News:

We need volunteers in sales, marketing, PR, IT, and general "running of an organization." 
Maximize your Appleseed energy to make this program grow, and help fill the empty spots
on the firing line!  An hour of time spent at this level can have the impact of ten or a
hundred hours on the firing line.  Want to help? Send a PM to Monkey!

Main Menu

Miamisburg, OH: June 12-13

Started by MeanStreaker, June 14, 2010, 11:50:31 AM

Previous topic - Next topic

MeanStreaker

We're back to selling out Miamisburg!  I'm very glad last month's lower than normal attendance appears to have been a fluke and we can begin again our streak of full Ohio firing lines.

20 men and women who know very well what they are about showed up Saturday morning under extremely threatening skies to reconnect with a traditional American skill and their unique American Heritage.

The Ohio weather threw everything it had at them - torrential downpours that I thought would leave bruises, giving way in the late afternoon to about 110% humidity  :cool2: and extremely high temps.  Sunday didn't see any rainfall, but the Miamisburg muck reared its ugly head again from the night's deluge even though it was a strong 90 something degrees all.................day.............................long.  Hoover and I repositioned our firing and target lines before the day began to try and minimize the damage.... and A huge Thank You   O0  to Matt who showed up with some very appreciated tarps for the shooters to use.






Imagine here if Matt didn't have those tarps.................




But he's still smiling!  That's what it's all about!  Despite the challenging conditions everyone had fun and improved their skills tremendously.  Talk about PERSISTENCE!!!!  


It gives me hope!





All of the shooters on the line were a joy and this was a great event.  This shoot also saw our first set of triplets (age 13) on an AS line.  I know it's a first for Ohio........ perhaps the country?   ???











Congratulations to our newest Riflemen:

Tim
(Sorry!  We didn't have the camera out at the time.  :'( )


Adam (I dub thee "TrainingWheels"  ;D ) who drove all the way from North Carolina to attend the evnt, survived run-ins with the fuzz  :) , and I believe purposely pulled a few shots on his AQT so he could be rewarded for a perfect 210 on a blistering hot afternoon:






Gregg (grs) who I was very happy to see again after watching him get oh-so-close at his last event.  It was also a joy to have his daughter Lindsey with us who did great all weekend.






We were lucky to be in the presence of so many great Instructors on Saturday, and especially to see our friend Techres from the west stop in and lend his expertise.  Great to see you again man!   We can't let it go this long in the future!


A big Congratulations to our newest Instructor-In-Training, Tony (HPT on the forums):



... who did a great job jumping right in on his first day clearing the line and acting as Line Boss:



Tony also was responsible for about 50% of our firing line due to family members and co-workers that he encouraged to attend.  That low-tech promotion effort of "word of mouth" always pays off!





And of course.......................... drum roll please........................












Way to go Hoover!  ^:)^

Ohio is much improved with Gregg under a Red Hat!  I shared a few words at the event and want to do so here about how much Hoover has meant to the Ohio program and how reassuring it is to know that he can be relied upon to take any task and do it well..... even those jobs none of us like to do, but must be done.

So if you've enjoyed the Ohio newsletter that comes out each month, or have easily printed off the great Ohio fliers so you don't have to create your own, or have received a box of brochures in the mail that Hoover has sent you, plus a million other things, you know the great job he's done thus far for our Mission.  

He helps keep our Animal House in order and off double secret probation.

Congrats my friend!



All in all, despite the weather challenges, I wouldn't change a thing as this was a truly inspiring weekend.  

Thank you for being there.

See you at the next one.
Those who expect to reap the blessings of freedom must, like men, undergo the fatigue of supporting it.
--Thomas Paine

Used to ride a Kawasaki Mean Streak motorcycle.  I'm not an angry, naked runner.  :)

Ishy

Congratulations new rifleman and RED HAT Hoover!!!   ..:..   ^:)^
"If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."  ~2 Chronicles 7:14

"The proof of desire is pursuit."  ~Kirk DeVinney

Gordon

I'm sorry I had to leave abruptly on Saturday night, and missed the Red-Hatting of Hoover and the Orange-Hatting of HPT. I've already given my congrat's to brother Hoover, but ...

HPT: Welcome to the RWVA volunteer corps!
Thanks for stepping up. In my informed opinion, you have joined a commnity of truly great Americans.

