Canton, MS, IBC, January 30-31, 2010

[dond]

During the last two years we have had three Appleseeds at the Turcotte range in Canton, MS. Local interest has increased, and at the last event in October 2009, eight Riflemen were made, and most of these accepted Orange Hats. Five showed up January 30, 2010,  for the first IBC in MS. An additional IIT from Georgia arrived, full of enthusiasm. All were eager to learn and it was an exhilarating experience to lead them through two full days of concentrated Appleseed instruction. The fine facilities at the range, including an excellent and large classroom, contributed immensely to the IBC experience. The rangemaster, who was also one of the students, was a superb host.  Each of the students exhibited a dedication I have rarely seen before, especially to the history portion. This was particularly gratifying and will result in an increased enhancement to the Appleseed cause.

Thus far, Appleseed has been confined to this range in MS. But the SC for the state, who was also a student, has been doing an exemplary job of promoting Appleseed and spreading the message to other ranges.

Each of these IITs is anxious to earn his Red Hat as soon as possible. And with their enthusiasm and competence, this will occur quickly. Most have already signed up to work at Appleseeds to begin the process. As a result, MS will be self-sufficient in a very few months, and I am confident Appleseed will spread across the state in rapid fashion.

I truly appreciate these students and am indebted to them for the attention they displayed and the dedication they have to the program.