Folks, I was asked to split out the 4 main questions I had originally posed into separate questions, so to better organize everyone's thoughts on a particular topic. Please post your replies to question #1 below.
Ladies, the title says it all--what CAN we do to improve participation in Project Appleseed? I know we have some women IITs/Instructors etc, a fair number of AS attendees are women, Riflewoman does a TON of stuff, but what can you & I do?
1. How can we recruit more Appleseeders, especially women?
What suggestions do y'all have? What ideas of your own are you willing to share here?
--Vicky
This is Siglite's link:
Female only gun camps on rise in US (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/6485278/Female-only-gun-camps-on-rise-in-US.html)
Not sure how much this will help with recruiting, but Adaptive Appleseed is there for those who need it. BTW, one of the moderators is a female legend for tenacity, and shooting down adversity! This is a new board, but we are fathers of daughters, and daughters who have all BTDT! Stop by the boards, we are a work in progress and your comments and feedback is always welcome.
Tom
These are the things I do to help promote Appleseed.
I always have a few flyers squirreled away on in my backpack and in the car, and one in my purse.
I talk to every female grocery clerk, Feed store clerk, etc. about what I am doing. I focus it on what I am doing, and tell them how cool it is. This invites more questions.
I post flyers at every place that allows non profits to post. And as much as some despise Starbucks Coffee, they allow me to post my stuff there.
GO TO GUN SHOWS We often get a table donated if we ask soon enough, and when I work a show with my husband or fellow male Appleseeder, I make sure and pay LOTS of attention to the women and the kids. Women and babies.( I used to teach Preschool, so talking to tikes is like Horse Whispering for me)
I had one woman show up at the Fresno CA shoot on 10/31/09 because I approached her at a gun show back in FEB!
As far as Female Only shoots...........I like getting the women, and then they bring their men, or sons with them. I know the Female Only was a success, but I am not sold on it. I think we could lose some potential men and kids that way. Just MY opinion only.
Just a few things that have worked really well for me.
Jules
Has anyone posted on any women's oriented shooting and/or gun forums? There are a few I've found, but haven't posted to yet.
I have encouraged a number of women at MrsSurvival.com to consider Appleseed. Not a lot of shooters at MrsS, but a great bunch of ladies, and some up and coming shooters. I expect to have a few of them attend eventually.
I may have missed the memo ;) but have groups like the Girl Scouts & Venture Crews, both intertwined with BSA- generally with their respective glass ceilings, and 4 H been approached? There are several threads with just 'kids' participating in AS, plus a thread with some suggestions to work around the Scout's PC mindset. see: Boy Scout Appleseed (http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=11721.0;topicseen) at: http://apple seedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=11721.0;topicseen (http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=11721.0;topicseen), see also: Appleseed for Kids (http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?board=275.0) at http://apple seedinfo.org/smf/index.php?board=275.0 (http://apple%20seedinfo.org/smf/index.php?board=275.0).
Back in the Civil War reenacting days, we realized that to be successful (OK, Be able to continue to play, lots of $$$ involved) we had to get our wives into it, the kids were a given and what they added was phenomenal! Perhaps a recruiting venue may be reenactments of all eras, approach the provost marshal of both sides for permission to hand out or post handbills announcincing an upcoming AS in the area; use the preprinted ones with proper font, no back ground graphics, and paper preferably larger than legal size. The argument being that until the 1970-'80s girls did and were expected to know how to use rifles & pistols. Promoting Appleseed as an adjunct for the group's female contingent might be a good selling point.
One other thought that occurs, check out the DAV Auxiliary, Cooties, &tc. where you will come across grand parents doing volunteer work, however they are of the generation that does value marksmanship, so there may be a ready made network.
Just some random thoughts.
Tom
Wow, what a bunch of great ideas! One my husband and I have done is the hunter safety classes and instructors. There are quite a few girls that come to these classes and what a great way to enable their success and make better citizens in the process! Some others I can think of is neighborhood watch groups. We live in a very rural area, so we also talk to the ranchers to encourage their wives and kids to participate. I think checking with self defense classes and concealed carry classes would be good too.
For another thought on this, visit Ladies only shoot in TN (http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=12040.0) at http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=12040.0 (http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=12040.0). Looks like TN has crated and found a way to do this.
Tom
A ladies only event is a great idea. I've assisted with a ladies only handgun introduction program and the women responded very well. There are questions that women have that they just aren't comfortable asking in front of the guys. (ie. 'How do you use the bathroom with a gun strapped on your hip?') I can see similar things being helpful for Appleseed as well. I'm not sure a well-endowed woman would feel comfortable asking a man to help her find the right prone position. (I don't really know, not having that issue myself...) Even with a mixed group, she might not even fear her question being overheard. It's really eye-opening to see what issues ladies are carrying around where firearms are concerned. I would suggest a very open question/answer portion for a ladies only shoot. And throw out an uncomfortable question to get the ball rolling. We like to preemptively answer the bathroom question so the ladies really see that there are NO questions too trivial or silly. Also, don't minimize the opportunities during your lunch break. Tell your ladies to pack a picnic lunch. Or if you have the means, provide a lunch. Get everyone to sit together and just chit chat. The girl talk will be a major bonding experience for the ladies. You can tell them about your kids, your life, etc. Don't force the conversation. As all of us ladies know, we can talk. If you just put everyone together for that short social time, you will build trust and camaraderie. Women seem to just be wired to bond over a meal and conversation.
