Stinson, WV Oct 17-18th AS

[Mountaineer]

All right, y'all.  So we're descending upon Stinson WV again this month for an October Appleseed.  I'm pretty excited, and can't wait to see you guys there.  I see there are only a couple registered students, but I hope those instructors who were at the last one will consider coming to this one too.

I'm trying to drag a few people along with me, and I'll be flier-ing for it as well.  I'm going to work up a *.pdf flier for it this weekend, which I'll email or attach to this message if y'all want to take them to your local gun stores, flea markets, etc.

More coming soon....

Keep you powder dry.

In Liberty,
--- Mountaineer.  (Kevin)

[The Machine]

Sounds good Kevin! 

I don't know if you're aware of it, but we already have some .pdf fliers ready for download at the bottom of this page: http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=5461.0

I appreciate you stepping up to actively participate in the WV AS program. 

[Spanner]

I'm trying to drag a few people along with me...

Good man! 

I'm going out to the public range (Pedlar WMA) today to check it out.  Thanks for telling me about it. 

Keep in mind we could do something like a mini-appleseed up in our neck of the woods (somewhere/sometime TBD)... school holidays even. 

[Mountaineer]

I'd be all for that.  I could make and print out some fliers, and we could do a free, mini-Appleseed, and then ask them if they enjoyed the one- or two-hour class to sign up for a shoot in Stinson.  Sound like a plan?

---KP

[wvmmfalcon]

Had a good time last month and am looking forward to this month's. I am considering going to Slippery Rock PA this weekend. Do I need to contact the state coordinator for that state or can I go through the Machine. If I can go to one before the 17-18th then I may be going into the IBC as an IIT2. What do you say Machine(about PA SC) I could come down to help on the cabin this weekend instead of PA.  KYPD

[The Machine]

Had a good time last month and am looking forward to this month's. I am considering going to Slippery Rock PA this weekend. Do I need to contact the state coordinator for that state or can I go through the Machine. If I can go to one before the 17-18th then I may be going into the IBC as an IIT2. What do you say Machine(about PA SC) I could come down to help on the cabin this weekend instead of PA.  KYPD

I'm not going to make your mind up for you!    I could definitely use some help on the cabin though. 

[slim]

wvmmfalcon, if you're going to head to Slippery Rock, shoot Dinky Dao a PM. She's going to be SB up that way. Last I heard she only had a few hands for help and would probably welcome any help she could get.

Then again, I'm heading to Stinson next month and any help on the cabin will not only be appreciated by The Machine, but me as well!

See you guys soon.

[Spanner]

wvmmfalcon: I say, go to Slippery Rock!  The choice is obvious.  Expand your horizons!  Move up the ladder!  And say howdy to Cowdog for me. 

Mountaineer:  I checked out the ranges at Pedlar WMA and Pleasant Creek WMA (a straight shot down 119, about 6 miles below Grafton, 8 benches in two covers, and 200m distance).  They both have their "charms".

Slim:  I'm trying to drum up some interest in a WV IIT field trip to Athens Nov 1.  Would we be welcome?

[The Machine]

Some good ideas bouncing around on this thread that will certainly help expand and improve the AS program in WV. 

Getting back to the original thread topic "Stinson, WV Oct 17-18th AS", we only have 4 people registered for this upcoming shoot. I would like to see some attention focused on that factor, if you all don't mind. We could really expand our horizons by getting better turnouts at the ASs that are already on the schedule. The more students that come to our events, the more opportunities to grow our instructor ranks and get more volunteers out there spreading the word. 

It's great that Slim is coming to SB next month, but if there's no students to instruct, what's the point? We have a big goose-egg for both Nov and Dec. Slim's a real nice fella and a hardcore AS volunteer as well, but he won't make the trek to WV if we only have a couple of people registered for the last two ASs of this year.

I'm glad to see that some of you have taken a keen interest in the instruction side of the program; this is an essential component. Just as important are the areas of establishing new locations--looking good at the moment--and promotional efforts. The promotion leg of our "three-legged stool" is something that needs to be really firmed-up if the program is to expand in WV. If we continue to have low turnouts at our events, the whole WV program suffers because of this.

Those new IITs in WV will be able to get a boost up the instructor ranks by attending our IBC. You could go in as a IIT and come out as an IIT3. That translates to a Red Hat by the end of '09, if motivated. I would ask myself the question, "Could my time be better spent right now trying promote and increase attendance in WV, or would it be more valuable to attend out-of-state events?" Perhaps a person is very capable of doing both, but I don't see it in our online registration numbers.

We don't force anyone to do anything in AS, obviously. As a SC, I have to look at all the angles and pass along what I perceive would be in the best interest of our WV program. I can tell all of you, that getting our attendance numbers up is of paramount importance right now. This ties into the big "Master Plan" of holding an AS in every county within WV, and having at least 5% of our state population attend an event--by 2012. There you have it...a goal! Who's up for it?