I found out about Appleseed about a year ago and it took me until this past March to get to an event. I was well pleased and by a stroke of good luck actually shot a 211 and got my rifleman patch.
Here's the reason for this post... I could only get one patch at the event... short supply. I would have purchased more if I could... I like to brag in a supple way.... no extra patches offered at the store... So, it seems the only way to get more is to go to another event and shoot 210 or better again... which actually I'm okay with and plan to do in the next few months... but my schedule is kind of tight and limited. I do try and promote Appleseed to folks that seem receptive and carry some promotional material with me most days.
Here's a request along with the one asking for better availability of the patches... what about a rifleman pin? I think that could be worn a lot more often than the patch.... simple enamel pin would, in my opinion, be a great item to sell.
Can't be bought blume,
and you only get 1.
It isn't about the patch at all,
merely a step along the way
SamD
QuoteCan't be bought blume
,Yep....They are worth far more than the cost..
Quoteand you only get 1.
Well...I figure if old Blume works hard and becomes a shootboss, he could have a handful ( to hand out at Appleseeds that is)
QuoteIt isn't about the patch at all,
Nope...The patch is just a piece o' cloth (sorta like our flag)
Quotemerely a step along the way
and crusty old farts like Sam and I encourage you to step out on that path....We'll be right here shoutin' encouragement...
W44
^-^ Only one? well, once you shoot Rifleman you just wear the patch and become a poser, maybe you teach others or help post targets or clean up brass, but once you and the world know that you have accomplished the magic barrier of 210, you only need the one patch. I am certain in the DOM and stories of the Three Strikes, none of them worried about a patch and having only one. Braggin' Rights? wasn't that what Isaac Davis meant when he said "I haven't a man that is afraid to go." no brag, just the fact.
It is good that you shot 211 and have earned Rifleman, now having almost mastered the six steps, time for working on that seventh step and just wearing a patch doesn't do as much as your post on wanting more patches so you can spread the word. Please, step forward and talk about the best things that happened to you at Appleseed, and it wasn't luck that scored 211 points, even slow clocks don't make bullets hit better. And for sure, the wearing of the Rifleman patch isn't alone in convincing the unknowing what our Heritage is based upon.
I am torn between wearing my crushed and faded Red Hat or replacing it with a new one, but Fred himself gave me the hat off his head, and it got faded and crushed as I went to Appleseed after Appleseed and rode my Trusty Triumph across America. I might get a new one, if I get invited to a formal fugal Fred feast and the press is coming, but that might not really happen. I do know I have to go check another range for an Appleseed today, four hours in one direction. It would be great if you were working on some Appleseed near you. I hope to meet you on the range. :cool2:
Congratulations on your Riflemans Patch. ^:)^
I agree with everyone here that the patch itself is not as important as what it represents.
It represents a documented proficiency with a rifle that meets the same standards that have measured the skill of American Rifleman on the AQT for over a hundred years.
Like any diploma, it demonstrates an ability to persist until successful. And like any diploma it only matters most what you do with it.
We all certainly understand your pride in your accomplishment and wanting to show it off and explain it to others. If you want to wear it on multiple jackets, get some Velcro.
And when you are ready to explain the program to others, accessorize it with an Orange Hat and a pail.
X
I like the idea of the enamel pin. It would be great to wear one on a lapel, a tie or something more formal - like a tuxedo. Boy that OD green would look great on a tux!
However, if you're going to wear it on a hat - like an NRA hat, your local sportsmen's association cap, etc., why not just wear your official RWVA hat instead? Same with tacking it on a shooting jacket or trap vest or something like that. You could wear your AS T-shirt or OD green shooting jacket with Rifleman patch on it instead and wouldn't have to explain the little pin because you'd be wearing the RWVA for all to see.
As for patches, there's nowhere that you'd need an extra one that you couldn't substitute your RWVA apparel in place of whatever you'd patch or pin something on. If you want to "represent the Rifleman" and show it off, then also represent the RWVA at the same time! The whole reason to "show off" and "brag" about being a Rifleman is to get folks to the events. To strike up a conversation about "hey, what's that?"
A big ol' Appleseed T-shirt is probably the most effective "bragging" we can do.
I got my patch in Feb. 2007 at the Ramseur RBC. It is somewhere in the spare bedroom.
