Trying to economize, I packed the micro econo car with the minimum gear kit today to see how it would do on a little shake down cruise. A fine excuse to make the drive out to the RWVA-West range and headquarters to have a sit down with Brother Bob 210 & Hollywood Marine to receive some last minute guidance and/or moral support. Also, Bob seems to have laid his hands on an Argentinian Brown Bess in 75 cal, and he donated some Musket balls as visual aids for the Washington Bretheren.
If you have never eyeballed one of those things and held it in your hand, when you do the thought of standing in front of a line of redcoats launching those things at you makes one have a sphincter clenching appriciation for what Col Parker and Captain Davis' men signed up for. And when you see one of those things go off!
Zooks! And 'Gosh all fish hooks'
Anyway, back to the travelogue......
Upon getting home, I smelled the distinct oder of smoking break pads... Maybe 1200 miles in the tercel is not prudent.
So the heavy hauler it is.
Figure I might as well take the lux route as long as I am going to follow in the foot steps of The Guy and become one of those "traveling vast trackless wastes in the service of my countrymen" kind of apple seed red/green hat fellows.
Fred, bless his heart, got the shoot box to me a week ahead of schedual so I could put together PACKETS for the admin portion of the festivities, and I have laid off the leafy green veggies in prepation for the iron rich water reported to be at the site. Threw in a little something extra for the Washingtonian contingient as well.....
Now, for those of you who have not been keeping current with the 'california rockers', there is palpable excitment in the ether of cyberspace that is a pale shadow of what we are feeing here in california in meat space.
So- Long day at work Monday, a extra super duper jumbo coffee, a half a tank of gas and some dark glasses, and.....
Let the cross pollination begin!
Stay tuned, sports fans......
Brother Kool Aid out
Now Kool-aid, we all know that the Guy is your Hero :D. You can't wait to put that many miles into this program. See you when you finally get to WY. Good travels brother
There was a show on the history channel about infantry rifle development.
The old Revolutionary War shoulder arms (about 75 caliber) shot into a watermelon resulted in a shattered watermelon with chunks blown out and lengthwise splits.
An 8mm Mauser (at the same distance) merely put two holes (entry and exit) inthe watermelon.
Believe I'd rather be shot with the FMJ modern slugs.
Two men stand on the sacred soil of the Washington State DAR. They take the prone position. One mounts binoculars the other grabs a handful of ammo. He drops a round. As he reaches over to pick it up he feels a slight tremor. He puts his ear to the ground and holds up one hand, signaling to his companion. "You hear that?" he says as holds motionless. "Sounds like Brother kool aid is fixin' to leave on his way up here". The other replies "your one minute preparation period has ended, you may now load and make ready"
"hey wait a minute"
"all ready on the left"
"there ain't nobody on the left, give me a second"
"all ready on the right"
"hey wait a minute"
"FIRE"
Yea I just don't know about the that one with no excuse's on the fireing line ::) ,,,,the Shooter made a Rifleman score tho With a single shot Rifle even.
Your not here yet koolaid ?
You may miss seeing my turo charged Tonka toy on steroid's, Great fun play in the dirt dig up a Rifle Range.
Wade
I see the day, that like "Mary Kay", after your "50" missions and perhaps a specified number of confirmed "Rifleman" under one's belt, that Appleseed will allow you to buy an "Apple Red" sub-compact hybrid vehicle to travel to shoots in. All the seats will be taken out to make room for Appleseed gear and it will come complete with a pop up tent that deploys with the hatch-back.......truly a traveling Appleseed Show.
Just remember the mantra of Appleseed....'Simple and precise'....in our instruction and in your travel ;) ;D :o
Enjoy
QuoteAs a British officer reports, beyond 125m it was simply too inaccurate and he was willing to claim without doubt that no man was killed with a musket at 200m.
I think the quote had to do with "hit by a round that was aimed at him" - in other words, you'd be safe at 200m, if someone aimed at you - you were not safe from the "to whom it may concern" rounds that were not specifically aimed at you.
A minor point, maybe...
Oh dear------
Never underestimate life's ability to pile it on right when you need to keep you wits about you to leave for a semi major road trip...
The trip is certainly major, as I see it, because it is one of the first 'west coast link ups'. We have the california contingient who is gathering momentum going to see the Washington DAR for the inaugural kick-off IBC/Apple Seed.
28 Pre Reg!
Gosh all fish hooks, are we gonna have to run relays? Not to worry- we are trained professionals. Bring MORE!
