Hollywood, FL, AAR, Nov. 2, 2019

[malabar]

I'll put the spirit of our burgeoning South Florida Cadre up against that of any group of Appleseeders anywhere.

I got in to The Hollywood Rifle and Pistol Club about 9:30 p.m. the night before our one-day shoot, just in time to help move some cases of drinks around for the lunch being planned by the HRPC crew. They figured that since we only had limited time, we could make the most of it by insuring nobody wandered off  -- and feeding all 37 of our shooters. The outside of the range building was festooned with flags, including the new Bedford flag.

When I went into the classroom where I was going to pitch my air mattress, I found that the crew had made name tags for all the shooters and bundled them with copies they printed of the new rifle guide, and necessary paperwork. They also had shirts from a previous shoot laid out and neatly folded. That's the kind of organization you get when your cadre gets together to practice on a weekly basis.

The cadre arrived early the next morning with enough food to feed not just the instructors, but most of the shooters as well.  Bagels, Cuban pastries and Cuban croquettes filled with minced ham. 

The shooting the next day went well and safely, and we had four Riflemen qualify, and added a new Orange Hat to our mix -- Kemper Gaston.

We had one unusual safety issue -- a loaner 10/22 had some sort of OOB detonation that seemed to involve two cartridges. More on that later.

[Puttup]

This was my first time at a one day Appleseed. WOW!

The pace was brisk, but manageable.  The trainers provided qualified, component, and concise instruction.

HRPC is an outstanding facility for this type of event.  They provided a comfortable and safe venue for both range and classroom activities.

One of my favorite parts of the program is the commitment to an oral tradition.  The telling and re-telling of these stories allows for the listener to fully engage and visualize the: shock, horror, and gritty determination displayed by farmers and shopkeepers in the face of the most powerful military in the world.

To all the volunteers and participants thanks for making this an exceptional day of history & marksmanship. Very glad to see several shoots already on the calendar for 2020; Can't wait to do this again.

HAZZAH!