With no one on the current Committee able to stand for the position of President the Committee will be suggesting at the AGM that anyone thinking about standing for the President’s position first put their name forward for the Committee so that they can get to see how the Committee works and what the role of President entails.
The AGM agenda including all motions and nominations for the
Management Committee and a Proxy Form was sent to all members on
16 October which is no less than 14 days before the 31 October AGM.
Letter to the Editor
I would urge members to choose wisely at the AGM when voting for members of the committee, and in particular for the position of Branch Representative. There has been an ongoing perception by some members in some branches that the position of Branch Representative is nothing more than a ‘perk’ job that gets assisted travel to attend auctions. Sadly, nothing could be further from the truth!
As one who has held this position in the past, I can assure members that the job involves a large amount of time behind the scenes dealing with the minutiae of running the large organisation that the NZAHAA has developed into over the last 65 years, one which not only serves the interests of its members at the highest level but in doing so has won the respect of the NZ Police and successive Governments.
Any person seeking the position of Branch Representative needs to possess not only the skills to negotiate with Police, leaders of Government Departments, Members of Parliament, and the News Media, but to do so in a calm, logical, and informed manner which brings credit to the Association. This takes a rare form of diplomacy to get our point across in a positive manner at a time when Firearms Owners are denigrated from all sides by biased and uninformed groups and individuals.
Whilst it is true that travel is paid to attend these events, the largesse does not extend to meals,
accommodation and various sundry expenses incurred by the representative, nor does it allow for the extra hours and days spent in meetings before the events, When a Branch Representative stands at a meeting and gives their report, please consider that this is merely the culmination of many hours (or days) spent on research, phone calls, emails, reports and seeking mandate from the Branch Committee.
All of the above requires a person with a sound knowledge of the constitution and guiding principles of the Association, a sound knowledge of the Firearms law, the ability to take time to travel outside of weekends, a respectful consideration of all views, and a proven ability to do the job in a professional manner. It is not a job for any person who does not have all these traits. Please choose wisely for your future depends on it!
In closing, please pass on to the outgoing committee my appreciation and congratulations for a
successful year.
Rod Woods
Canterbury Branch Life Member