Still time to join the WOMA members at mini-retreat in Sparta for Appleseed Project weekend

The WOMA member Gretchen Mueller Steele coordinated a last-minute mini-retreat and invites the WOMA members to join her at the World Shooting and Recreational Complex in Sparta, Ill., from Aug. 21-22, 2010, for an Appleseed Project experience. See http://appleseedinfo.org/smf/index.php?topic=14215.0

The Appleseed Program is designed to take you from being a simple rifle owner to being a true rifleman. An American tradition, the rifleman has been defined as a marksman capable of hitting a man-sized target from 500 yards away – no ifs, ands or buts about it. This 500-yard range is traditionally known as “the rifleman’s quarter-mile.” A rifleman can hit just about any target he can see within that radius. Marksmanship skill (albeit with smoothbore muskets) was particularly evident in the birth of our country, and was the difference in winning the Revolutionary War, right from the first day. At least four members have already signed up to take the weekend class, and intend to follow up with a week-long, advanced Boot Camp at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missouri in October.

Women are admitted free for the weekend, as the program is trying to train more women to be riflemen.

Here’s Gretchen’s agenda for the weekend:

Friday 8/20
Arrive and check in
4:00 PM Tour of the World Shooting and Recreational Complex with CEO Tony Mayfield
Following the tour we will travel  ( 8 miles) to Coulterville for dinner at Pistol City. A few local outdoor media folks will join us there as well as a rep from the City of Coulterville and the Coulterville Chamber of Commerce

Saturday 8/21
Appleseed Event 8-4 (need to be there somewhat before 0800 to register etc)
Dinner at 17th Street at the WSRC; again joined by some of the area outdoor media and industry folks

Sunday 8/22

More sweating with oldies – on the line at the Apple Seed event
Sunday evening meal we can decide  based on what we decide on lodging.

Monday 8/23
For those wishing to stay over for Monday – Bank fishing will be available at the Hunt CLub should we elect to stay there. I am also happy to give folks a tour of the area and the various outdoor opportunities, historic sites. Unfortunately my boat will only hold two ( it’s not much more than a floating laundry basket) – so our fishing would be bank fishing or bank bowfishing/slingshot fishing for those who would want to learn. We have good bank fishing at several sites close to both Sparta and Percy. Baldwin Lake and Peabody Fish and Wild Life area are both excellent pieces of public land with good fishing opportunities.

An IL fishing license is required for bowfishing.

Let me know what you ladies decide about lodging. That’s always difficult in this area – there is lodging, but our rates seem a bit high – mostly due the huge influx of people associated with the Prairie Sate Energy Campus project.

If you’d like to attend, get in touch with Gretchen Steele:

Gretchen Mueller Steele
Steele Photo Services
1314 South Main
Coulterville, IL 62237
steelephoto@gmail.com
www.steelephotoservices.com
618-201-4180

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