Junior Membership

Mission Statement for the Junior Section of the HBSA

There is, perhaps, no better way to describe the aspirations of the HBSA Junior Section than to quote Lord Reith, the BBC’s first Director General’s original guidelines for that organisation, which was to inform, educate and entertain.

In our terms that would translate into informing our Junior Members of the historical and heritage aspect of breech-loading firearms, educating them through our publications and lectures, and entertaining them through the responsible use of the shooting of our historic arms.

It is not the intention of the HBSA that the Junior Section will be open to “all-comers”, as membership can only be drawn from the families of existing members of the Association, our purpose being to pass on, educate and encourage the continuity of serious interest in historic arms for the younger generation.

 
 
HBSA Junior Section Mandate
(Amended 9th June 2021)
  1. HBSA Junior Section – role, purpose, objectives, philosophy, team etc
    1. The Junior Section exists to encourage young people to learn about and take an interest in historical breechloading smallarms.
    2. Junior Members will be encouraged to develop a safe and responsible attitude to firearms.
    3. The Junior Section will offer its members opportunities to handle and fire historical firearms with relevant training and close supervision.
    4. Junior Members will be encouraged to become adult full members.
    5. The Junior Section will be organised and administered by the Junior Section Development Officer (JSDO) appointed by Council, supported by other Full Members.
  2. HBSA Junior Membership – criteria, process how, rights, limitations
    1. Junior membership is open to any young person under 21 and in full time education whose parent or guardian is a current Full Member of the HBSA.
    2. In exceptional circumstances and solely at its discretion Council may permit another Full HBSA Member to be appointed by the parent or legal guardian as guardian of the child for the purposes of attending Junior Section events. This will require annual written permission addressed to the proposed guardian with copies to be provided to the HBSA as well as the NRA/NSC if shooting on an NRA/NSC range.
    3. Applicants for Junior Membership will not be required to be interviewed, but will not be eligible to cite Junior Membership as grounds for an application for a FAC.
    4. The application form may be downloaded from the HBSA website and, when completed, forwarded to the Membership Registrar at the association’s postal address with payment.
    5. On achieving their majority or before, Junior Members may apply for election to Full Membership, subject to the full membership application criteria.
    6. Junior Membership is non-voting.
    7. Junior members are encouraged to attend meetings and lectures.
    8. Junior Members may attend junior shoots supervised in accordance with the rules of shooting, and accompanied by their parent or guardian, or by an adult with parental authority.
    9. All junior members over the age of 14 (15 for shotguns) may shoot in HBSA practices and competitions if in possession of a current shooter’s certificate of competency (SCC) covering the types of firearms to be used and accompanied by their parent or guardian. Those without SCC may shoot while supervised by a parent or guardian whose has an SCC. Those 18 and over may attend unaccompanied.
  3. Permission to shoot at Bisley – why and how
    1. Children under 14 may only shoot at Bisley with the explicit permission of the NRA.
    2. The parent or guardian of a Junior Member under 14 should contact the NRA for explicit permission.
    3. This will typically include the calibre of firearm to be used and the type of action and the range on which it may be used.
    4. The parent of guardian should familiarise themselves with the NRA data privacy policy and give permission to the NRA to hold data about their child (under 18).
    5. Any Junior Member attending an HBSA shoot at Bisley must have sought NRA permission to do so on that day, and should copy that email request to junior.section@hbsa-uk.org as notification.
  4. Junior range practices – schedule, facilities, supervision, coaching, costs
    1. The JSDO will book range space for Junior shoots and arrange for adequate supervision and training personnel.
    2. The JSDO will arrange for suitable firearms and ammunition to be available at the shoot.
    3. The dates, times and location of Junior shoots will be published on the HBSA online calendar, and will be open to any Junior Member with current permission to shoot from the NRA if under 14.
  5. Range administration on the day – NRA permission, Range Register, shooting record
    1. For reasons of safeguarding and safety, at a Junior shoot the Junior Member if under 18 must be accompanied by an adult with parental authority.
    2. Both the Junior Member and accompanying adult must complete the HBSA Range Register in full.
    3. Range fees may be levied.
    4. Before shooting, the Junior Member’s parent or guardian must have copied the HBSA RCO with the NRA email that confirms their permission to shoot on that date.
    5. The shooters and adults accompanying them on the firing point will be under the control of the duty R.O. as in normal range practice. If the RCO deems a firearm unsuitable for a particular child to use the RCO’s authority shall prevail.
    6. Junior members shall not use long barrelled pistols or revolvers or section 1 (FAC) shotguns.
    7. Junior members shall not engage in rapid fire, except as part of an HBSA recognised course of fire.
    8. Only in support of Paragraphs 1.1 and 1.3 above, and from time to time, a Junior Member may be permitted to practice with a firearm that does not conform to HBSA Shooting Rules for firearm eligibility. This practice should be used to educate the Junior Member about the historical evolution of firearms design and general safe handling of firearms in line with paragraph 1.2