AAR - Toccoa, GA June 12-13

[friedenmeister]

Hello everybody,

For those of you who attended your first shoot this weekend, I would like to say congratulations, thank you and welcome to the Appleseed family. We had 22 shooters on the line on Saturday and 13 on Sunday. This weekend was blistering hot and more humid than a sauna, so hats off to you guys for sticking it out.

As the shootboss, my hope is that you will use this thread to offer feedback on the shoot. What did you learn? What did you want to know more about? How has hearing the history of April 19, 1775 touched you?

Everyone who makes it to an Appleseed quickly learns that marksmanship is not as easy as setting up a target and squeezing the trigger repeatedly. It is a skill and an art, and it takes a while to get good at it. And once you are comfortable with it, you must maintain the skills or else they will go away.  With confidence, I can say that each and every individual who attended the class this weekend improved their skills with a rifle. This weekend, the world gained two more riflemen, and many of you who attended this weekend will keep coming back until you too earn the coveted rifleman's patch.

I would like to emphasize that it takes a great deal of perseverance to get the patch. I often tell people the Rifleman patch is perhaps one of the last things in America that can't be bought or sold, only earned, and this is why you feel so proud when you receive it. Only a very rare individual earns the patch at his first shoot, and most of us, instructors included, attended several Appleseeds to finally reach the mark. Stay encouraged and keep coming back! The more you know, the better it gets!!

Without any further ado, I will now turn this thread over to you, the students, to share what you found valuable this weekend. If you liked the shoot, then please share it with the entire world. This forum gives a lot of great info on ways to promote the program, even for individuals who cannot wear the orange hat due to time constraints or otherwise. If you felt that something should have been addressed this weekend, but was overlooked, please let me know by sending me a personal message on this forum. My screenname is friedenmeister and I will be happy to talk to you.

Yours in Liberty,

Friedenmeister (Sean)

[bagel]

I am very pleased to finally don the red hat!  Thank you to all the people who have invested time in me, you know who you are.

It was a scorcher!  Weather Underground says the temperature was 85 degrees starting at 11 am and continuing until after we were finished shooting on Saturday.  75% humidity.  On the main firing line, no wind!

Fine shooters, and fine instructors.  A weekend well worth the sweat.

Dave did a bang up job with the Philosophy of Liberty presentation and Dr. John presented probably the best Dangerous Old Men I have ever heard.

Toccoa is always a pleasure.

[Doug Carlton]

From Dr John's eloquent portrait of the effervescent Hezekiah Wyman to the impassioned deliberate recounting of the progression from the age of enlightenment to the philosophies of Thomas Hobbes and John Locke (and their influence on our notions of Freedom) as delivered by Sanderman79, balanced and framed by the selfless acts of courage of April 19, 1775 as our newest Red-Hat (J?) so vividly painted, I am richer in knowing how things were and ought to be.

In between the patient instruction, and the shouts of Flathead (QUIK-A-LEE! QUIK-A-LEE!), poignant pointers (FranklinFarmer-"You're draggin' wood..."), and numerous admonishments and redirections from our newest Red-Hat (J?) "You're gonna kill us all-make that rifle safe!".....I went from a 161 and 183 on Saturday to a 189, 191 and 202 on Sunday.

On my final redcoat target of the weekend, when goodbyes and smells and the intentional small moments memories are made of were having their way with me, I hit my targets with every round and even though I did not earn my rifleman badge I was content and grinned all the way home knowing my skills had grown exponentially no matter the score.

I am grateful to all of you that volunteer your time and pour yourselves into us so that we might understand and raise up others.

I will be back, I will bring others, I will remember to get my CMP certificate and Fred's "How to be a rifleman guide" next time, and I will be a rifleman.

Until then, this cook is working on NATURAL POINT OF AIM!

You are all giants of men to me and You have my gratitude

w

[NOOB]

I thought all the volunteers did a great job. When Dave and Dr. John gave the history lessons it really hit home. Men who gave up everything to stand for something---freedom. It was a pleasure meeting everyone and seeing some familiar faces from a year ago at Toccoa. My riflemens badge  is now proudly displayed on my range bag.

Thanks


NOOB--Darrin

[Flathead]

It is always good to Apple Seed at Toccoa!!! It seems to have the extremes from the bitter cold and rain to so hot that it is nearly impossible to stand in the sun with out catching on fire!
The students chugged along and were improving as the day progressed, Thumbing their noses at the heat. The instructors were holding out in the heat as well. Several made their way to the Flathead residence to get showers and some gun talk.
I would have to say the best thing about this shoot was the way the instructors worked with each other so every thing seemed to run smooth. Even with Freidenmeister in charge!!!
Hopefully in september the weather will be better and we have a larger number of shooters show up.

[rlongcore]

Learned a lot about ME at the Toccoa shoot. Learned that I've got to drop a bunch of weight (like I didn't know that already) and get in better shape. The red and orange hats all did a great job. I only shot Saturday morning, left about 3:30 due to heat fatigue (heart patient). Jesse did a great job with history. I could tell that he had public speaking training. Planned to be back Sunday, but still felt lousy Sunday morning. Enjoyed talking with friedenmeister about life. Don't count me out...I'll be back to earn that patch! Appleseed is a terrific program, and I'll write an article about it and post it at www.DumpDC.com.

[franklinfarmer]

It was a pleasure to work with all the shooters, an extraordinarily large number of whom I noticed were new to Appleseed.  I make Toccoa shoots pretty regularly, so I'll be looking forward to seeing you all back.  Next time, perhaps we can enjoy the cold and rain; you never know.  I'll be polishing my long distance skills and studying Keith's handout.  Hopefully a lot of that will get nailed down at the upcoming RBC in Florida (mid December).