It was indeed a very nice event, the aweful weather notwithstanding. In fact re. the weather, I was really impressed with the outstanding attitude shown by everyone. On Saturday morning, I feared that there would be some number of no-shows, because of the forecast. But everyone showed up, and everyone persevered under the duress. The Rifleman spirit.

I'm glad to read that Meanstreaker and Hoover moved the line (chore though it must have been), to protect the grass and get out of that mudpit-of-a-firing-line. Kudos to Matt for bringing the Mats! OK they were tarps but I couldn't resist.

And speaking of Matt, hey Matt? how were you're groups on Sunday? I'd like to hear about your stage-1, in particular.

Rick C., Alex, Alex's dad (whose name escapes me, embarassingly), Carolyn, and the guy whose rear sights we, uhm "fixed" (again, name escapes me --- I'm bad that way and it was too wet to be taking notes on the line!!)  ---- I really would've liked to see how things went for y'all on Sunday. I'd love to hear a report!

So Alex, did anyone ever convince you to use a mat? Or did you continue to prefer your body-sized divit? Considering that that was your first time out with a rifle, I was sincerely impressed with your performance. What was your best AQT score on Sunday?

OK enough for now. Thanks Meanstreaker, for your excellent leadership and labors, my fellow Instructors/IIT's for covering my absence, and to all you shooters for showing up and cheerfully persisting!

-FM

techres

What a great time!  I was very excited to drive over and see the Ohio crew put on one of their great seeds.  I made sure to get there bright and early to eek out every bit of time I had to be with Meanstreaker's team.  It had been way too long since I had made it next door and joined the buckeyes for history & marksmanship.




After a safety meeting, Meanstreaker started the day with introductions and then it was time for the morning red coat:




Soon enough, Meanstreaker left the instruction in Hoover's expeirenced hands and the students went through the prone position which students then worked on:






Then came the 6 steps to firing the shot:






And soon it was time for lunch.  Now, being the hearty people they are, Buckeyes are not the type to waste time.  So the eaters listened to Hoover tell the stories of their ancestors:




And then it was back to training, this time on the seating position:




Several of our shooters were new to marksmanship and had a number of challenges to overcome.  One was a young lady who began with not being able to hit the backer, but by the early afternoon was making nice groups and did all of it in a great amount of cheer:




My congrats to her and her family as well as the other shooters.  The morning was full of rain and before long it was full of mud:






But throughout the entire time I was there, they did not moan and complain, but instead trucked on and had fun.  My only regret was that I could not spend the entire weekend at the event.  Instead I had to race back to help with Indiana's KD Day.  Sadly I did go.

It was a great time, with great shooters, and event the waterlogged boots were fine, especially after 3 hours on the road under a hot blast vent:




Thanks to everyone!  Congrats to Hoover and all the shooters!  I look forward to seeing each of you on the trail.  And you should all be proud of how you did.

It was a great time!
Appleseed: Bringing the Past into the Present to save our Future.

DryFire

GREAT JOB HOOVER!!!!! ^:)^

Sir I know you earned that hat, that is for sure.   O0

If only the Dr. didn't have me on orders not to leave the house for 2 weeks I would have been there in a heartbeat  !@#) Looks like a great shoot and congrats to our new rifleman, and to Ohio's newest orange hat.  :---

DryFire
"I believe there is great need for such a book, a book which will help to make us again what we were a century ago before commercialism and life in cities robbed our young men of most of their primitive virtues -- a Nation of Rifleman.
Maj. Townsend Whelen
The American Rifle

Hoover

Many have already commented on the perseverance of so many of the shooters despite very challenging weather.  What's more compelling is that two of the shooters had been to the March Miamisburg event (now dubbed the "straw mat" event after laying 13 bales of hay into the ankle deep mud) and yet returned to what was quickly becoming similar conditions.  One of these gentlemen was Matt--whose memory of the March event may have contributed to his generous use of the large tarps (thanks, Matt!).  And, the other gentleman, Gregg, wanted to share the full experience with his daughter.  And, yet, smiles and determination were unabated throughout the weekend.  True grit!

Carolyn, I enjoyed working with you again and it is clear that your recent Appleseed experiences have paid off.  So very close!  I know you'll have a patch soon.

Matt, likewise--it was great to see you again and see your groups really tighten up.  It was clear that all the pieces were starting to take form and the results were showing.  I hope to see you again with that Rifleman score!

