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Roadrunners, and Quails, and Instructors, oh my!

Started by socalserf, September 22, 2008, 03:18:40 PM

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socalserf

Piru, 9/08!! California.

IBC-

We had a good time learning how to instruct from JuniorBirdMan, Bob210, and KoolAid.
The weather was great. And the company was, as always, wonderful.
JB said that this was the largest turn out for an IBC that he knew of. That's a good thing for CA.
It was a very full week end and there was much to learn.
We covered all that instructors should know in order to teach others how to become  Riflemen.
My hat is off to all of those new IIT for stepping up.
I know it going way out of your comfort zone- congrtatulations.

Being a Rifleman isn't a destination it's a journey.

"we cannot improve what we do not measure."


SavageShootr


CA. is on the move with two IBC's just three months apart, and that well attended too.  :o
I heard that there were six pre-reg.'s for it. Way to go CA.!!  ;D
"Listen to everyone, read everything, and don't believe anything unless you can prove it."' B.C.
"It isn't like it is life or death...it is more important than that." MrPete

SonoftheRepublic

Well, I really enjoyed my time up at Mt. Appleseed, Piru last weekend with Junior Birdman and all the other aspiring Appleseed I.I.T.'s.  Mr. Bill and Rock-Chucker (Steve) were there, as were socalserf (who was awarded his Red Hat yesterday!  Congratulations Enoch!), kool aid (thanks kool), Laylopro (Ian) and his lovely daughter Layla.  Also there was Cal 7.62 (Steve-loved the shirt), bob210-of course (thank you Bob), Art (inspired young man from San Luis Obispo area), and our very own "Brit": "V" (Phil) . . . to name a few. Did I leave anyone out?  Oh Yeah, Hollywood Marine (Joe) showed up Sunday, with an elderly gentleman friend(?), for a guest appearance. I stayed the night in Fillmore at the Best Western Inn there.  Art had no place to stay so I offered my room and he was able to stay with me.

JB did his usual outstanding job of instructing us "Birdman-Style" in all the nuances of Appleseed Instructorship (also told us an "Ornel-Story" or two!).  Though I attended his class once before in June, I picked up several new things and realized I have SO MUCH MORE to get implanted/memorized in my brain!  Some of the more interesting stuff JB touched on were subjects like Target Detection (in the field), Estimating Wind Speed, Range Estimation, Zeroing various rifles - especially the AR and SKS, and a 'new and improved/simplified' Inches/Minutes/Clicks (I.M.C.) presentation.  Each of us also got a chance to spend valuable time running the firing line as Line Boss and Range Safety Officers (RSO's).

A lot of time was spent on building the proper shooting positions with the "Six Steady Hold Factors", as well as a good education on identifying all the problem areas to look for when in real-world, live-fire situations with newbie-shooters.  There were also a lot of surprises thrown in by JB, bob210 and kool aid . . . just to keep us alert and vigilant!  Mike of "Wes Thompson's Piru Rifle Range" also stopped by to give us some independent critiqing and keep us on our toes!

Finally at the end of the day, Sunday, JB gave us THE BIG FINAL EXAM along with the "brain-teaser-question from hell".  Not sure if JB wants that kept confidential for future I.B.C.'s, so will stay 'mum' on the details of that one.

All in all it was a great learning-experience and weekend, and well worth the time spent!

Thanks JB, and to all for the help and support.  Was good to see all of you there!

SoR

P.S.  Sorry I couldn't stick around for the 'Bear Pit Dinner Experience'.  That sho-nuf is some Goooooood BBQ!
Give them the History, Immerse them in the Tradition. - The Power of Appleseed

The Appleseed Project - "Returning America To A Nation Of Riflemen"

SavageShootr


CONGRATULATIONS Socalserf!!!!!!!!!!, on the Red Hat.  ;D ;D

It sounds like it was a great IBC. I wondered about attending again. It seems like it would have been valuable to do so. I thought about all of you guys (and gal  ;D) as I was returning to town Saturday night.

