There is still hope for this country.
Wow, what a weekend!
I was honored to be invited by a fellow member at my gun club to be an instructor at an annual Kansas Hunter Safety clinic. This is a large, 2 day event with 30 some years of history. When I say large, it has a cap of 200 students. As of Friday when we were setting up, there were 221 enrolled. Actual attendance was 170+. My part was Firearms History and Muzzleloaders. I called in favors for help. A long time friend and our youngest son have assisted me for 8 years at the muzzleloader station at the YHEC event at our club, so we have all done a bit of this. Between the 3 of us, there is 100 years of muzzleloader shooting experience, a sobering thought that tells me I'm getting old, lol.
11 groups passed through each station over the course of 2 days for an hour per station. Being new, I wondered, can we do this? Many of the other instructors are fellow gun club members who gave us the confidence to forge ahead.
The time flew past. Young, old, individuals, families, dad and son, mom and daughter, any possible combination. While grading tests and handing out cards at the end, I remember seeing a birth date of 2008. What, that can't possibly be right. Quick mental math said that student was 12. Boy, did that give me reason to pause. To give you an idea of the age range of folks who took the course, the very next card had a birth date of 1952.
Never to old to learn, right?
If you have an opportunity to attend, observe, or participate, do so.
If you get invited to help, do so.
If you are asked to be an instructor, for the sake of the future, please say yes.
PS- My friend Larry said he was reviewing some of the surveys the students filled out. While it was no surprise the majority said the rifle range, where they got to actually shoot, was #1, at least 2 had Firearms History and Muzzleloader listed as their favorite station.
That, folks, made it all worthwhile.
Wow, what a weekend!
I was honored to be invited by a fellow member at my gun club to be an instructor at an annual Kansas Hunter Safety clinic. This is a large, 2 day event with 30 some years of history. When I say large, it has a cap of 200 students. As of Friday when we were setting up, there were 221 enrolled. Actual attendance was 170+. My part was Firearms History and Muzzleloaders. I called in favors for help. A long time friend and our youngest son have assisted me for 8 years at the muzzleloader station at the YHEC event at our club, so we have all done a bit of this. Between the 3 of us, there is 100 years of muzzleloader shooting experience, a sobering thought that tells me I'm getting old, lol.
11 groups passed through each station over the course of 2 days for an hour per station. Being new, I wondered, can we do this? Many of the other instructors are fellow gun club members who gave us the confidence to forge ahead.
The time flew past. Young, old, individuals, families, dad and son, mom and daughter, any possible combination. While grading tests and handing out cards at the end, I remember seeing a birth date of 2008. What, that can't possibly be right. Quick mental math said that student was 12. Boy, did that give me reason to pause. To give you an idea of the age range of folks who took the course, the very next card had a birth date of 1952.
Never to old to learn, right?
If you have an opportunity to attend, observe, or participate, do so.
If you get invited to help, do so.
If you are asked to be an instructor, for the sake of the future, please say yes.
PS- My friend Larry said he was reviewing some of the surveys the students filled out. While it was no surprise the majority said the rifle range, where they got to actually shoot, was #1, at least 2 had Firearms History and Muzzleloader listed as their favorite station.
That, folks, made it all worthwhile.
