Marines,
I am proud to announce the founding of the Cherry Point Shooting Club. This is a club started by Marines and for Marines. There is a growing need within the Marine Corps to provide professional firearms training and mentorship in the use of personal weapons and firearms safety.
A lot of us have grown up with firearms, and learned about them from family, friends, the Marine Corps, talk at the local gun shops and even the internet. The truth is that much of what we have learned is only partially right or we have not learned enough. We have proven this time and time again, unfortunately, with young Marines out in town and we have had a rash of tragic incidents lately. The truth is there is a lot to know when it comes to owning, using, and carrying a weapon. It goes far beyond sight alignment and sight picture. You don’t know what you don’t know and the only way to get it is through professional training.
It is a sad fact that less the 5% of the firearms owning community ever seeks professional instruction. We are here to change that. As a club we will professionally train and equip mentors to be utilized at the squadron level. Initially we will be looking for SNCO’s and Officers who have already demonstrated maturity and leadership. We are looking for those who are firearms owners and are interested in making a positive impact on our Marines. We will train all mentors to a set standard and ensure they are qualified to teach and guide young Marines in the safe and effective use of firearms whether it is for recreation, competition or personal defense.
Once we have enough trained mentors we will open up the club for general membership. The main focus will be to promote the safe and responsible use of firearms amongst our Marines and to be positive representatives of our “gun culture” to other Marines and the general public. We will do this by teaching classes, holding monthly meetings, attending monthly shooting competitions and providing opportunities for professional instruction.
This is ground zero, ladies and gentlemen. We have an opportunity here to do something very positive and have a whole lot of fun in the process. We cannot do it alone. We need your help. We will need your leadership, dedication and motivation to make this club successful. We will also be looking for people with special skills such as constructing websites.
We look forward to seeing you out on the range!
