The Southwest Region held it's first IBC in El Paso, TX this past weekend (July 19-21, 2019), and it ROCKED!!! ^:)^
A group of 24 instructors from 3 different states converged at the famous El Paso Community College Del Paso Campus and were able to come in from the heat and learn all about our wonderful program! Instructors new and old experienced got to work together to meet and greet, forge new friendships, and generally learn and pass on all there is to know about the Appleseed Mission!
Our program started on Friday with a 2 hour briefing about our new Pistol clinics! Targets were provided, and offers to evaluate the PQT were flying fast and furious. With this group of instructors working the new program, we're sure to get good feedback on the new POIs and COFs!
Saturday broke bright and early with an El Paso tradition of breakfast tacos! One of our Robs brought donuts, coffee was made, and our class started a little after 8 with the pledge and a great deal of instruction! Pens and pencils were busy as we discussed how to present points of instruction, and then had the students actively participate in doing those POIs! Towards the end of the day, we took time to recognize all of those volunteers in attendance who had worked 10, 25, 50 and even 75 shoots with special pins! We closed out Saturday with Rifle Familiarization and bowls of Autosear's famous Texas Chili!
Sunday found us working History, learning to find our story-telling voices and working on skeletons for the strikes and our Dangerous Old Men! We were able to cover some of the finer points of Full Distance events and the state of the states in the SW Region.
Alas, all good things must end, and we finished around 3pm only to pack up and get on the great roads back to our home towns.
Everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, learned something new and we left with a rekindled spirit, an awakened attitude, and a fine appreciation for El Paso, this Country, and ourselves!
:F
Ghostring (JD)
I whole heartedly agree. And I still have plenty of offers...
Don J
As one of the IITs lucky enough to attend, I have to give my heartfelt thanks to Ghostring and Mrs Smith for a fantastic event. I couldn't commit to coming until very late prior to the event and Mrs Smith did a bunch of work to help me get a seat in the back of the room so i could absorb some much needed learning. The head of the El Paso Appleseed mafia (Don Jerry) had us set up in what has to be the premier indoor Appleseed range in the country. I would definitely recommend anyone make a trip there if possible. I will definitely be making a trip back to this place for a shoot.
It was great learning from Appleseed luminaries like oladcock and scuzzy and more recent green hats like hotairbill. For all you guys (including those I haven't mentioned by name), thanks for taking the time to come out a impart some "learnin'" on us new folks.
Highlights . . . am I allowed to say the chili! :) Thanks for standing out in the hot Texas sun to make the fantastic chili for us. I swear I only had one bowl! ;D And thanks for the knarly "story tellin'" dude . . . I mean Ghostring. You set the bar pretty high, but now we all have a standard to aspire to (and I'm thinking of stealing that Brown Beauty intro).
I hope anyone who has the chance will make one of these events to help better our "project" and especially to enjoy a weekend of laughing, learning and liberty.
See you all on the trail,
Captain