IBC Proctor, VT 24, 25 April, 08

[Junior Birdman]

   The first IBC using the new POI was completed on 25 April at Proctor, VT. We had 3 IITs attending along with Nickle. Although the program is set up for 3 days, we wanted to see if we could get it done in the two days available.

  I had to leave after the BC and did not get to attend the Appleseed to follow, so the results of the training will need to be seen in commentary from the grads in this AAR when they can post.

  My observations are:

  Completing the course in only two days can be accomplished. With only 3 IITs we still had two long days of work, and I add that all three were already accomplished Riflemen and had Appleseed experience already.  This reinforces the idea that the IBC is not intended for those who haven't consistently shot Rifleman scores and attended an Appleseed or two. 

   The first day was spent entirely on the 4 safety rules, 6 steps, Line Commands, etc, and building all the various positions and teaching all the things associated with them. The IITs got day two started with skull work and covered classroom excercises necessary to teach at known distance and also RBC materials.

  The second half of day two was spent in "mock Appleseed" training, teaching the IITs to engage the shooters and find and fix problems, call the line, etc.

   Each IIT did live demonstrations and explanations for all the basic teaching modules seen at an Appleseed to gain knowledge and experience. On the "line" they got experience finding errors using the "Error Card" method developed for the mock Appleseed day of RBC. The final exam was done and I was impressed with how much the guys had absorbed.
   I saw a great deal of improvement and left them Friday night knowing that their performance at the weekend Appleseed would be stellar!  The NE is in good hands with a strong and capable core of instructors.

  Recommendations:

  If the IBC is to be accomplished in only 2 days it will have to be capped. I would guess that no more than 4 IITs per instructor would be about right. And even then, the IITs and the instructors would need to be well read and prepared and be willing to put in the long hours it would take.

  IBC Instructors need to be very familiar with the POI and have all the teaching aids at hand to make the program move fast enough to do it in two days. If there were many attendees I think the IBC could still be thoroughly done in the original 3 days with enough Instructors.

  Round count for the event was zero, so the thing can be accomplished anywhere you can have a "cold" line and allow for shouting for training purposes. Therefore it makes for a compact "traveling show".

  I think the IBC will be a valuable tool in the future for getting instructors trained and on the line quickly. It should contribute to a competent nationwide instructor corp that provides more uniform training on the Appleseed Trail.

  Attendee AARs to follow.  JB

[Nickle]

I had some big reservations beforehand helping Junior Birdman with this, as I had not been to a Rifleman Boot Camp myself ( I went the IIT route).

Well, those reservations all vanished quickly on Thursday morning.

A LOT was covered, and it makes for long days. It's a good tool, for known good excellent shooters, and needs to kept to that. Capping it is the right thing to do.

I know I got brushed up well, and I learned a few things that were left out of my training.

2 days works, IF it is immediately followed by an Appleseed. If not, I think a third day would be needed to practice running an Appleseed.

They say the proof of the pudding is in the eating, so the proof of the IBC concept is in the Appleseed following it.

Only 14 shooters. 6 made Rifleman, and the round count was an astonishing 725. (What can I say, those New Englanders LOVE to shoot.)

[Fred]

Only 14 shooters. 6 made Rifleman, and the round count was an astonishing 725. (What can I say, those New Englanders LOVE to shoot.)

     Astonishing! JB, you are THE MAN! (Well, Nickle is too - and so is The Guy, and...oh, what the heck - guess we got a pretty good crew around here... )

[socalserf]

14 shooters, and 6 made Rifleman?
That has to be the best ratio ever!
Nice work! Congratulations!

[GMB74]

I agree 100% with what Junior Birdman and Nickle have written. Low instructor-to-student ratios insure the information is transferred and recieved properly. Working a real Appleseed shoot immediately afterwards reinforces the training and allows the new instructors to work together in a real-world situation. It just works better. I think we have built an excellent team here and look forward to working with them again in future events.
Thank you Junior Birdman for coming all the way up here to train us!

[ripersnifle]

IBC was GREAT.
Jr. Birdman was a BIG help.
He reduced the "fire hose" to a "garden hose" so we could soak it up better.
I wish we'd had a few more hours to practice/polish the things we actually had to teach.
(Position, steady hold factors, NPOA, etc...)
For only 2 days, though, It went VERY smoothly.

The Jr. Birdman Song

Up in the air Jr. Birdman
Up in the air upside down
Up in the air Jr. Birdman
Keep your nose above the ground (echo: Above the ground)
When you hear the great announcement
Jr.Birdman's gonna win
You'll know that the Jr. Birdman
Has turned all his boxtops in. 

NRRRRRR (Airplane dive-bomber sound with Doppler effect)

The mask is made for your face by having your thumbs and index fingers meet to make glasses and then turn your hands upside down and have the other fingers feather out down your cheeks and chin.  This important information came courtesy of my Mom.

sk

[Junior Birdman]

  Well, I guess the secret is out now. The double secret "Junior Birdman Goggles Greeting" is out there for all to see. I suppose I'll be greeted this way at every Appleseed event now?    Sure would like it if someone would sing the theme song for us at the next event.  JB