Welcome to the Caithness Small-Bore Rifle Association
Welcome to the Caithness Small-Bore Rifle Association website, which has been set up to promote small-bore rifle shooting around the county of Caithness. This website is currently under development but feel free to look around.
Formation of the county association is best described from the following newspaper extracts.
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Extract from the John O’Groat Journal dated the 22nd August 1924
Miniature Rifle Club
Caithness County Association Formed
A meeting took place in the Commercial Hotel, Wick, to which all the secretaries of Rifle Clubs affiliated to the Society of Miniature Rifle Clubs had been invited, and at which there was a good representation present. The purpose of the meeting was to form a County Association. Rev. W. Robertson, secretary of the Olrig Club, was invited to be chairman of the meeting.
Major David Bain, C.B.E., a member of the council of the S.M.R.C., represented that Society and gave an interesting statement of the advantages to be derived by all the clubs in a county forming themselves into a County Association – advantages in the way of the greater enthusiasm which would be given to shooting thereby, grants from the S.M.R.C., cheaper ammunition and equipment, a common range for county meetings and competitions, etc.
It was unanimously decided to form an Association to organise and promote shooting, with an executive committee consisting of the secretaries of all the existing clubs and clubs to be formed in the county. It was decided to invite the Duke of Portland to become Patron of the Association, Lord Horne to become president. Rev. W. Robertson Hon. Secretary, and Major D.B. Keith treasurer.
It is to be desired that the Association may receive goodwill and support in the county, that the splendid recreation of rifle shooting may be stimulated, that clubs may be started in every parish in the county, and that the best shots may be encouraged to go forth and win honours for their parish and county in national competitions.
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Extract from the John O’Groat Journal dated the 6th November 1925
Miniature Rifle Clubs
County Association
A representative meeting of the County Association of Miniature Rifle Clubs was held in the Carnegie Library Buildings, Wick, on Saturday, when General Lord Horne of Stirkoke, president of the Association, was present, and delivered a very interesting address on the benefits to be derived from rifle shooting. Lord Horne also intimated that he would present the Association with a cup or some other trophy for competition, the conditions to be decided by the association.
After Lord Horne had addressed the meeting, the Rev. John Lamb, M.A., Halkirk, was called to the chair, and Major D. Manson, Thurso, hon. secretary of the Association, read the minutes of the last meeting, which were approved.
The arrangements provisionally agreed on at that meeting in connection with the competition for the Bain Challenge Shield, which was presented last year to the Association by Major Bain, a director of the Society of Miniature Rifle Clubs, London, and a native of the county, were confirmed.
The conditions as agreed to were that the shield to be open for competition to any miniature rifle club in the county affiliated to the S.M.R.C., each club competing to put forward a team of 12 to shoot, the 10 highest scores to count. Each club to shoot at their own indoor range, 10 rounds each at the S.M.R.C. 5 “Bull” match target. A referee from a neighbouring club to attend each competition as “witness”, and to have charge of the targets, the competition to consist of Five monthly matches during the indoor shooting season.
It was also agreed that a shoulder-to-shoulder competition to be held at a central range during the summer, when a competition could be held at 25, 50, and 100 yards for prizes.
A motion that the Pentland Rifle Club be restricted to entering a team for the competition from one of its district branches, the team to consist of members of that particular branch only, was proposed by Mr Campbell, Castletown, and seconded by Mr Wm. Finlayson, Mey.
An amendment was proposed by Mr Geo. Green, John O’Groats, and seconded by Mr John Dunnet, Killimster, that being affiliated to the S.M.R.C. the Pentland Rifle Club was entitled to enter a team for the competition, and not be restricted to selecting a team from a district branch, which could not be representative of the club.
The motion was supported by Messers Budge, Keiss; Black, Watten, and Dundas, Westfield, and became the finding of the meeting, the amendment being supported only by the chairman and Mr Dunnet, Bower. It was also agreed that the competition should begin in the last week of November.
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Extract from the Northern Ensign dated the 11th November 1925
Caithness Miniature Rifle Association
Address by Lord Horne
A meeting of the Caithness Miniature Rifle Association was held at Wick on Saturday week. Lord Horne, president, was in the chair.
The chairman, in an address, strongly advocated the formation of Rifle Clubs in the county, not from a military sense but as a source of development of the eye and mind of our young men. Lord Horne also expressed himself as much in favour of completing arrangements for matches throughout the county and indicated hit intension of presenting a trophy for competition.
Major Don. Manson, Thurso, accepted the office of hon. secretary of the association for a year, and was cordially thanked.
It was reported that there were now fifteen Rifle Clubs in the county affiliated with the Society of Miniature Rifle Clubs and that three more were in course of formation. Arrangements are being made for the formation of a County League to compete for a challenge shield presented by Major Bain, London, a native of Reay.
