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2021 Maryland Appleseed Summary and 2022 Goals

Started by Catch-10-22, December 13, 2021, 02:57:36 PM

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Catch-10-22

After powering through a truncated 2020 due to COVID cancellations, Maryland Appleseed set some ambitious goals in 2021 and significantly exceeded nearly all of them.

- Nearly DOUBLE the number of clinics we had in 2020. We conducted 29 events in Maryland in 2021, up from 16 in 2020! When you add in shoots in adjacent states (West Virginia and Southern PA on the MD border) we track year-over-year, there were 35 shoots in 2021. 29 events in Maryland is our highest number ever, exceeding the 28 clinics in 2016, 27 in 2018, and 25 in 2015. Crazy numbers - and that included an unexpected cancellation of our last shoot as well as a couple others. We already have 33 Maryland events on the calendar and counting - but with higher student capacities for each one.

- Maintain a strong sell-out rate. While 2020 was one of our highest sell-out rates, we actually EXCEEDED that rate in 2021. 76% of our Maryland clinics in 2021 were sold out or nearly so (within one or two shooters) and over 60% were fully sold-out, normally weeks or months ahead of the events. While reduced capacity at each event for social distancing played a role, we had 73% more capacity in 2021 and an 81% increase in students. With capacity jumping significantly in 2022 (more than double 2020) we have our work cut out for us to maintain that rate.

- Maximize host range utilization and membership flow-through. Ranges are sacrificing member time to host clinics and we want our events to be worth it - full lines, happy participants, and more members at those clubs. Nearly all of our ranges exceeded their utilization rate from last year, many by 25% or more, and the others at least matched great numbers from last year. Overall we were at 83% utilization for Maryland ranges, and our two that held the vast majority of our events (AAFG and AGC accounted for 22 of 29 clinics) were each at 87%. This beat our extraordinarily high 78% from 2020, which was inflated by the number of cancellations.

- Build our instructor cadre and attract folks back who may have stepped away due to COVID and life.
We had 29 active instructors in 2021, up from 20 in 2020 and 14 in 2019, getting us back to our average of 30 active instructors from 2014-18 - we really appreciate the "border raider" instructors from Virginia, Pennsylvania, Tennesee, and Wyoming! Our number of "engaged instructors" (those that worked 3 or more shoots) was up to 11 from 7 the prior two years. We had SEVEN folks step up to take Orange Hats (we only had 9 total for the 3 years prior), a new Shoot Boss promoted (Agent 711, who has worked his butt off this year), and a newly promoted Red Hat (kniwolf). This was the first year since 2018 where we reduced our average students per instructor at events and we really appreciate folks stepping up to work! Even with the influx of instructors, our ratio of students to active and engaged instructors got a bit worse and we have even more student capacity next year. We have THREE critical tasks in 2022: keep our new IITs engaged and converted to Red Hats, recruit at least 3 new IITs to keep the pipeline fresh, and promote an additional Shoot Boss. The first task should be helped by an IBC in Virginia in January that a good number of our IITs and instructors will attend. If we can continue to pick up IITs and promote Red and Green Hats, we can make the Maryland program even more sustainable and enjoyable for instructors.

- Maintain our Rifleman rate. I thought this would be hard with all the sell-outs and new shooters on the line, but we actually exceeded our Rifleman ratio from 2020 by 4% (30% of shooters earning Rifleman) while maintaining an above average Distinguished rate (12% of Rifleman). This is really a tribute to our dedicated instructors on the line, who have helped coach shooters, in some cases, to Rifleman at their first events and greater feats at subsequent clinics. We have also tried to maintain, through our 7th stepping, a drumbeat of practice tips and instructional materials to help students prepare for events the right way.

- Add new repeat group customers. We were able to host Boy Scouts and the Ft. Meade Youth Group again this year and had an official "MilSeed" this year with the National Guard, with more planned next year. Hoping to add Well Armed Women and a few other groups to fill the lines and sell out some shoots.

- Add new ranges. We were able to add two ranges in 2021: York-Adams in Southern PA (in conjunction with the PA crew) and the Gunpowder Military Reservation (a Maryland National Guard training range near Baltimore). We were hoping to restart at Berwyn in Bowie (last shoot there in 2020) but were thwarted by continuing COVID rules - we will continue to push in 2022.

