dave951
58 Cal.
- Joined
- Feb 27, 2019
- Messages
- 2,274
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Well another summer of camp sessions for the Scouts at Camp Raven Knob has started. Last week was the first session. In the Mountain Man program there were approximately 12 Scouts and leaders. We put the new range improvements to the test and it's a great thing not having to go range cold every so often to change targets. We added some gongs of several sizes and they were a hit with the kids. The smallest gong is the really fun one. Hit it right with a minie and it'll wind the chains up like a string on the support. Friday night was campfire for the entire camp at the amphitheater and we did a short presentation and awards for the kids in the program. PathfinderNC and I joined the head of the program and we dressed in historic clothes for the occasion. PathfinderNC was Colonial Militia, I was North Carolina Confederate Infantry and Ricky was Mountain Man. Prior to the start of the campfire, we had many, many kids asking us tons of questions about the guns, accoutrements, and history and importantly, about the program. There were adult leaders asking too, they had no idea of what the Mountain Man program is, or what the kids get to experience. So great PR, fun shooting, and good times were had so far. Pix will follow, I have to get them from the guy with the camera. PathfinderNC, Jim and I were too busy teaching.
So a word here about what we'd like to do the make this program even better. First off, we'd love to find someone local with a buckboard and a horse or mule to pull it. The idea is to put the kids' stuff on it and have the kids follow it to the camp. That part would happen only on the hike in and back out at the end of the week. Second, we're still working on the range. We'd like to put up a very rustic shelter over the entire firing line area. We're thinking a "pole barn" type of architecture and use canvas for a roof. This type of building is commonly seen in mining camp pictures from the era. Shooting is getting better, but hawk/knife throwing needs some more structure of some type. We're still dealing with problems from the camp guns. On a typical range day, there are two that constantly misfire. We're going to put those through an ultrasonic cleaning of the breech area and see if that helps. The muskets we bring rarely misfire but there is one that will sometimes require a second strike from the hammer. I've traced it to wear in the nose of the hammer so a hammer replacement looks to be in order soon. Since NC was the location for the first gold rush in the country and we have a stream running through the area, we've had a conversation or two about how to incorporate that.
There's lots of things kids don't learn in school about history and by making it a fun experience, they can get acquainted with the past. The real issue is getting adults involved to teach. There are often conversations on this board and others about the decline of black powder and muzzleloading but the common element I see across the spectrum of time periods is lack of adult involvement and leadership. It's easy to sit back and whine but doing something constructive will take time, sweat, and effort but I can say this about it, it's one of the most rewarding things you'll ever do by being a positive influence on a child's life.
At this point, there will be at least 20 in the program for the upcoming week and they're arriving today. We'll be shooting on Tuesday. Jim and I are casting minies and making ammunition. It's going to be a busy day.
So a word here about what we'd like to do the make this program even better. First off, we'd love to find someone local with a buckboard and a horse or mule to pull it. The idea is to put the kids' stuff on it and have the kids follow it to the camp. That part would happen only on the hike in and back out at the end of the week. Second, we're still working on the range. We'd like to put up a very rustic shelter over the entire firing line area. We're thinking a "pole barn" type of architecture and use canvas for a roof. This type of building is commonly seen in mining camp pictures from the era. Shooting is getting better, but hawk/knife throwing needs some more structure of some type. We're still dealing with problems from the camp guns. On a typical range day, there are two that constantly misfire. We're going to put those through an ultrasonic cleaning of the breech area and see if that helps. The muskets we bring rarely misfire but there is one that will sometimes require a second strike from the hammer. I've traced it to wear in the nose of the hammer so a hammer replacement looks to be in order soon. Since NC was the location for the first gold rush in the country and we have a stream running through the area, we've had a conversation or two about how to incorporate that.
There's lots of things kids don't learn in school about history and by making it a fun experience, they can get acquainted with the past. The real issue is getting adults involved to teach. There are often conversations on this board and others about the decline of black powder and muzzleloading but the common element I see across the spectrum of time periods is lack of adult involvement and leadership. It's easy to sit back and whine but doing something constructive will take time, sweat, and effort but I can say this about it, it's one of the most rewarding things you'll ever do by being a positive influence on a child's life.
At this point, there will be at least 20 in the program for the upcoming week and they're arriving today. We'll be shooting on Tuesday. Jim and I are casting minies and making ammunition. It's going to be a busy day.