On the motion of Rev. John Lamb, Halkirk, a cordial vote of thanks was awarded Lord Horne for his address and for presiding.
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Formation of the county association is best described from the following newspaper extracts.
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Extract from the John O’Groat Journal dated the 22nd August 1924
Miniature Rifle Club
Caithness County Association Formed
A meeting took place in the Commercial Hotel, Wick, to which all the secretaries of Rifle Clubs affiliated to the Society of Miniature Rifle Clubs had been invited, and at which there was a good representation present. The purpose of the meeting was to form a County Association. Rev. W. Robertson, secretary of the Olrig Club, was invited to be chairman of the meeting.
Major David Bain, C.B.E., a member of the council of the S.M.R.C., represented that Society and gave an interesting statement of the advantages to be derived by all the clubs in a county forming themselves into a County Association – advantages in the way of the greater enthusiasm which would be given to shooting thereby, grants from the S.M.R.C., cheaper ammunition and equipment, a common range for county meetings and competitions, etc.
It was unanimously decided to form an Association to organise and promote shooting, with an executive committee consisting of the secretaries of all the existing clubs and clubs to be formed in the county. It was decided to invite the Duke of Portland to become Patron of the Association, Lord Horne to become president. Rev. W. Robertson Hon. Secretary, and Major D.B. Keith treasurer.
It is to be desired that the Association may receive goodwill and support in the county, that the splendid recreation of rifle shooting may be stimulated, that clubs may be started in every parish in the county, and that the best shots may be encouraged to go forth and win honours for their parish and county in national competitions.
________________________________________________________________________________
Extract from the John O’Groat Journal dated the 6th November 1925
Miniature Rifle Clubs
County Association
A representative meeting of the County Association of Miniature Rifle Clubs was held in the Carnegie Library Buildings, Wick, on Saturday, when General Lord Horne of Stirkoke, president of the Association, was present, and delivered a very interesting address on the benefits to be derived from rifle shooting. Lord Horne also intimated that he would present the Association with a cup or some other trophy for competition, the conditions to be decided by the association.
After Lord Horne had addressed the meeting, the Rev. John Lamb, M.A., Halkirk, was called to the chair, and Major D. Manson, Thurso, hon. secretary of the Association, read the minutes of the last meeting, which were approved.
The arrangements provisionally agreed on at that meeting in connection with the competition for the Bain Challenge Shield, which was presented last year to the Association by Major Bain, a director of the Society of Miniature Rifle Clubs, London, and a native of the county, were confirmed.
The conditions as agreed to were that the shield to be open for competition to any miniature rifle club in the county affiliated to the S.M.R.C., each club competing to put forward a team of 12 to shoot, the 10 highest scores to count. Each club to shoot at their own indoor range, 10 rounds each at the S.M.R.C. 5 “Bull” match target. A referee from a neighbouring club to attend each competition as “witness”, and to have charge of the targets, the competition to consist of Five monthly matches during the indoor shooting season.
It was also agreed that a shoulder-to-shoulder competition to be held at a central range during the summer, when a competition could be held at 25, 50, and 100 yards for prizes.
A motion that the Pentland Rifle Club be restricted to entering a team for the competition from one of its district branches, the team to consist of members of that particular branch only, was proposed by Mr Campbell, Castletown, and seconded by Mr Wm. Finlayson, Mey.
An amendment was proposed by Mr Geo. Green, John O’Groats, and seconded by Mr John Dunnet, Killimster, that being affiliated to the S.M.R.C. the Pentland Rifle Club was entitled to enter a team for the competition, and not be restricted to selecting a team from a district branch, which could not be representative of the club.
The motion was supported by Messers Budge, Keiss; Black, Watten, and Dundas, Westfield, and became the finding of the meeting, the amendment being supported only by the chairman and Mr Dunnet, Bower. It was also agreed that the competition should begin in the last week of November.
__________________________________________________________________________________________
Extract from the Northern Ensign dated the 11th November 1925
Caithness Miniature Rifle Association
Address by Lord Horne
A meeting of the Caithness Miniature Rifle Association was held at Wick on Saturday week. Lord Horne, president, was in the chair.
The chairman, in an address, strongly advocated the formation of Rifle Clubs in the county, not from a military sense but as a source of development of the eye and mind of our young men. Lord Horne also expressed himself as much in favour of completing arrangements for matches throughout the county and indicated hit intension of presenting a trophy for competition.
Major Don. Manson, Thurso, accepted the office of hon. secretary of the association for a year, and was cordially thanked.
It was reported that there were now fifteen Rifle Clubs in the county affiliated with the Society of Miniature Rifle Clubs and that three more were in course of formation. Arrangements are being made for the formation of a County League to compete for a challenge shield presented by Major Bain, London, a native of Reay.
On the motion of Rev. John Lamb, Halkirk, a cordial vote of thanks was awarded Lord Horne for his address and for presiding.
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