Applying for Membership in the A 4-H Shooting Sports Teams
for the
2002 4-H National Invitational Shooting Match

Invitation to Apply: All bona fide A 4-H Shooting Sports or Field and Stream members meeting the age criteria are invited to apply for membership in the 2002 A 4-H Shooting Sports Teams, who will represent us in the 2002 National Match to be held in Raton, New Mexico, July 22-27, 2002. 

Age Criteria: Applicants must be a minimum of 14 by 1 January 2002, and no older than 18 on 31 August, 2001.

Information for Applicants: Please fill out all sections that pertain to your interests providing requested documentation.   You must provide adequate documentation to help committee members who do not know you understand  your motivation, shooting skills and reasons for wanting to represent A 4-H Shooting Sports in this national event.  Note that you must designate the team or teams for which you wish to apply.  While being selected for one team will not necessarily prevent selection for another team, you may be contacted to select a particular team or teams because of conflicts in scheduling.  Send all your application information at the same time.  We will handle getting packets together when letters of recommendation arrive.  All applications and supporting materials, including at least three letters of reference from coaches, teachers, leaders, or others you may select must be received by the State 4-H Office before  15 December 2001 in order to be considered. 

Selection Process: Since A does not use four member county teams in most of our shooting events (the Roundup Rifle Match is the exception), we have elected to construct teams from interested applicants on the basis of several criteria.  Of course, we must meet national standards in age and membership.  The A 4-H Shooting Sports Committee will use a three step process to select team members and alternates. 

First, all applicants for any given discipline will be reviewed by a sub-committee representing that discipline.  Names will be eliminated from all materials in the copies for review.  Initial screening will be on the basis of character, ability to represent the state positively, and eligibility.  
Second, Scores and breadth of participation will be reviewed.  At this point, each set of applicants will be ranked from first to last. 
Finally, names will be attached to the applications so personal knowledge of the applicants by any committee member can be included in the discussion.  Contacts with the top four individuals will commence immediately with telephone calls from the meeting.

As this is written, the events and disciplines for the 2002 match are not determined, and they will not be decided until approximately December 3 - too late for our process to be initiated.  At a minimum we expect to have compound archery, recurve archery, hunting, muzzleloading rifle, pistol, rifle and shotgun.  Pistol may be divided into two classes - air and smallbore.  Rifle could be divided into a total of four disciplines - sporter air, precision air, sporter smallbore and precision smallbore.  The current proposal by New Mexico would leave only the shotgun venue as it has been in the past two years (with the possible exception of including 100 targets in sporting clays).  In addition, the current proposal invites a different team for every event, not every discipline. If the maximum change takes place, A could need as many as 29 teams or 116 individuals.  I don’t think it will go that far, but, we want to be prepared if it does.  If things are nearly as they were last year, we anticipate both archery teams shooting a half FITA, a 14 target field course and a 30 target 3-D course.  Hunting would include hunter decision making, a hunter skills trail and wildlife ID and management, with the possibility of live firing in one or more events.  Muzzleloaders will shoot the 25 yard NMLRA bottle and Haffner Combination targets, a 50 yard bullseye course, and a 20 target silhouette course (New Mexico has proposed major changes here with a two event program and a 500 yard silhouette course.)   Pistol will include air and smallbore events, with silhouettes as well.  At this point the nature of the silhouette games is undefined.  Rifle shooters will shoot  position, standing and silhouette games, but we do not know which ones.    Shotgun will include skeet, trap and  sporting clays.  Only national competitors will be on the grounds during this event.  Entry fees will be covered by the A 4-H Shooting Sports Program, as will other arrangements for shooters and coaches..

Application for
Membership in A 4-H Shooting Sports Teams
in the
2002 4-H National Shooting Match

Instructions: Please type or print plainly.   Complete this application fully, attaching any documentation you feel necessary.   We will not weigh them, so be as concise as possible without sacrificing quality.   Applications will be considered in  January by  the A 4-H Shooting Sports Advisory Committee.  Prior experience at our state matches or their equivalent in the discipline is required.  Contact the State Office if you have questions.  Note the age qualifications above.

