Vol. 1, No. 2

National 4-H Shooting Sports

NEWS

April 20, 2002

This is the second issue of the Nationa14-H Shooting Sports Newsletter for State 4-H Shooting Sports Contacts. We hope that this Newsletter will provide up to date and timely information that will help you to be better informed about the program. We invite your ideas and suggestions for the newsletter, and encourage you to submit articles of interest concerning the program.

Ken Sabo, Guest Editor

1

4-H and NRA – A Winning Combination

By David Kulivan

The National Rifle Association of America has a long history of working closely with numerous youth organizations. NRA's support includes material and staff assistance for projects, programs, and activities provided through the Education & Training Division as well as financial backing from the NRA Foundation, Inc. NRA is there to provide the tools, resources, and knowledge that these organizations need to facilitate success in their programs and ensure their solvency in-the future.

Perhaps no other organization has benefited from this partnership more than 4-H. NRA's dedicated staff have assisted with training 4-H leaders from across the country in the knowledge and skills they need to effectively instruct youth in preparation for 4-H Shooting Sports, including the new Reloading curriculum. Members of 4-H groups also enjoy a 4- H/NRA Postal Match program in Sporting Clays, 3-Position Smallbore Rifle, Air Rifle and .22 pistol. To learn more about this program, contact Dian Coleman in NRA's Competitive Shooting Division at (703) 267-1482.

Safety, education, and training are of particular importance to the NRA. We recognize that 4-H serves as an important conduit in developing these essential life skills in young people. NRA is very proud of this partnership and the valuable role it plays in promoting firearm safety, education, and the shooting sports.

NRA has also been instrumental in helping fund the activities of 4-H. Through the NRA Foundation, Inc. we have provided over $2 million in support of 4-H educational programs and continue to contribute more money to local 4-H groups than any other organization. For the year 2001 alone, 4.H was awarded more than $600,000 in grants through the NRA Foundation, Inc. If you would like to learn more about NRA's work with 4-H or how you can apply for an NRA Foundation, Inc. Grant, call NRA Youth Programs Department at 703-267- 1550.

NRA has been the largest single financial contributor to 4-H Shooting Sports and we anticipate more productive years of cooperative efforts between our organizations. At both the national and local level. the NRA and 4-H are a winning combination.

SCHOLASTIC CLAY TARGET PROGRAM

by Jim Smith

The exciting and fast-paced shotgun sports are steeped in tradition and history. The first mention of trapshooting as a sport is found in a circa 1793 English publication titled "Sporting Magazine," but the sport predates this and is probably as old as shooting itself. As shooting developed, so did the interest in sport shooting, with targets mimicking the action of a freshly flushed pheasant or a -darting, diving dove. This search for an exciting pastime led to the development of three popular sports, trap, skeet, and sporting clays.

In America, the oldest organized shotgun sport is trap, which is governed by the Amateur Trapshooting Association (ATA). Trap offers competitors the thrill of a five-position, multi-yardage event. Trap shooters celebrate their national championships at the Grand American World Trapshooting Championships each August, a 10-day event that attracts some 6,000 men, women and youth each year. "The Grand" is the largest and most renowned shooting tournament in the nation.

Skeet was developed in the 1920's in Andover, Massachusetts, by a small group of upland game hunters as a means of practicing their wing shooting. This eight-station, two-launching house event offers shooters the chance to shoot up to four different gauge shotguns. The National Skeet Shooting Association (NSSA) oversees the sport and activities at more than 1,000 affiliated shooting facilities.

Introduced in the United States in the early 1980's, Sporting Clays is commonly referred to as "golf with a shotgun." Targets simulate the flight of different game species such as teal, dove, quail, pheasant and bouncing rabbit, and competitors walk from shooting station to shooting station. The governing body of Sporting Clays is the National Sporting Clays Association (NSCA), which has almost 15,000 members nationwide.

All three are challenging, exciting sports for all ages and can be shot on an equal basis by participants of any stature, as well as the physically challenged.

To build upon this great shooting sports tradition, the Board of Directors of the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) has established the Scholastic Clay Target Program (SCTP). Joining NSSF in this nationwide effort is the ATA, NSSA and the NSCA and their affiliated state associations, as well as state wildlife and natural resources agencies from across the country.

The Scholastic Clay Target Program offers middle school, junior high and high school-age youth an opportunity to enjoy the excitement of breaking clay targets with a shotgun in a safe and positive environment. The program has three primary goals:

  • Firearm Safety- The safe handling and use of firearms is a major program focus. Basic knowledge of safety and proper handling and storage is stressed.
  • Character Development-Team sports have long been known to mold youth into solid citizens. This program stresses the importance of commitment, responsibility, leadership, teamwork, self-confidence and self-discipline to both individual and team success.
  • Lifetime Sport- The Scholastic Clay Target Program offers a level playing field for all ages and both genders. There are rewards for those who seek competition as well as for those who prefer the recreation and social aspects.

The Scholastic Clay Target Program-A Benefit To All

The Scholastic Clay Target Program provides middle, junior high and high school-age youth with the opportunity to participate in a supervised shooting sports program that emphasizes safety and skill development in clay target shooting. The program focuses on teaching sound shooting fundamentals and instilling a safe and responsible attitude towards firearms.

