Georgia had its first Winterseed at Augusta, and although folks from the north might not be impressed with the temperatures, it certainly caught the attention of those of us from the South...it didn't get above freezing until mid-morning Saturday, and all day our wonderful shooters were shooting under a cover which blocked the warming sun, in wind that added to the perception of cold. Still not a word of complaint was heard from anyone, and our shooters displayed amazing enthusiasm and dedication to improving their skills. Although we had a few returning Appleseeders, most were attending for the first time. A few had never handled a rifle before, and had to be shown basic operation. But this group was remarkable for their close attention to safety and their teachable attitude. We had a number of new shooters under 12 years old, and they impressed everyone with their enthusiasm and energy.
We were blessed with a fine group of instructors who made this Appleseed possible. They were constantly interacting with "their" students and helped one student "over the hump" to qualify as Rifleman. Another returning student who had qualified at an earlier Appleseed qualified as Rifleman again, and both these students asked for and were welcomed into the Appleseed family as IITs.
We finished the weekend by giving shooters a chance to shoot at 100 yards, but most preferred to continue on the 25 meter range at AQT targets. Their dedication to improving their skills and their openness to the message of April 19, 1775 was most impressive, and almost everyone expressed their appreciation and their determination to return for future Appleseeds and to spread the message of Liberty.
I 2nd everything said by Dr. John.
Dr. John, you are going to be a fine Shoot Boss for sure.
I did manage to get a picture of Gary taking the orange hat. I have to apologize not getting a picture of Danielle Nichole taking hers (my phone battery was dead). Welcome aboard to both of you!
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e42/xdscott7/Appleseed/IMG00150.jpg)
Oh, and look Star has a bottle!
I'll third you, Mantis, but with one minor correction: DrJohn already is a fine shoot boss. He is an asset to the program, and confirmation that the teaching modules are working. His organizational, communication, and teaching skills are superb. TAZdevil, in true SB form, shadowed DrJohn but in truth it wasn't necessary. Everything was well laid out.
On the end of the first day, I was very proud of our young people. They stuck it out, listened to the instruction, and progressed admirably. Very, very well done.
It may have been cold, but how fun was it to see all of those light bulb moments happening throughout the day? IMC works- light on! Move those elbows forward of the knees to see those groups shrink- light on! By the middle of the afternoon, the students were telling us what they were doing wrong by listening to their targets- lights on!
All of the IIT's were engaging shooters, while paying close attention to their assigned responsibilities. They didn't need to be told to flip the switch, they just did it. It was obvious to me that they all did their homework and knew their jobs. Corrections were well received, and followed. What more can one ask of IIT's?
To all involved: Excellent job. I'll ask a final question...
"When I say Captain Hook, you say....?"
I hope to see you all again, sooner rather than later.
All I can say is THANK YOU ALL. The team assembled in Augusta is second to none. I don't know who the credit goes to or if it goes to anyone but this was a great shoot for me. I learned some things about the history of the three strikes that I hadn't read in Paul Revere's Ride. I learned more about ballistics than I previously knew, but mostly I learned about a dedicated group of men and women who were passionate about what they were doing and know what they are about. Each one spent time on the ground working with shooters explaining, coaching and encouraging them. I would encourage anyone to attend a shoot with this group. I for one will be back for more instruction. Thanks again.
The line is clear the line is clear
Dr. John, you may proceed downrange to post your dates. Quiggly Quiggly.
I think I heard French this weekend. Didn't I?
I just want to say thank you to the dedicate instructors who took the time to come out and teach us. This was my third Appleseed and I shot Rifleman again. Next appleseed I am applying to become an instructor.
I really enjoyed working with the students, nothing is more rewarding then having the pleasure of passing it on for future generations. ARRRRRRGGGGHHH!!!!!!!!!!
Dr. John & Tiva God bless you both and fine job from the Hall's! All 4.75 of us!