PA All Hands On Deck April 17-18 2010

[Spanner]

I've floated some inquiries to people south and east of you, to see if there's some Red Hat willing to drive 5-6 hours each way and cover one of the WV events. If someone came from the south, Beckley might be closer for that person, in which case maybe you could swap and do Stinson.

Stinson WV is established, and turn-key (almost SB walk-on ready).  Beckly WV is a new location, but will have good IIT help.  Stinson is about 1.5 hours north of Beckly.  I'll take whatever is left, and I don't need to know right away.  And this is the PA board I've been cluttering up.  Sorry all!

[Gordon]

Allemans 4/17-18

You guys have to get this thing together somehow, or else cancel it (?)

OK there is no local BOTG. And almost everyone is otherwise busy for 4/17-18 (but wasn't there a fellow named Layke?)

Colycat may or may not agree to fly in & do this shoot but if he does, can he expect any help at all?

[Spanner]

Allemans 4/17-18

You guys have to get this thing together somehow, or else cancel it (?)

Whoa.  Let me ask a question or two.

Are we likely to be able to get other dates this year at this location?  I heard it is a nice place.

Look at where it is on the map.  Sure, it isn't terribly close to a major population center, but it does connect Pittsburgh to Chambersburg and Manheim.  B9 said something, somewhere, about avoiding cancellations at clubs and commercial ranges, which struck me as being wise. 

Also, I've been on the receiving end of cancellations (more than one) in my pre-instructing days.  Quite honestly, I still haven't entirely shaken off opinions that I formed back then.

[Gordon]

Spanner, if you're saying that canceling an event is big, bad deal, then I agree!

So who's gonna help Colycat, if he agrees to come out?

[Spanner]

So who's gonna help Colycat, if he agrees to come out?

If an SB were to fly in, I can send all materials (cardboard, target & firing line construction items, targets, shirts, etc etc) with brickhouse.  That would be one RH and one IIT3 to start.  That's better than some locations (so far) as far as staffing goes.

Ditto for an SB that drives in.

[B9]

I thought Brickhouse was going to help out at this and bring a shoot box? So there is one IIT and targets.

This may be our only shoot possible this year at this location. Surely if we cancel they would not be so quick to give us another date. How many other 1000 yard ranges with a target pit, smooth and marked 100 yard firing lines do we have in PA or the NE as a whole?

In my experience this range needs little as far as SB work other than show up, call the range contact for gate code and mark out 25 meters. Porta-johns are on site, target backers are in the shed, target frames in place.

[B9]

There is also RH Northbridgewater in OH (former NYer) that I do not believe is signed up anywhere. He comes with his own IIT family of 2. Hard to get a hold of but there is another option.

[crak]

We don't cancel shoots.  Especially at 1000 yard ranges.  

Any Red Hat should be able to get dumped on any empty range with nothing but his hat and run a safe Appleseed for any number of students.

Any more help than that is just gravy.

I know for a fact colycat is just such a Red Hat.  

[Nickle]

I can possibly contact Northbridgewater. Kathy is one of my Facebook friends. Not sure how often she is on.

[crak]

Northbridgewater is another such Red Hat. 

[colycat]

Wow, everyone is talking and working out the solutions.  This is real progress.  Crak, thanks for the vote of confidence, although shoot boxes in addition to my sharpie would be nice.  It would be best for the program if a local SB can be found.  That said, I will do what national needs.  But,There is a shoot that could really use me closer to home.

[crak]

Northbridgewater is a great lead to do it instead if you can contact him, coly. 

Otherwise if you're not sure anyone local can take a shoot box, just order one yourself (it's getting late) and bring the essentials (it's not looking like a huge shoot) in a suitcase.  I'd order the box first and ask questions later... they'll get used at some future appleseed anyway.

[Gordon]

On the matter of the shoot box, recall the following from earlier in this thread  --- in case it helps you can probably send the box to Spanner/Brickhouse:

The shoot box has not been ordered. There is no BOTG to send it to currently.
...

Here is a partial solution of sorts:

brickhouse is going to work Allemans, PA.  That's already a done deal.  ...
I can send SB stuff with her.  I don't know how early in advance she can arrive.  But the bulky stuff can be there hours before the shoot.  It might be a busy morning, but, hey, we are RWVA.

yup. What he said.

I'm not sure if I can come up Friday or not (babysitter issues). But I can certainly be there in time for the dawn muster. If that timing is not likely to work, let me know now and I'll start brainstorming means to sufficiently bribe the sitter.

[Spanner]

Just to let everyone know, some options are now off the table.  I have asked IS to move me to Stinson.  brickhouse is still going to Allemans, so no change in that situation.

[colycat]

Northbridgewater is now the Shoot Boss for Allemans.

[northbridgewater]

Who is handling PR on Allemans? I see 7 preregs as of  Monday pm. Any chance of getting, say, thirty or forty more?

[Arrigetch]

It is amazing to me that there is this much difficulty getting people signed up for Allemans!  I was there last year, and the range is probably the nicest I've ever seen.  Wonderful camping area too, with a nice, big firepit.

Northbridgewater, I have tried to get friends & relatives to sign up for this one.  Unfortunately, although they express interest, they all have something else -- the PA trout opener, a deer management class in NJ, another with a farm that he just can't get away from for 2 days.  Yes, I know it sucks.... and how do you sell people who shoot all the time on their farm on the importance of attending an Appleseed?  It is not just the shooting, but the history and comraderie too... how can I get that point across?

Anyway, see you guys there, rain or shine.  I hope I can earn my rifleman patch this time!

P.S.  For a mass marketing thing, maybe someone can get Front Sight to pick it up... they certainly have no problem swamping people's inboxes with spam!