The Everyday Educator

28 March 2012

In This Issue

• Letter from Janice
• Feature: Teach History and Marksmanship the Project Appleseed Way
• Announcements: Handbook for Writers; Memphis, Cincinnati, and Springfield, MO
• Subscription Management (Need to change your e-mail? Here's where!)

Dear Friend,

I can't remember if I shared a wedding photo in the last newsletter, but if I did, please forgive me;-). Getting another sweet daughter is a momentous occasion in the Campbell household, and having my 80-year-old mother (second from left) travel all the way across the country to be there made it extra special for all of us. I hope you enjoy the photo of Bryan and Rae's wedding (Bryan is our 3rd son).

We had a wonderful time at the conference in Greenville, SC, and are looking forward to Memphis and Cincinnati in April. I'll also be at the USA Prepares Expo in Missouri the last weekend in April, so that's one more opportunity to meet more of you. You can find links and details below.

This week, I'd like to share an article about a group called Project Appleseed, which teaches marksmanship and history in context. I met Kirby Foster and the Project Appleseed crew at the February Self-Reliance Expo in Texas. Their booth swarmed with people of all ages learning marksmanship skills, and dozens of children proudly carried away target sheets peppered with small holes.* Appleseed isn't just about marksmanship, though-- they're imparting some very special American history lessons in a delightful and memorable way. 

Finally, the print version of the Handbook for Writers is complete and uploaded to the website. You'll find it here: http://www.everyday-education.com/literature/handbook.shtml You can thank the webmaster for rescuing the website after I scrambled it into unrecognizability by uploading the wrong sidebar. I can't wait for the new design to arrive-- it's going to be much prettier and easier to manage!

Enjoy the week!

Blessings,

Janice Campbell

*The lesson here may be that if you want to do really fun things at a conference, go to one in Texas. In my corner of the convention hall (opposite Appleseed), kids were learning how to start fires with friction and sparks. It was all very safely done in a contained area, and a delightful time was had by all, but imagine trying that in one of the control-freak states!  

Teach Marksmanship and History the Project Appleseed Way

by Kirby Foster

As a parent who homeschooled his youngest child I was involved in teaching our American Heritage to him. What I found in the way of reference material was usually dry, uninteresting, and just plain boring. Why is it that history, especially American History, has to be this way? When history is dry, it dies.

And then I went to my first Project Appleseed marksmanship clinic. I went for the simple reason that I wanted to sharpen my marksmanship skills. While I did read on their website that they also taught a story called the Three Strikes of the Match, I really wasn't very interested in that part of Appleseed.

During the first morning of the two day event we were taught excellent ways of improving our marksmanship. I learned about things I'd never even heard of, such as Natural Point of Aim, how to build a stable shooting platform using a sling, and many other immediately-useful and effective Rifleman's skills. Needless to say I was very impressed, especially since I thought I was already a hot shot shooter. How was it that I was never taught these things during the course of my life?

Then we broke for lunch. As we gathered in a circle under a shade tree one of the instructors stepped forth and began the story of the Three Strikes of the Match. A story about the day the Shot was Heard around the World. April 19, 1775. Lexington and Concord. What a passionate, inspiring, and touching story is was too! Gone was the boredom of American History! This story stirred feelings of just what it is to be an American, the toils and troubles our forefathers went through to give us freedom, and the ultimate price many paid to insure our posterity. As during the marksmanship phase I wondered again “How was it that I was never taught these things during the course of my life?”

Why was I told that Paul Revere rode the countryside calling out “The British are Coming!” We were all British at that time. That would have made as much sense as yelling “The Americans are coming.” Why wasn't I told about the role marksmanship played on that day, the day a bunch of farmers and shopkeepers, civilians all, took on, and vanquished, the strongest, best-trained military in the world?

I would urge you to bring your family and friends out to an Appleseed, to hear about the true story of what happened that day. And also learn a bit about marksmanship. You'll become a better American, and a better marksman, in the process

The events are free for those under 21, women, and active duty military and law enforcement. There is a small registration fee, $10 for women and $5 for kids under 21. Some of the ranges do charge a fee for the use of the property however that is not standard across each location. There are Appleseed events scheduled all across the United States. If you go to the schedule for a particular state and find an event please click on 'Information' in order to obtain the details.

If you are unable to attend an Appleseed the volunteers also have something called a Library Seed. This is where a volunteer will work with homeschool groups to schedule a event to tell the story of the Three Strikes of the Match.

Project Appleseed: A Different Classroom 

The Appleseed Project was founded by the Revolutionary War Veterans Association, which is "committed to renewing civic virtue - prioritizing civic responsibility over personal interests and indulgence. We are wholly comprised of volunteers who commit time, resources and passion toward achieving the RWVA mission. As a 501(c)3 organization, we promote civic responsibility through the teaching of colonial history and the American tradition of rifle marksmanship in a safe, non-partisan environment." 

Announcements 

Upcoming Conferences

The first two conferences are part of the Great Homeschool Convention series, and are packed with amazing speakers and hundreds (no kidding!) of exhibitors of homeschool products. The conference planners, Brennan and Mary Jo Dean, have worked hard to provide homeschoolers of all levels with a conference experience that meets their needs.

You'll find a Worldview Teen Track, a Creation Apologetics Track, and even special tracks for Parenting, Children, and Support Group Leaders. Governor Mike Huckabee will deliver the opening address in Cincinnati, and speakers such as Chuck Colson, John Stonestreet, Andrew Pudewa, Cathy Duffy, and many more will be at both conferences.