I received permission from RedNekEngr to share this. Here is his PM to me about his son's homework assignment reporting on April 18-19 in Athens, OH. RedNekEngr should be very proud of his entire family O0 :
---------------------------------------
Seth, who is 11, wrote a paper describing the last AS as part of a homework assignment. He wanted me to send you a copy and critique it for him. So I have included his paper below. I hope you don't mind looking it over. :)
Friends, Firing, & Fun
On the weekend of April 18-19th, the Revolutionary War Veterans Association sponsored a rifle shooting course, called the Johnny Appleseed, held in Athens, OH. This two-day course, designed to teach American citizens to become better marksmen, also taught us what really happened at the brink of the Revolutionary War. Thanks to the RWVA volunteers, I not only improved my rifle shooting skills and had a great time with family and friends, but I also gained a better understanding of the Revolutionary War.
A very kind Christian family named the Bartholomews drove from Lancaster to our house in Albany to accompany us to the Johnny Appleseed shoot at the Athens Fish & Game Center. Mr. and Mrs. Bartholomew left their one and only little girl with my older sisters to watch for the two-day event. Before the Bartholomews arrived, my dad had planned that both families would ride together; however, he didn't take into consideration that Mr. Bartholomew always brings stuff to be prepared for anything. Dad's idea was quickly ditched because the back of the Bartholomews' truck was fully loaded. Another friendly family called the Robes also tagged along for the adventure at the Johnny Appleseed. It was nice having friends along to compete with. l liked having someone to talk to and compare targets with during the lunch break.
The first day of the course, all of the shooters were instructed to leave our rifles in the vehicles until further notice. Once all forty-five participants arrived, The Guy, which was the headman's nickname, called everyone together for the first piece of instruction. When everyone was seated, The Guy pounded the four most important safety rules into our heads. When he was finished, The Guy granted us permission to retrieve our guns and carry them to the line of fire. Once at the range, the RWVA volunteers handed out targets for people to post on their assigned board. All the first day we would continuously post a target, load on the load command, shoot on the fire command, and gather up for more instruction and then do that over again. That procedure continued until lunch. After enjoying a double cheeseburger, chips and a pop, Mike, another volunteer instructor, told us intriguing stories about the Revolutionary War; then we started up again what we were doing before. The second day, there was a lot less instruction, and more shooting.
On this trip, I learned how to be a good marksman and to use correct form for shooting. The Revolutionary War Veterans Association (RWVA) taught me to use a sling for additional support. To help improve my shot, they taught me how to find my natural point of aim (NPOA) so that whenever I shoot the sights fall back on target. There are three main shooting positions: standing, sitting, and prone. Once in any of these positions, a rifleman should always follow these six simple steps: 1) Sight alignment, 2) Sight picture, 3) Respiratory pause, 4 A) Focus on the front sight, 4 B) Focus your mind on the target, 5) Squeeze the trigger, and 6) Follow through. Using these tips, I became a better rifleman.
If there was one thing that the RWVA stressed, it was safety. Everyone had to memorize and follow these four rules of safety: 1) Keep the muzzle pointed in a safe direction, 2) Do not load until the load command is given, 3) Do not fire unless your sights are on target, 4) Everybody is a safety officer. Whenever someone steps away from the line of fire, the RWVA volunteers would check their rifle to make sure that it was safe.
Each day after lunch our instructor, Mike, narrated to us an inspiring story of the Revolutionary War, using the overall theme, "The arrogance of the British." A British officer, Lord Percy, called the colonists, "beasts of burden," and said that he could march through any town enslaving everyone he saw. Another example of arrogance of the British is when they shot the Americans in the back at Lexington, they stood over the dead and fired a victory volley into the air. After the other American soldiers heard about what had taken place, they were infuriated and decided to fight the most feared and well-trained military of the time, the British, next time they met.
Based on my experiences and learning at the Johnny Appleseed, I would highly encourage any other aspiring rifleman to participate in future Appleseed events. In the meantime, practice aiming by dry-firing your rifle and learning more about our right to bear arms and why we enjoy this freedom today.
Very nice report, it sounds like he had a great time and came away with a good understanding of the Appleseed project and our country's history.
That really does bring tears to my eyes. Enough said. :'(
Is Seth homeschooled or?
Either way, it looks like a good article for SGN. Are you listening Fred?
RedNekEngr should be very proud of his entire family thumbsup :
+1 O0 O0 O0
Pay attention to America's Youth. They are OUR future. O0
Seth seems to be like so many youth whom I meet at Appleseeds; bright, articulate, and eager to pitch in with the biggest buckets he can handle.
Thanks for sharing that PM with us.
POP
Quote from: smle on May 21, 2009, 07:12:23 PM
Is Seth homeschooled or?
Either way, it looks like a good article for SGN. Are you listening Fred?
Yep, I'm listening... :)
It is kind of cool that this came up. I just found out that my sister is writing a speech for a college course that is all about AS. Maybe I can persuade her to post it. >:D
Cookie,
That would be cool.
Maybe with enough of these papers by the younger generation Fred can do an entire article with just those.
Save on his typing fingers a little.