In 2006, the CMP Camp Riflery Program experienced a significant increase in numbers of camp riflery instructors trained and in camps involved in the program. Those numbers promise to go up even more in 2007. The number of Instructor Training Courses (ITCs) completed in 2006 more than doubled over the previous year. With these growing numbers, there is also an increasing awareness among camp professionals of the program and what it offers. In addition, the CMP is making a conscious effort to promote the program to camps located in the western part of the United States.

In 2006, the CMP hired a new Camp Riflery Manager to give full-time leadership to the program. The program utilized the services of 10 Camp Riflery Master Instructors. This team conducted 23 ITCs that trained approximately 200 instructors representing 35 different camps across the country. Almost all staff training takes place during a six-week period during May and June. It is a strenuous few weeks, but the results from this intense effort are great. During the eight-week 2006 summer camp period, camp riflery instructors trained by CMP Master Instructors were successful in teaching gun safety and basic marksmanship skills to 30,000 youth.

At the CMP, we see the Camp Riflery Program as an exceptionally promising way to reach large numbers of young boys and girls who are interested in target rifle marksmanship. The CMP is committed to continual expansion of its Camp Riflery Program. We hope to increase the number of ITCs from 23 in 2006 to between 40 and 50 in 2007. We have taken a couple of steps to move us closer to this goal. First, CMP staff is attending more professional camp conferences that take place in various parts of the country during the winter months. This enables more camp directors and professional camp staff to become aware of the CMP Camp Riflery Program and what it offers.

Our second step has been to recruit and train a new class of Master Instructors who can lead the additional ITCs that are being planned. The CMP is moving towards a plan that will have Camp Riflery Master Instructors distributed on a geographic basis so camp leaders will have a riflery or marksmanship expert in their area to call on for assistance. A call for applications to become CMP Camp Riflery Master Instructors went out in December. 13 highly-qualified individuals were selected from a large group of impressive applications. Selection was based on experience in competition, junior coaching, previous instructional experience, willingness to work long days in typical camp environments and availability during the May-June camp staff training period.

Training for the new class of Master Instructors was conducted at Camp Perry, Ohio on 7-11 March 2007. Dr. Lance Miller, one of the CMP’s most-experienced Camp Riflery Master Instructors, was the primary instructor for the Camp Riflery Master Instructor Training Course. In five days of intensive training, the new Master Instructors examined the ITC safety and marksmanship instruction curriculum in detail. During the last two days of the course, they practiced teaching parts of the course to their fellow trainees. The new class of Master Instructors effectively doubles the number who will be available to teach ITCs this year.

Hundreds of summer camps across the United States offer camp riflery as a program for campers. The CMP is working to offer as many of these camps as possible the opportunity to have their staff professionally trained by certified Master Instructors, to have their camps affiliated with our national marksmanship organization, and to provide their campers with opportunities to learn and practice gun safety and rifle marksmanship as a sport. The CMP program also strives to send campers home with the means to pursue their interests in target marksmanship. Lots of gun enthusiasts and great target shooters trace their love of the shooting sports to first learning about shooting at a summer camp. The CMP program is striving to increase those numbers with an instructional program of the highest possible quality.

For more information regarding the Camp Riflery Program or CR Instructor Training Courses, please contact Jeff Williams, CMP Camp Riflery Manager, at 419-635-2141 ext. 1130 or email jwilliams@odcmp.com.