Corona 210 Sept 17-18 After Action Report

[bob 210]

This turned out to be a great event! I will post the play by play later tonight, but I wanted to get this post started so that others could chime in and/or post pics.

[SavageShootr]

What a GLORIOUS weekend for California. I do not have the definitive total for the weekend but I think we came close to 150 individual shooters. A record for California! There is no better place to have the attendance record broken than the range that started California on the trail. Thank You Mike Raahauge! Your support of Appleseed has always been phenomenal.

Saturday we awakened at the range to overcast skies, making for nice shooting and instruction weather. The sun broke through later but never got too hot.

The attendees starting arriving around 0730. Eager to learn and help if needed. Thank you to all the people that came out to share the weekend with us. I wish I could have spent individual time with more of you. Next time we meet perhaps.

A huge THANK YOU to Turners Outdoorsman. They came out and stayed all day both days. They donated LTRs and those were raffled off at the end of the day Sunday. Check your messages, one winner was not in attendance.

Another huge THANK YOU goes out to California Rifle and Pistol Association. They donated a gift card to Turners Outdoorsman and it was raffled off. The lady who won it was not in attendance but arrived for lunch to pick it up. Congratulations!

Another of our sponsers were well represented. A huge THANK YOU goes out to CalGuns.net They are a  great supporter of Appleseed. Often when I asked how someone had heard about Appleseed the reply was CalGuns.

Thanks again.

More later when I get to my notes.

[TowedJumper]

A couple of selected pictures.  I was too busy instructing to take pics of that.  Have to rely on the other photographer for that.

https://picasaweb.google.com/dennis.aston/20110919Corona210?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCPrJvOnsoLLEpAE&feat=directlink

[LayloPro]

This was a very nice IE event, with help from all over our state....

1st, a huge THANK YOU!! to our volunteers, and to the folks from the other organizations that we have been working with more & more this year.....CRPA, Cal-Guns.net, and Turners.....

And definitely a huge THANK YOU to Mike Raahaugee & his crew (Pat, Kevin, John) for helping us out; not only for being the 1st range in Cali to have us do an event, but for his continued support, and steadfast belief in what we do. Mike, thank you!!

Lastly, the shooters....we had some familiar faces show up, and some that I have only seen at the gun shows, or at other events....
but they were there, they participated, they sweated, they learned, they listened, they applied what we were showing.....the fun part of watching the "target line moment", when they saw with their own eyes their improvement in this "martial art" they were participating in......and the look in their eyes at lunch time, when it was much more than just enjoying the Bar-B-Que that was brought in....when they were able to "re-connect" with being an American, and all that means. 

As one of my daughters says: "Good times, good times....." And they are.

I did get some pictures.....TowedJumper is right, we were pretty busy there ....... I'll get them up as I can....

But mostly, thank you to everyone who helped put this together....we will be doing another one of these next year, with more vendor support as folks see that this is a "big event".....

A last Thank you to Freeman & Penny's Dad, for being all in the right place at the right time, when Freeman was asking how many shooters we thought we could put on the line, and Penny's Dad saying that he could bring well over 100 Cal-Gun'rs to an event.....from such small acorns as those moments, we will grow a mighty oak.

Be well, all.
LLP

[TowedJumper]

I love those beautiful moments when you get to watch a new shooter throw down a 12 inch group on their first black square and then come back after the initial instruction and watch it literally drop from 12 to 2 inches.  It almost brings you to tears seeing the dad slap his son on the back and congratulate them.  Ooops, forget almost.

Some might have had this happen a lot, but this is my second orange hat experience and its like that one great shot in golf.  YOU KNOW YOU ARE HOOKED for a long time to come...

[MFortie]

My wife, son and I attended our first Appleseed and it happened to be this one!  What a great event!  We had a wonderful time; thanks to everyone that made this happen!

And thanks LayloPro; you were our chief instructor and we learned a lot!  Can't wait to get to another one...