FF

[Deadeye]

As always, it was great to spend a weekend with people who give me hope for the future!

I appreciate everyone coming out and tolerating the heat. Toccoa is always interesting in regards to the weather. One time it will be raining, and the time after that will be the start of a new ice age, then it will feel like we're holding an Appleseed on the planet Venus (like this past weekend).

I appreciate the comments in regard to my "Philosophy of Liberty" lecture. Because of time constraints I had to cut out a bit of detail, but comments both at the shoot and here show me that you guys got the point anyway. Thank You!

The books mentioned are:
Roots of Freedom by John Danford
http://www.amazon.com/Roots-Freedom-Primer-Modern-Liberty/dp/1882926900/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276617386&sr=8-2

Maninstream of Civilization by Harcourt Press (several editions, this is the cheapest):
http://www.amazon.com/Mainstream-Civilization-Joseph-R-Strayer/dp/0155515713/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1276617443&sr=1-3

Available for free on the web, you can find Thomas Hobbes "Leviathan" and John Locke's "Two Treatises on Government"

Also, in regards to target detection (and just an interesting read) Baden-Powell's "Aids to Scouting" (free):
http://www.thedump.scoutscan.com/A2S4NCO&Men.pdf

Thanks to everyone, Student or Instructor, who came out! I hope to see you all again soon, and if I can answer any question for you, please do not hesitate to PM me on this forum. Thanks!

[DrJohn]

It is an especial pleasure to have so many dedicated students who are willing to endure the intensity of a Georgia summer in order to learn the tradition and history of American liberty and the skills of becoming a Rifleman.  Our Toccoa "shoot" was notable for the openness of the students to constructive criticism and for their determination to master the "process" and not concentrate so much on the result, the AQT score.  Because of that, we saw skill levels increase dramatically, and our fine students are to be congratulated.

Believe me, I have shot in the ice and in the heat, and it is FAR easier and more pleasant to shoot in the cold.  It was an honor to be involved in the instruction of such a fine group of people.  A few of you are "knocking on the door" in terms of your AQT score and your earning the Rifleman patch.  Sometimes it is only a question of self-confidence, from this point on.  For the others who aspire to getting the Rifleman patch, I urge you to persevere!  I had to struggle through almost three complete Appleseeds to earn my patch, but if I can do it, so can you all.  In fact, it is the heritage of all liberty-minded Americans to be skillful in the use of the rifle, and to pass that skill on to others.  For those so inclined, I urge you to consider joining the instructor corps as an IIT when you get your patch.  Your nation needs you.

Again, it was an honor and privilege to be among such a fine group of Americans last weekend.  I hope I see you all on "the trail" sometime soon.

DrJohn

[AdamSKSAR15]

My personal thanks to those of you who gave your own time to spend a sweltering weekend teaching me several things (the least of which is how to shoot).  I really enjoyed the history lessons and if anything would have enjoyed hearing more.  There is no question that there is some serious committment from the volunteers (especially to be out in the almost unbearable heat).  The folks who didn't make it back on Sunday missed out but the good news is that they can come next time.  I have at least 3 people interested in the Appleseed in Waco, GA if that comes to fruition (I think Franklin Farmer said it would be in late August).  My shoulder is still sore but wouldn't trade the experience for anything.  If all goes according to plan, I may see some of you in August.  Thank you again.

[franklinfarmer]

Indeed, August 14-15 in Waco, GA is on the schedule, and people can sign up now.  We're planning on it, and looking forward to it. 

FF

P.S. The only other shoot in GA on the schedule before August 14-15 is Augusta, GA on July 3-4.  That's a nice (covered) venue, so all Summer shooters may very well want to consider it.

[GABrewer55]

I think every post has already talked about the scorching heat those 2 days so, I won't add to much other than to say "Man, was it HOT!". I grew up in South Florida and in my early days with Southern Bell (then becoming "BellSouth" and now "AT&T") as a technician climbing poles and such in sweltering humid days, you would think I would be used to it. But, not so much!

Anyway, I can't say enough to you instructors regarding how much I personally appreciate your sacrifice to this endeavor --teaching Americans about our heritage and how to be "Riflemen".

Not being brought up with guns and hunting, and only purchasing my first long gun not more than 3 months ago, (and I'm in my middle 50's) I came to this event because I didn't want to be someone who had a few rifles sitting in a cabinet and not know how to safely use them -- and use them well. Although I did not score high enough to win the coveted patch, I definitely improved markedly over that weekend. When we put up those first redcoat targets, my best grouping was in the 100 yard target. When we put up that last target on Sunday, I had groupings in the 100, 200, 300, and almost 3 in the 400 yard targets. I felt good about that. I now know how to use a GI sling, and understand and will employ the proper techniques to shooting prone, sitting, and standing.

Also, I would like to personally thank Jim (Goose). I almost left in the middle of the afternoon on Sunday. The heat was really getting the better of me and I was a bit discouraged at that time that I was not shooting better. When I told Jim that I was going to pack it in after the 2nd AQT, we talked a bit and he said "Look, tomorrow you are going to be at work, sitting in front of that computer kicking yourself for not putting up another target and taking advantage of this opportunity". And, He was right. I stuck it out for one more AQT and that last redcoat target and I performed pretty decently. In fact, I was proud of it. Thanks, Jim. 

In closing, lest I forget, I learned many new names of patriots that were willing to give up everything for what we have today. The stories you told, with both passion and conviction, were wonderful to hear.

[GABrewer55]

Cont'd - I guess I got a bit lengthy in my previous response as I couldn't add anything to the bottom of my post.
I wanted to conclude by mentioning that I plan on coming to another Appleseed in the future (not sure of a date yet) and hopefully, will bring some of my friends too as I have been talking it up with anyone that will listen.

Thanks again!

Gary (gsc55)