Soooooooo- better be getting down the road. I have to go pick up my California Rocker so's to represent. Got the wireless modem to give updates from the road. Oooo-rah!
Apple Seed Nationwide Tour, Kool Aid contingient.
Leaving 20:20 PDT/ 04:20 Zulu
Kool Aid out
See you guys in the funny papers
Even now, Birdman converges on Washington, even as Kool closes in.
Tomorrow brings the dawning of a new day in the PNW.
The whispers increasing: "They're making their own out there". "Growing their own!"
And as the nation looks on, Washington shows the way of the future.
Nothing fancy. Just shouldering the load, building their own ranges, making their own instructors, getting the job done.
From a favorite suthrun saying: "Hey y'all, watch this!" JB
Quote from: Junior Birdman on August 05, 2008, 03:47:43 PM
Even now, Birdman converges on Washington, even as Kool closes in.
Hey Guys,
Crank them instructors out up there, it looks like WA. will be putting them to good use. ;D ;D
~SS
An Appleseed HaiKu
Red Hat flys by night
Issac Davis his co-pilot
echos of hoofbeats
Dawn broke in the Wal-Mart parking lot.
Willows California, well north of the urban mess that is Sacramento.
First leg objective met: get out of dodge.
Your intrepid author was putting his head ON the pillow and not taking it off. Nice run up the central valley of california during the cool. It was even necessary to use a blanket to sleep! Wal-Mart is rumored to have a non-harassment rule of RV'rs who park to take a snooze. Works for grubby machinists in parcel vans as well I guess....
Ahhh yes- Wal-Mart, official supply depot of the RWVA and Kool Aid's home away from home. Why do I even have a house? Oh yeah- place to keep the ammo and target backers.....
Anyway......
Next thing you know, awaken from a dream of being in a sauna- oh wait, not a dream. Conveyance is parked in the direct sun, and being white is of no appreciable help. Not yet noon- great! That's plenty of sleep. No problem. Let's drive some MORE! and MORE!!!!.
Present meat space location: Grants Pants, OR - Addella's Diner.
Sassy hostess making me laugh. Quite charming she is. Must be the faint echo of a very large tuning fork. Yes, this is one of those 'in' jokes we have in california- believe me you don't want me to explain..... And if you do, you might hear it at lunch on the sunday of an appleseed. After 'dangerous old men'. Part of a discussion that includes Star Wars, Samari Movies, and stories of my Step Father (god bless him for all eternity)
But, back to the waitress.....
I write for her a haiku. I show it to her
Then I have to explain that haiku is a form of Nipponise poetry of three lines, wherein the first and third are of five syllables and the middle one has seven.
She wants a copy......I write it out for her.
So this is what I wrote for her:
A sassy hostess
plys me with coffee and charm
whack on my sholder
Notice that the zip is usually found in the final line- either ironical or trancendent.......
She wants a copy......I write it out for her.
Even Riflemen have their own Haiku:
This is my rifle
there are many like it but
this rifle is mine
Guess I better get goin'. Having too much fun here.
Thirty one sign up
One red hat drives through the night
what's that?.....Appleseed
Hmmmm, maybe we'll have to start doing poetry readings during the lunch break instead of history, eh? :D :D ::)
After all, we -are- still on the Left Coast.......
"Honey, please pass me some more granola........." ;D :D ;D :D ;D :D ;D :D
Quote from: Wheeler44 on August 06, 2008, 01:37:08 AM
Thirty one sign up
One red hat drives through the night
what's that?.....Appleseed
Ain't much like it in modern America.....pity, but great to be part of it! America on track....Appleseed.....just feels right.
Quote from: Wheeler44 on August 06, 2008, 01:37:08 AM
Thirty one sign up
One red hat drives through the night
what's that?.....Appleseed
DUDE!
I know.......*sigh*......
Hey All
Opps I know my plan was to make shootting lanes for 25 but you know these darned Appleseed engineers we kinda miss counted and did not get the 25 we where shooting for ,,,so will only 35 shooting lanes do of a generouse 4 ft wide each ::) :o :D.
Wade and sw Washington corps of engineer's staff
Kool Aid, headin' north
knowing what he is about.
Ready Castle Rock?
Wade,
that is the proper use of a good "Appleseed tape measure" that you've got there......Rock on, Brother!! 8) 8) ;D
Show 'em how to get 'er done...... ;D ;D :D ;)
................................ ???