(Think I'll use a different rifle than the RH bolt for a lefty...)

[Mr Pete]

This was a very nice Appleseed event, with instructors from all over our state....

There, fixed it for ya!

Thank you to all the Shooters, all the Sponsors and all the Instructors!

One of the things I've learned from Appleseed is that "synergy" is real.  The whole is greater than the sum of its parts.  This weekend we were all a part of something bigger than ourselves, bigger than our individual actions, bigger than our own ideas and dreams.  We created amongst ourselves hope and inspiration.  We learned that we are not alone in the things we believe.  Sponsors threw in their support, students earned their accomplishments and instructors gave of themselves.  All of us put something in and walked away with something more.  I can't think of a better way to spend the weekend.

I'll catch up with detail later but just wanted to help kick off this thread.  If you were a student please make sure you give us the good, bad and ugly.  You/we have nothing to lose and everything to gain.  Share your experiences and keep in contact! 

Sincerely,
Mr Pete

[LayloPro]

Heh!! MrPete does indeed put it better!!

Sometimes I get a bit too close to the wheel, and forget to look up.....y'all know what I mean....

Shooters!! Gather up!! Post what you saw, felt, learned, and accomplished!!

LLP

[ai6pg]

....
Shooters!! Gather up!! Post what you saw, felt, learned, and accomplished!!

LLP

Arrived Saturday Morning around 0830 with my 15 yo son.
Registration was divided into two lines based on family name.
That went quickly.

We were assigned to Red.

The shoot boss in red and the orange hats there were terrific. Kudos to them and to Bob 210.

I preordered the Constitution game and hope to enjoy it with my family if we ever get the dining room table cleared off.

I hope to work on my sling usage and find a seated position that works well for me in the time subsequent to Corona 210.

My next Appleseed will be in Piru in October. Piru is near our residence so that's very helpful.  It'll be interesting to see how Wes Thompson's operates as an Appleseed compared to Corona. I hope my accuracy improves too. I plan to work on that.

Thanks to all of the volunteers and especially to the story tellers and reenactors who gave of themselves.

Great job everyone. Huzzah, Huzzah, Huzzah !

[Mr Pete]

Shoot Bosses,

Sound off with your Red Coat numbers, personal stories and memorable events.

One memorable moment for me was watching Mia bashfully slink away from the limelight when asked to pick a number for the morning raffle.  Later after shooting a great AQT excitedly seeking out and asking Scott1600 to score it for her.  At the Sunday closing that shy little girl was gone as she walked up in front of everybody to accept her purple patch!  Congratulations Bob, you're raising a fine young lady.

-Peter

[Cal 7.62]

A few pics for now.

[Scott1600]

Green Flight:  What can I say?!  One would have to look far and wide for a better group of fine Americans.  It was an honor to share those small plots of dirt with you all.
Special thanks to Chaun and David who generously brought some shades and shared it with everyone...
As far as memorable moments:  David's transformation into a Rifleman after lunch on Saturday and backing it up on Sunday...
the unforgettable look of pride and accomplishment on Mia's face when I shook her hand and congratulated her Sunday afternoon  (I have a couple kids of my own, I can only imagine how proud Bob must be...)
our new orange hat who shot RM again on Sunday, took a hat, and jumped right into the deep end... 
Our three AR men down at the left end of the line...
Morgan, who despite a rough start on Sunday morning, really pulled it together and by the end of the day was showing great technical form... with persistence she will be a tremendous shooter!
Barry who gave his best despite tremendous adversity, my hat is off to you!
Wende: so close!  Find the Rifleman's bubble and make it happen!
I could go on and on, but I want to leave some stories for Dano.
Really had a great time with you all and special thanks to GratefulDog, GoneJohnny and especially Dano, you guys really put the "team" in teamwork!
Also special thanks to MrPete, Bob210, V, and all you other guys that really spearheaded the effort to make this event a reality.  Great job!
Best Regards Always,
Scott

[V]

Where are all the pictures....?