How The Program Works-

Teams:

  • All SCTP participants must be members of a team. A team consists of five or more members and a minimum of one adult coach. The team approach promotes a positive way for youth to work together to reach a common goal.
  • Participants may enter and compete from clubs, schools, churches, youth
  • organizations, or may form a team of at least five interested local individuals.
  • All middle, junior high and senior high school students in grades 6-12 that have not reached the age of 20 are eligible.
  • Team goals are placed above individual achievements.
  • Teams enter one of two SCTP divisions: The Junior Division for 6th, 7th and 8th grades, or the Senior Division for 9th through 12th grades in trap, skeet or sporting clays.
  • All team members must be registered with the Scholastic Clay Target Program. Once a youth is registered with a team, the participant must shoot for that team only during the current SCTP target year.
  • Teams will be classified in one of two categories within each division, Novice or Experienced. An individual, who has never shot registered targets in the discipline for which he or she is entered, will be classified as a Novice. Participants, who have previously shot registered targets in the discipline for which he or she is entered, will be classified as Experienced. Squads of five shooters entered in SCTP competitions having not more than one member classified as Experienced may shoot in the Novice Team Category. Squads with two or more members classified in the Experienced Category must shoot in the Experienced Team Category. The purpose for these categories is to allow teams with similar skill and experience levels to compete with one another on a more equal footing.
  • There can be no "blending" of team members or choosing "all-star" teams at the state or national championships.
  • Organizations may sponsor as many teams as they wish.
  • Coaches:
  • Coaches from sponsoring clubs organize and promote the team concept by stressing safety and good sportsmanship.
  • The NSSF conducts periodic coaching clinics across the country to enhance the skills and abilities of SCTP coaches.
  • State & National Events:
  • All SCTP State Championship and National SCTP Championship events are 200-target matches. In Trap, the event is a 16-yard singles competition governed by ATA rules. In Skeet, the event is a 200-target competition governed by NSSA rules. However, in Sporting Clays there may be an exception due to the amount of time required to complete the course of fire. The State Championship can range from 100 - 200-target events on a walk-through sporting clays course, a 5 stand course or a combination of the two. The National Championship will be a 200-target match, split between a walk-through and 5 stand course.
  • State-level competition will be conducted by the state's Trap, Skeet or Sporting Clays association which will run the State SCTP Championship during its annual state shoot or with approval by SCTP officials at a shoot specifically designated for the SCTP State Championship in each discipline.
  • Team members at their State SCTP Championship do not have to shoot on the same squad. However, it is recommended that teams stay together to enhance to teamwork concept they have developed during the shooting season. Team members must shoot together as a five-person squad at the SCTP Championships.
  • Additionally, local and regional SCTP competitions will be encouraged in order to provide all participants with the opportunity to hone their shotgun shooting skill in a competitive environment.
  • Junior and Senior division teams that win their state SCTP competition in Trap will be invited to attend the Grand American National World Trapshooting Championship to represent their state in that SCTP National Championship. State Skeet and Sporting Clays teams that win their state SCTP events in those disciplines will be invited to the Scholastic Clay Target Skeet & Sporting Clays National Championship. Winning state teams, in the Experienced Category, will be awarded travel scholarships by the NSSF to help offset the cost of attending the National Championships.
  • Club Support From NSSF:
  • The National Shooting Sports Foundation and its supporters make available a limited number of Program Support Packages to clubs sponsoring SCTP teams. Each package may include hearing and eye protection, shell pouches, ammunition and clay targets. These Program Support Packages are provided to clubs expressly for the purpose of introducing new shooters to the shotgun sports.
  • For current Support Package information go to the SCTP Web site at
  • All registered SCTP competitors will also receive a specially designed "Field of Dreams" T-shirt and SCTP cap.
  • Clubs sponsoring SCTP teams will have the opportunity to participate the nationally recognized STEP OUTSIDE program, one of the shooting sports industry's premier recruitment programs. For more information about STEP OUTSIDE go to

REALIZE YOUR "FIELD OF DREAMS"

Access your "Field Of Dreams" by going to the NSSF home Web page at and clicking on the SCTP icon. There you will be able to access additional information about the Scholastic Clay Target Program, register your team on line and download the Parental Consent Forms for the program.

You may also write, phone, fax or e-mail for an information packet that includes everything necessary to register a team. Contact:

Scholastic Clay Target Program

National Shooting Sports Foundation

11 Mile Hill Road

Newtown, CT 06470-2359

Phone: 203-426-1320

Fax: 203-426-1245

E-mail:

Welcome to a new shooting sports opportunity that provides the beginning to a lifetime of enjoyment in the clay target sports.

FIELD & STREAM ANNOUNCES SECOND ANNUAL YOUNG WRITERS CONTEST

Complete 2002 Contest Details in the April Issue

New York, NY, March 15,2002 - Field Stream's Second Annual Young Writers Contest will be announced with the April issue. The essay competition, which is open to young men and women between 13 and 18 years of age, is designed to help young writers practice their craft and explore the larger role of the outdoor sports, this time through the subject: "My best day in the woods or on the water." The magazine's editors will select the winning essay, and the winner will have his or her essay published in a future issue of Field Stream and receive $1,000.

