Alexandria Bay American Legion

Junior Shooting Sports Program

Mission Statement

Alexandria Bay John B. Lyman American Legion Post 904 Shooting Sports Program exists: to provide teaching of safe and responsible handing of firearms use though marksmanship coaching and enjoyable participation in high quality individual and team based shooting sports.

What is the Junior Shooting Sports Program?

• Part of the national American Legion Junior Shooting Sports
• Teach school age gun safety and marksmanship skills
• Community outreach
• BB guns: age 8-12, 4 positions taught
• Air Rifle: 13-High School Graduation, 3 positions
• 2 classes of air rifle competition: Sporter and Precision
• Competitions at the local, state, regional, and national level sanctioned by the Civilian Marksmanship Program (CMP)
• Fundamentals and advanced marksmanship skills taught

Benefits of teaching marksmanship?

• marksmanship skills
• gun safety
• Responsibility
• Self-control
• Self-esteem
• Leadership
• Patience
• “Growth Mindset”
• Life-long learning

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Value of Junior Shooting for Post 904?

• All American Legion Posts have a responsibility to be involved in the community they live in.
• Junior Shooting directly supports the 3^rd Pillar—Americanism.
• Post 904 will have a life long impact in the lives of each child.

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Program Enrollment and Growth

• 2022-2023…4 BB shooters, 1 Precision air rifle shooter
• 2023-2024…14 BB shooters, 20 Sporter air rifle shooters
• 88% are new to the program
• 100% returned from last year (1 as a coach)
• Program growth is directly related to concerted outreach efforts locally and online.
• Families from Fort Drum, Alexandria Bay, Redwood, Cape Vincent, Antwerp, Watertown, La Fargeville…public and home school

Promotion and Outreach

• Trifold pamphlet explaining program
• Facebook page www.facebook.com/abay904ssp
• Website www.abay904shootingsports.org
• Booth manned everyday at the Jefferson County Fair
• Reached out to Jefferson County 4-H to help start up shooting sports program after many years long hiatus
• 1000 Islands Sportsman Show
• Pirate Days BB Shoot
• DEC Hunters Education
• Helped with concessions at Cash Bash
• Working with Navy Sea Cadets to assist with qualifications in Jan. and Feb.

Difference Between Air Rifles and other Firearms:

• Use seals, gaskets, and O-rings
• Parts are not life-long to the rifle and require periodic replacement
• Very specific cleaning and maintenance requirements or the seals can be ruined—air rifle unusable
• The air rifles used in the program are precision instruments. They are NOT what you can buy at Walmart, Dick’s, or Runnings
• Can be used indoors, year-round, without special ventilation, unlike 22 LR

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Current Equipment Status

Air Rifle

12 Sporter Air Rifles

• 1 Down
• 11 usable sporter air rifles

2 Precision Air Rifles

• 1 Down
• 1 usable precision air rifle

BB

16 BB Guns

• 2 Down
• 14 usable BB guns

** 2 out of the 4 down rifles broke last week

Cost of Doing Business:

• $130 per air rifle shooter per season (pellets, targets, qualification patches)
• $35 per BB gun shooter per season (bb’s, targets, qualification patches)
• Example:
• Target Packs: $36/pack of 250
• Pellets: $9/tin of 500
• Qualification awards set: $30/person

Maintenance Costs:

Air Rifle

• Fill adapter: $23
• Seals kit: $13
• Gauge: $20

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New Sporter Air Rifle $650.00

BB Gun

• Abutment and barrel tube: $23
• Seals kit: $13
• Plunger assembly: $20

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New Competition BB Gun $190.00

**Only a small snapshot and prices may vary

Volunteer Hours and Extras (mid Aug.-mid Sept.)�

• Richard Drake: 84 hours (cash bash, hunters ed, coach, range officer, open house, pirate days)
• Amy Zukas: 5 hours (cash bash)
• Mary McNutt: 81 hours (cash bash, hunters ed, coach, range officer, open house, facebook, webpage, armorer, admin, arts and crafts)
• Corrine Tompson:22 hours (cash bash, coach, admin)
• William McNutt: 25 hours (coach)
• Martha Grimes: 10 hours (promotion)
• Melinda Comstock: 10 hours (cash bash, promotion)

*** People are driving from as far as Watertown to make this program happen

Current Program Needs

• Dependable Volunteers
• Funds for qualification awards, targets, pellets, and spare parts
• Fundraising/Donations
• MidwayUSA Foundation Endowment—This is an investment into the future funding of the program….fund matching
• https://www.midwayusafoundation.org/team-profile/?id=R26960

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Upcoming Events

• BB Gun Practice:
• Mondays at 4:30
• Mondays at 6:00
• Wednesday at 9:30

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• Air Rifle Practice:
• Wednesday at 10:30
• Wednesday at 12:00
• Thursday at 4:30
• Thursday at 6:00

**Air Rifle Match in November

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**January Postal CMP American Legion Match

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**Possible NRA grant award for new rifles (not a guarantee)