I know Cal7.62 was working hard as an instructor so double thanks for taking and uploading the  photos above but where are the photographers and videographers who I know caught me in some "candid" poses  What are you running a secret caption contest before posting?

Pictures please.

No seriously folks, once again I can only give thanks for the existence of this fine country and its generous and wonderful people. As always a pleasure, an honor and a privilege to be able to be a part of this great event. Don't forget, tell your friends, tell your workmates, and bring them to the next Appleseed you can find on the schedule.

Hope to see you all again somewhere out there on the Appleseed Trail.

Cheers
Phil

[SoulMan]

I feel so grateful that I was able to participate in Corona210, and hope it will in retrospect be veiwed one day as the INAUGURAL Corona210. I realize that is a major undertaking, especially considering how so many pieces of the puzzle came together to make this time possible, including but not limited to:

1. The fact that the shoot weekend corresponded with an official holiday or remembrance day. Holidays or remembrance days in general can provide focus and attention for the shoot, and the shoot can provide attention, focus and constructive response to the holiday or remembrance day. Events connected to a holiday or remembrance day also provide a continued basis for media attention for Appleseed because it provides the press with an easy and interesting event to cover for the holiday.

2. Constitution Day. This particular event was connected to Constitution Day, and it made effective use of the public's current of attention toward a holiday that is so naturally connected to Appleseed's emphasis on We the People's need to take ownership of our responsibility to promote our founding values and be civically engaged. This makes Appleseed a constructive form of expression for the rise of that sentiment throughout our society. Basically, having an event tied to Constitution Day offered people a meaningful way to express their pride in being an American and a way to meet others who are passionate about the Constitution. Which, in the process, positively reinforced that sensibility. I am interested to read AARs from other Constitution Day events. How much other events emphasize Constitution Day, and what was the result? Were there regional differences?

3. Logistical Planning and Preparation.
I am so impressed with how smoothly everything went, which is no doubt a testament to the planning, preparation and collaboration of so many passionate and dedicated volunteers, who are the lifeblood of the organization. From what I understand, the planning model consisited of several key players, with open contributions from a significant number of others. I know that Mr Pete, bob210, Freeman and others were very involved in thie early planning, while people like me were able to jump in last minute. 

The idea of color-coded flights to subdivide the event made for very effective communication and clear commands for the Course of Fire, and manageable groups for instruction in the instruction circles. Whoever's ideas those were, thank you!

I know a lot of effort was put in by whoever made the diagram of the layout and other planning documents, which kept everyone on the same sheet of music with similar expectations.

Portable Latrines - a must for an event this size!

Catered lunch orders in the morning, delivery to the range.

Plenty of water and shade.

StormN and StormNSheri, wow, your family is amazing and your contributions were indispensable. Sheri, you are proof of why the Blue Hat deserves every ounce as much credit as the Red Hat to making Appleseed happen, and I know that Norm's contribution of equipment and know-how for the PA system were instrumental in making such a large event manageable and safe, and helping all the shooters feel like they were at the center of the action for both the shooting and the history. Your son's sense of responsibility as a line safety, his situational awareness and fastidious attention to safety are a credit to his character as much as the way you have raised him.

4. Staffing for the event.
It is awesome that we have such a deep bench of amazing instructors here in California. As an IIT, this event was a phenomenal opportunity to observe so many excellent instructors at one place, and pick up best practices from those who teach both the fundamentals of marksmanship and the history from the heart, with such depth of knowledge that it just flows. Thanks, especially to V and LayloPro. And Pippi, your history was especially moving.

We also had a solid number of IIT's for Line Safeties and additional instructors so that the shooters got a good student to instructor ratio. (Does anyone know what the exact number was?) If I'm not mistaken, I counted a max ratio of 1-4, with some flights being 1-3. There were enough instructors that a few could pull full-time duty at the store/gunsmith table.