This has got to be a first. A haiku contest on a shooting-related forum.
Anybody shoot any more?
Saw a spot
Rented a machine
Dug with machine
Range built
Time to shoot
WooF
Wade
................
Dangerous??? Only for those in -front- of the muzzle...... :o ;D
That's why the first rule of safety is just that....the first rule......
Don't get me started on the Irish...... :-\ ::)
Hey all
About 30 shooters,,,,10 Made Rifleman One with a 210 ! he must have held out it was at the end of the day and we all where just abit to Tired to carry him to the river to trow him in, We Also got alot more IIT's ,,,IMO They KNOW Very Well What They Are About,These Men I had only met before online and they As Soon as they Earned Rifleman Stepped upto Plate and jumped Right in I Thank Them Very Much
and look forward to working with them again.
Thank You Koolaid Wheeler44 Artandsciance.
And Thank you to All who Came ,,
To Tired to write more been abit busy will Write on How to build a Rifle Range later as Fred has asked me to do so ,,,A word on that Now Teamwork ,don't ask your self can I do it ? Ask yourself How can I do it .
A very Tired Wade signing off for the night 8)
My first Appleseed. What a heck of an experience. Looking forward to making the Instructor level and beyond. Thank you Wade, Wheeler44, Artandscience and Kool Aid for this great experience and new friends. I learned alot and taught a little. See you very soon hoprefully!!! ;D
Wade,
you done good, buddy.....you are one of the few I've met that really puts it all out there to get 'er done......
Personally, I'm proud to serve alongside you...... :) :)
See you on the line, we will be crossing paths at some time soon!
And congratulations on those new Riflemen & IIT's!!! ;D ;D 8)
You guys rock!!!! 8) 8) 8) :)
KA, we'll be talking to you soon enough .....have a safe drive back home, ok? Drive carefully.....& beware buxom hostesses.....could be trouble, ya know?? ::) :o :D
I cannot say enough about Wade (and his son-in-law's work) to transform a small, grassy hollow into a dedicated Appleseed range.
It's a great range (and I've been to a few..) and it was a tremendous amount of earth moving in a short period of time.
When we did our post-mortem (what's the official Appleseed term?) after the weekend with Kool Aid, my biggest positive was
how we went from being four guys who barely knew each other to a really smooth team of seven (shoot boss, three new instructors
and three new IITs) by the end of the weekend.
I build teams for a living and this was almost magical - a common purpose, a willingness and energy to support each other, and a hell of a lot of hard work made it a great success (IMO).
I'm really looking forward to the next Appleseed with my guys!!
cheers, artandscience
ps. I know we cannot keep him, but can we get Kool Aid back some more? He rocked! JB, too!
Well, A&S,
You'll have to ask him really nice......but KA is a "free spirit", & likes it when people really like his work......and don't take pictures of him in embarrassing moments.... :D :D :D (Oh!! I'm sorry!! Did I have some of those??!!??!! :D :D) ;D
JB, simply put, is one of our National treasures.....well worth the time spent with him to catch the end of the fire hose!~! 8) 8)
Imagine, a concept team.....united around a common goal & plan.........instant unification.......bet you wish your job went this easy, eh?? :D ;D 8)
Wade has proven beyond any doubt, that he is a man who knows what he is about very well, and follows thru with the action to make it fact.....again, very impressive!! 8) 8) 8)
And, he has the correct (AS) tape measure to be used on these projects!! ;D :D ;D
Yeah, we have the same problem here, after the benediction, nobody wants to leave.....even with the guns put away, & the targets down, we all end up chasing the sun down with each other......(Don't know about the other guys, but my lovely gets a tad annoyed with no cell service because Mt AS blocks the tower.....'course, that is probably a good thing too!)
Like-minded men & women with a common goal & vision, when they thought no one else cared, or was interested....... :'(
We're looking forward to your next AS as well, so we can see how much better things have grown with practice...... :o 8) ;D
Take care now, & let us know if there's any way we can help each other out on this, fair enough?
TTYS
Laylopro
Sounds like another great AS. Watching you all from Wisconsin.
ColyCat
We had a huge problem at the Castle Rock Appleseed. Yes, I will freely admit that there was a short coming.
Yes- I am sorry to report that we ran out of patches. That was the biggest hitch.
I will tell you all what I told the guys: I came up here with high expectations for this shoot. My brother instructors might have tried to caution me to not 'get my hopes up'. But I am an optimist.