I thought about putting it on a hat, but I didn't.
I thought about putting it on my rifle case, but I didn't.
I thought about putting it on a jacket, but I didn't.
It's somewhere in the spare bedroom along with various tabs, papers, etc.
The real fun is seeing the expression on someone's face when you count up their AQT score and its 210 or above and you write the score on their target and shake their hand, and announce to the group that we have another rifleman and then you give them their rifleman patch while the rest of the group applauds and congratulates them. That is more fun than getting the patch yourself. If its not, think about it what the patch is really worth.
The patch just tells you and those that understand that you've successfully taken the first step towards a larger purpose. Whether or not you continue is up to you.
Quote from: Old Dog on August 14, 2010, 08:13:29 PM
The patch just tells you and those that understand that you've successfully taken the first step towards a larger purpose. Whether or not you continue is up to you.
O0
Quote from: slim on August 14, 2010, 07:11:57 PM
I like the idea of the enamel pin. It would be great to wear one on a lapel, a tie or something more formal - like a tuxedo. Boy that OD green would look great on a tux!
As a FreeMason, I frequently wear a tuxedo at meetings. A Rifleman pin on the tux would be a GREAT help to me in my seventh-stepping. It would get people to ask even if I'm not talking up Appleseed.
There I was in Skamania County Gun Range by Blue Lake Pit, and since I was wearing a Hawaiian shirt and my crushed faded RWVA ballcap, I was instantly recognized by a shooter that knows Wheeler44, and is excited that we are planning to do an Appleseed in his area. His last Appleseed was Yakima and that was 2008.
Quote from: Earl on August 15, 2010, 12:30:03 AMI was wearing a Hawaiian shirt and my crushed faded RWVA ballcap,
No wonder everyone thinks you guys out west are cool!
I took two gallons of water from the down stream side of the North Bridge at Concord on August 8 during the IBC. I brought some to Bennington, VT this weekend. I think it was SeanO who started splashing Concord Bridge water on new Riflemen as they receive their new Rifleman patch. Some people don't like that idea and could regard it as hazing. At Bennington I suggested that a little water be splashed on the patch itself as it was awarded. That idea was so well received that long time instructors dragged their shooting jackets, vests and faded patches out to have their patches splashed with Concord Bridge water. Maybe we are onto something.
O0 O0
BTW, if this gets out of hand - too many ASers collecting too much "Liberty water" from underneath the North Bridge - and the river flow is reversed to fill the void, and ocean-going freighters can no longer navigate into the much-lowered water of Boston Harbor, the National Park Service may prohibit such water collection. Technically, it's already illegal to remove artifacts from historical sites.
So, hurry up and get you some "Liberty water" - while you can! :) :)
Quote from: dwarven1 on August 14, 2010, 08:25:31 PM
As a FreeMason, I frequently wear a tuxedo at meetings. A Rifleman pin on the tux would be a GREAT help to me in my seventh-stepping. It would get people to ask even if I'm not talking up Appleseed.
8) Good idea, Fellow Traveller.
It is kind of interesting reading this thread. I shot rifleman and got my orange hat at the same event in July of this year. My orange hat is slowly fading, my Rifleman patch is still in my dresser drawer. Someday I will get my hands on one of those fancy shooting jackets to stitch it on. in the mean time, I am busy helping others get that patch.
AdamT.
Blume, I don't even have my patch yet, but I keep plenty busy helping out. Not ready to instruct? Fliers need to go up at stores and gathering places, gun shows need Riflemen who can bring in new shooters, and a bunch of other tasks need doing. Reach out to your local Shoot Boss and see how you can help!
I get what you guys are saying, believe me I do, but I don't think it is right for you to tell someone what is and isn't. If the patch means something to him, why discourage it? Honestly, if it is truly just a piece of cloth that I shouldn't care about, I don't feel that I really need to attend another Appleseed. I *got* it before I heard of you guys and I've been doing the 7th step before I heard of you. For some of us, that patch is an achievement and it boggles my mind out you put it out in front for people like a carrot and then smack people in the hand when they want it.
There's always the "Rifleman Rocker," similiar to a "Ranger Tab" (but much easier to get), available in the Appleseed Store to satisfy those urges to brag..... Not just anyone can order them, you have to be a 'Rifleman.' As far as 'subtle' bragging goes, I think those would get you just as many questions about what they mean and how you get them. Sew it on above your Oval patch (also available in the AS Store), and it would be more visible.
