..Team Northeast's Voice..

[Josey Wales]

..This is an open letter to all my fellow Appleseed volunteers. I truly feel that I have been blessed to be a part of such a life-changing organization. I have met many a hard-workin, patriotic, truth seeking, intellectual, wise, loyal, God-fearing red-blooded apple pie eaten moonshine drinking gun firing rebel rousing American. And, that is not meant to be funny, but very serious.

..I have been with Appleseed since June 2009 and have had the pleasure to meet many of our first generation Appleseed leaders. I have seen many a good man and woman come and go from the program, a few that needed to be dropped from time to time.

..Team Northeast has always been a strong arm of the Appleseed body. We have remained quiet throughout much of Appleseed's history because our motto has always been, "Less talk less banter makes for more hard work". Now, whether or not the rest of the country agrees with our standard, that can be up for debate. Nonetheless that has been our policy from the beginning and thus far we are sticking with it. We take great pride in out policy. Looking back, some of us do feel we should have been more vocal and involved in certain situations and have had voiced our opinions, but that is the past and we move on. So there is no regret in Team Northeasts' future we are posting our voice now.

..There are many amongst us across the nation in Project Appleseed that have done many things for the program and remain silent. There have been many episodes of trials and tribulations of success and failure that have not been posted or discussed on the forum. The forum is a double-edged sword and should be handled cautiously. The last thing on this earth that I or many others want to do is spend hours a day on the forum debating whether the sky is blue or gray. Opinions and truths are subject to a multiple of variations depending upon personal experiences and developed personalities. Many of which started many moons ago. Imagine the debates. I have always seen Appleseed as a very serious big boys/girls club. When you come to play/work/volunteer with Project Appleseed put your big boy/girl pants on and deal with the truth. Yes, I do know there are different versions of the truth and these things can be debated endlessly. That is the danger of true democracy.

..So let it be written on this day that the entire Team Northeast is not represented in any and all of the debates going on the Appleseed forum. If you think we are going to sit idly by and watch the program change fundamentally, we shall not. A fundamental transformation, we all know the meaning of that phrase and where it takes person, place and thing. To fundamentally transform the Constitution of the United States of America, or to fundamentally transform the guidelines of Project Appleseed. This is all beginning to sound very desperate, very needy & very unstable.

.. Everyone in Appleseed is not equal. There is a hierarchy in this program, just like there should be. We defer to our State Coordinators, our Regional Coordinator, our DSB's, our Senior Instructors, our Master Instructors and then to Fred the owner of the program. This is the policy that Team Northeast follows. If there is a change in this policy at any time we demand to be involved, and we damn near mean it. Not chatter, but earnest policy change. If it does not come down from the top then to us it is just chatter and we will continue on mission deferring to the hierarchy.

..Everyone has questions, everyone has suggestions, everyone has solutions. Sometimes they can be addressed, sometimes they can be heard, sometimes they are ignored, sometimes people are let down, sometimes feelings are hurt, sometimes we celebrate together success.

..I have seen many a good man and woman leave Appleseed. I often wish this was not the case. People make choices and do what they have to do. We can not question ones private motives for that truth is often unseen.

..United we stand, divided we fall. A house divided amongst itself will surly fall. Sometimes it is honorable to tame the voice of the individual in order to make the collective voice louder and prouder. This is to govern with common sense. Least us not forget how the ideals of individual liberties has been convoluted through the times. It is stated in these times that our Republic when called such and not deferred to the lie we are a a Democracy revolves around the concept of the individuals rights and the collective is conveniently forgotten. This is not what was meant to be. The origins of these ideas come from the individual having a duty to participate in securing the collective states rights. I fight for we, to support the groups rights. All of this can be debated and is subjective. I am simply stating our stance, The collective voice of Team Northeast. What is left of our Team Northeast we will hold the line and continue on with the mission. And, as stated before, if there is any policy change enacted it will come from the top down and we will have a say. We will learn of the policy change or ideas of policy change from the top down, then we will voice our opinions from the bottom up. By using our representatives as stated above.

..Everyone has put painstakingly, time and effort into the fundamentals of the mission. Everyone has given up time from their personal life & money from work. These are all personal individual decisions, when made in a healthy environment are made to better the collective group. We make those decisions based on the premise that collectively we can and will make a difference if we are united and strong.