Rick, wow--after getting that sling working, your scores started to shoot up (and, with a bolt rifle!).  I was glad to see you persevere through some occasional frustration and start to see the steps come together for you.  I know you can do it!

And, "training wheels" (err--Adam), anyone that will drive that far (from North Carolina) to attend an Ohio event to lay in the heat and mud and put it all together has my attention.  Well done!

Gregg, it was great to work with you again and this time see you push your score over the threshold with conviction!  Lindsey did a fine job, too--persevering through the heat and hot brass flying her way.

Kevin--I enjoyed our conversations and working with you on the line.  Thanks, especially, for pitching in and helping us get things prepped and stowed away!

Tim--I didn't get the chance to work much with you, but was very glad to see you get a proper soaking to celebrate your breaking score!

To all of you junior shooters--Fantastic job!  Improvements were evident everywhere!

HPT--what a great job you did shooting Saturday, filling a good part of the line and then not only accepting the Orange Hat but jumping in and working hard!  Serving as RSO, calling the line during the AQT "grind" and doing lots of one-on-one instruction.  Great initiative!  I look forward to working with you soon again!

This was another great weekend in Miamisburg and I feel fortunate to have worked with all of you!

Hoover

SoxInCincy

First off, thank you to ALL the instructors.  You guys were awesome and a HUGE help.  As expected, I learned a TON and had a blast.  A million thanks to all of you. 

Congrats to our new Rifleman Tim, Adam, and Gregg.  You all have my deepest respect earning your rifleman patch in those conditions.  Well done!  O0

And Congrats to Hoover on the Red Hat!!  I feel blessed for having had you as one of my instructors in both my appleseeds.  The Red Hat is very well deserved.   ^:)^

High Power Tony, I can't say enough thanks.  You teach me all week at work, tell me about appleseed, then become my instructor.   :bow: 

To everyone that was there.... It was truly an honor to share the line with all of you.  I look forward to seeing you all on the trail again soon.

Huzzah!
Acta Non Verba

SoxInCincy

Quote from: FuzzyMath on June 14, 2010, 12:46:27 PM

And speaking of Matt, hey Matt? how were you're groups on Sunday? I'd like to hear about your stage-1, in particular.


Thanks a million for that tip.  It helped immensely.  From that point on, except 1 target, I shot between a 43-47 on stage 1.  By far my most consistent stage.  It definitely helped me a ton.  I ended up shooting a high of 202 on Sunday.  So close...

thanks again for the help.  And I hope to see you on the trail again soon.
Acta Non Verba

Hoover

Techres, DryFire and SoxInCincy--thank-you all for the very kind words!

Techres, it was great to finally meet you in person.  I really appreciated your tips and help with instruction.  I hope to see you again soon!

DryFire, I hope your recovery is going well.  Knowing you, staying still and abiding doctor's orders would be most trying.  Assuming your recovery stays on track, I look forward to seeing you in Athens next month!

SoxInCincy, it is great to see a shooter with your level of enthusiasm persevere and show constant improvement!  And, your consideration for other shooters' needs was very evident.  Also, thank-you for sharing your photos of the Boston area with us!  I'll be sending you a PM inbound as I have some ideas of incorporating some of them if you would be willing.

Hoover

TrainingWheels

It was an awesome event, and I can def say that I learned a ton both about marksmanship and our history.

We took all mother nature could throw at us, and still managed to make it through with everyone still shooting. I am proud to have met all of you.

Thanks again to our wonderful instructors, with whom we could not have advanced nearly as far as we did.

Thanks to Matt, for the wonderful tarp idea. It made the mud that much more bearable. (and I still think our star target was impressive!)

Gratz to Hoover for the Red Hat, and HPT for the orange!

Also gratz to the other new Rifleman... Tim and Greg.

Everyone shot wonderfully and hopefully I can get up there again soon!

HPT


What a great weekend!  I learn many new things every time.  This time I learned that the Ruger 10/22 can lay submerged in muddy water and continue to fire.  I brought my 6 rifles to the line and all survived.

I had no idea that when my friend Adam (TrainingWheels) made Rifleman I would be the one to present the patch.  What a day!  Next time it will be Matt (SoxInCincy) receiving a patch - no doubt. 