I agree with the idea of 'velcro' if you want to wear the actual patch on multiple clothing items..... However, I'm thinking that when I finally shoot 'Rifleman' I will be framing my patch in a display with AS lit and hanging it in my 'home office.' Everyday wear for me will be the 'oval' with the 'Rifleman' rocker.
My .0255 dollars worth (adjusted for inflation)
Jeff
For what its worth
Yes the Riflemans Patch is a mile stone( A very big one at that and the blocks to build on ) and I do what I can to help others get to it , there have been mini seeds at my place ,when I have time on the road I have been happy to meet with others and help coach to help others get to Riflman score .
Now this is not ment as a slap or any thing like that but as I see it the Riflemans Patch is a learners permit :o not an end goal , so you may wonder How do I learn more , One way is by being an Instuctor in training then an Instructor it would surprise many how much one learns as an Instructor ,,How good do you want to be ??? :cool2:
Wade
I think you miss my fundamental point. Some of us don't want to get into being an instructor or make Appleseed a lifestyle yet we keep coming for that patch. YOU have decided that it is important to keep building on that or to go farther, for yourself. To tell someone that the patch doesn't mean anything and is just a piece of cloth invalidates why some of us do the Appleseed. I think you will end up turning people away rather than getting your desired effect. If the patch doesn't have value, don't hype trying to earn the patch. Get it?
I think you miss my point ,, the patch is a big mile stone and worth abit not in the patch itself but what one has learnd in earning it , the patch only shows others that you have learned to that level ,,what path you take from there is upto you :cool2: .
btw altho you do not wish to take on a RWVA hat you have been doing AS work in getting others to come to AS shoots,, Thank you O0.
Wade
I'm a little surprised at the number of folks here who say you only need one patch......
I guess I could say to them they only need one rifle... that's all you can shoot at one time.
Any who, I've been in touch with the powers that be and now know how to get an extra patch or two.
We also discussed the idea of a pin and I think that might just be in the works.... which I actually would like more than more patches.
I would like to help out more at matches but my personal life and work kind of have me tied down on most weekends... I do have plans still to go to another event in 3 weeks and see if I can shoot a little better.
Quote from: blume357 on October 02, 2010, 07:59:37 AM
We also discussed the idea of a pin and I think that might just be in the works.... which I actually would like more than more patches.
blume357,
Are you really working on getting a pin made? Is it for your personal use or are you seeing about having a large batch of the pins made for distribution? If it is a large batch are you in touch with RifleWoman to see if it is an item that can be carried in the store?
TruT
I've got people working on the pin idea already. Should have quotes really soon.
Yes, you can get additional patches, but you have to contact me for the secret password and how too. ;)
blume357,
The patch is a symbol of a mission. The patch itself means nothing - just a scrap of cloth. For some of us, it was the nexus of a journey - a time honored tradition that dates back hundreds of years in America - the tradition of the Rifleman. A Rifleman persists. A Rifleman is vigilant. A Rifleman is involved and possesses what the Founders called "Public Virtue", or a concern for things beyond his own sphere.
Don't be surprised if asking for more patyches raises some eyebrows here sir. This is a working site and near everyone here has invested a great deal of time and expense in this program. I own my own business and have a family to tend to as well. I have all but given up my many hobbies and prefer now, at 51, to give something back to my country. I saw the ship sinking a long time ago, but didn't know what I could do to stop it. Then I found Appleseeds. Your being here is a testament to what we have accomplished as a team.
It is apathy and self-absorption that are killing the republic. Now don't git yourself riled - I understand commitment and responsibilities, but likewise do not confuse yourself into thinking that the 100 hours+ that I personally donate to the mission each month comes easily. I work a lot - I am in my office right now doing paperwork and stopped here for a break from it. I will be here tomorrow as well - all day long. I understand sacrifice. I also understand that what I do pales in comparison to what was done in my stead 235 years ago, and has been done by the many who have given everything so that I could sleep peacefully at night.
I have been called too "preachy" in the past and I confess - mea culpa, but that doesn't change a thing about where this country is headed and what is required to save it.