5. Sponsors.
Realizing, of course, that sponsorships with prize drawings is only possible for larger events like this, I think more than anything it expands our promotional reach as well as demonstrates the credibility of our organization. I suspect that the fact we had a prize drawing was a motivator for very few, if any attendees (there was one kid who didn't come back on Suday because he already had his ticket pulled for a prize on Saturday). I think the prize drawing just contributed to people's recognition of what a big, important event it was.

IMPROVES:

1. Do we have a sign out procedure for people and equipment when they leave? Not that we are going to keep people from leaving, but just for accountability of people and equipment, especially if someone leaves early so we can have an accurate count of who is on the ground and keep people from walking off with our stuff. I know that one of the biggest problems with any Appleseed is that if you loan anything you might not get it back. To reduce that, there was an equipment sign-out sheet. However, as camljr noted, if people leave and don't come back you're screwed. And, after the event, there is a mish-mash of people leaving and helping clean up. Signout might take a long time if we were to do it like sign-in, which is unacceptable given the fact that there is so much else to do and many people just need to leave. But perhaps at the end before people start cleaning up, when they tend to regroup in their instruction groups to count readcoat target hits and give goodbyes and final thoughts, they could also sign out, and also identify any equipment that needs to be returned. Perhaps that would ease the burden on folks who loan things out.

2. For big big events, Turners said they might be willing to set up a sales table.

3. It would have been great to have special-edition T-shirts. I think it's time for Appleseed to get a new T-shirt design for in general, and the great graphics we had for this event could provide an eye-catching addition to shooters' wardrobe that they would potentially wear more frequently in public.


I look forward to seeng y'all on the trail soon1

[V]

Hey Soulman,

Thanks for taking the time for such a considered AAR.

Re, your point 2, Constitution Day. Some of us in AS have been here long enough to remember that there used to be four All Hands On Deck (AHOD) days, 4/19, 9/17 etc. But with all the growing pains it became clear that four big demands a year was too much for a volunteer organization. 7/4 was the first to go - its just too much of an uphill battle to flog the instructor core to turn out only to have attendees wimp out for the BBQ and long holiday weekend.

So a quick scan of the AARs looks like for most this was just another shoot weekend. Some may have the institutional memory to make it special.

I think here in CA 4/19 and 9/17, two a year, well spaced apart gives us some significant dates to rally the cadre around and yet not overburden everyone.

Once you get the history bug there's actually too many dates worth equal AHOD treatment. We've often toyed with the idea of advanced appleseed, open to riflemen only, where the history would revolve around Bunker Hill, an event truly worthy of study and where, many of the great men we talk about for April 19 met their end - on both sides. So the history could revolve around that. But its too close to everyone recovering from the April 19th push. Hmm, good job the boys of 1775 were made of sterner stuff....

...and with those little teasers I leave everyone to google the dates and events alluded to above.

Cheers
V

[L0ck3]

My first time to a Corona Appleseed and how amazed I was to see the massive shooting line! Thanks to everyone, volunteer staff and eager shooters, who helped make this a history making (and remembering) event. I hope to see y'all soon.

Also, I really enjoyed the great conversations I had on Saturday night and now I can put faces to all the names I see on this forum.

--L0ck3
Instructor with Rocketman ("Orange" Flight Line Boss) & Pysch Doc.

[TowedJumper]

Where are all the pictures....?

I know Cal7.62 was working hard as an instructor so double thanks for taking and uploading the  photos above but where are the photographers and videographers who I know caught me in some "candid" poses  What are you running a secret caption contest before posting?

Pictures please.

No seriously folks, once again I can only give thanks for the existence of this fine country and its generous and wonderful people. As always a pleasure, an honor and a privilege to be able to be a part of this great event. Don't forget, tell your friends, tell your workmates, and bring them to the next Appleseed you can find on the schedule.

