Has Anyone out there participated in Project Appleseed?

Well, here in Norway we don’t have an Appleseed program, but when I was a kid and joined the local shooting team (at 25 meters, only iron sights, 22LR indoor and 30–06 outdoor for the 16 years and above) I had much fun, and learnt a hell of a lot more about gun safety and protocol than any other place since.
From what I have heard Appleseed is somewhat like that, so I would give it a spin :)
Just be to have a talk with the kids and emphasize that guns can be a very dangerous thing, and safety is of the utmost importance beforehand .

Paramilitaristic BS. I am already disgusted.

Well, I will admit that I do not now much about the political side of Appleseed, but from what I can read in a quick skim online, It seems to me like a simple historical grounded place where people can learn to shoot.
If there are more “sinister” political connections behind the scenes I would not know anything about that. I do belive, thou, that nobody has been harmed from learning how to handle a weapon safely and with respect, with the opposite can be quite harmful.

@ragingloli Just curious, what makes you view Appleseed as a paramilitary thing ? (I don’t know enough about specific American organizations to see what makes it Paramilitary.
(A rallying point for anti-gun control people perhaps, but not paramilitary)

The “Boyscouts” were invented for nationalist indoctrination and pre-basic-training to funnel them into military service. That entire organisation is one big pile of horse excrement.

If you could see the difference scouting makes in some young men’s lives, you wouldn’t take such a pat view. Often it is the influence that keeps kids from joining gangs, teaching them useful skills and how to be good citizens. I’ve been working with scouts 43 years. That’s how deeply I believe in the program. Sure I am a veteran, but service to my country is how I honor and defend the rights we enjoy.

And I am sure the Hitler Youth also had “positive influence” on some children.

@ragingloli a little off base there. I can tell you scouting was much different than what you think.

The reason there is a General section.

Why is it called Appleseed if it’s about shooting guns? I was hoping it was planting project?

I say take your wife and go.

@majorrich Thanks for posting, I was not aware of this and I’ll probably go to one of these clinics at some point.

I am also a former scout, and while the scouts in my area was a bit heavy on the religious side (it was run by a local mission house, so it was more the people than the organization) It was never related to anything militaristic. We learned to respect nature, tie knots and stuff. Probably keept quite a few of the kids away from trouble as well as @majorrich said.
And comparing the scouts with Hitler youth is absurd in my opinion.

It might have been established during the boer war way back when, but it has evolved into a organization that probably have helped many people.. quite different than hitlerjugend did…

@Staalesen It sure kept me out of trouble. It was not heavy on religion or “paramilitary” here in the states either. It was just an organized way to learn life skills that kids don’t get from school and don’t always get at home. Kids who finish through eagle usually come out of scouts with respect, half an idea where they want to go in life and some of the skills and confidence they need to get there.

It turned into a very successful day! Normally intended as an intense weekend of training, The instructor tailored the program to fit the time window of a scout outing give or take as well as their attention span. The Great part of the program is the incorporation of the telling of the American Story as a backdrop to the teaching of riflemanship. I enjoy history, and was more interested in that aspect of the weekend. However I’ve not been to the range to shoot for a very long time. My Wife enjoyed it as well and is planning to attend subsequent sessions. She is progressing very well in her shooting. Her learning curve is astounding! I definitely endorse the program for anyone with an interest in history, American heritage and learning to shoot long distance. Despite my infirmities, I find I am still able to hit a target to 300 meters! Not my best, but I have quite a few years since I’ve seen a lot of instructive range time.

Good that you had a great day, @majorrich. I hope you attend and enjoy the rest of the sessions as much.

So it’s not a ‘scouting’ program, per sea? I look for a local version.