administration of the Association
4.1 The President and Vice-Presidents shall not be ex officio members of the Management Committee but are free to stand for election to that Committee providing they are paid-up members of an affiliated Club.
4.2 All correspondence for the Association shall be handed to the Secretary. No member except the Secretary may enter into or answer any correspondence on behalf of the Association without the express authority of the Chairman, the Secretary or the Management Committee.
4.3 In the event of any dispute over voting rights the Secretary or in his absence the Chairman of the meeting, shall determine who is entitled to vote at any Committee meeting, annual general meeting or extraordinary general meeting.
4.4 A list of all registered members past and present shall be kept by the Grading Officer and any member, subject to giving reasonable written notice to the Grading Officer may inspect his personal record.
4.5 The Treasurer shall maintain the general accounts and ledger books of the Association and shall receive all monies paid by, or given to any member which is for the benefit of the Association.
4.6 Any member receiving any money on behalf of the Association must as soon as possible pass the same to the Treasurer.
4.7 The Association’s financial year end date shall be 31st October.
4.8 Any registered member standing for election as an officer of the Association or member of the Committee must be proposed by two voting members of the Management Committee and must give to the Secretary not less than two days before the relevant meeting his consent to stand for election.
4.9 The business of the annual general meeting shall be:-
a. Apologies for absence.
b. Approval of the minutes of the last meeting.
c. Matters Arising from those Minutes.
d. General reports covering the preceding year and the present state of the Association and its members.
e. Presentation and acceptance of the accounts for the preceding financial year.
d. Appointment of auditors.
f. Fixing fees and subscriptions for the coming year.
g. Election or re-election of President.
h. Confirmation of Honorary Vice-Presidents.
i. Election of Chairman.
j. Election of Secretary.
k. Election of Treasurer.
l. Appointment of Co-opted Officers, currently to include –
(i) Competition Manager,
(ii) Development Manager,
(iii) Grading and Registration Manager
(iv) Trade Liaison Officer
(v) ……….
m. Consideration of any recommendations by the outgoing Management Committee for changes to the constitution.
n. Consideration of any item(s) of business notified in writing to the Secretary by any member body not later than 35 days before the date of the annual general meeting.
o. Any other business at the sole discretion of the Chairman of the meeting. Any matter discussed under “any other business” may only be for consideration or recommendation and must be ratified at a future meeting of the new Management Committee, or (where necessary) at a future annual general meeting or extraordinary general meeting.
4.10 Any Registered member of not less than nine months standing may stand for election as an officer of the Association, if proposed and seconded by at least two other member bodies at an annual or extraordinary general meeting. One voting member per national/regional body will be appointed to the Management Committee
4.11 A member of the Management Committee may be removed from office by a motion supported by at least two-thirds of those present and voting at an extraordinary general meeting.
5. Management Committee
5.1 The Secretary shall give to all Committee members at least 28 days’ notice of each meeting (other than an EGM) of the Management Committee, such notice to be in writing.
5.2. The Secretary shall agree the agenda of each Management Committee meeting with the Chairman not less than 31 days prior to the meeting. The agenda for the meeting shall be distributed to the members of the Committee not less than 28 days before the meeting.
5.3 The business at Management Committee meetings shall be:-
a. Apologies for absence.
b. Approval of the minutes of the last meeting.
c. Matters arising from those minutes.
d. Specific items placed on the agenda for consideration, recommendation or ratification.
e. Any other business at the discretion of the Chairman of the meeting.
Any matter discussed under “any other business” may only be for consideration or recommendation and must be ratified at a future Management Committee meeting or at a general meeting.
5.4 Any registered member may apply to address a meeting of the Management Committee in person upon written application to the Secretary. The Committee shall hear the member at its next meeting provided that the application is agreed and is received by the Secretary at least 14 days prior to that meeting.
5.5 Any registered member may make written representations to the Management Committee upon any matter relevant to the management of the Association. Such representations shall be addressed to the Secretary who will place them before the Management Committee at its next meeting. Such representations must be received by the Secretary at least 14 days prior to the meeting at which they are to be considered.
5.6 All elected Officers may incur liabilities or a maximum of £100 and pay any accounts authorised by the Management committee on behalf of the Association.
5.7 The members of the Committee are hereby indemnified by the Association in respect of:
a. any liability reasonably and properly incurred by them on behalf of the Association; and
b. all claims which may be made against them as a result of any death, injury, disability or damage to property arising from the Association’s activities on the Association’s property or on any other property or elsewhere, claims brought under Occupiers’ Liability legislation and claims in nuisance.
5.8 The Management Committee shall ensure that the Association has the benefit of appropriate and adequate insurance in respect of all relevant risks.
5.9 The Management Committee may recommend by way of a resolution for consideration and ratification at an annual general meeting, or at a special general meeting called for that specific purpose, changes to Registration fees, competition fees, any other Association charges levied upon its members or upon other users of its facilities.
5.10 Any Management Committee voting member who is unable to attend a Committee meeting shall be entitled to nominate a replacement so long as the nomination is confirmed in writing to the Secretary prior to the commencement of the relevant meeting.