See you all at an AS soon.

~SS

"Listen to everyone, read everything, and don't believe anything unless you can prove it."' B.C.
"It isn't like it is life or death...it is more important than that." MrPete

LayloPro

OK, a little bit late on this, I know.....
The week after this IBC, I went ahead & finally had my shoulder operated on, with lots of red marking pen ink detailing my "pocket" & admonitions for the Dr to "leave this area alone!!" He did ok, and the closest scar is about an inch & change away, so I guess I scared him sufficiently.....Anyway, we have a great shoot coming up this next weekend, and a chance to try out some of the extra stuff we learned from JB, Bob210, & Kool Aid......
Looking forward to it!

JB said something about this being one of the more "populated" IBC's so far.....good thing, we need the instructors, & each one of us has to continue to step up to the plate to get it done......we have a lot of ground to cover here in Cali, & it will take all of us, plus some....so guys, I know you keep hearing it, & I'll just be one more tenor in the choir, but we need to get more recruits in to step up as IIT's.....then red hats.....

I tend to like the idea of the IBC, as opposed to the full weeks worth of the RBC's.....don't get me wrong, I see the value of them both, but I know that most folks out here are more willing to part with their weekends (esp when they see their groups shrinking), then with a full 9 day straight thru shot.......little bit harder to get done......
Again, just my $.02..... ;D

Anyway, here are some pix of what we did that weekend......sadly, I didn't bring in the camera to the BBQ Bear Pit......could have had some fun shots in there......we kind of "owned" the back room 'til closing...... :D ;D ::)

Congrats are in order for SoCalSerf, who has achieved his Red Hat, and also for ARC, & PhoneProne, who each received their orange hats...... 8) 8) 8) Wear them with pride all!!

Take care, & we'll TTYS.
Laylopro
"The truth only hurts if you're guilty." 

"Fast / cheap / good....you only get 2....Your choice."

"Amateurs talk hardware. Professionals talk software. It doesn't matter what's in your hand or between your legs. It matters what's in your heart and in your mind." Lt Col. Dave Grossman.

Fred


     I can see it now.

     We're gonna have to put the brakes on the California Appleseed.

     Otherwise, you guys are gonna take over the state, then look around, still unsatiated, and smack your lips at seeing all the rest of the country, just waiting to be "Appleseeded"!

      Let the warning go forth to the rest of us: Get your state in Appleseed order - the Californians are coming! (I can mentally see those big round saucer-shapes in the sky, right now! ;D ;D)

     PS: Great pics, Laylo! I always like to see "Mt Appleseed". It's gravy to see Bob and the crew in the foreground... And all the 'studious' looks on the faces of the IBC attendees - I searched each pic carefully - not a surfboard to be seen! Man, these guys must be serious! 8)
"Ready to eat dirt and sweat bore solvent?" - Ask me how to become an RWVA volunteer!

      "...but he that stands it now, deserves the thanks of man and woman alike..."   Paine

     "If you can read this without a silly British accent, thank a Revolutionary War veteran" - Anon.

     "We have it in our power to begin the world over again" - Thomas Paine

     What about it, do-nothings? You heard the man, jump on in...

LayloPro

Shhhh! Don't let 'em know about our "secret surfboards"....that's how we get everybody into our "good vibrations"....... ;D ;D :o

BTW, how come I never heard about the HBH (Hot Blonde Harem) before JB blurted it out??? You been holding out on us out here Fred??
Oh, no, wait........we're already -in- California, home of the Hot Blondes.......... :D :D

Yeah, we were studious....hard not to be when JB has the fire hose wide open & roaring....... 8) 8)

Good AS's, good IBC's..... ::)

BTW, Mt AS looks pretty good with all those red hats in front of it, huh?? :o ;D ;D And we've got more!!!! :D :D :D
"The truth only hurts if you're guilty." 

"Fast / cheap / good....you only get 2....Your choice."

