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Homeschooling/Appleseed in TN

Started by Faramir, April 07, 2018, 04:22:22 PM

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Faramir

It doesn't appear that a huge amount of activity in the Homeschooling section has gone down recently. Is there much in the way of Appleseed-homeschooling interaction in the Middle TN area, or TN more broadly? While I am no longer homeschooled myself, I am heavily involved with homeschooling in the Middle TN area, especially with the homeschool speech and debate community.

I ask about this because the homeschool community in general is one that is already invested in and/or open to the heritage message of Appleseed and to the actual activity (shooting), but it doesn't appear that homeschoolers are too connected with Appleseed or that Appleseed has done too much reaching out to the homeschool community.

I'd like to draw in more homeschoolers as part of the "7th step" element of volunteering with Appleseed, but I also want to avoid reinventing the wheel where others may have already invented an effective wheel in this area, in addition to avoiding trying again strategies that have been proven decidedly ineffective already (e.g., renting expensive, lowly-trafficked booths at conventions, putting aside the fact that conventions in this area are rather smaller than of yore anyway).

If there are Appleseeders in the Middle TN area who are connected with homeschooling as well, I'd love to hear from you to brainstorm how to reach homeschoolers. If no one is particularly involved presently, I'd like to drum up some further involvement so we can develop the program further in this area. The speech and debate community is one where I have particular connection (I am one of the coaches at a local club in Brentwood/Franklin, and I am at a competition as I write this), so I have some pull there. That might prove a good place to start.

Please feel free to email or direct message me if you know something about connecting with homeschoolers in this area and/or are interested in developing a more vigorous Appleseed presence in this community.

Nashville Stage

I'm just up the road from you in the Brentwood/Antioch area. While I'm not familiar with any of the homeschool groups in the area, I'm happy to help (I was homeschooled back in the early days of the movement).

Claude (TNcolonel on the forum) is in the Manchester area, and he's mentioned having contact with some homeschool groups. He'll be the Shoot Boss for the upcoming April 19-20 Appleseed at Arnold Air Force Base, if you'd like to come & help out (wink wink). ;)

You know what, now that I think about it, there's a group called the Middle Tennessee Home Education Association (MTHEA) that has an annual homeschool curriculum expo at the Nashville fairgrounds. They rent audio equipment from my company, so I have a contact with them.  I could touch base & see what info they'd be willing to share.
"There are 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary, and those who don't."

Faramir

Very nice, Nashville Stage. If you have connections with MTHEA and were homeschooled way back when, then you may know some people I know (do the names Tuggle and Thornton ring any bells?). I've been to the MTHEA convention plenty of times, though unless something has changed in the last few years, I know it had gotten pretty small. But, it could make a good venue, if there's a decent amount of traffic to it. I'd love to know what folks you know at MTHEA have to say, though.

I'll definitely look into the April 19-20 shoot, though since it's in the workweek, that may not come together for me. However, it's good to know that another someone in this area is also in some contact with the homeschool community. I'll reach out to him, too. Thanks!

happydad

I'm in Centerville and in contact with a number of separate groups of homeschoolers in this area and one in Columbia as well. (Since I know at least one person doing debate, I'm sure that we have some mutual contacts.) I know occasionally there is an Appleseed event out near Lobelville that kinda happens on the down low that I usually hear about after that involves some homeschooling families. They never advertise it on the main website. I guess it is all word of mouth. Anyway, if you were to do something, I know that I could help get the word out and would try to be involved, time permitting. I'm going to Chapel Hill this weekend for my first shoot, and I would love to take my daughter to one, and my sons when they are older.
"Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedomsâ€"to choose one's attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one's own way."

"When we are no longer able to change a situation, we are challenged to change ourselves."

"Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom." - Viktor Frankl

Nashville Stage

Hey Faramir, sorry, I just realized that I never got back to you. My homeschooling wasn't in TN, so I don't know those names. I emailed the lady who I knew at MTHEA, but her email address bounced. I sent another email to the general address, but never got a response. I think you're right; the convention seems to have have gone belly-up. There wasn't one this year, and apparently the one last year didn't happen, either. The organization itself seems to still be active, at least judging by their website. I just don't know anyone in the group. Feel free to reach out to them & start a conversation!
"There are 10 types of people in the world. Those who understand binary, and those who don't."

Faramir

happydad: We probably do have some mutual contacts, though I don't know many people in the Centerville-Lobelville-Columbia area; whom do you know who is in debate? It's actually quite possible I know the family and have coached them before, as most debaters from the Columbia area attend where I coach. I'm hoping to drum up some more business, so to speak, among homeschoolers in the general area, so we'll see what gives.

Nashville Stage: No worries at all. MTHEA has shrunk quite a bit, and I'm not surprised to hear that the conventions have fizzled entirely; they were only limping for the last couple of years I was homeschooled personally.

Thanks, folks, for the input; I'll start shaking the bushes and see if I can get some people in my more immediate circles interested.

Tennessee Beast

Since you are in the Nashville Area, there is a Facebook group called "Nashville Homeschool Calendar-Homeschool Businesses" that I have used in the past.  It is a private group, but the main person was interested in the Libertyseed that I put on at my church, so she let me join. 
In giving us dominion over the animal kingdom, God has signified His will that we subdue the beast within ourselves.
John Lancaster Spalding

They who can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety.
Benjamin Franklin, 1775

"A free people ought not only to be armed, but disciplined; to which end a uniform and well-digested plan is requisite; and their safety and interest require that they should promote such manufactories as tend to render them independent of others for essential, particularly military, supplies."  George Washington 1790

"[T]o preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them…"
- Richard Henry Lee, Declaration Signer

Practice every time you get a chance. - Bill Monroe

Faramir

TN Beast, can you PM me with her name? I'm not on Facebook, so I can't get into that group or others like it.

Capt. Stan

#8
Bluegrass colonel came and spoke to my kids homeschool group back in March. Unfortunately I can't remember the name of the other instructor he brought with him but they did an awesome job.
I have an event set up for May 11th shooting NRA BB gun/air rifle qualification at our homeschool group and I'd like to find someone to come speak for 30 min about Appleseed. When they came in March they spoke to the kids but I'll have the parents at this event.
TWRA. Will be there as well Tennessee Wildlife Federation to speak about programs they have and how people can get involved in the outdoors.
The location is south of Lebanon and if you know anyone interested who can support this please have them reply here or reach out to me personally through the forum.