You are welcome in any capacity, from an event or two just to improve your own marksmanship and get a patch for braggin rights, to running an entire region of the country in the program, but I trust you are now fully aware of why Appleseeds exists and what that patch means to us.
My very best to you and yourn sir,
PH
Quote from: faitmakerI get what you guys are saying, believe me I do, but I don't think it is right for you to tell someone what is and isn't. If the patch means something to him, why discourage it? Honestly, if it is truly just a piece of cloth that I shouldn't care about
It
is just a piece of cloth, but the only currency you can spend to get one is sweat and sacrifice. If patches were passed out like pamphlets anyone could get one and it would lose its significance.
QuoteI think you miss my fundamental point. Some of us don't want to get into being an instructor or make Appleseed a lifestyle yet we keep coming for that patch. YOU have decided that it is important to keep building on that or to go farther, for yourself. To tell someone that the patch doesn't mean anything and is just a piece of cloth invalidates why some of us do the Appleseed. I think you will end up turning people away rather than getting your desired effect. If the patch doesn't have value, don't hype trying to earn the patch. Get it?
Appleseed is not my "lifestyle" either, but I'm able to give it time and effort. As I said earlier, I'm not an instructor--I haven't shot my 210. I understand what the patch signifies--enough of a commitment to learn something that is neither natural nor easy to do--and if I was offered one for the work I do instead of by shooting, I'd turn it down.
From what I understood from your first post you shot Rifleman on your very first Appleseed. That's amazing, but it may explain why the patch itself doesn't seem like a big deal. FWIW, I sometimes think the emphasis on the first six steps obscures the Seventh Step, but I also understand that
it works--it brings people into Appleseed. The patch, and the rifle instruction that leads to it, are an irresistible draw, especially at the price it is offered. If I told you from the outset that for $80 I can teach you how to care about the fate of America and what you can do to fix it, would you sign up? I wouldn't! But by the time you get that piece of cloth you've come to understand about bailing. You've come to understand why we make no distinction between the 210 shooter and the 250 shooter. It's why you get the same patch whether you've shot a 10/22 at 25 meters or a Garand at 400 yards.
FaitMaker, I hope you'll get involved. You don't have to instruct; if you print up 50 fliers about your next local shoot and post them at the places you visit every day, you've done us a valuable service.
QuoteFaitMaker, I hope you'll get involved. You don't have to instruct; if you print up 50 fliers about your next local shoot and post them at the places you visit every day, you've done us a valuable service.
+1 on that.
We have some IITs here in FL, that work only one or two events per year. We have people who never work an event, but help us get the word out at every opp. Our FL promo boss is not an instructor, but he brings a talent to the table that is at least as valuable - promotion.
From a single flier posted in your local gun shop, to people like Willorith and BrownBess who have worked more than 20 events this year - it's all good - it's all a shoulder to the cart - it all keeps the ship from sinking. We're not running a marksmanship clinic - we're trying to save our country. Please forgive us if we git passionate about what we do - I mean that.
The posters here just wish to convey the gravity of what we do, and what that patch meant to us when we got it. I got a patch each of the events I attended, but it was more by chance than consitent skill. It wasn't until I became an instructor that I could shoot consistently well. Now I conduct Known Distance Clinics for the instructors in Florida and we shoot out past 600 with great success.
At my second event a very sharp woman we call DragonWood asked me if I would consider instructing. She invited me. I took the red pill and never looked back. When I walk past the American flag located in front of my breakfast restaurant, I reach out and stroke it and my chest swells, knowing that I will work to keep her safe, in my own little way that day.
Where once I railed against that over which I have no control, now I shake the hands of the people who leave the events I run and humbly accept their heartfelt thanks and encouragement. Imagine what it feels like to know that you have awakened their hearts and minds to their unique heritage and in doing so, made them better Americans.
Hard to put a price on that.
You are welcome at Appleseeds in any capacity. Come and shoot - have fun and improve your marksmanship, but understand that for us it's not about the patch - it's about a debt that cannot be repaid to the "lender". It can only be paid forward to the next generation, so that Liberty does not die with
this generation. This is the wish of men like George Washington and John Adams. That their great sacrifice would not be in vein.
