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Winter Gun Shows

Started by TN_Dadx5, November 25, 2010, 12:48:35 AM

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TN_Dadx5

During the winter while there are no Winterseeds !@#), we are going to try to set up a table at some gun shows.  If anyone knows of any shows in TN please let us know so we can get to as many as we can. We may also need some help  :sos: so if anyone has some spare time during the winter and would like to help either let us know here or PM myself or TNColonel.

Thanks!
"A nation of well informed men who have been taught to know and prize the rights which God has given them cannot be enslaved. It is in the region of ignorance that tyranny begins." Benjamin Franklin
Visit and "Like" the TN Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/#!/Tennesse.Project.Appleseed

dart67eb

I'm doing one in Southaven, MS at the end of Dec.  Right at the state line.
Ignorance may be bliss, but it's not a virtue.

photoguy67


goose

While working the gun show at the Atlanta Expo Ctr this weekend, I was walking the floor, finding folks to talk to and even other booths and tables to engage.  I struck up a conversation with some fellas selling AR uppers and wrapped up the talk by being offered a schedule of Tennessee events that Apple Seed can get a table for free if we just call and tell them that we are Apple Seed:

Contact Number:  423.255.3669

Sched:
  Lexington, KY           Jan 22-23  Oleika Shrine Temple
  Chattanooga, TN     Jan 29-30  Alhambra Shrine Temple
  Albany, GA               Feb 5-6    Hasan Temple Shrine
  Athens, TN               Feb 12-13 Nat'l Guard Armory
  Knoxville, TN            Feb 26-27  Kerbela Shrine Temple
  Albany, GA               Apr 2-3   Hasan Temple
  Chattanooga, TN     Apr 9-10 Alhambra Temple
  Lexington, KY           Apr 16-17  Oleika Temple
Athens, TN                May 14-15  Natl' Guard Armory
  Chattanooga, TN     May 21-22  Alhambra Temple
  Chattanooga, TN     Sep 17-18  Alhambra Temple
  Knoxville, TN            Oct 1-2  Kerbela Temple
  Chattanooga, TN     Nov 12-13 Alhambra Temple
  Lexington, KY          Dec 3-4  Oleika Temple

Hours are 9-5 on Saturday & Sunday  Also, info posted on tvsgunshow.com  (Tennessee Valley Sportsmen)

Contact Number:  423.255.3669

"The most dangerous man to any government is the man who is able to think things out for himself, without regard to the prevailing superstitions and taboos. Almost inevitably he comes to the conclusion that the government he lives under is dishonest, insane, and intolerable..." - H.L. Mencken

TN_Dadx5

Calling all TN Volunteers!

We will be setting up a table to drum up interest in the Appleseed Project at the January 8 & 9 gun show being held at the Nashville Fairgrounds.  You can get more info at http://www.gunshow.net/nashville-dates.htm.  The promoters have put Appleseed info and link on their website already.

We already have a basic crew to staff both days, but could use some more help.  If you can help staff, great!  PM me and let me know what day/times that you can hang out with us.  If you don't have the time, maybe you can help get the word out.  Or if you have experience with gun shows, let us know what works  :cool2: and what doesn't  :( work to get our word out.

Thanks all,
Your TN State Coordinator Team
"A nation of well informed men who have been taught to know and prize the rights which God has given them cannot be enslaved. It is in the region of ignorance that tyranny begins." Benjamin Franklin
Visit and "Like" the TN Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/#!/Tennesse.Project.Appleseed

TN_Dadx5

OK, we're rapidly approaching the gun show and I'd like to know if you all are good with you times helping out at the booth.  Please reply and let me know what day/time you plan on being there.  I'll bring some LTRs Saturday and we'll need someone to bring LTRs on Sunday.  Please also, let me know what gear/stuff you'll be bringing.  Also let me know if you have any questions. 

LET ME KNOW WHO IS WORKING WHEN SO I CAN GET THE RIGHT PASSES FOR OUR WORKERS OR YOU MAY WIND UP PAYING ADMISSION. ~~:)

I have ordered a banner and I'm hoping that it will make it here on time.  I have a good deal of tri-folds and TnColonel is bringing targets and certificates for free addmission to future Appleseeds.  Does anyone have a good deal of AS photos that we could set up a slideshow on a laptop?

