St. Augustine, FL January 19-20, 2013

[9mm4545]

What a glorious day in Florida! Saturday was about as perfect as it gets with 17 patriotic Americans of all ages gathered in St. Augustine for a day of marksmanship and heritage. While the temperature was mild, the wind made it feel cooler and jackets were welcome until well into the day. Our morning began with introductions, a safety briefing, and an explanation and demonstration of the line commands. After an initial attempt at conquering the Redcoat target, we got down to the business of making marksmen. New terms like Steady Hold Factors, loop sling, Natural Point of Aim, and Six Steps were explained and our eager students went to work on improving their shooting. Rifles were tweaked as slings were improvised, scopes remounted, and stocks were modified but the real changes were happening in the shooters. As the morning proceeded the groups began to tighten up and you could see the AHA! moments as people began to grasp the concepts being presented. By the time we took a break for lunch everyone had their rifle sighted in and were getting much more comfortable with their rifle, if not with the hard cold ground. At lunchtime, Chris brought the past alive as we learned how ordinary men and women did extraordinary things in bringing a new nation into life. We learned how a small network of Patriots brought out thousands of armed men to defend liberty and how the common men of Lexington suffered greatly defending the idea of freedom and self-determination. With the rapid movement of the winter sun, the afternoon was even more hectic than the morning as we practiced not only the lessons of the morning but began to add new positions, transitions, and rapid fire. The word "QUICKLY" was heard more than once! After a brief pause to catch our breath and hear the story of Concord and the British retreat back to Boston, it was time for the final exam, the fabled AQT. There were several noteworthy scores but only one who surpassed the Rifleman level of performance. Jeff showed that he still has it and turned in a repeat performance with a solid Rifleman score on the AQT. Well done, sir!  With the light failing fast and a chill creeping into the air, we called a final ceasefire and students and instructors alike called it a good day.

When I arrived at the range on Sunday thinking I would be the first to arrive, I couldn't have been more wrong. There were cars lined up at the gate with folks ready to get under way! Well, alright then! Sunday was fast paced and our students showed remarkable progress and the safety of this event was never in question. After a few drills and exercises to review and hone the skills gained on Saturday we had an extended ball and dummy session with lots of one-on-one coaching. We reviewed positions, carded the sights, practiced calling our shots, and tuned our rifles in preparation for lots of AQT's in the afternoon. A quick lunch gave the opportunity to hear about some remarkable "dangerous old men" and "brave women". Individuals such as Samuel Whittemore, Hezikiah Wyman, and Prudence Wright were remembered as their stories were told and their heroic actions were honored. Mastering of the AQT then became the order of the day and the line commands came fast and faster. But even still there was still time for a little fun when we broke out a special challenge target for the team effort. Three-man teams were formed and each team was tasked with trying to place one round each into 15 tiny circles on the target. Each member of the team had only 5 rounds so there was no making up for misses. By hitting seven out of the 15 circles, Team One, consisting of Sam, Jeremy, and Gage--all Sea Scout Cadets--emerged as the winners and took home some nifty patches for their efforts. Nice job guys! After a quick demo of the Rapid Fire AQT, people were given the choice of how they wanted to shoot the AQT: all in one string or one stage at a time. The preference seemed to be about equal for each. After another break to teach some of the other elements of long distance field shooting, we had time for yet another couple of AQT's before ending for the day. Alas, there were no new Riflemen revealed but Doug and Jeff both re-qualified and showed everyone that they were men who knew very well what they were about. Outstanding work, gentlemen! I do appreciate everyone who came out, instructors and students alike, and I applaud the tenacity, determination, and grit of these fine Americans. Thank you all for allowing me to have a most excellent weekend.

[peggy617]

I learn something at ever Appleseed event I participate in.  Thank you to Bruce, Glen, Chris, Tony, Smoak and all the instructors that make this such a great event

[Acoma]

A big thanks to Bruce, Glynn, Chris, Tony, Eric, and Smoak for making this a remarkable weekend.  You asked for feedback but honestly you don't need to change a thing in my opinion.  Thanks for your service Gentlemen.  I also want to say that it was a pleasure meeting the other students at the event as well. As Bruce kept saying we were, for a short time, a community and it was great learning with you all.  I will definitely be attending another Appleseed as soon as I can swing it.

Regards,
Charles Nau

[jeff4sun]

A big thanks to all of you guys!  I really enjoyed the weekend.  And what is even better is my wife really enjoyed it despite her lack of sleep.  She is already asking to head out to the range to test her skills.  As Charles said, no need for feedback.  There were some great people there, especially the Sea Scouts.  What a great group of young men.  Some of the best shots out there.  It makes you think that there is hope for this country. 

Tony, I would love to see some of the pictures whenever you have a chance to load them.  I bet there are some good ones. 

[alkeford]

 
send gthem to me so we can put them on our Facebook page

[jeff4sun]

Did anyone have a chance to get pictures up for this event?  I would still be interested in seeing them.  Thanks guys.

[ToneDef]

Long awaited photos (Sorry for the delay!) More to come when I overcome some technical hurdles.

[jeff4sun]

Thanks!