At the end of the day, I do not Appleseeds for myself. I do it for a little girl names Anabelle Liegh, my 11 year old granddaughter. And I am awfully fond of that little girl. O0
I understand what y'all are saying. I understood what riflemanship was all about before I attended an appleseed and when I went it only reinforced it. I understand it's not about getting the patch... but the patch does represent something. To a degree just like the American Flag represents a whole lot... the ideals our country was founded on.. the people who have sacrificed all so that we might be free... and the hope that still remains today......
I really want to thank you instructors and such for keeping this program alive. I feel pretty confident I can get another patch for 'free' in three weeks. I'm holding out for ordering any until the pins come in.
As for now the best I can do to promote Appleseed is to print out flyers for the next event and leave them laying around at my gun club and a few other places.
blume357,
Anything you can do to help us git the word out is much appreciated. O0
Many thanks,
PHenry
Quote from: Wade on October 01, 2010, 04:45:03 PM
btw altho you do not wish to take on a RWVA hat you have been doing AS work in getting others to come to AS shoots,, Thank you O0.
Actually I never said I didn't. I said some of us. I can put myself into other people's shoes. However, I have a lot of things going on and don't think I can commit to but two shoots a year. We'll see though. This Friday I take my NRA Pistol Instructor course so I can teach CCW in Ohio. If that starts doing well, I'll have the money to do more shoots, but maybe not more time.
Faitmaker,
I have a couple that work as helpers at one or two events per year. They are overwhelmed with kids, work and farming. They have one re-deeming facet, so far as the program is concerned - they ALWAYS work one or two events per year and encourage others to attend events all year long. They are golden to me. If I can get enough of them - I can build on it and make it work here in FL.
The cart is heavy and every bit of push makes a difference. If you strap enough toothpicks together, eventually you can build a house.
Do what you can and know that somewhere Lady Liberty feels just a little safer. O0
Many thanks,
PH
Quote from: Antibubba on October 02, 2010, 12:31:51 PM
Quote from: faitmakerI get what you guys are saying, believe me I do, but I don't think it is right for you to tell someone what is and isn't. If the patch means something to him, why discourage it? Honestly, if it is truly just a piece of cloth that I shouldn't care about
It is just a piece of cloth, but the only currency you can spend to get one is sweat and sacrifice. If patches were passed out like pamphlets anyone could get one and it would lose its significance.
QuoteI think you miss my fundamental point. Some of us don't want to get into being an instructor or make Appleseed a lifestyle yet we keep coming for that patch. YOU have decided that it is important to keep building on that or to go farther, for yourself. To tell someone that the patch doesn't mean anything and is just a piece of cloth invalidates why some of us do the Appleseed. I think you will end up turning people away rather than getting your desired effect. If the patch doesn't have value, don't hype trying to earn the patch. Get it?
Appleseed is not my "lifestyle" either, but I'm able to give it time and effort. As I said earlier, I'm not an instructor--I haven't shot my 210. I understand what the patch signifies--enough of a commitment to learn something that is neither natural nor easy to do--and if I was offered one for the work I do instead of by shooting, I'd turn it down.
From what I understood from your first post you shot Rifleman on your very first Appleseed. That's amazing, but it may explain why the patch itself doesn't seem like a big deal. FWIW, I sometimes think the emphasis on the first six steps obscures the Seventh Step, but I also understand that it works--it brings people into Appleseed. The patch, and the rifle instruction that leads to it, are an irresistible draw, especially at the price it is offered. If I told you from the outset that for $80 I can teach you how to care about the fate of America and what you can do to fix it, would you sign up? I wouldn't! But by the time you get that piece of cloth you've come to understand about bailing. You've come to understand why we make no distinction between the 210 shooter and the 250 shooter. It's why you get the same patch whether you've shot a 10/22 at 25 meters or a Garand at 400 yards.
FaitMaker, I hope you'll get involved. You don't have to instruct; if you print up 50 fliers about your next local shoot and post them at the places you visit every day, you've done us a valuable service.
You totally got my message wrong and confused it with the original poster. I haven't shot rifleman at all, but I plan to come back until I do because it means something to me. Personally, I *got* AS's message before I attended the first one. I went to AS for the skills. I post about AS quite a bit on my blog, wear my AS shirts every chance I get, including to work, posted an ungodly amount of fliers (just ask Hoover) and am bringing people to the shoots (7 this past weekend). You don't have to convince me. I'm in your corner.