"Amateurs talk hardware. Professionals talk software. It doesn't matter what's in your hand or between your legs. It matters what's in your heart and in your mind." Lt Col. Dave Grossman.

Junior Birdman

  What a great IBC this was! More people there than any other to date. I believe it was 9 total, but then I attended public school......

  We hit them with the fire hose pretty hard and steady for two days, and I figured that although pretty wet, they probably couldn't have ingested that much.  The final exam proved otherwise.  As I squinted to read the questions in the dying light, the attendees barked out answers that were spot on. I was very pleased with them being able to hang in there for both days to the very end. I believe we put in 10 hours on day one and 11 on day two. And there was no 3 martini lunch either. I believe the guys would say that they barely had time to finish a sandwich before mean old JB was on them again!

  In the end, CA and vicinity has a bunch of solid Orange Hats and another Red Hat in the mix. A hearty CONGRATULATIONS to Socalserf! You worked hard and earned that cover, so wear it with pride! (Now quit slacking off and hit the trail!)

  The Instructor team learned a few things on this IBC too, about dealing with so large a group and how to handle the POI when faced with so many IITs and so little time.  We also learned a couple of new tricks for instructing any size IBC, and those tips have already been incorporated into the POI for all the IBC Shoot Bosses to use.

   It's always better in the company of Riflemen, and in this case, under the shadow of Mt. Appleseed. (If the sun would cooperate and actually cast a shadow from Mt Appleseed)

  2 days of intense training and fellowship in the Golden State! It don't get any better than that. Um, yes, it does actually. When the IBC is over and we all adjourn to the Bear Pit and sow down on some of the best BBQ I've ever smacked my bill on outside of the confederate states!  :D

   Congrats to IBC class Piru, NINE oh EIGHT!  Now quit slacking off and hit the trail!  JB
"But a Constitution of Government once changed from Freedom, can never be restored. Liberty, once lost, is lost forever." John Adams

Find out just what any people will quietly submit to and you have the exact measure of the injustice and wrong which will be imposed on them. Fredrick Douglass

LayloPro

 It's always better in the company of Riflemen, and in this case, under the shadow of Mt. Appleseed. (If the sun would cooperate and actually cast a shadow from Mt Appleseed)

Well, JB, sadly (I guess!) our particular DAR there is what we would call "Southern exposure" to the "hill" we have dubbed "Mt. Appleseed"......which translates into hot & sunny on the line during summer time, and cold & windy during the winter time......
But no shade....... :( :'(
At least not from the Mt........ :(

We have to bring our "Surf's uP" Tiki huts in to form a "line cover", so as not to bake too much....still, we get that Cali sunshine..... 8) 8)

But you are 110% correct, life is better when in the company of Riflemen (& Women)......

But our trail isn't too far, mileage wise.....let's see, next week we are doing a dual shoot, one in Piru, one in Corona....the next week we have a shoot in Ridgecrest.....in Nov we slow down a bit & only have one shoot in Piru, but in December we are doing a dual shoot again in Piru & Corona......so that's what, six shoots left before the year is over? I'm seeing some real "rifle owner" states that don't do that in a year!! :D :D :D ???

I'm also seeing some other states on the board talking about having to shut down their AS for "winter".......or deer season, or what, some ball game on the tube??  :o ::)
Weather?? I think Scout kinda put paid to that one a few weeks ago as well......horizontal rain @ 30+mph :o :o....that's gotta sting behind the RayBans!! And they're in Texas!! Fred's been beating on them for how long now??  :D :D

And yes, we have the Bear Pit....Altho' we need to get you out here for a shoot @ Santa Barbara....there's a Lil' ol' steak house there we can take you to as well......you may discover why everyone has loved to "hate California"...... :D :D :D 8)

Shoot straight, fly high.
Laylopro
"The truth only hurts if you're guilty." 

"Fast / cheap / good....you only get 2....Your choice."

"Amateurs talk hardware. Professionals talk software. It doesn't matter what's in your hand or between your legs. It matters what's in your heart and in your mind." Lt Col. Dave Grossman.