.. There is a healthy way to create policy change and a destructive way to make policy change.
..This is a statement and not open for debate, this is how we feel about the situation..

..Strength & Honor, Josey Wales..

[TOMINCT]

 Well said my friend, well said....

[VietVet]

 We're standing with you JW.

  Well said brother! 

[sgtrock]

You're not alone Mr. Wales,.
We know what we're up against and it's a fight that some other parts of the country have'nt experienced yet, but they will, if this program and many more across the country fail.
It's a long haul type mission, plain and not so simple.

[VietVet]

	2013	2014
NJ	69	0
NY	359	296
VT	33	18
NH	196	118
ME	59	52
RI	0	0
CT	175	130
MA	103	84
NE Region	994	698	-29.8%
National	10712	8937	-16.6%

The above quote has been edited to remove information I felt was unnecessary.
It was taken from another thread on this forum that I have no desire to get involved in.
I just feel ALL the facts should be presented so a complete understanding and/or decision of these facts 
can be made by anyone reviewing them.



Lets keep those "Stats" connected to reality.

Yes, the numbers in the NE are down, as well as Nationally, there's no denying that. 
  It also should be pointed out that NO other Region in this Nation has been hit as hard
  with NEW Firearms laws that have a direct effect on those numbers.

  How many other Regions have been ORDERED to Register their firearms and some
  firearms have been out right declared UNLAWFUL to possess?

New York, New Jersey, Connecticut and Massachusetts all have been hit so very hard with not only new laws but outright BANS on what it is we're allowed to now own. Many have had to ship their firearms out of State or sell them out of State or make them "Compliant" by removing their now declared "Evil Features".


  Anyone having doubts about this statement look into the NYSafe Act.

          http://programs.governor.ny.gov/nysafeact/gun-reform

It has restricted what firearms are lawful, what capacity magazines we're allowed.
In NY we're no longer allowed to purchase ammo on line and have it shipped directly to our home.

Everyone enjoying their folding stocks, thumb hole stocks, flash suppressors, pistol grips, muzzle brakes, mags with more then 10 rounds, forward grips, bayonet lugs, etc?
Not in many States in the NE!

By LAW they're consider an "ASSAULT WEAPON" in several NE States.
No longer legal to own, purchase or even bring into some NE States.

Lets also just for fun add in to those "Stats" the ammo shortage, the economy
situation and the loss of Instructors who have left the program for various reasons.
I'm certain those issues didn't help increase our numbers either.

Yes, the numbers are down but to simply post those numbers without considering 
all the facts that will effect them is misleading to those who don't know what we're
dealing with.
Excuses? No. Just adds to the urgency of staying on and completing the Mission.

There's so much more to the story then is reflected by the above numbers.
Way too much to attempt to explain with a post in a thread.

Our numbers may be down but be assured the Northeast is still bailing and is in the
process of grabbing bigger buckets and will continue with the mission.

Now with respect to all I have better things to tend to then continuing a reply to "Stats"
that are not a true reflection of what the "Facts" actually are.

There's a Country that needs to be saved.
We'll continue to do what we can. If changes are made we'll make the adjustment accordingly.
Until then we'll be on the "Trail" better serving our Country joined but who's left on
Team Northeast.


For the record I am the Regional Coordinator for the Northeast.

[Dude]

In total agreement.

We've taken some hits. The laws, the price of ammo, the general downturn in the economy, people flat leaving the northeast; all caused a drop in numbers. We are blessed to have had as much success as we did.

The few good men who have decided to move on are a distinct loss, but we have seen other good men come and go.

We are not done. I am not done. That's what we each have to make up in our minds and hearts.

HUZZAH!

[The Old Guide]

The Maine legislature has just yesterday overwhelmingly passed a bill to allow constitutional carry in Maine. That means if you want to carry concealed you can carry. You won't need a permit. We also allow the laundry list of prohibited items from above such as stocks, muzzle brakes, bayonet lugs and high capacity magazines. The FBI says that Maine and Vermont are the two safest states. We seem to alternate on that. Appleseeders are welcome here. Shoot what you brung.

Caution; the new law does not take effect for 90 days after the legislative session.

[Luigi]

Josey Wales and Vietvet: Amen from NH, the Live Free or Die state.