PRESIDENTS CORNER 

June 2020

Dear FSSA members,

Summer is upon us and we are quickly approaching our nation’s Independence Day commemoration.

I hope you all are well.  It’s been one heck of a past six months.  While there have been challenging times in the past, I can’t seem to think of a recent time when our way of life has been so impacted, so disrupted by such a variety of events.

It was disappointing to see the 2020 Summer Olympics get rescheduled to July 2021.  Florida had two of our junior shooters who were going to represent the USA in Tokyo.  The cancelling of the 2020 NRA and CMP National Championships, and the cancelling of USA Shooting State Junior Olympic matches and USAS matches impacted competitors throughout our state and across the country.  On a bit of good news, NRA, CMP and USAS have begun sanctioning tournaments again, with the directive to all match sponsors that local, state, and Federal COVID-19 restrictions be followed. 

I was further encouraged to see that many ranges did not shut down, and that the ranges that did shut down or reduce operations are open again to their members and others to enjoy shooting.  Florida continues to be a great state for hunting, recreational shooting, and competitive shooting.

During the past few months, your directors took time to thoroughly review the FSSA Bylaws.  We had tried on several past annual meetings to enact bylaw changes, but were unable to, due to not having a quorum of members present to vote on changes.  Our obligation to our members made it necessary to look at options to amend and update the bylaws.  To do that, your directors voted to make a change to the FSSA Articles of Incorporation, making it possible for either the Directors or a quorum of members to enact bylaw changes.  Once done, we were able to update and restate our bylaws.  The most significant change to the bylaws enabled voting members to cast their vote via proxy, thus making it possible to conduct association business without requiring a quorum of member’s in attendance at the annual FSSA Member’s Meeting.  The Articles of Incorporation, Bylaws and summary of bylaw changes are posted on the FSSA website: https://flssa.org/Official-Records-of-the-FSSA.  If you have any questions or comments, I look forward to hearing from you at president@flssa.org.

Florida continues as a Second Amendment friendly and welcoming state.  We are only able to enjoy our freedoms when we are represented at the Federal, State and Local levels by officials who value and fully support our constitutional right to own firearms.  We’ve seen what happens when good people do not exercise their right to vote.  Let’s all do everything we can to ensure our local communities, our state and our country remain committed to preserving our Second Amendment Freedoms.  Stay informed!!  Be involved to the extent that you are able!!  Get out and vote!!  Help others register and get out and vote!!  Our founders gave us a country, second to none.  Let July 4^th re-inspire us to keep our nation free.

Thank you for your membership in FSSA.  Please continue to encourage others to renew or join.  To FSSA’s affiliated clubs, thank you for your continued support.  Please let us know what is happening at your club, so we can share with our members.

Be well, stay safe, and enjoy our (your) USA’s great Independence Day celebration.

Ted

FSSA is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. The FSSA website has a link for members and non-members to make a charitable contribution to our state association, and your gift may be tax deductible. To make a donation, click the link "Make a donation to FSSA". The donation can be designated to any of our discipline programs, our junior activities or our general fund.