5.11 In accordance with clause 10.4 of the constitution, The Management Committee may add, amend or delete any clause contained within these byelaws. Any such change must be supported by a majority of the Management Committee. Any proposal for such addition, amendment or deletion shall be published to the Association membership by a notice distributed to the member bodies not less than 28 days immediately preceding the date of the meeting at which the proposal will be considered.
5.12 All members shall be deemed to have been notified of any addition to, amendment of or deletion from these byelaws, or of any other matter over which the Management Committee has jurisdiction once a written notice thereof, signed by the Chairman or in his absence by the Secretary is distributed to the member bodies.
6. Conduct of Association Activities
6.1 The Competition Manager may request any suitably qualified member of the Association to act as a Range Marshal.
6.2 One or more range logbooks shall be kept by the Association for the purposes of recording:
a. the names and periods of duty of the Range Marshals supervising shooting on the Association’s ranges;
b. the names of all persons shooting on the Association’s range(s);
c. any infringement of the Association’s Safety Rules;
d. any other information which the Management Committee may require.
6.3 All visitors and guests must sign the range logbook and pay the visitor’s fee and range fee if they shoot on the Association’s range(s).
6.4 No person under the age of legal requirement shall have access to the range unless he is at all times under the supervision of a parent or guardian, or of a member (over 21 years of age) appointed by his parent or guardian to supervise him.
6.5 All registered members, visitors and guests using the association’s ranges are to conduct themselves in a dignified manner on the range and show due courtesy to other users of the range.
6.6 Every attendee shall ensure that he leaves the site clean and tidy.
6.7 Conversation in the firing point area shall be conducted in a quiet and subdued manner which does not distract shooters on the firing point.
6.8 No animal shall be allowed on to any part of the Association’s site unless it is at all times under the control of its owner.
6.9 The Range Marshal on duty, or any member of the Management Committee may insist upon the immediate removal from any part of the Association site of any child or domestic animal that is causing a disturbance which may distract shooters on the firing point.
7. Safety
7.1 The Association has adopted Safety Rules, as per appendix A .
7.2 The Safety Rules shall be displayed on the Association website, and at each of the Association’s events.
7.3 Every person attending the Association’s events must at all times abide by the Safety Rules.
8. Range Marshals
8.1 The Chief Marshal on duty is authorised to act as the Management Committee’s representative on the range when shooting is in progress.
8.2. The Chief Marshal on duty shall ensure that all shooting is conducted in accordance with:
a. the Range Orders and conditions laid down in the relevant rules applicable to the event,
b. conditions laid down by the landlord of the range,
c. the Association’s Safety Rules,
d. requirements laid down under “Conduct of Association Activities” in these byelaws.
8.3 The Chief Marshal is entitled to refuse permission for any person to use the ranges outside the range times fixed by the Management Committee.
8.4 The Chief Marshal is responsible for maintaining the range logbook throughout his duty period.
8.5 The Chief Marshal is entitled to refuse permission for any person to shoot on the ranges if he has reason to believe that they are not in a fit condition to do so.
8.6 The Chief Marshal on duty is responsible for opening the range before shooting begins, and for ensuring that the range is in a safe condition for shooting to take place.
8.7 When shooting has finished the chief Marshal is responsible for ensuring that the range is left in accordance with any requirements laid down by the Management Committee.
8.8 Line Marshals’ periods of duty shall be set out in a rota drawn up by the chief Marshal and posted on the event notice board, or as decided by any member of the Management Committee who is present.
8.9 If a Line Marshal is unable to be present on the range during the whole or part of his duty period he is responsible for arranging for a suitably qualified person to act as Line Marshal in his absence.
9. Disciplinary Matters
9.1 It is the responsibility of all members to inform the Management Committee of any conduct on the Association site by any person, whether or not they are a registered member of the Association, that is illegal, unsafe, dishonest, discreditable, un-gentlemanly or contrary to the conditions of the Associations rules.
9.2 Such reports must be made to the Secretary, or if he is not available, to the Chairman or Treasurer, at the earliest opportunity.
9.3 If the incident is such that the Police Firearms Department should be notified of it, it is the duty of the Secretary (Chairman or Treasurer) to give such notice within 24 hours of receiving the report. This step shall be taken in addition to any disciplinary action against the accused person as provided for below.
9.4 The Secretary (Chairman or Treasurer) shall convene a meeting of three members of the Management Committee, to sit as a Sub-Committee to consider the matter not later than 14 days after notification of the incident.
9.5 The Secretary (Chairman or Treasurer) shall in the intervening period obtain statements in writing from both the accused and the accuser, and if necessary from any witness(s), and will lay those statements before the Sub-Committee when it meets.
9.6 The Sub-Committee, having examined the evidence, may decide:
a. That there is no case to answer in which case the accuser and accused will be informed by the Secretary that the matter is closed, or
b. That there is a case to answer in which case the matter shall be the subject of a disciplinary hearing.
9.7 If there is a case to answer a Disciplinary Committee comprising three alternative members of the Management Committee shall conduct the disciplinary hearing within 28 days of the meeting held under 9.4 above.
