South Hampton, NH - Prep School Seed No. 3 @ Stateline Field & Stream

[CaptMac]

These events are some of the more difficult ones and some of the easier ones, in different aspects. 

Thanks to Stateline Field & Stream which is one of the reasons it is easier.  When you show up and most of the work needed to create a firing line is already done for you, it makes it much easier.  Paniolo and I spent a short while immediately after we showed up talking to the members, in large part because it was raining.  But, we had one of two rifle ranges at our disposal, target backers were ready to go, and all we had to do was paint two lines and have the students put the backer up, which took less than two minutes. 

The students, that is what these events are all about.  We had seven students show up from one of the nation's best prep schools, accompanied by a faculty member who drove them to the range in a school bus.  The students we included the founding members of the shooting club at Phillips Exeter Academy.  This third event was much easier to get done, as the range, the students and the Appleseed crew know what is needed to make it happen.  (We had on a year ago, one last November, and one cancelled due to the storm called "Nemo.") However, it is still wonderful to get a group of teenagers on the line, listening to our history, being engaged, having fun and asking for more.  In that regard, we'll be back soon, like in two weeks, to do the fourth. 

Thanks to the faculty and staff of Phillips Exeter Academy.  I think many secondary schools in the country would never permit their students to have an orgainzed shooting event, nevertheless support it.  Thank you for trusting us with your students, that you for considering an Appleseed as an event that your students could attend.  A particular thanks to Becky, the faculty advisor for the students' shooting club.  This club would not exist without a faculty advisor. 

Thanks to that parents who made this event happen, all you trusted your children to us, that's an honor.  And, let's note, that these students were at the range on Mother's Day, at least four of them for the second year in a row. 

Thanks to the Stateline Field & Stream.  Their cooperation and assistance was fantastic. 

The difficulty with these events are time and that the instructing team needed to show up almost everything, because the students could not.  All of the rifles, slings, magazines, etc., were loaners provided by Paniolo, vernic82 (from whom I borrowed four rifles, etc.) and myself.  Time is a big factor, because we only have the students for less than six hours and we have to cover things we do not normally need to cover at an Appleseed, like how to load the magazines and how to operate the rifles.  Luckily, we have students who learn fast.  You do not have to repeat yourself to them over and over, they get it quickly.  One thing that gets sacrificed is time shooting and practicing the skills.  There is just not enough time to get in more practice, when you are trying to cover everything in a shorter time, and get in an AQT or two.  But, we did. 

What happened?  We had fun, we got few number of teenagers to a firing line who had never shot a firearm before, we saw some improvement in shooting skills, we taught our history -- all three strikes, and we still have a few of these students out chasing a "Rifleman's" score and patch.     

At the end of the day, we said goodbye to smiling students and walked off with smiles on our faces.  What more can you ask for?