Re: BB-guns & Archery
Douglas Flewelling (dougf@GROUSE.UMESVE.MAINE.EDU)
Mon, 6 Jun 1994 13:54:16 -0500
Our Council Cub Camp has both BB-Gun and Archery instruction. This activity
is conducted on BSA approved ranges under the supervision of qualified
instructors. The program is very popular a major selling point for boys.
I'm no expert, but as a nervous parent the program put the fear of God in
the boys and they treated the BB-guns with respect.
The guns used needed to be cocked before each shot and the routine was, as
I remember, kneel in front of the gun, draw the gun to you by the butt,
raise the gun so the barrel was at an angle in front of you down range,
cock the gun by the lever, lay the gun down, lay down in prone position,
raise and aim the gun with THE FINGER OFF THE TRIGGER, squeeze off your
shot, lay the gun down, and rise to kneeling position. This drill was
counted off by the range director with two assistants plus den leaders. Six
to eight boys fired at a time with 2 or 3 dens at each session.
The archery range was similar with one range director and two assistants
plus den leaders. This gives nearly 1:1 ratios. The boys especially liked
firing arrows at 3D targets (foam deer and other animals). I am certain
that some non-hunters where horrified, but the boys concentrated more on
these targets and got quite good after only 2 or 3 days (camp runs for 5
days).
Both BB and archery instruction was offered to Cubs and Webelos with good
results and no bad results (injuries). It only takes one arrow shot by the
instructor through the neck of a foam deer to convince the boys of the
danger. Both ranges are run with strict discipline. Rough housing or
ignoring the range director gets the range shutdown for the period.
Sorry that you got blindsided Don.
Doug Flewelling
Pack 301, Bangor, ME
___________________
Douglas M. Flewelling
National Center for Geographic Information and Analysis
and
Department of Surveying Engineering
University of Maine
Orono, ME 04469-5711
dougf@grouse.umesve.maine.edu
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