Name                                                                                         Age (31 August 2001) __________    Sex F   /   M

Street                                                                                               County                                                                 

City                                                                                                 Zip                                                                

Area Code                     Home Phone                                           Work Phone                                                        

E-mail Address                                                                            Shirt Size                                                              

I have read, reviewed and I agree to abide by the A 4-H Code of Conduct with respect to participation in a state or national event.  I agree to maintain the highest standards of safety, behavior, courtesy, leadership  and sportsmanship during the match and its accompanying activities.  I further agree to attend all official functions during these events and to use my influence to enhance the quality of the event, thus aiding in the creation of  a positive and memorable experience for all participants.  I understand that failure to adhere to this  agreement or may result in my being removed from the team and replaced by an alternate shooter or in sanctions outlined in the code of conduct.

 Participant                                                                                                               Date                                           

I/We approve of my/our son/daughter participating in the National 4-H Shooting Sports Match.  I/We understand that such participation may involve spending a week in Raton, New Mexico, scheduled meetings with the rest of the team, and other responsibilities beyond the shooting events.  I/We have read, reviewed and approve of the A 4-H Code of Conduct and support my son/daughter/ward in upholding the standards or this match.

 Parent or Guardian                                                                                                Date                                            

 I certify that the above named individual is currently enrolled in the 4-H Program in my county and is an active participant in the 4-H Shooting Sports or Field and Stream Programs.

County Extension Agent                                                                                      Date                                               

Team Membership(s) Desired: (Check as many as desired.  If selected to multiple teams, you may be asked to select the team or teams which you will actually represent.  Membership on one team does not necessarily preclude consideration for another one.)

                 Compound Archery                                            Recurve Archery                                 Hunting

                 Muzzle Loading Rifle                                        Pistol                                                                       Rifle

                 Shotgun                                Note current status and venues of these categories above.

1. Briefly state why you want to represent A in this match.

2. Briefly outline your feelings and approach about representing A, 4-H and shooting to other competitors, coaches, observers and the media.

3. Briefly outline your experience in the disciplines listed both in 4-H and in any other events.  Use additional space if necessary, but try to be concise.  Note that experience outside 4-H is not required.

4. Using shooters’ diaries, final bulletins or other sources, list representative scores in the discipline area fired over the past two years.  List scores X possible scores rather than placings and the level of event being listed (e.g. club, county, district, state, multi-state or national).

5. In your opinion, why should you be selected to represent A 4-H in this National Match?

6.  Please list your leadership experiences in 4-H.

7. Please list leadership experiences in other areas (e.g. church, school, Scouting, other clubs or organizations.

8. Please outline any travel or exchange experiences with other states.

9. Is there anything you would like to add to this application?

10. Please prepare a thoughtful response to the following queries from an assumed media interviewer.  Avoid cliches (“guns don’t kill people, people kill people”) and speak from your heart.  (Use additional space if required) Warning: You may wish to question the premises of the questions as well as any data put forward.  Arguments should be logical, positive, and factual with personal experience and values added as you desire.

10.1.  With firearms abuse one of the leading causes of death among young people in the United States, how can you justify teaching shooting as a sport?  Won’t training young people to shoot increase the potential for  abuse of firearms and archery equipment?

10.2.  According the Centers for Disease Control and the Citizens for Firearms Safety,  familiarity with guns, archery equipment and shooting of all types equips young people to abuse those weapons and predisposes them to violence or suicide.  Further, ready availability of guns is cited as a cause of suicide and violence.  How can you possibly promote participation in such a dangerous  process and introduce kids to weapons when it is a proven national problem?

10.3.  Even the National Rifle Association recognizes that firearms are inherently dangerous.   In that light, shouldn’t shooting activities like these be reserved for specially trained adults under carefully controlled conditions?

10.4. Given that an American firearms manufacturer has provided .50 caliber sniper rifles to Afghanistan and that those rifles are particularly dangerous in the hands of a terrorist, shouldn’t we ban the manufacture and sale of these firearms in the United States?

10.5.  Doesn’t shooting expose kids to many potentially serious environmental conditions, like exposure to lead, hearing damage, potential eye damage, catastrophic equipment failure, and similar harmful events?  How can you justify involving kids as young as 8 or 9 in such potentially hazardous activities?

11. What has participation in the 4-H Shooting Sports Program done for you personally and for your family? 

Send by December 15, 2001

to

Dr. Ronald A. Howard Jr. 
The State 4-H Office
7607 Eastmark Drive, Suite 101
2473 TAMUS
College Station, TX 77843-2473