AAR: St. Augustine, FL. 4/16-17/2011

[Gopher Boy]

Well I'm still at the airport on my phone, but Wanted to get this started.

What a great shoot.  The southern hospitality in north Florida sets the bar High.

We forged three rifleman and had a whole bunch knocking on the door.   Congrats to Jeremy, Bennett and Mike.

We even had a few step up.  Karl to IIT and Bennett to blue hat,  but I've got a sneaking suspicion that blue will fade to orange in no time.

Special thanks to Rick for coming out in period dress and bringing not one, but two Flint locks. (Rifle and musket)

Too much to list with cramping thumbs...  more later.

Respectfully

G.B.

[TomM1Thumb]

Hello to All My Brothers and Sisters on the Appleseed Trail, That elusive Rifleman's patch is still a dream, but I am still going to try for it.

Thanks to all of the Instructors who helped Teresa and I this weekend.  Thanks to Gopher boy in his Fur lined Crocs and to Smoak Who both helped Me Shoot My Personal best 100 Yard target a 48 out of 50. Thanks to 9mm4545 and Rambo Granny for all of Love and knowledge, You impart in Your teachings Huzzah!!! RG, Teresa thanks You for letting Her Handle Your Rifle, and Your Special tips for the Lady Riflemen, The M1 KD tips will help out, once We shoot Rifleman with the 10/22's. the M1 Garand is next.
Remember from the seeds of an apple comes mighty apple trees, which will produce a large harvest, From the heart of an Apple seeder, Sprouts Love and nurturing to each sapling and from the mind of an apple seeder sprouts knowledge that will forever protect the Sapling and this too will produce a bountiful harvest.
From All of the Saplings at the Saint Augustine Event We want to thank those Mighty Apple seeding Red and Orange hats for their selfless and Undying love of History, Patriotism, and America's First Martial Art. Huzzah, Huzzah, Huzzah!!!

Tom and Teresa

P.S. Doug those Trigger's Are Sweet.

[mcnee229]

This is posted in the Florida forum, too, but I think they would go better here:

All of the photos live here: https://picasaweb.google.com/mcnee229/1617APRIL2011Appleseed?authkey=Gv1sRgCI2bq93BhIHcXw&feat=directlink

Most of these are unedited or very minimally edited. If you want a copy of something, find it on the Picasa album and you can download it from the menus there. If you want a higher resolution of one, let me know and its yours, though I think all of the portraits are full res already.

A nice cool Florida day:


















It was great to meet everyone, and to take another step towards Rifleman. Congrats to those who made it this weekend!

Scott

[9mm4545]

We instructors were well paid this weekend with three new Riflemen and tons of improvement by everyone. I think the enthusiasm, grit, and determination of our young folk was especially heartening. Despite showers of hot brass, a wind that was blowing rifles off their mats, and temperatures in the nineties, I did not hear a single complaint and I believe that both the marksmanship and history teachings were well received. After every event it takes me some time to sort things out, trying to note where we excelled and where we could make improvements. They say, "to teach is to learn". Well, I certainly learned some new stuff over the weekend. GB, your demonstration of a "relaxed" prone position versus a "really relaxed" position, I think might have turned the light on for some folks about this NPOA stuff and I will shamelessly steal that for future events. Likewise your method of determining a good sitting position: "just sit down, now look how you are doing that and try that with your rifle". (Somewhat paraphrased.) You gave me another idea: I am going to buy a can of spray marking paint and put numbers which correspond to the target backers on each firing point to reduce the confusion about "what target backer do I use?".

I hope GB and Mrs. GB do make it down to sunny Florida again real soon. It was a pleasure meeting and working with you.

[9mm4545]

On Sunday we heard Rick, our colonial minuteman, historian, and wielder of flintlock muskets, give this poem. Here are his words...

HOME of the BRAVE

by Rick Haven, 1995


"I had a dream the other night that I think you should understand,
A figure walked out of the mist, a flintlock in his hand.
His clothes were torn and dirty, as he stood there by my bed,
And taking off his three-cornered hat and speaking low to me he said;"

[At stage left a second figure walks in. He is dressed as a colonial minuteman in rifle
frock, breeches and tricorn hat carrying a flintlock gun. He says:]

"We fought a Revolution to secure our Liberty,
We wrote a Constitution to shield us from Tyranny.
For future generations this legacy we gave,
Is this the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave?

The freedoms that we secured for you we taught you to always keep,
But tyrants labored endlessly while your parents were asleep.
Your freedom's gone, your country's finished, you're no more than a slave,
Is this the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave?

You buy permits to travel and permits to own a gun,
Permits to start a business, or to build a place for one.
On land you think you own, you pay a yearly rent,
Although you have no voice in saying just how that money's spent.

Your children must attend a school that doesn't educate,
And your Christian values can't be taught according to the state.
You read about the news in a regulated press,
And pay a tax that you don't owe, to please the IRS.

Your money is no longer made of silver nor of gold,
You trade your work for paper so that you life can be controlled.
You pay for crimes that make you country turn from God in shame!
And you have taken Satan's number and traded in your name.

You have given control of government to those who do you harm,
So they can raise the taxes and steal the family farm.
They keep the country deep in debt, and put good men in jail!
They harass your fellow countrymen, while corrupted courts prevail!

Your public servants don't uphold the solemn oaths they've sworn,
Until someday you may wish, your sons and daughters had not been born.
Your leaders send artillery and guns to foreign shores,
They send your sons to slaughter fighting other people's wars.

Can you regain the freedom for which we fought and died?
Or don't you have the courage to think and stand with pride?
Are there no more values for which you'll fight to save?
Or will you watch your children live in fear and become their slaves?

Oh, sons of the Republic, arise and take a stand!
Defend the Constitution, the supreme law of the Land !
Preserve the Great Republic and each God given Right !
And pray that you will keep the torch of Freedom burning Bright !"

[Second figure turns and leaves as he came. The first person then speaks.]

"As I awoke, he vanished in the mist, in which he came,
His words are true ! We are not free, but we have only ourselves to blame.
For even now tyrants trample each God given Right,
And we only watch and tremble, too afraid to stand and fight !

If he stood by your bedside, in a dream, while you were asleep,
And wondered what remained of the Freedoms he fought to keep.
What would be your answer, if he called out from the grave."

[Second person speaks from left stage.]

"Is this the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave ?"

[oladcock]

My niece, "The Dread Pirate" attended and had a great time, thanks to GB and all for what you do!

Great poem 9mm4545, do we have Rick's permission to use this poem?...O.L.

[caseyblane]

Wow! New riflemen, new instructors, new volunteers, great pictures, great poem! Awesome weekend!!! I hope to see all of you again soon. Thanks for coming south GB!!!

[9mm4545]

I found two quilts and a pair of shooting sunglasses at the end of the event on Saturday so if you are missing the same, PM me and we'll find some way to return them to you.

I lost a Kershaw pocket knife on Sunday so if you found one while cleaning up and wondered who it belonged to, well, that is me!

[iloveliberty]

thanks for posting pictures.