Texas County Shooting Sports will offer a safety class 6-9 p.m. Oct. 20-21.
The free six-hour class is a requirement for youth to be involved in the 4-H shooting sports youth development educational program that uses the skills and disciplines of shooting to assist young people and their leaders.
Development of skills within the discipline of shooting and “life skills” is integral to the program curriculum and explicitly stated for volunteers. 4-H Shooting Sports appeals to young people and volunteers from a wide range of urban and rural backgrounds and promotes positive youth-adult interaction and peer leadership, organizers said.
“The focus of the Missouri 4-H Shooting Sports program is the total development of the young person,” said MU Extension Regional 4-H Youth Development Specialist Janice Emery. “The shooting sports and related natural resource activities are utilized as a vehicle for human growth and development, and the shooting sports program attracts new audiences as well as enhances the traditional 4-H club program.”
As with all Missouri 4-H projects, shooting sports is open to all youth ages of 8 through 18. Project choices for youth include archery, air rifle/BB gun, smallbore rifle (.22 caliber), air pistol, shotgun (youth 11 and older), smallbore pistol (14 and older), muzzle loading (11 and older), hunting and outdoor skills.
Program Objectives:
•To enhance the physical, cognitive, social and emotional development of youth through safe, educational and socially acceptable involvement in a shooting related activity.
•To teach safe and responsible use of firearms and archery equipment including sound decision-making, self-discipline and concentration.
•To promote the highest standards of safety, sportsmanship and ethical behavior.
•To encourage understanding of our natural resources and the development of a personal environmental stewardship ethic by young people through participation in shooting, hunting and related activities.
•To strengthen families through life-long recreational activities.
•To expose participants to the broad array of vocational and lifelong vocational activities related to the shooting sports.
•To complement and enhance the impact of existing safety and hunter education programs.
For more information or to RSVP for the safety class, call the MU Extension office in Houston at 417-967-4545 or 4-H shooting sports coordinator Elizabeth Smith at 417-257-0106.