Membership

The Association was founded originally for collectors and researchers in the smallarms field and our membership procedures reflect this.

Range practice and furthering member's knowledge through competition has become a growing part of the Association's activities, and to facilitate this the Association has the status of a "Home Office Approved Club".  This status is also reflected in our membership procedures.

There are a variety of ways in which you can become engaged with the activities  of the Association:

• with Voting rights
• Non-voting
• Junior
• Provisional Membership

• Institutional Subscription - UK or Overseas
• Individual subscription - UK or Overseas
• Affiliate subscription - UK or Overseas

Membership Application Procedure

Download and print a copy of the Application Form: forward your completed application together with two passport-sized photos and your joining fee to the Membership Registrar.

All applicants will be invited to attend an informal interview with two members of Council: these are often held at 5.00 pm or 5.30 pm before one of the monthly meetings at the Imperial War Museum, but if you cannot get to the IWM then alternative arrangements may be made. Any Full Members of the Association may propose or second your application, but if this is not possible and your interview is satisfactory, then the interviewers will propose or second you as necessary.

Your application will be tabled at a Council meeting and if approved by them, must then be read out at three ordinary monthly meetings of the Association. If there is no dissent from the members, your election as a Member takes place at the third meeting.

Full Voting Membership

Full voting membership is awarded to persons capable of handling arms and ammunition safely, and possessing a substantial knowledge of some aspect of the history, use or technology of smallarms. Full voting members are entitled to attend all meetings and range practices of the Association and to join the online forum, to receive all publications of the Association, and to vote at General and Special Meetings of the Association. Full voting members shall attend at least one meeting of the Association in any period of twelve months.

Full Non-voting Membership

Full non-voting membership is awarded to persons capable of handling arms and ammunition safely, but who need not possess a substantial knowledge of the  history, use or technology of smallarms. Full non-voting members are entitled to attend all meetings and range practices of the Association, to receive all publications of the Association, but not to vote at General and Special Meetings of the Association. Full non-voting members shall attend at least one meeting of the Association an any period of twelve months.

Non-voting members who play an active role in the Association will routinely be reassessed to gain voting rights thereby.

Junior Membership

The Association encourages its Members to foster in their offspring an interest in historical smallarms, and offers them Junior Membership at a subsidised rate.

Junior non-voting membership is awarded to children under 18 years who are capable of handling arms and ammunition safely, but who need not yet possess a substantial knowledge of the history, use or technology of smallarms. Junior members are entitled to attend all meetings and range practices of the Association (accompanied by a parent or guardian) and to join the online Forum, to receive all publications of the Association, but not to vote at General and Special Meetings of the Association.

Provisional Membership

Provisional membership will be awarded to persons whose suitability for membership of the Association, and in particular their ability to handle arms and ammunition safely, needs to be established. Provisional members may attend meetings and range practices of the Association and to join the online forum, to receive all publications of the Association, but not to vote at General and Special Meetings of the Association.

Corresponding Subscription

Corresponding, Institutional or Affiliate subscriptions are available to those persons unable to fulfil the conditions required for full membership or to corporate bodies and associations that wish to be associated with the work of the Association. Corresponding subscribers are entitled to receive copies of all publications of the Association, but not to attend meetings of the Association (except as a guest) nor join the online forum, nor to vote at General and Special Meetings of the Association.

Download and print a copy of the Subscription Form: forward your completed application together with the appropriate fee to the Membership Registrar.  There is no requirement for a proposer nor for an interview, but the Association reserves the right to select its Subscribers.

This is a summary of the entitlements of the different classes of membership. Full details can be found in the Rules of the Association.