Project Appleseed

Our first Patriot's Day shoot in WV went very well and we were proud to participate in this historical event.

A brief summary...
Sat. was sunny and a tad warm--some sunburned faces were spotted--but all of the participants stayed hydrated and a continuous breeze helped keep everyone comfortable. Sun. was cooler and cloudy, with a sprinkle here-and-there, and the heavy rains came after the event ended. That's when the real "fun" started, right Dirty Bill and Gunner Jim?  ::) &)

We had 23 new faces on Sat., with about 21-22 shooting. Sun. had around half that amount on the firing line. VAshooter and Old Dog did a wonderful job of instructing in Heritage and rifle marksmanship.


Participants got to handle and learn about a period musket and flintlock rifle. A demonstration of the flintlock was presented by the owner. There was some period food as well--venison stew.


I was inspired by the turnout of younger folks. There were several young ladies, including a 10 year old girl named Hannah, who stole the hearts of many. Two young lads framed both ends of the firing line.


When it was all over, 2 more Riflemen (Don & Todd) received their patches--congratulations  O0--and the harvest continues...

Pastor Butch make it out?

Sam

Yes Sam, Pastor Butch gave the Invocation, which was both moving and sincere. He left Sat. due to personal obligations. Maybe I will hear from him soon, or possibly get him to post something. He is a true Patriot that I was honored to have in attendance.

Thanks for hosting, and thanks to the instructors whom made the trip!  It was pretty fun, and a good learning experience!

-Todd J

The Patriots Day Appleseed held at the West Virginia DAR near Stinson, WV is history. We had a total of 23 shooters, 24 if we count Frank, the land owner, who only got to shoot a little on Sunday as he was busy making everything happen. We were threatened by the weather man with rain but it never really happened. Saturday was beautiful with bright sun and a light breeze and Sunday was cloudy with a few sprinkles but not enough to get anything wet.

We got off to a slow start because the gate leading to the little plastic house was forward of the firing line and every time I wanted to start the prep period for the Redcoats target a couple more people would go through the gate. Frank solved the problem by cutting a new gate in the fence behind the firing line so there were no interruptions. Of the 23 people 15 were kids or women with the youngest being Hannah, a very mature 10 years old. She shot every relay both days and was shooting very good scores by Sunday afternoon. I think she has a 157 on an AQT. That with a rifle that was too long and she had to extend the rifle stock under her arm and it stuck out about four inches behind her. We had two Rifleman among us. Don was the first with a very respectable 242 and then Todd who shot a 215 with a scoped bolt action rifle.

This Appleseed was very much a family affair. Phil brought his wife and three daugthers while Mary brought her son and daughter. Bob and Raphael and their sister Carol were there as well as the husband and wife team of Rose and William. Pastor Butch started Saturday with a short service. Lunch was venison stew cooked in a cast iron pot and served while Bill clad in buckskins and carrying a flint rifle gave a talk on Colonial Period weapons and accoutrements. I handed out copies of the United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence to all in attendance and after the afternoon ceremony I read the introduction to the BBB  and handed out copies to everyone. We discussed the sacrifices made by our Founding Fathers and the choices they made back on April 19th.

All in all it was a great weekend of history, shooting and meeting new people who believe in the principals this country was founded on.

VAshooter

I ordered 150 QDAQTs from Fred's to practice for the next time around ;)

Sounds like you had a great shoot.
I'm glad that Pastor Butch made it to the shoot.
He has the ear of many people and can do some pretty great things for Appleseed.

Sam

I'm not sure where the thread on attendee numbers for Stinson vs. Yanceyville went, but Stinson did end up with more folks showing up didn't it?

Great weekend.  Looks like I'm going back again in August.

OD, these are the figures that I wrote down for Stinson in my records:

                                           SAT               SUN

Actual Shooters -                  23                 11

Daily Attendance -                25                 14

On a side note...Hannah's dad George wanted to shoot after the event "officially" ended on Sunday. Since he missed the preliminary instruction and isn't an avid shooter, I gave him a "crash course" in safety, sling usage, sitting and prone positions, and the 6 steps. He did very well on his very first Redcoat target: (3) 100yd; (2) 200 yard; (2) 300 yard; (1) 400 yard; and grazed the 'head' shot. The heavens opened up and the rain poured down, ending the shooting session, as we had to get a vehicle that slid off the road.  >:( George and his family will be attending our Appleseed here next month.  O0

QuoteLooks like I'm going back again in August.

Gee...don't act so excited!  ;D

Aw come on.  You just can't see me jumping up and down.  I'm looking forward to standing under those shade trees at the firing line.

To all my WV Appleseed family:

So glad you had a good turn-out and good weather for a successful Patriots Day, just knew you would.

Sorry I missed working with VA Shooter, Machine, and Old Dog who I have never met, but would
certainly like to.  And how about little Hannah, we had our own little one at Athens who was remarkable as well.

Hope to see you all later this year somewhere on the Appleseed trail.

George T

After attending my first AS,even though I missed the first day,I had a good time. I learned and relearned things that really helped my shooting. I almost qualified for rifleman status with a 202,which only gave me determination to shoot the for the coveted rifleman's patch.

I'm looking forward to the shoot in may. I will be driving a jeep this time Frank,so you can quit having nightmares.  (Any one driving a car should park by Frank's house,just so you know.)

May is almost here,so everyone get ready for an even bigger AS event in Wv.  :D

George T: Thanks for the nice words, and yes, you are always a part of the WV family. Mojo thought you were coming and kept looking where you parked the last time. We had some explaining to do... ;D

If you are available on May 23-25, we could sure use you. Take care of yourself and that beautiful orange hat. That thing's so bright, I can almost see it from my house!  <:)

DB: Yes, please bring the Jeep! Maybe I'll finally get some sleep...