North Dakota State University -- NDSU Agriculture Communication
7 Morrill Hall, Fargo ND, 58105-5655, Tel: 701-231-7881, Fax: 701-231-7044
agcomm@ndsuext.nodak.edu

December 17, 2003

 

North Dakota 4-H Shooting Sports Certification Workshop Planned

If you want to share your passion for shooting sports with you, the North Dakota 4-H Outdoor Skills/Shooting Sports program needs you. To become a volunteer takes as little as 20 to 40 hours through the year and a weekend once every six years to become a certified leader, according to Al Ulmer, coordinator of the program.

Several two-day workshops will offer volunteer leader certification in each of shooting sports disciples as well as the area of management. In accordance with national guidelines, workshop participants spend 14 hours discussing topics such as the stages of child development, the role of competition, instructional tips and the best practices for teaching kids.

The program includes the shooting disciplines of: Archery, Rifle, Pistol, Shotgun, Black Powder and the Areas of Hunting and Reloading. Each discipline has its own instructional materials developed by the National 4-H Shooting Sports Curriculum.

Dates, locations and disciplines for workshops are:

  • Jan 23-24 -- Certification for pistol, rifle and archery will be held in Fargo at the Metro Rec Center, 3110 Main Ave.
  • Feb 20-21 -- Certification in rifle and archery will be held in Stanley at the Mountrail County Fair Building.
  • April 30 - May 1 -- Certification in rifle, archery, shotgun, pistol, hunting, black powder, and reloading will be held in Washburn at the Western 4-H Camp.
  • May 7-8 -- Certification in shotgun will be held in Casselton at City Hall.
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    Each workshop starts at 6 p.m. on the first day and 8 a.m. on the second. A $45 registration fee is required. For more information on the 4-H Outdoor Skills Shooting Sports program visit http://www.ext.nodak.edu/county/lamoure/SS/Homepage.html or contact your local county extension agent or visit with Al Ulmer N.D. 4-H Shooting Sports Coordinator at (701) 883-5389. He can also be reached by e-mail at aulmer@ndsuext.nodak.edu

    "The Shooting Sports program is very flexible. It can be run as a short-term activity or as a traditional club with regular meetings," Ulmer says. The N.D. Outdoor Skills/Shooting Sports is an educational program that promotes positive youth-adult interaction and peer leadership.

    "The program uses the skills and disciplines of the shooting sports to help young people and their leaders develop not only shooting skills and knowledge, but experience and knowledge of life skills," Ulmer says. "The program helps youth develop character and personal growth by learning standards for safety, sportsmanship, and ethical behavior through safe and responsible use of firearms and archery equipment."

    The program has broad appeal for young people and volunteers from a wide range of urban and rural backgrounds. The North Dakota Outdoor Skills Shooting Sports program is part of the North Dakota State University Extension Service 4-H and youth program. It began in 2001 and has grown to more than 90 volunteer leaders and more than 550 youth participating in 25 counties and two Native American Reservations across the state.

    As with all North Dakota 4-H projects, ND Outdoor Skills/Shooting Sports Program is open to any youth ages eight through 18.

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    Source: Al Ulmer, (701) 883-5389, aulmer@ndsuext.nodak.edu
    Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu