Got an email this week from one of our attendees at the Marion shoot a couple weeks ago. The attendee wanted to thank us for the event and to share with us something that their 11 year-old did that reminds us all why we are doing all this work. The body of the email is below. I think you will see what I mean.
Dear Steve,
Thank you so much for your time and inspired teaching of riflery and history
last weekend at Appleseed. I enjoyed both the shooting and the history and
learned so much about both. You, Shep and Shane were great (and patient!)
teachers.
I wanted to share something my 11 year old son wrote on an "all about me"
homework assignment he did this morning for the first week of school. He was
asked to "tell one person who inspires you and why". He wrote, "Paul Revere
because he was not afraid to make choices that might have been dangerous".
I just wanted you to know that even the youngest participant was listening and
learning from you last weekend.
Thank you again!
What a great compliment to the work that Shep and Shane did on the line and reminder for all of us, the message is getting through, our work is not in vain. Couldn't help but share this feedback from a family of future Riflemen & Riflewomen.
Keep signing up and keep spreading the word as we finish up the 2014 Seed schedule. Thanks to all of you for getting us this far.
Corvette
Awesome!
Exactly!
Thanks for sharing this.
Loren
Thanks for sharing that, Steve! O0
Update, I just learned that the 17 yr old son from this family that went from barely on paper Saturday morning to 190s Sunday has signed up for Wilmington this weekend. His mom says he really wants his patch. Slim, DGMilty we got him most of the way there, you guys get him across the line this weekend.
STEVE
excellent post sir. if we do it long enough, it can wear us down, but responses like this put the wind back in our sails. Nicely done.
I got this one from last weekend's event. It was a team effort of course, but the attendee had taken one of my cards, so I got the Email:
While it is fresh in my mind. I want to thank you and all the Appleseed training team for your time and instruction over the weekend.
In leaving the range, I failed to take a number of cards and handouts to pass to friends. How can I get with you sometime to get some material?
I noted below some personal thoughts and impressions about the event - you are free to share in the forum if you like.
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Appleseed event reflection,
This was our first Appleseed and I want to express that it was quite a positive experience for my son and I. I was very impressed by the leadership and all the instructors, RSOs and volunteers at the event and I appreciate the time and energy they dedicated to making the event memorable, rewarding and safe.
QuoteOur experience was enjoyable though challenging, mentally and physically. The course content was rich in information in regard to historical events, and concepts unique to Americans, and instruction of applied marksmanship skills. The articulation and presentation of this content was exceptional.
The event was challenging and humbling for both my son and myself. It brought out character, grit, persistence and self determination while experiencing frustrations due to equipment problems and personal mistakes. I felt a sense of pride through seeing improvements in scores for both of us. In the end, while my son and I did not quite make the scores to receive our Rifleman's Patch, I believe the experience set the stage for a continued desire to meet this challenge in the future. I highly recommend Project Appleseed and what it stands for and I plan to encourage other friends and families to experience the program for themselves.
All the more satisfying, as the temp was 97.7 and the heat index exceeded 127! Not a single complaint and only one failed to return on Sunday. If not for time spent associated with my fellow Appleseeders and weekends surrounded by people like the one who wrote the above, I would go nuts.
PHenry,
Plus 1 on that! O0
Good job Sir ^ 5
Hi Corvette,
Thanks for creating another homeschooler! They will probably catapult him from the grounds when he talks about how he learned all about Paul Revere. >:D :'(
The importatn thing is: he will know WELL what he is about!
Stand
Huzzah to all the above!
..Activism at its finest, man I can not wait to instruct my next event with that wind in my sail..
..Strength & Honor, to restore our Republic!!..
You know, they (shooters) remember us, personal thank you's are great.
Much nicer folks on the firing line than in our instructor's forums some days.
http://earl-earlsview.blogspot.com/2014/09/demilitarization.html (http://earl-earlsview.blogspot.com/2014/09/demilitarization.html)
Only two Appleseeds in October for me, my sister says English tweeds, so I sent her my jacket size.
http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=29106.0 (http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=29106.0) I keep links to AARs from the Appleseeds of yesterdays, great times, good shooting, fine folks.
Noah2A, Josey Wales, Earl,
Thanks for your comments, it was a pretty special email to get. Sometimes it seems like we are butting our heads against the wall and then, something like this comes along to pick us up and keep us going. Riflemen press on regardless. Keep pitching and we will win in the end.
Corvette
QuoteSometimes it seems like we are butting our heads against the wall and then, something like this comes along to pick us up and keep us going. Riflemen press on regardless.
Amen to that sir. I was feeling a bit uninspired after reading some of the recent posts regarding restructuring the program. I try to avoid posting for the most part, other than AARs, but I felt compelled to say my piece. I shut down my PC and headed for the truck on my way to an event. My cell rings and it's Fred. He saw my post and told me he felt compelled to call me. In less than five minutes, all that darkness was whisked away and I headed out for a 2.5 hour dive all full of fire. We ran a solid event and revealed three Riflemen from 11 shooters. On Sunday the property owner handed me a check for $1000 to go toward advertising. In my benediction I always speak of our limited resources and the need for 7th stepping. He was listening.
Enthusiasm alone can inspire humans to do great things. Combine it with the Story and it can move mountains.
PHenry, thanks for your reply, I had a similar event this past weekend at Liberty Center Ohio shoot. You can read the details in our AAR thread but the gist is we had a returning Rifleman with his ten year old son. This was the son's first Appleseed. Great young man, focused and safe all weekend and shot a 175 by the end of SundY. There was a chance of rain Sunday morning and the young man said that was ok, we would be able to hear the DOMs sooner. Sunday night after the shoot, this young man was looking through his Dad's copy of Paul Revere's Ride.
There it is in a nutshell. This is why we press on regardless.
See you on the trail sometime soon.
Corvette
Quote
See you on the trail sometime soon.
Lord willin sir. O0