Thanks,
Charlie
"A nation of well informed men who have been taught to know and prize the rights which God has given them cannot be enslaved. It is in the region of ignorance that tyranny begins." Benjamin Franklin
Visit and "Like" the TN Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/#!/Tennesse.Project.Appleseed

TN_Dadx5

To Everyone Working Saturday Morning,

The Gun Show is open for setup a 7 am.  TNColonel and I will be arriving between 7 and 7:30.  If anyone wants to help set up you can meet us then.  Since this is our first time and we really don't know where the promoter will put us, we will need to play this by ear.

And for everyone working the show, please make sure you wear comfortable shoes (we don't want any grouches here) and a camp chair would be a good idea.  Please make sure that you bring your  :)

Thank you all for agreeing to help out here.  I think that we've got a great team here in mid TN.

Charlie
"A nation of well informed men who have been taught to know and prize the rights which God has given them cannot be enslaved. It is in the region of ignorance that tyranny begins." Benjamin Franklin
Visit and "Like" the TN Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/#!/Tennesse.Project.Appleseed

TN_Dadx5

#7
The gun show turned out to be pretty good for the mid TN team and Appleseed in general.  Our booth was about as busy as we could expect and generated a lot of interest.  While some people did come up and ask us about Appleseed, we had to resort to the circus barker act a good deal of the day.  We'd see someone walking past with a new rifle and we'd say "So you got a new rifle, do you know how to use it?" or "Do you know how to shoot?"  Obviously we did that in a joking tone.  Most people replied that they did, but could always get better, so we would give them the lowdown on AS.  We called just about every young folk that walked by.  My two teenage children and TNColonel's grandson (who all have been to multiple events and my daughter is an IIT) were helping and it seemed to work well attracting the younger folk.

I was surprised by that amount of young people (older teenagers) that shoot skeet but never have picked up a rifle.  We only had 2 or 3 guys walk past that were above Appleseeds and only one guy who just wouldn't leave.  TNColonel (a very shrewd man) engaged this guy and slowly backed up away from our table so we could engage others.  

All in all, this was a pretty effective time and we might wind up with 5 or 6 to add to the Instructors core and a bunch more on the line.  We even had one boy and his dad who came to pick up a 22 rifle (not knowing about AS) that came back after finding one to see if it would do well at an event.  There were a lot of people who were hooked by the history aspect; one person actually went away and came back with a history buff friend.  Our LTRs (a stock Marlin 795 with Tech Sights and a tricked out 10/22) did get some attention as well as the black AK with the drum mag on the table next to us.  We needed more print outs on the LTRs though.

The banner definitely attracted a lot of people and the tootsie rolls did too.  Since most of the gun show tables are 8' long, I made the frame just under 8' to clamp to the top of the table.  That allowed us to lean the targets back on the frame.  Thanks to V and The Machine for the banner info and Grimsweeper for the tootsie rolls!

Looking ahead to our next show, we plan to have a laptop slideshow with AS events along with sample targets and some CMP brochures to give out.
There is another show at the end of this month (last weekend) in Murfreesboro, TN that we are trying to get into which is usually 3 times bigger than this one.  So be ready to answer the volunteer call.  To all of the people that helped you have my humble thanks!

Charlie
tn_dadx5
Assistant SC - Middle TN
"A nation of well informed men who have been taught to know and prize the rights which God has given them cannot be enslaved. It is in the region of ignorance that tyranny begins." Benjamin Franklin
Visit and "Like" the TN Facebook page
https://www.facebook.com/#!/Tennesse.Project.Appleseed

firebear


  I enjoyed meeting you all and working with you.  I think it was a great start and addresses a heretofore weak link in the volunteer state's 7th step plan.  That weak link being a presence at the most obvious venue- gun shows.    You win them one appleseeder at a time.  Getting one more person motivated to visit us on the line is a successful day.
  Thanks for putting this together and letting me be a part of it.  It was fun! O0
               ~Lance
Calera, AL 1/15

The Machine

Nice effort and table display! That banner mount seemed to work well for you.  :)

From our experience in WV, these gun shows haven't been very fruitful in getting people to the firing line but I think they are still worth trying; if you have the volunteers to do so. Here's an idea that you might try at your next one...

If electric is available to your table, and someone has a laptop, you can have a continuous loop of AS related pictures playing to catch the attention of passers by. If you get real lucky and have internet access on site, you can sign-up people for your event(s) on the spot. If nothing else, a RWVA membership might be solicited.

Keep up the good work in TN...
"I proudly support limited government and unlimited common sense"

"One of the great advantages of the American Revolution has been, that it led to a discovery of the principles, and laid open the imposition, of governments." - Thomas Paine 1792

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