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Show j, v r r ' t - . . ' , VV- s srrv , ... . . . .: ji I - f t II s j ' I , . "' New 4-H Shooting Sports i Program Needs Volunteers By MARK D. MICKELSEN FARMINGTON The only thing missing from the new 4-H shooting sports program prog-ram in Davis County are adult volunteers willing to teach youngsters about gun safety. ENTHUSIASM ON the part of the children is certainly not lacking, according to 4-H officer, offic-er, Norma Dalton, who with the hhelp of Lloyd Smith, county 4-H agent, started the program several weeks ago. Mrs. Dalton said children have been flocking to her meetings and group sessions. "I can't believe the response," she said. "We are saturated with kids." The whole purpose of the program is to teach children "how to handle firearms and make them safe," Mrs. Dalton emphasized. For those more advanced, the course offers sections in marksmanship too, but only after the students have proven their skills in handling the guns. MRS. DALTON is working on a teaching manual for the classes and says she uses the written material in her own courses, hoping that everything every-thing will tie together in the end. Mrs. Dalton and Mr. Smith were chosen by the Utah State University Extension Exten-sion Service and the 4-H organization orga-nization to prepare the program prog-ram as a pilot course to be used by other counties in the coming com-ing years. The only problem, now, Mrs. Dalton emphasized, is the fact that many more adult volunteers are needed to learn the course material and teach it to the kids. "I'm trying to do the writing and instruct kids at the same time," she said, mentioning men-tioning that the task is not impossible, im-possible, but that a couple more people helping could offset the workload. "I WOULD like to get volunteer leaders," she said, because with the literature now available, "anyone can study and follow the readings and teach a good course." Mrs. Dalton's own groups consist con-sist of seven or eight children ages 10 to 17. She also said many times the children meet in one of their homes or in a nearby park for the lecture sessions, and added that most of them are glad to help out. SINCE MUCH of the course involves classroom-type work, Mrs. Dalton said it would be nice to have other people helping out. Unfortunately, Unfortun-ately, the adult support to make a long-range commitment commit-ment is lacking. "I haven't been able to lure anyone in for leader training," Mrs. Dalton noted. The whole idea behind 4-H she said, "is to make good citizens, hlep the kids develop some kind of new skill, and develop de-velop their leadership capabilities." capabili-ties." Mrs. Dalton noted that many national companies donate don-ate awards to the 4-H departments depart-ments "because they like what 4-H is doung for the kids." IN THE shooting sports program, Browning Arms Co., Remington and the Federal Cartridge Co. have all donated various items like .22 caliber rifles and ammunition to the project. The National Rifle Association, Associa-tion, whose hunter safety program prompted State Extension Ex-tension people to ask for a similar course for children, has hired a full-time man to work with the 4-H on a national basis. Mrs. Dalton said that since the NRA hunter safety courses were started several years ago the number of hunt ing-related shootings has dropped drop-ped tremendously. SHE ALSO said there are a number of local and national organizations to thank for their coopefation in furnishing information in-formation for the new safety and handling manual. The NRA, the National Shooting Sport Foundation, the Texas 4-H Shooting Sports Program, and Lee Robertsen, Utah State Division of Wildlife Resources, Re-sources, all have donated time to the pilot project for Utah. Mr. Robertsen was originally original-ly responsible for setting up the Utah Hunter Safety Program, Prog-ram, which Mrs. Dalton mentioned men-tioned received so much attention atten-tion nationally, that the course eventually caught on all over the United States and is used frequently now. THERE HAVE been no problems with the children and teenagers involved in the prog ram, Mrs. Dalton said. Occasionally Occa-sionally one of the older boys believes "he knows it all, but when some new information is given out, they are fascinated by it," she noted. Mrs. Dalton mentioned that some of the more recent shooter shoo-ter safety courses for children do not emphasize gun handling enough. One such class, she said, offers a series of lectures afterwhich the kids go out to the shooting range and shoot, not several times, but for one day. ' "THE PROGRAM is excellent, excel-lent, but kids should handle the firearms. Handling technique is very important because firearms are so awkward." In the Davis County program, prog-ram, the participants pass the guns around a table, "constantly "con-stantly aware of where the muzzle is," she said. When they are ready to fire the guns, having completed the necessary neces-sary safety lectures, the chil dren go to a local f i Here, according to ! ton, they can st - ammunition undert! sion of a range mac SHE ALSO sak problem facing the now is the fact thai not enough firing rr. area to accommodan cipants. One range in La rently under fire f-citizens, f-citizens, offered Mi $1 per person fee It: vices, but she denn MRS. DALTO children form carpo r their shooting at ant near Morgan. Anyone wishing: , 4-H shooter safety f volunteer for the program should cot ma Dalton or Lloy; the Davis County : ' Service, 867-221 1, e 409. ! |