9.8 At the disciplinary hearing all parties to the incident may attend in person, and the accused may have with him a friend or advisor. If the accused does not attend he shall be entitled to receive a copy of the record of the hearing within 7 days of it taking place, or within 3 days of requesting the same, whichever is later.
9.9 The Disciplinary Committee will consider all written evidence as well as oral submissions when reaching their decision.
9.10 The Disciplinary Committee shall first decide whether the allegation has been proved or not.
9.11 If it decides that the allegation has not been proved it shall declare formally that the matter is closed. The accused shall be entitled to ask for notice to that effect to be given to members, and if he does so such notice must be given within seven days of the decision being made.
9.12 If it decides that the allegation has been proved, the Disciplinary Committee may impose one or more of the following penalties:
a. A verbal warning.
b. A written reprimand.
c. Suspension of the right to use the Association’s ranges for a fixed period of time.
d. Suspension of the right to use any of the Association’s facilities for a fixed period of time.
e. Suspension of all membership rights for a fixed period of time.
f. Immediate termination of membership of the Association, or in the case of a non-member of the right to make use of any of the Association’s facilities.
9.13 If it finds that the allegation has been proved the Disciplinary Committee must decide whether the circumstances are such that the matter should be reported to any other national governing body, which may consider whether further disciplinary action should be taken. If the Disciplinary Committee decides that the matter should be so reported the Secretary shall make the report within 7 days of the Disciplinary Committee’s decision.
9.14 All proceedings of the Sub-Committee under 9.4 and 9.6 above, and of the Disciplinary Committee, shall be fully minuted, and copies of the minutes shall accompany any report to any other national governing body.
9.15 Any person who disputes any decision, whether as to liability or penalty, by the Disciplinary Committee may appeal against that decision by serving upon the Secretary within 7 days a notice of appeal.
9.16 Upon receipt of such a notice of appeal the Secretary will invoke the procedure set out in the constitution and/or byelaws for the purposes of calling a special general meeting of the members of the Association to hear the appeal.
9.17 The appeal shall take the form of a re-hearing, so the meeting shall not be entitled to enquire into the manner in which the Disciplinary Committee reached its decision.
9.18 On the hearing of the appeal by the extraordinary general meeting the provisions of clauses 9.8 to 9.14 inclusive shall apply.
9.19 All decisions on disciplinary matters by the initial Sub-Committee, the Disciplinary Committee and the members in extraordinary general meeting shall be reached by means of a vote by those attending and eligible to vote. A simple majority will decide the issue and if necessary the Chairman shall have a second or casting vote.
9.20 The person who is the subject of the disciplinary action shall not be entitled to vote on any aspect of the disciplinary action against him.
9.21 When any penalty is imposed on a member by a Disciplinary Committee, or at an extraordinary general meeting, or by any other national governing body, the Secretary shall post to the member bodies a notice setting out the precise nature and terms of the penalty.
9.22 The Management Committee shall report to each annual general meeting any penalty imposed on any person as a result of disciplinary action by the Association or by any other national governing body since the last annual general meeting.
10. Definitions & Miscellaneous
10.1 Guest
A person who visits the Association’s events by invitation of the Management Committee or a registered member of the Association.
10.2 Chief Marshal
The person appointed by the event organisers to hold ultimate responsibility for, and control of, the event.
10.3 Line Marshal
A person appointed by the Chief Marshal who will assume responsibility for all safety aspects, and administration of, the firing line.
10.4 Honorary Vice-President
An Honorary Vice President (HVP) is a past member of the Management Committee who in recognition of services provided over many years has been voted into this position and has the right to attend and speak at any Committee Meeting. To retain this position the HVP must attend at least one meeting per year.
The current HVPs are –
Alan Forrest
Mike Tawn
David Monck
Gary Cane
…………
10.5 Visitor -
- Shooting
A person who is not a registered member of the Association, but who is a full member of another association, and who visits the Association’s sites at the invitation of at least one member of the Management Committee. A Visitor may shoot on the Association’s sites provided that on each occasion he:
a. produces proof of membership of another recognised association, and confirms his eligibility to shoot by entering his name, address and/or other association name in the event’s register of visitors, such entry to be counter-signed by the Chief Marshal, and
b. pays the required fees.
- Non-shooting
A person who attends the event (defined site area) without the intention of shooting.
Appendix A – Safety Rules
Always treat your gun as loaded while not at the firing line.
Carry your gun muzzle down at all times.
Remove the magazine between lanes if it's a multi-shot only.
Load only one pellet if it's a fixed magazine system.
Never cross any firing line without first calling a ceasefire.
Horn and whistle signals
One blast means stop shooting.
Two blasts means all clear (continue shooting).
On hearing one blast, discharge your rifle into the ground at a safe distance across the firing line, if it's loaded, and stop shooting.
Don't look through the scope or sight the gun.
Never rest the muzzle on your foot.
Never discharge your rifle anywhere that is not a designated shooting area.
Never look through your scope anywhere but over a firing line.
Shooting
All guns must be pointing down range while you're loading.
If you have difficulty rising from a sitting or prone position, either put your rifle on the floor or your beanbag, or ask a fellow shooter to help by taking your rifle. Do not swing your gun around in the air. |
