On December 6, 2008 the Upper Snake River NRA Instructors completed the training of several new NRA Rifle Instructors.  These instructor candidates first completed the mandatory NRA Basic Instructor Training course given on the two weeknights prior to the weekend rifle class.  As you can see from these pictures we had a variety of rifles in the class ranging from an AR15 shown in the picture on the left and an M1A in the picture on the right.  Most of the instructors were Scout leaders who will be working with young men on the Rifle Merit Badge, and to teach basic safety and shooting skills according to the time tested NRA lesson plans.

Not all of the instructor candidates were adults.  We had a father and two sons from one family.  Instructor candidates can be as young as 13 years old.  There are three levels of instructors:  certified, assistant, and apprentice.  It's great to have older Scouts helping the younger Scouts learn firearm safety and shooting.

Four of the senior members of the Upper Snake River NRA Instructors group taught the class, with photography and mentoring from a training counselor who spent more time observing than teaching.  From left to right standing are Jay Greenberg, Larry Taylor, Lou Lang, and Frank Jakubowski.  Larry and Frank will be moving up to become Senior Training Counselors next year.  There are at least five NRA Training Counselors (instructor trainers) in eastern Idaho now.

Instructors uas a variety of training aids like the wall charts and CO2 rifles shown above.  Even the water bottles can be used to teach the amount of pressure that should be applied to a trigger of a well constructed firearm - an important point as sight alignment and trigger control are the two more important elements of marksmanship.

More instructor courses will be scheduled and taught during 2009.  Check www.spudguns.net for the new schedule to be posted around the end of 2008.

Read the previous adventure.

Return to the Randy Mays Home Page.

Return to the Spudguns Home Page.