Important information to members regarding
individuals who have not renewed for 2010

IF you have not renewed your CHAS membership yet for 2010, please note that if you would still like to do so you must attend a monthly CHAS membership meeting to renew your membership and receive your new photo ID card. Stickers are no longer issued, and 2009 or older cards are no longer valid. Our local business partners may accept renewal membership forms, but can no longer automatically renew memberships or provide new or replacement membership cards.

Since the beginning the new card process in January, we have set up on more than 30 occasions at a wide variety of locations and times for at least two hours at time at each location to provide CHAS members ample opportunity to renew for 2010. A total of more than 111 hours of VOLUNTEER time was put into this effort to make the renewal process as painless, accessible and convenient as possible. These dates and times were all advertised well in advance at all the venues and in our newsletters. Thank you to everyone who helped out with this initiative, as well as to all members who have chosen to renew your CHAS memberships for 2010.

Recently we have heard from a few individuals who have failed to renew within the last three plus months despite this initiative. We have had the great majority of our members including three of our members currently serving with the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan successfully comply with our renewal process. If members on the other side of the globe who are working 14 hour days can manage to get this done, there is no excuse for lapsed local members to not have completed the renewal process prior to 31 March 2010.

IF you live outside the Edmonton area and cannot attend a monthly meeting, or you have a disability which precludes you from attending a monthly meeting, you can mail in the renewal form, range use agreement form, cheque or money order plus mail a photo or e-mail an electronic head and shoulders photo (i.e. jpeg) and we will process the renewal in as timely a manner as possible depending on volunteer availability to do so. Please note that you will not have membership privileges (including range access) until your membership is processed and you are issued a new photo ID card. Forms and our mailing address are on the CHAS web site at www.chas.ab.ca.

A note on new memberships
As of April 1, 2010, we have returned to the standard new member process as per the Bylaws of CHAS. As such, new members will no longer be granted instant membership or guaranteed membership approval.

As per the Bylaws:

• prospective new members must have a sponsor,
• the sponsor must be a current member in good standing of at least one full year,
• the prospective new member's application will be reviewed by the Board at the earliest Board meeting available after submission of the application,
• if the Board is in favour of the new applicant, membership will be granted and the membership card issued.
• at the Board's discretion, the prospective new member should be introduced at a general meeting on or prior to the date of submission of the application.

The CFO has been advised of our new photo ID cards and will no longer accept non-photo CHAS membership cards.

Old cards no longer valid
Old cards (2009 or previous years) are no longer acceptible on the range. If anyone is observed on the range premises NOT prominently wearing their current 2010 CHAS photo ID card, the offending range user should be asked to produce their current membership card. Should the offending range user be unable to do so, that person and any/all guests will be considered to be trespassing and will be asked to leave the range at once as well as reported to the CHAS executive.

It is not fair to our hundreds of members who have paid for 2010 memberships and have made the effort to renew in a timely manner to allow non-renewed members or non-members to access the range.

Have you signed up yet to participate in any of CHAS's great 2010 shooting events? If not, sign up today! We are pleased to announce the most comprehensive variety of organized shooting events that we have ever offered to members! Whether you want to participate in all these events or just try out a couple, whether you're a veteran shooter or new to the sport, we encourage you to have a look and sign up to participate.

Please note that we also need many volunteers to make these events happen, so would appreciate your assistance in helping us to make these events a success.

Spectators are also welcome, so if you would like to come just to watch the action please do so!

Please note that parts of the range will be closed during organized shooting events to facilitate these events.

Thursday May 20 to Sunday May 23:
Annual Long Range Team Shoot
Already almost sold out with 32 teams.

Saturday June 5:
2nd Annual Zombie Shoot
Contact Greg Trithart at greg.trithart@chas.ab.ca

Saturday June 19:
So You Think You Can Shoot
Contact Perry Tomik at soyouthinkyoucanshoot@yahoo.ca.

***Please note that an open event has been added to the So You Think You Can Shoot event***

Browning Representatives will be on hand at this shoot with several 2010 model shotguns to try out. Winchester has donated the ammunition. This will be held at the trap house and clays will be available to anyone who wants to try out the new shotguns.

Nikon Optics will also be attending. They will have a couple of spotting scopes set up for people wishing to view the event targets. Most likely they will also be bringing out a few scopes for people to try our. The rep will also be participating in the shoot.

Thursday 1 July 2010:
1st Annual CHAS Dominion Day Family Picnic & Fun Shoot

Open to all CHAS members, their families and guests. The Board is planning an entire day of old time activities and events. Time period of firearms and theme is 1880s to 1920s.
Contact any Board member or watch for more details.

Sunday July 25:
Pocket Pistol Shoot

Contact Paul McCormack at paul.mccormack@chas.ab.ca or Greg Trithart at greg.trithart@chas.ab.ca.

Sunday August 15:
2nd Annual Big Bore Dangerous Game Rifle Shoot

Contact Al Leander at al.leander@chas.ab.ca.

Sunday August 29:
2nd Annual Pre-1955 'Sniper' Shoot

Contact Darren Vath at darren.vath@chas.ab.ca or Greg Trithart at greg.trithart@chas.ab.ca.

Sunday September 12:
Harvest Shoot

details to follow

Saturday October 2:
"Elmer Keith" Big Bore Revolver Shoot

Contact Greg Trithart at greg.trithart@chas.ab.ca or Darren Vath at darren.vath@chas.ab.ca.

October 24:
'October Revolution' 7.62 x 39mm Rifle Shoot

Contact Greg Trithart at greg.trithart@chas.ab.ca.

Please plan to attend the 2010 Genesee Range clean-up to be held Sunday May 2, with the rain-out date being Sunday May 16. All CHAS members are asked to pitch in on this day to help your fellow members with clean-up and site maintenance. Many hands makes for light work. Bring tools and work gloves and plan to chip in a few hours to get our range back in shape for another year of shooting. Clean-up starts at 0800 until end of day.

There will be an itemized work schedule & tools/parts list ready in advance of the clean-up, so those attending will know what needs to be done and what needs to be brought to the range to do it.

Please note that the range is closed to shooting on this date.

For more information please contact Darren Vath at darren.vath@chas.ab.ca or any member of the CHAS Executive.

There will be a charity car show and poker run for the Wounded Warriors Fund at Garrison Edmonton on 15 May.

All proceeds will go towards wounded soldiers and their families. Attached is a copy of the poster and what the charity is about.

Show & Shine Information (PDF)
Wounded Soldier Backgrounder (PDF)

Leduc County issues fire ban

Please note that effective immediately, there is a complete fire ban in Leduc County. This means that until further notice, under no circumstances should there be any open fires at the Genesee Range, including using the burning barrels or the fire pit. Any smokers are also requested to refrain from discarding cigarette butts on site.

Effective 12:01 a.m. April 7, 2010, Leduc County issued this burning ban. All existing fire permits have been cancelled. This ban applies to all open burning, the use of burning barrels and the use of all wood and briquette fires for cooking and warmth purposes.

This Fire Ban does not apply to fires which are contained in cooking and heating appliances which are fuelled by liquid (propane, natural gas) fuel.

"This action has been taken due to the continuing dry and windy weather conditions which have contributed to an extremely hazardous environment," says Leduc County Fire Chief Bob Galloway.

This ban will be in effect until further notice.

Mark your calendar now to get your photo taken for new CHAS ID cards

Beginning in 2010, CHAS membership ID cards now include the member photo on the card and are being combined with the member range card.

To facilitate the addition of member photos to ID cards, we will be at a number of local businesses and shows over the next three months to allow all members ample opportunity to have their photos taken and to issue the new photo ID cards.

Please note the schedule of locations, dates and times below, and plan to stop by to have your photo taken and receive your new ID card.

• The photo and card printing process only takes three to five minutes per person.
• We will have membership forms on hand, and will be accepting cheques or exact cash for renewals and new memberships at these times. Please note that for 2010, membership fees have been raised to $80 per year in accordance with a membership vote at the Annual General Meeting held in November.
• Please do not arrive one or two minutes from the end time and expect to be accommodated, as some venues will be closing at the time listed.
• Please note that you do not need to rush for the first day to get this done, as we have provided a variety of dates and times over the next three months to facilitate this process. However, it is not advisable to wait until the last possible day to get this done.
• We only need to get your photo into the new card system once, so we should not need to repeat this process in 2011.
• After the last scheduled location, you will need to come to a regular monthly meeting, board meeting or official club event to get this done.
• We are also hoping to schedule times in businesses in Thorsby and Warburg, and will advise you when additional times are scheduled.

For those members who live too far out of town, reside out of province or have mobility challenges, please send an e-mail to CHAS president Paul McCormack at paul-mccormack@shaw.ca and Paul will work with you to secure a photo for your ID card.