- At least 2 Rimfire KD events. We only had one in 2021 (same as 2020) but have asked for two dates in 2022 (spring and fall clinics). We had three students earn their Rimfire KD rockers and 3 or 4 more that were oh-so-close!

- Add a Appleseed Pistol Clinic event. We were able to achieve this goal in 2021. We qualified the first four Pistoleerâ„¢s within the state (all 3 of our other Pistoleerâ„¢s earned their patches in VA or PA). Unfortunately our second (sold out) pistol clinic was cancelled a couple weeks ahead of time due to emergency range repairs. We have FOUR tentatively on the calendar for 2022 and a ton of pent up demand. We may try to schedule a make-up date for the cancelled event and a "club members only" weekday shoot as well. We also hope to have 2-3 instructors attend a Charter Pistol Instructor IBC in VA early next year.

- LibertySeeds! We still did not do one in 2021 - it was obviously a busy year with clinics but we can do better.

Outside those goals, we had some other notable accomplishments in 2021:

- "Introduction to Appleseed" Half-Day Clinics: We had our first 5 events in the state this year, learning quite a bit about how to run them effectively and efficiently.

- Border Raiding: MD instructors working events in Pennsylvania and Virginia to help get new ranges started and build pistol instruction experience with those crews

- Seventh Stepping: While this was not a quantitative goal for 2021, we continue to try to create compelling marketing content to encourage shooters to attend and extend their skills:

     - Maryland Immortal 400 Patch: We launched a new State Patch to succeed the Maryland Front Sight Patch: https://www.mdshooters.com/showpost.php?p=6348196&postcount=65

     - 10/22 Takedown Backpacker Review at Appleseed: https://www.mdshooters.com/showthread.php?t=252914

     - 200-Yard Rimfire Appleseed Liberty Training Rifle Challenge!: https://www.mdshooters.com/showpost.php?p=6471110&postcount=1

     - Appleseed Research 2021: Catch-10-22 supported the capture and analysis of video content, articles, and testimonials from the web

I can't thank our instructors and volunteers who stepped up to make all of this happen. However, 2022 will be an even bigger step up in events, ranges, and students planned. We could use more help bailing the ship. If you feel stalled in your progression or would like to rejoin the instructor cadre after some time away, WE NEED YOU! We will do what it takes to get you back in the groove.

Special thanks to State Coordinator BeSwift for your great leadership and stewardship of the Maryland program through the past two difficult years. You make us all proud to be a part of it!

If anyone is interested in our public facing summary, a version is here: https://www.mdshooters.com/showpost.php?p=6505697&postcount=105

BeSwift

Thank you for taking the time to put this all together... Professional job to be sure....  :bow: :bow: :bow: O0 O0 O0 O0 B
"The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well"
Ralph Waldo Emerson


Happiness =  Reality - Expectations

Sheepdog87

I haven't seen the rimfire KD events populate on the schedule yet. Any update on these events?
--ARW
Morgan's Shingle and Redcoats Cleared 07 MAR 2020
Rifleman 07 MAR 2020
Distinguished Optics 08 MAR 2020
Winterseed 23 JAN 2021

Whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.
-1 Corinthians 10:31

Catch-10-22

We have requested dates at DSA for RKD and one-day pistol events, but we are still awaiting approval. If you want to hold some dates, here is what we requested (understanding that we will do one spring and one fall RKD out of these and they may change or not be approved):

14 May
11 Jun
15 Oct
29 Oct

We are also still waiting on the approved dates for other ranges - they will likely vote on them in January or February.

V-Ring Circus

"- At least 2 Rimfire KD events. We only had one in 2021 (same as 2020) but have asked for two dates in 2022 (spring and fall clinics). We had three students earn their Rimfire KD rockers and 3 or 4 more that were oh-so-close!"


Y'all have a .22 KD rocker in MD?
"Superiority is no longer to be sought in the weapon, but in the hand that wields it" -Helmuth von Moltke

Catch-10-22

The Appleseed program has a specific Rimfire KD rocker now

V-Ring Circus

"Superiority is no longer to be sought in the weapon, but in the hand that wields it" -Helmuth von Moltke