I can say without reservation that my expectations were exceeded in every aspect of this shoot.
As has been said before, we got reenforcements early on, with Polar Bear and Mean Tree stepping up and inquiring about getting under the hat. I grinned. They received their hats with the usual RWVA pomp and circumstance ::) Then Fredness........ sweet fredness. So here is what we ended up: twenty six students and six instructors able to coach and work the line at any given stage. And this doesn't count whom ever was calling the line at the time.
That's better than five to one ration.
This is a recipe for wonderful things- We laughed and laughed at the thought of having our biggest problem was running out of patches and IIT hats.... We were a team, backing each other up and working like a well oiled machine.
So congratulations to all who shot rifleman scores. As many who have come before you will tell you, it is but a waypoint on a journey that will continue for the rest of your lives. I am always happy to be there when it happens. Time to roll up your sleeves and begin to teach.
To all who did not- Riflemen persist. Come on back, many of you were heartbreakingly close. This is often not the worst thing. Take it from someone who knows: It is so worth it, and having to work that much harder often makes for a sweeter experience when you eventually get there. Take heart. I know of what I speak from personal experience.
So- kudos to all. Wade and family: Thanks for opening your home to the greater good.
To Art and Science: I like the way your mind works. y'all can work with me any where any time.
Wheeler44 & son Vadar: Way to step up dudes! I am always comforted to have adult supervion.
And the cavalry? Wonderful work. Mean Tree, Fredness, and Polar Bear. Exellent work both with the shooters and calling the line. I am certain that your contributions were vital to the overall great outcome of the event.
Thanks-
Kool Aid out.....
[/size]
Well
Grass seed now planted (Thank you all that donated for Range cost's) so that perhaps at the next shoot there will not be so much dust (or mud) kicked up into Rifle's and maybe it will look abit nicer.
You know I should be writting about building the Range (Team Work) and such but darn it that Range has not heard a shot on it all day so I must remady that.
Wade out
Quote from: kool aid on August 11, 2008, 10:13:49 PM
As has been said before, we got reenforcements early on, with Polar Bear and Mean Tree stepping up and inquiring about getting under the hat. I grinned. They received their hats with the usual RWVA pomp and circumstance ::) Then Fredness........ sweet fredness. So here is what we ended up: twenty six students and six instructors able to coach and work the line at any given stage. And this doesn't count whom ever was calling the line at the time.
Actually, I was asking "Golfer" and Fred about instructing back in Wenatchee...
If it wasn't for Jury Duty, I would have made Boot Camp too. One of the few reasons I'd miss an Appleseed event.
Great to get back to calling the line, just need to polish up on my Appleseed version.
Good time had by all, now, where are those "Master Instructor" applications?
(P.S. "sweet fredness"? :-\ )
Can I step in for a sec, and say how good it makes one feel to read this thread?
QuoteWhen we did our post-mortem (what's the official Appleseed term?) after the weekend with Kool Aid, my biggest positive was
how we went from being four guys who barely knew each other to a really smooth team of seven (shoot boss, three new instructors
and three new IITs) by the end of the weekend.
I build teams for a living and this was almost magical - a common purpose, a willingness and energy to support each other, and a hell of a lot of hard work made it a great success (IMO).
The official term is "AAR", but what we need more is a "Here's how WE did it - and how YOU can build your own team!" post.
Lay it out, step by step, not overlooking whatever magic ingredients you sprinkled it to make it all come together.
And we need it, yesterday. But if you need a few days to polish it and make it perfect, that's OK... 8)
It's pretty simple Fred
A comen Goal ,,,It starts with 1 person willing to go that other mile to help his struggling brother thats trying there best to get that Rifleman score ( You are Your Brothers Keeper ) abit of coaching on the fireing line with this you start to build a Team .
I Learned Alot from Scout from His Example,
Im pretty tired right now will write more later.
I think the rest of the Team should jump in on this ,,Wheeler44 Artandsciance Fredness Polar Bear Meantree Koolaid
Chime in Team ;D
Bottom line,, a Lot of People go thure life Wondering If they made a differance Appleseeder's don't have that Problem,,,,How much of a Differance do you Want to Make?
Wade
Quote from: Wade on August 13, 2008, 01:58:09 AM
Bottom line,, a Lot of People go thure life Wondering If they made a differance Appleseeder's don't have that Problem,,,,How much of a Differance do you Want to Make?