Shooting an Appleseed with 2 of my sons was heartwarming and makes a proud father even prouder.  They will be excellent marksmen and citizens of our great Country.  I had family and friends all over the line and couldn't be happier.

I have accepted an orange hat with great humility and reservation.  I shall do my best - please be patient with me.

By the way, my name HPT (High Power Tony) was not received as an honor.  It was given to me at Camp Perry after a particularly bad performance (thanks for the ridicule, Adam and Tim.)  I have a long history of attempting to shoot in High Power matches and not doing very well.  But now that Appleseed instructors like MeanStreaker and Hoover have beaten me into shape, I can shoot well enough in High Power to use my real name on the score sheets.

My sons are ready to come back next month.  Come out and while you're there, say hi to the goofy-looking guy in the orange hat!
To be ignorant of what happened before you were born... is to live the life of a child for ever.
-- Marcus Tullius Cicero

HPT

Quote from: SoxInCincy on June 14, 2010, 09:55:18 PM
High Power Tony, I can't say enough thanks.  You teach me all week at work, tell me about appleseed, then become my instructor.   :bow: 

You forgot to mention that I even PAID for your first Appleseed.  OK, not intentionally but it counts.

To be ignorant of what happened before you were born... is to live the life of a child for ever.
-- Marcus Tullius Cicero

Luna

Hoover congratulations on the Red Hat, very well deserved.  Your have had a huge impact on the program, on and off the range since joining.  I look forward to working with you on the trail in future.  Great job.

Tony, welcome to the team and thank you for stepping forward and accepting an Orange Hat.

To all the new Rifleman from this week congrats. 

Mike thanks again for all the help and adive.

I hope to see everyone again on the trail real soon.

Dan and Luna the dog.

thughes

Per usual for an Appleseed event, I had a great experience, but this time was extra special for many reasons.

For one, I finally achieved Rifleman, an honour which has been a personal goal of mine for some time.

Also, I was able to bring a friend to his first Appleseed, and he enjoyed it so much he wants to continue light-rifle drills together using the various Appleseed targets. O0

I'll admit this next bit might sound crazy, but I actually enjoyed shooting in the downpour and (later) the heat. It's not an experience I would desire for a day of shooting, but it's nice to know my gear functions properly when nearly submerged... and that I can still find my NPOI while prone in 3" of water. I'll second HPT's kudos for the Ruger 10/22. I dumped water out of the chamber (and the factory mags) several times and experienced no misfires or malfunctions. My Wolf target ammo worked well, although the boxes didn't survive the rains.

It was great to see my longtime buddy HPT and his kids out shooting and learning, and to hear TrainingWheels made Rifleman. He's a lefty, you see... poor ejection-port-challenged fellow.

As always, the instructors were inspirational, instructional and, above all, passionate about the message of heritage and marksmanship. The instructors at my previous two Appleseeds were exemplary individuals, and the folks this weekend were as well. Thank you all for your guidance (and patience) this weekend.

Regrettably, I wasn't able to attend the second day to see HPT get his IIT. He'll be a truly fantastic instructor... but don't tell him I said that. It'll go right to his head.

Finally, it was great shooting with you all, both instructors and fellow Cooks/Riflemen. I had a great time!
"I call it 'Vera'." - Jayne Cobb, 'The Hero of Canton', on his favorite rifle

dademoss

Hoover,

Congrats on the Red Hat!!!

Congratulations to all the new Riflemen!


Dave and Lori
"The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him."
- G. K. Chesterton

GoldFish

Congratulations HOOVER!!! :bow:  You are now Ohio' newest RedHat, although there seems to a new OH RH every weekend!
"Freedom is preserved by those who die for it, but it will not survive unless people are willing to live for it."
-Boba Fett (The RWVA Instructor, not the Star Wars Bounty Hunter)

'Yes, I am a Rifleman, but I'm also a Ninja....and a Jedi.'

"Integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all we do."

"Remember, my opinion on the totem pole of life is somewhere below whale s***..." -Chris Costa

"The more you care about something, the deeper the fight will come from within."  -Travis Haley

42          ΙΧΘΥΣ           كافر           MOÉ...ΩN É...ABE         αδάμαÏ, 

Merc, Mr. Fishy, Goober, Achmed, Cornflake, FBC, Tabilasco, Mowhawk 1 Alpha

What we do in life echoes in Eternity