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Old November 24, 2009, 06:56 PM   #5
Frank Ettin
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Join Date: November 23, 2005
Location: California - San Francisco
Posts: 9,471
Quote:
Originally Posted by derherr65
Can you be more specific on groups you are involved in? Were they seeking volunteers/training?
Basically, it's all been an outgrowth of being active in our local shooting community.

Some years back, I frequented a range run by a local chapter of the Optimists. The income from the range funded many of their other activities. I became friendly with some of the range staff and the folks who put on the classes offered there. So it came to pass that I got myself certified as an NRA instructor in Basic Handgun, and became part of the team who put on the classes.

Then my wife and I wanted to learn wingshooting and trap shooting. We found a coach at a local club and started to take lessons. We became active in the club and good friends with our coach. And my wife and I also started to compete.

Our coach liked to offer occasional beginner classes to introduce people to wingshooting and clay targets. As my wife and I got good enough, we started to help. With us participating, he was able to increase class size and schedule classes on a regular basis; and our coach with my wife and I were the core team putting on those classes.

Then the National Shooting Sports Foundation started up the Scholastic Clay Target Program. This was actually three programs for organized competition in trap, skeet or sporting clays by kids up through their high school years. Our coach, my wife and I started up an SCTP group at our club to shoot trap, and we were the first coaches. (In 2005, our kids won the state championship in the Junior Novice category.)

Then a few years ago, I was looking for a local Utah certified instructor who gave classes locally for a Utah concealed weapons permit. It turned out that the fellow I found was the head of a group of instructors who, for quite a few years, had been teaching Basic Handgun and Personal Protection classes at a couple of local ranges. He recruited me as an instructor. I then got NRA certified for Personal Protection Inside the Home and Personal Protection Outside the Home. (We've since incorporated, and I secured us federal and state income tax exemptions.)

I also got to know the NRA training counselor with whom I did the Personal Protection course work, and I do the legal portion of the program when he teaches a Personal Protection class. (My wife and I are also NRA certified instructors in Shotgun.)

All these activities have not been money making ventures. Class fees have always been set to simply cover costs (material, range fees, ammunition supplied, etc.). And all my activities grew out of being active, around and wanting to help and participate.

That's probably a whole lot more than anyone wanted to know.
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