Wade
Well said! (and well DONE)
With permission, I shall be repeating it often :) ;)
Some quick thoughts before I go feed the horses:
1) Teams can be built serendipitously (as ours was) or consciously.
To built one consciously, you need a few things I think:
a) common goal/vision -- we got that
b) shared experience -- for Wade, Wheeler44 and I that was the IBC, for MeanTree, PolarBear, and Fredness I would say their military experience gave them that
c) respect - gotta have mutual respect. we started there among the three instructors 'cause we had just gone
through close to 24 hrs of instruction in two days. for the MT, PB, FN, I think they had an assumption of
competence because of their backgrounds that they extended to us and to each other. We respected them
both because of their service and their obvious shooting skills.
2) Teams need a goal/discipline to inform/guide their actions.
We had (1) safety, and (2) a goal of teaching basic rifle marksmanship. I think rotating calling the line,
watching each other's backs (that was a constant theme throughout the weekend), and asking for help when we
needed it was the additional glue that made the difference.
3) Teams need a good leader. Kool Aid was superlative. Not only did he relate to the shooters but he
related to us (I found myself calling him "brother" by the middle of the first day!). He kept us on track, drove
us when we needed it, consulted us and brought us into the process.
Really, it was textbook in my experience. To summarize:
- good, common training/drilling on essential things - shared by all instructors and IITs
- mutual respect between team members
- a good leader, espousing the vision, keeping team on track (and trusting us to do our parts), and being inclusive
of our ideas (consulting us)
I would work (will work) with these guys again and I think a real key to doing this successfully elsewhere (you
guys hearing this?) will be to take a core of instructors who have worked together before to other Appleseeds.
Look for examples in both the American NFL and the British Premier League. Teams of refs work each match together, being evaluated after each match for mistakes made and graded both individually and collectively (reinforces the team ethic so we stand/fall together). They do this for a reason and we should consider it. Stop matching folks up pot-luck and start getting core teams of instructors to attend an Appleseed and thus bring other instructors/IITs into the fold that way. Don't depend on happenstance to get us where we need to go.
If I wanted to "pollinate" our team ethic, I would take at least three (any three) of the six instructors and IITs that we had at this Appleseed to any other Appleseed in the nation and be quite sure that we would manage to duplicate
our success/team ethos (providing we had a good leader like Kool Aid or JB at the helm). I look forward to working
with them again as soon as possible.
The thing that we accomplished, I believe, is that we welded together a very solid and capable team in less than
two days. I don't know that that is at all unique at Appleseeds - Kool Aid would have to let us know as none of
us have been to many. As far as making a team goes, this was close to a unique experience for me in 25 years
of work though..
cheers,
Artandscience
ps. I'm sending this out unedited, so shout at me in a PM if you think I'm just off the rails please.
I personally believe that Artandscience nailed most of this. I found a brotherhood sense in a group larger than two that I have not felt since leaving the Corps. In that environment you build the team because you have to rely on each other to fill the gaps that a single man cannot complete. It is the man to the left and right of you that makes you what you are when you face something that no single man can overcome. "No man is an island" I do not know who coined that phrase but it holds true when facing a goal that you need help with. The entire Appleseed experience (my first) felt like that sort of gathering of people. I felt as though I could ask for anything I needed from anyone there and it would be offered graciously. So it is this common goal and the realization that something has to be done to protect our place in this world from becomming something that we do not like that drives us at the Appleseed. When I learn the deeds of people who helped to form this place in the world into something I do like, it hardens my resolve further to spread the word and protect their work.
So as for the core group of instructors going from Appleseed to Appleseed spreading the word and pollenating other minds like ours, I agree wholeheartedly. Why start over everytime and leave everything to chance? I can speak for myself that I have every intention of becoming a Full Instructor as quickly as possible. Fredness and I have allready set the grounds for making it to the Yakima Appleseed in October. He expressed to me the desire to be a Master Instructor as he has most of the pedigree for it accept for the Appleseed specific requirements. In this, Appleseed can count on two more dedicated instructors coming up through the ranks as soon as we can get there.
If there was anything that Artandscience may have overlooked in building an Appleseed specific team, it would be gratitude and love. Gratitude to those who so long ago and ever since have done hard things and were willing to lose everything to provide a future for the one thing that all Appleseeders should love, the freedom to proclaim their love for this country.
QuoteLay it out, step by step, not overlooking whatever magic ingredients you sprinkled it to make it all come together.