Unfortunately, things I am seeing feels like an Amway meeting. It doesn't feel like you are selling your product but instead trying to simply recruit more people to run the mammoth beast that is becoming Appleseed. If I wasn't the person I am, I would have come to these forums to see what it is about and assumed that the only reason to attend an Appleseed is to become a volunteer for Appleseed.
So despite what any of you have said here, I have been "7th stepping" (now I feel like I'm at an AA meeting) and "bailing" long before I saw Massad's post about you guys. And I haven't "earned" my patch and fully intend to because it means something to me despite what you say. Just don't be surprised when someone becomes obsessed about getting one. That's why I pay the money to attend, not to keep hearing the message that I already got.
Quote from: blume357As for now the best I can do to promote Appleseed is to print out flyers for the next event and leave them laying around at my gun club and a few other places.
Sweet! But we really do mean it when we say that
anything you do is fantastic. If you get the word out to those who have never heard of us before, then you are doing them, us, and yourself a great service. It's better than 99% of Americans.
Quote from: faitmaker
You totally got my message wrong and confused it with the original poster. I haven't shot rifleman at all,
Yup, I sure did. :-[
QuoteUnfortunately, things I am seeing feels like an Amway meeting. It doesn't feel like you are selling your product but instead trying to simply recruit more people to run the mammoth beast that is becoming Appleseed.
~~:) ..:.. ~~:)
I have to laugh at that, because it does seem like that sometimes. Yeah, the machine does need to be stoked. But for many of us, "proselytizing" might be more accurate. I'm a devout "Americanist". And the reason we push so much is that it seems like The End of Days. To us, time is running out.
QuoteJust don't be surprised when someone becomes obsessed about getting one. That's why I pay the money to attend, not to keep hearing the message that I already got.
And that is perfectly fine! We appreciate your coming. Just understand, you'll hear the message every time.
Quote from: Faitmaker on October 03, 2010, 12:10:55 PMIt doesn't feel like you are selling your product but instead trying to simply recruit more people to run the mammoth beast that is becoming Appleseed.
Well... to an extent, that IS correct. My usual joke is to refer to it as the "Rifleman Ponzi Scheme". Yes, one point of Appleseed Shoots is to "train the trainer" because we NEED more people to get the message out - to wake up the sleeping Americans out there. A few hundred instructors aren't going to do it. We need to keep growing until Project Appleseed isn't needed any more - when the American people are paying attention to their government and being active participants in the Great Experiment rather than just sleeping their way through it.
Well for me, it wasn't until after my second AS as a student that I was seeing the Orange hat as the goal and not so much the patch. This meant that I had to shoot like a rifleman. After 7.5 days of being a student, I shot my first Rifleman's score. The next 2 AQT's were rifleman scores with increasing scores.
IMHO an IBC, 1 AS as an IIT, and 3 more before the end of the year later, I do find that there is more work involved in being a Rifleman. With that said, I find it to be a very fulfilling and meaningfull endevor. And, with what little work that I have done, and will do before the end of this calander year, I am looking forward to doing so much more this next year.
I have to say that yes, the patch is a license to learn. I say let those who wish only to attain the patch do just that. That individual will have the bragging rights, which may, in the end challange others to try to get it. Then those individuals may be able to see past the patch and then be able to accomplish so much more for others than for themselves. If people see more can be done with that patch other than just shooting, then the better it is for all of the Union.
I see the patch as the "tree" and the Appleseed Mission as the "forrest". Sometimes folks are unable to see the later for the former.
Quote from: Faitmaker on October 03, 2010, 12:10:55 PM
Quote from: Antibubba on October 02, 2010, 12:31:51 PM
Quote from: faitmakerI get what you guys are saying, believe me I do, but I don't think it is right for you to tell someone what is and isn't. If the patch means something to him, why discourage it? Honestly, if it is truly just a piece of cloth that I shouldn't care about
It is just a piece of cloth, but the only currency you can spend to get one is sweat and sacrifice. If patches were passed out like pamphlets anyone could get one and it would lose its significance.
QuoteI think you miss my fundamental point. Some of us don't want to get into being an instructor or make Appleseed a lifestyle yet we keep coming for that patch. YOU have decided that it is important to keep building on that or to go farther, for yourself. To tell someone that the patch doesn't mean anything and is just a piece of cloth invalidates why some of us do the Appleseed. I think you will end up turning people away rather than getting your desired effect. If the patch doesn't have value, don't hype trying to earn the patch. Get it?
