Vermont Travelers

[jimbtv]

I'm trying to put together a list of Vermont Appleseed members that travel the state for a living. Maybe we have a salesperson or two, or maybe some delivery drivers or service personnel. I too travel for a living and I am stopping in the various gun shops along the way to drop off promotional materials, and maybe spend a few minutes discussing the Appleseed project.

I'd like to develop a campaign to get Appleseed into the minds of people throughout the state and since we associate ourselves with rifles and marksmenship, I think the gun shops would be a good place to start. If you happen to be member of a shooting range I'd like you to start creating an Appleseed buzz there too by passing out some information and talking up your experiences.

At the same time I will approach the Vermont Federation of Sportsmen's Clubs and see if we can create a presence with them and their members. This would be a top-down approach while the gun shops would be from the bottom up. Over time I would hope that a continued stimulation of the Appleseed presence will help to create some regular interest in our program.

I will also try to stay on top of club newsletters and websites where I hope to get the Appleseed program into their publications.

Thinking outside the box for a minute, it would be easy to say that since your butt is planted in a chair from 9 to 5, you would be out of contention. Nice try, but it's not quite that easy. I'll bet you know someone that travels for a living who might be able to help in some small way. Give me 10 minutes of phone time with them and I'll provide them with all the talking points and handouts they need.

I'm not talking a full-time job promoting Appleseed. Ten minutes a couple time a week will likely do the trick. Remember that we are running a marathon here, not a sprint. I'm just looking for regular, repeat contact with our compadres, maybe once or twice a month. That's what I'm trying to accomplish right now in my travels and I would like some help covering the state.

Goals? O.K... here are the goals. Let's make Vermont, the most progressive state in the Union, the state with the most Riflemen per capita. Think of the irony! A total of 650,000 people doesn't give us the largest pool of candidates but it also makes the pool easier to canvas.

I would appreciate your thoughs and suggestions.