Hope to see you all again somewhere out there on the Appleseed Trail.

Cheers
Phil

V, like everybody else in America, we all come from somewhere else.  Thanks for joining the melting pot, you add a lot of character to our country!

PS, you did see the link to my Picasa web page with the pictures right? 

[Cal 7.62]

All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us." 

And so I decided to help out @ Corona AND carpool with a complete stranger. (Towed Jumper)
To paraphrase The Guy " He's an Appleseeder, and that's all I need to know."
The ride down helped me to get to know a fellow instructor and share stories of the Appleseed Trail.
I had a great time from the moment I arrived untill I left. The camping, the camaraderie, seeing old friends and meeting new ones, the shooters, the food, it was all good (except for that  #@$! music on Sat. nite).

On Sat. afternoon I was working the left side of yellow flight, about the middle of the (long) bay and, looking left and right I beheld a beautiful sight,
LOTS OF RIFLES FIRING, FOR FUN!     
I thought to myself, THAT'S THE SOUND OF FREEDOM BABY!  LET IT RING! 
(Which, by the way, I think would be a good theme for our next big event, what do ya think hmm) 
I think the event ran like a well oiled machine.
That said here are a few suggestions for the next event.
1st Aid Tent
Registration includes-  Shooting, T-shirt, raffle ticket. Perhaps optional catered meal on Sat night.
Games for the kids and adults on Sat night.
These things work well at 4 wheeling events and I thought they might work for us. Just my .02 cents.

I'm glad I decided to use my time @ Corona! 

[Marpat Pippi]

I have to say that most of the events this year I instruct/sb at are near a special day:

4/19 weekend (Santa Barbara); 7/2-3 (santa barbara); 9/17 (corona); and 11/5-6 (weekend before Veteran's day).

We have/will observe(d) each special day with some special history to match!

Rachel

Hey Soulman,

Thanks for taking the time for such a considered AAR.

Re, your point 2, Constitution Day. Some of us in AS have been here long enough to remember that there used to be four All Hands On Deck (AHOD) days, 4/19, 9/17 etc. But with all the growing pains it became clear that four big demands a year was too much for a volunteer organization. 7/4 was the first to go - its just too much of an uphill battle to flog the instructor core to turn out only to have attendees wimp out for the BBQ and long holiday weekend.

[Cal 7.62]

more pics

[Rocket Man]

Hey gang,

While I've got a few minutes of Internet coverage, let me give a big THANK YOU! to all the shooters, their families, and the sponsors and everyone else that made it happen.  We had a great time over on Orange Flight.  Lots of great shooting!

One of the best moments for me was watching the whole line clean up on Stage 2 of the AQT on Sunday.  Out of the entire group, only one errant shot -- all the others were hits, that's about 79 out of 80 hits, on the tricky 55-second transition to sitting stage.  What a team!

It was also my great pleasure to award Matt the coveted Rifleman Patch!  He earned it plain and simple, with a clean 211 on Sunday afternoon.  Didn't even need the .30 Caliber rule.  And if that's not enough, he also cleaned the final Redcoat with authority.  Welcome, Matt!   

If you didn't get your patch this time, don't be discouraged.  Many of you were knocking HARD.  Bryan finished with a best-of-day 206 I think, and Steve-O got a 202.  Both of them would have made it if they put the right number of holes on target on Stage 4...     It happens.  A little practice, find your groove, and you'll have it with ease. 

I also want to thank everyone for making it such a safe and welcoming shoot.  I admit I was nervous about sooooo many people on the line, but you all made it easy and fun.  Let's do it again next year!

[Rocket Man]

The pictures tell the tale...


No plan survives contact with the enemy, or with Mr. Pete.  But it sure turned out nice anyway.


The group gathers for morning safety brief.  Take a look round, folks -- this is America, right here.