Appleseed is not my "lifestyle" either, but I'm able to give it time and effort. As I said earlier, I'm not an instructor--I haven't shot my 210. I understand what the patch signifies--enough of a commitment to learn something that is neither natural nor easy to do--and if I was offered one for the work I do instead of by shooting, I'd turn it down.
From what I understood from your first post you shot Rifleman on your very first Appleseed. That's amazing, but it may explain why the patch itself doesn't seem like a big deal. FWIW, I sometimes think the emphasis on the first six steps obscures the Seventh Step, but I also understand that it works--it brings people into Appleseed. The patch, and the rifle instruction that leads to it, are an irresistible draw, especially at the price it is offered. If I told you from the outset that for $80 I can teach you how to care about the fate of America and what you can do to fix it, would you sign up? I wouldn't! But by the time you get that piece of cloth you've come to understand about bailing. You've come to understand why we make no distinction between the 210 shooter and the 250 shooter. It's why you get the same patch whether you've shot a 10/22 at 25 meters or a Garand at 400 yards.
FaitMaker, I hope you'll get involved. You don't have to instruct; if you print up 50 fliers about your next local shoot and post them at the places you visit every day, you've done us a valuable service.
You totally got my message wrong and confused it with the original poster. I haven't shot rifleman at all, but I plan to come back until I do because it means something to me. Personally, I *got* AS's message before I attended the first one. I went to AS for the skills. I post about AS quite a bit on my blog, wear my AS shirts every chance I get, including to work, posted an ungodly amount of fliers (just ask Hoover) and am bringing people to the shoots (7 this past weekend). You don't have to convince me. I'm in your corner.
Unfortunately, things I am seeing feels like an Amway meeting. It doesn't feel like you are selling your product but instead trying to simply recruit more people to run the mammoth beast that is becoming Appleseed. If I wasn't the person I am, I would have come to these forums to see what it is about and assumed that the only reason to attend an Appleseed is to become a volunteer for Appleseed.
So despite what any of you have said here, I have been "7th stepping" (now I feel like I'm at an AA meeting) and "bailing" long before I saw Massad's post about you guys. And I haven't "earned" my patch and fully intend to because it means something to me despite what you say. Just don't be surprised when someone becomes obsessed about getting one. That's why I pay the money to attend, not to keep hearing the message that I already got.
I understand the annoyance with people trying to recruit you. People are trying to sell stuff to us all the time. I hope you never feel that Appleseed is bait-and-switch.
The Guy said something at my first Appleseed that has held with me and kept me awake at night: "There is no greater tragedy than doing nothing for fear of doing too little."
This, to me, is the central point of Appleseed. Learning to shoot expert is a valuable skill, it requires discipline, attention to detail, and perseverance. It is a great analogy for being the kind of citizen that our country and society needs.
I don't care if you become an instructor. Sure, I love this program and we need all the help we can get. But there are a lot of ways to fix the things that need fixing. There are a lot of good causes; a lot of ways to fight the good fight. I don't think anyone here sees you as less because you aren't volunteering for their cause. They're more trying to relate why they took up the banner for Appleseed. What else do you expect from a group of Appleseed volunteers?
To add my two cents about the patch: I sewed mine on my shooting jacket. I have another one sitting in my desk, presumably for the day I replace my shooting jacket. I don't wear the patch to brag or to show my rifle skills; if I'm wearing my shooting jacket, chances are that my rifle skills (or lack thereof) will be made apparent anyway.
I see the patch as a symbol of a standard I want to hold myself to. I earned the physical patch by shooting well, but the symbol isn't about having shot expert once. It's about shooting expert, every time. It's about doing good and honoring myself and upholding the burdens we must bear, every time. It's a very personal desire to earn what the patch represents, every day.
This is why we talk about the characteristics of a Rifleman at Appleseed shoots. We talk about persistence, honor, courage, and moral responsibility. These are not checkboxes on an exam, nor can you display them simply by the color of your hat. They only come through in the actions you display, day after day. No two of us will walk the same road.
I hope you earn the patch, both by shooting well and by knowing very well what you are about. God speed.