Harvard, MA 8/29-30/2015 AAR

[hbennett]

Harvard, MA hosted yet another successful Appleseed.   There were a total of 22 participants, ranging in age from 11 to 66.  Among the ranks included retired and active military,
professional computer geeks, a Boy Scout, a high school freshman, a building contractor, a salesman, grad students, a father and daughter, and 3 sets of fathers and sons... in short the attendees were a wonderful representation of common folks..  And I must say, what an amazing group of patriots they are!

The weather, while not terribly warm,  was very bright and sunny.. Over time, the heat, the dust, and that overly bright sun really put these shooters to the test.  All, to some degree,  dealt with sunburn, fatigue, equipment malfunctions.  Some had to deal with physical limitations.  All were motivated. All persisted. They ground out AQT after AQT after AQT, despite physical discomfort or fatigue.  Our youngest shooter, Patrick, not only managed the both days, but kept up with the adults!  Some  should have quit earlier. But because of determination,  or plain yankee stubbornness,   quit only because they ran out of ammo. Some felt the heartache of coming up just short.  Some were able to shoot a  Rifleman's score..  All, and I do mean ALL showed marked improvement by the end of day 1.  Everyone I talked to spoke of returning to complete unfinished business, that being, to attain that Rifleman score.

These shooters, every one, demonstrated the spirit, the grit, and the courage one would expect to see in the original patriots that answered the alarm.  It was a privilege to work with them. 

Congratulations to  Mike B., Mike F., Terry , and Andrew for a job well done!
Special congratulations are in order to Terry,  as this is his second Appleseed, and Rifleman qualification, for agreeing to step forward and take an Orange Hat!

As always, we are fortunate to have a very experienced group of instructors here in Massachusetts.   Aim, lupis42, roundtrip,and LT are some of the most dedicated, knowledgeable, and motivated professionals  one could have the honor to learn from and to work with. Our IITs  carabina44 and SamB were also key to making this a successful event.

To steal a phase from goodpiper, "You make my job look easy"..

[capnmike]

It was my first but definitely wont be my last.

On Saturday Morning, my rounds were all over the place, but I listened to what you guys had to say and worked hard on the techniques you were teaching. The building block approach on saturday was very helpful.

The AQT course of fire was very challenging, but by Sunday afternoon, I found the right balance of speed, accuracy and precision.

My son Patrick shot over 500 rounds, did not want to leave and cant wait to go again.
It was one of the most fun things we have done together.

Thanks to all the red and orange hats for putting on a great event.

Mike F

[capnmike]

And Thanks Henry for taking Patrick under your wing.

[HansGruber]

First-timer with an epic brand in the shape of a spent hot .223 shell will most definitely be back.

Thank you, instructors. You kids know how to party.

[Dude357]

I had physical problems, weapon problems and it was hot as heck. I also had a great time and relearned things forgotten. Outstanding job by all.