After only a little coaching, the left side of the Oranges takes aim at a target the size of a postage stamp (and clobbers it)


Not to be outdone, the right side does likewise


A smaller group on Sunday means more hands-on instruction, as shown by Robert and Tom reviewing the steady hold factors of Prone


Determined shooters in the hunt on the AQTs!  The left side, with Tom spotting


And at center, you can almost hear the Rifleman's Bubble hum


Over on the right, in perfect harmony


Last but not least, here's the whole Sunday Oranges from the control tower.  Isn't that beautiful?

See you all again soon!

[Justin]

Some Pictures:

[Freeman]

How great was last weekend? After doing a decent number of shoots so far, I can honestly say that it just keeps getting better. Seeing that many neighbors, true Americans all, come out and participate in an event honoring both our Constitution and the memory of our Founding Fathers and Mothers was truly an incredible experience. I was especially blessed to get to work on the Blue flight, surrounded by some of the cream of the crop out there.

[BlueDog333]

Some Pictures:

Thanks for all your hard work Justin I had a great time. That's me, Phil in the bottom of this picture. Glen was to my left but I forgot to get his info . If you see this Glen, let me know if you're going to another seed out here so we can get together or hit the range sometime.

[NewMOe]

Here is the video from Nick at Sports talk, seems He had a great time !!
http://youtu.be/Xpw8XgN93bU

[Scott1600]

Wow!  Great video!

[asminuteman]

.

[AQ Gamer]

I'd like to thank everyone for making Nick and his mom feel so welcome on Sunday when they came out to shoot the video. Nick had never picked up a gun before in his life and his mom was a bit nervous. I have since heard from both his mom and dad about how wonderful they thought everyone was to them and how impressed they were with the program. If you need any affirmation that you are helping our youth become better people watch his video, I was really proud to see the kids represent themselves so well.

[CH Bob]

This was our (Bob, Soo and Mia) first Appleseed, and boy, did we pick a great weekend to start.  I had heard of Appleseed before (Raahauge's website), but didn't pay attention until the Turner's email pitch on August 10.

Lots of websurfing later, I knew I needed to make this happen for our family.  At least two .22LR, childcare for the little ones, slings from the Appleseed store, ammo, etc.

Saturday, all three of us were there for registration at 8:30.  The line was efficient, everyone friendly and helpful.  We were placed on the Green Flight, settled in, and somewhere in there, Scavenger was giving my daughter a customized 10/22 to use.  I don't even remember how he knew we needed it, but turns out, we did, so thanks for saving the weekend for Mia, Scavenger!!!

After shooting Redcoats, I knew I wouldn't be able to qualify, my old eyes weren't getting the job done, so I just concentrated on being a sponge.  Soo was having fit issues (we're all smaller sized), so I know what I need to do for next time.  Mia was just quietly learning to put holes where they belonged.

Soo had to leave before lunch, but Mia and I enjoyed the history lesson though that sun was HOT!
The rest of the afternoon was work, work, work, but fun work.

Ibuprofen.  'nuff said.

Sunday, Mia and I were there at 8am, ready to go.  Had fun discussions about future platforms with our three AR guys on the Green Flight.

Tried the before lunch AQT with a scope.  Yep, that's the ticket.

The history stories told in the first person really brought things home.

After lunch, Mia shot a 206, then a 215.  Yes, Mr. Pete, I'm very proud.  Now I just need to match it!  And thanks Dano for having Purple Rifleman patches.  It's Mia's favorite color.

Many thanks to Dano, Scott, Pete and everyone else who rotated SB/instructing (Mr. Pete, V, Mr. Constitution Quest) through the Green Flight.  Everyone was helpful and supportive and fun to be around.

Thanks also to the sponsors, and door prize donators.  Mia loves her coin.

Special thanks to Scavenger for the loaner which made Mia's AQT possible.

Sunday night, Mia said something along the lines of, "Can I buy a rifle?"  Glad we got that discount flyer from Turner's.