"The response to last year's contest was inspiring," said Slaton White, Editor of Field Stream. "We are not only encouraging the tradition of great outdoor writing, but also providing a forum for the next generation of hunters and anglers to express their passion for the outdoors."

The Field Stream Young Writers Contest is open to U.S. residents between the ages of 13 and 18 years of age, with entrants not older than 18 on September 1,2002. No purchase is necessary to enter. Field Stream's editors will select the winning essay within 90 days after the contest ends and will be evaluated equally on creativity, ' presentation, and marketability. The winning essay will be published in a future issue of Field Stream (to be determined by Field Stream) and the writer of that essay will receive $1,000.

All entries must be typed, double-spaced, on 8.5 x 11 -inch paper, using only one side of the paper, and must include the writer's name, address, telephone number, and proof of age (copy of birth certificate, driver's license or passport). One entry accepted per

person. Each entry must be original, non-published work, written in English, and the contest must be appropriate for a national magazine, as determined by the editors of Field Stream.

Entries should be mailed to: Field Stream Young Writers Contest, 2 Park Ave., New York, NY 10016 and must be postmarked by September 1,2002. Employees of AOL Time Warner Inc. and affiliated companies and members of those employees' immediate families are not eligible. Winning constitutes rights (except where prohibited by law) to use the winner's entry, name, hometown and likeness for purposes of advertising and promotion on behalf of Field Stream without further compensation. The winner will

be notified by mail within two weeks of the selection of the winning essay, and must sign and return an affidavit or eligibility and release of liability before the prize can be awarded. Parents or guardians are responsible for completing the affidavit and release for any winner who may be a minor. All taxes are the responsibility of the winner and his or her family. Any claims relating to this contest shall be governed by New York law without regard to its conflict of law, rules, and any such claim must be heard in New York.

To read more about Field Stream and the Young Writers Contest visit the web site at

Field Stream is published by Time4 Media, the world's leading publisher of leisure-time magazines. Time4 is a subsidiary of Time Inc., which is a wholly owned subsidiary of AOL

Time Warner. (NYSE: AOL).

Contact:

Stephan Pechdimaldji

212-779-5527

2002 Certified Instructor & Fund Raising Firearms Program Featuring Traditions Performance Firearms by Clay Games Inc.

By Joel Werner

Instructors Firearms Program

The intent of this program is to put high quality Firearms in the hands of qualified

Instructors at a reasonable price. This program i8 offered only to current IHEA. 4H, FFA, BSA & NRA Certified Instructors. Firearms in this program are limited to ~ of each model per

year per Instructor All orders must be prepaid and include a current copy of the instructors certification and a current FFL of a dealer that will accept the shipment.

Traditions SA210102 AL$ 2100 12 GA 28” Full Size Semi-Auto Shotgun $340.90

Traditions SA210100 ALS 2100 12 GA 24” Youth Model Semi-Auto Shotgun $340.

Traditions SA210200 ALS 2100 20 GA 24” Youth Model Semi-Auto Shotgun $340.90

Traditions AB8101228 ALS 2100 12 GA 28” Extra Barrel $120.90

Traditions SA21110211 ALS 2100 12 GA Hunter Combo 28” VR/24”RS Slug $439.90

Traditions SA21110221 ALS 2100 12 GA Hunter Combo 28” VR/24”Cant. Slug $450.90

Traditions Field Hunter O/U 12 GA 28" Shotgun $560.90

Traditions Field Hunter O/U 20 GA 26” Shotgun $560.90

Traditions S08221280 Sporting Clays II O/U 12 GA 28” Shotgun $798.50

Traditions RS64003410 E-Bolt 50 Cat Redi-Pak M/L Rifle Kit $175.90

Traditions RS3500850 Deerhunter 50 Cal Flintlock Redi-Pak M/L Rifle Kit $160.50

Tradition8 RS35808 Panther 50 Cat Percussion Redi-Pak Rifle Kit $ 142.90

NSSF Scholastic Clay Target Program

This program will allow a registered Scholastic Clay Target program team purchase up to

6 Traditions ALS or Over & Und. shotgun8 per year at the above prices. NSSF team registration must accompany the order.

Banquet Fund Raising Program

This program will allow any 501 C3 fund raising group to purd1ase up to 1 of each of the above Traditions Firearms at the instructors price per. Copy of registered IRS status must accompany the order.

General requirements:

All orders must be prepaid with Check, VISA or Master Card.

Make checks payable to Clay Games Inc.

Send orders to Clay Games Inc. 55 Lane 240 Big Otter Lake. Fremont, IN 46737

Phone 888-465-CLA Y Fax 260-833-6649

Firearms generally ship within 10-14 working days after receipt of order.

All orders are freight prepaid to an FFL in the USA.

All orders must be shipped to an FFL.

The purchaser must meet all State and Federal firearms purchase requirements.

FFL Transfer fees and taxes are the responsibility of the purchaser.