Boy Howdy, talk about a tall order,
I am tryin' to lay out the physical step by step, this is how it was done in the relevant places on this board. That's pretty simple.
What's not so simple is describing the magic ingredients, it's not like we mortals really had anything to do with it. Let me explain.
QuoteTEAM NORTHWEST
Take three complete strangers, with as far as I can see, only one common factor, The Appleseed Project, and bring them together to help save the country by first saving their region. So far so good, three folks with different backgrounds are gonna have a pretty broad set of skills, gifts and talents. The desire that each has to work for the good of the Project must've come from within or from above depending on your own point of view. I'm not qualified to talk on that so I'll just leave that to each individual to figure out.
The Characters,
We have a pretty interesting mix in the three of us.
Take one poor preachers son from Nevada, raised on faith and whatever rabbits he could shoot, one well educated European immigrant raised sittin' pretty near the lap of luxury and one old bush rat raised up in a subsistence lifestyle in Alaska and it sounds like the beginning of a bad adventure movie. The personalities in that crew are extremely different yet seem to compliment each other well.
One of us is an
independent long haul Truck Driver, one is a Project Manager for a VERY large and well known computer software company in the Seattle area and the other is a roofer/sheet metal worker that ended up working his way up into a sales and marketing position with a good sized metal roofing company. That mix brings a broad set of skills together in one place that you're not likely to find outside of a Family reunion. But unlike a family reunion we didn't get together for food and reminiscence, we got together for Appleseed.
The Personalities,
The Doer,
We have one in our group with a predominant personality type known as "get it done". Yep, he's a doer. Give him a problem and a pipe wrench and he'll set to work makin' that problem disappear, even if the problem is a very large pile of dirt. This personality type needs very little motivation. All he needs is a place to work and it's "Katy bar the door".
The Planner,
Another fellow in our group has a predominant personality type called "get it right. This fellow is the guy with the list. He always lookin' at ways to make things a little better. Heck, sometimes he'll see ways to make things a lot better. He'll have a list of objectives, a list of assets, a schedule, a timeline with milestones, a backup plan, a tool kit, spare parts, first-aid, etc. He's the guy that anticipates pitfalls and tries to find acceptable "work arounds".
The Dreamer,
One of us is a dreamer. You'll find him under the Liberty tree munchin' an apple, watchin' the clouds pass overhead. His predominant personality type is known as "get along". He's a good communicator. He's a facilitator. He sees no obstacles, only opportunities. He tries hard to see things from as many points of view as possible, with a view towards acceptable compromise. He helps the planner envision possibilities and the doer see possible solutions to the small problems that can't be fixed with a pipe wrench. He'll use his skills at negotiation for the good of the whole group.
In every group there will be a mix of the above personality types. The best way to use those talents is to let people be who they are. Don't expect the planner to move a mountain of dirt. If he ever gets it done it will be beautiful, if the glaciers of the next ice age haven't covered it over by then. Don't ask the dreamer to keep a list. It'll probably end up being Hai-ku and then he'll lose it anyway. The doer doesn't "have the time" to sit daydreaming or making a plan that's just gonna change tomorrow anyway.
We all have gifts and talents. We all share some of the traits of the others. We all get on each others nerves.
That we are all able to put our differences aside to work for the good of the Project says a lot for the Mission. Fred says " check your egos at the door" and for the most part we seem to be able to do that.
So if you are part of a team, try to identify your own gifts and talents. Understand that with each set of talents comes a set of weaknesses. Do your best to capitalize on the strengths and look for help overcoming the weaknesses. There is no shame in asking for help. What seems impossible for you may be easy for another. Just as what is easy for you may be impossible for another. Try to be understanding and humble.
The Mission is worthy. I believe that there must be some sort of divine intervention to bring three so different people, from such different backgrounds, together to work on a mission with such an abundance of gifts, talents and strengths.
When someone from outside the group is drawn close to see the group and they see the mix working well, they are encouraged to join. Thus the new IITs and the group of folks that want to be IIts. We had ten earn their Riflemans patch. We have ten that want to "join the group" of instructors. A good group attracts good people.
So how did WE do it? I don't think that WE did.
Wheeler44
Well said my brother!!
So, you, Fredness, and me at Yakima in October. Perhaps Wheeler44 too. All we need is a shoot boss and we're rocking!
Artandscience
Wise man once said (today, to me)
Breaths there a soul so dead it is not inspired by words......
If this is you, then the RWVA might not be for you...... The message of the RWVA us IN the words....