And something that hasn't been suggested-What about a couple's only Appleseed? Shooting with your spouse/significant other is a tremendous bonding experience as well. And if handled well, it makes each partner gain respect for the other. I know that a major mission of Appleseed is to get the kids involved, but I know many women want the opportunity to not be with their children. Instructors would have to be very aware of the fact that husbands typically do not make good instructors for their wives and really stress that everyone on the line is a student. You would have to watch the line for the ones being 'too helpful.' I'm very lucky in that my husband and I are partners in everything, but I know not every couple is like that. Would it be possible to have a husband/wife instructor team? It would be pretty powerful to hear about Isaac and Hannah Davies from a couple. Him telling Isaac's story; her telling Hannah's. If you did it right, there wouldn't be a dry eye.
Quote from: JuniperLimb on March 11, 2010, 10:27:35 AM
Would it be possible to have a husband/wife instructor team?
My Dad and Mom are a husband/wife instructor team. There are several others as well but I don't know all of them.
Juniper, if you are married, we have yet another H-W team. If you're not married, make that one of your goals for the intermediate term - say 2-3 months. :)
Vicky, you started this thread. How about you getting in contact with the "females-only gun camps" and convince them that we can be competitors, and not work together - or we can be allies, work together, and both benefit in seeing more women skilled in firearms - they handle the pistols, we handle the rifles. Use your imagination. We can promote them by having their literature at AS - and they can do likewise - and maybe even join our program as volunteer rifle instructors - if we can invite/get/make them come to an AS, to 'catch the AS spirit'. (Sounds like the gun camps are for making a living, so we'll need a good dose of AS spirit to pry them away for a weekend a month.)
Women around guns is still rare enough I'd think women would be very welcoming to other women with the same interest.
Take all the time you need? Is 48 hours long enough? :)
QuoteJuniper, if you are married, we have yet another H-W team. If you're not married, make that one of your goals for the intermediate term - say 2-3 months. :)
Happily married for 11 years :). And we are thinking about it. Home schedule is a bit hectic currently though and we've got to do another Appleseed weekend first. Hubby needs to get his patch, and I want to qualify again. Hopefully centerfire this time.
That's awesome that there are h-w teams out there. I'm so very new to this whole AS thing. I'm learning something new everyday.
Quote from: desertrat144 on February 24, 2010, 11:47:20 PM
For another thought on this, visit Ladies only shoot in TN (http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=12040.0) at http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=12040.0 (http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=12040.0). Looks like TN has crated and found a way to do this.
Tom
TN, IA, MN, and IN all have Women Only Shoots this year. We even have two all women weekends fully staffed on the same weekend! That is how we far have grown.
There are two regional flyers for the All Women shoots if those would help. A national one is still being fixed up.
Women's Studies Departments at Colleges, Home Schooling Mom's who want to go alone before coming to another one with a full crew, girl scouts troops, 4H, and Daughters of the Revolution are all places we are focussing on. Additionally, many online forums have women only areas that we will be posting flyers in.
And, most importantly, all of you guys out there who have wives that are always taking on all the kids while you go and instruct -> this time
you stay home and
invite your wife come out and have fun. Seriously, there can be no better support than to have a wife fully understand what it is that you do month after month.
We talk about inviting your neighbors and friends. There can be no better friend than your wife, and no better supporter!
techres
BaldDragn and I are the 'Dynamic Duo'!
It didn't start out that way, but there's a fire in my gut now............
Jules
My husband and I are a team and started out the first AS together. I had a pistol course and wanted a rifle course. AS had the history portion that pulled him in.
I try to relay to female prospects that it's a great bonding experience (as mentioned above) to have with your husband, dad, kids, etc. I tell them about my husband on one side and my dad on the other when I got Rifleman.
Since I rarely put a status on my facebook account, when I do, people usually read it. So sharing about AS and putting a link gets to alot of people that way.
I had some trepidation on putting my Appleseed experiences on my Facebook. I think more of the issue of my privacy more than anything else. I no longer have that issue. I find posting my experiences regularly after every shoot I attend, is helpful. There is a gal I have known for over 10 years and is on another Yahoo group with me, who saw the pictures of our last shoot. She mentioned briefly that she used to shoot, would like to go, no gun. One of the other Seeders ( thanks Keith) mentioned to email me, and I probably had a loaner. Long story short, she is coming to the April shoot. Shazzam! So Facebook does have it's perks.
love Jules
I'm new and wish to attend the bootcamp this weekend in April but have no rifle. Really want to attend and learn. Any ideas ? Thanks Expeditioner and I did post this under another thread.
Quote from: expeditioner on April 12, 2010, 12:40:34 AM
I'm new and wish to attend the bootcamp this weekend in April but have no rifle. Really want to attend and learn. Any ideas ? Thanks Expeditioner and I did post this under another thread.
Welcome!
I would go onto the main page and find your state, and contact the state coordinator there re: ltr's. If they are having a Bootcamp, there should be loaners, but to make sure, you should contact them, and they will do their best to get one for you.
Jules in CA
I went to my first appleseed in March in bham alabama. Fell in love with it. My husband and son were suppose to have came to that one, but our son(who's 12, love the teen years coming) got in trouble and we made him stay home with dad. He didn't think I would go without him, boy did it get his attention. They will both be joining me at the one comming up this weekend april17-18. I've spread the word to his 4-H shooting team that he will be joining and emailed it out to all the members, including the value of the history and instruction and that KIDS ARE FREE!!! Hope some of them will attend. If not, maybe his improved ability will be a testament and get some others.