Youth air rifle program informational meeting

</element><element id="paragraph-1" type="body"><![CDATA[ Randolph County 4-H is announcing the addition of a second discipline to the Randolph County 4-H Shooting Sports Program. An air rifle program will be starting for youth ages 8-18 as of September 1, 2010. An informational meeting for parents and youth for the new youth air rifle program will be held on Tuesday, November 23, 2010 at 6:30 p.m. at the World Shooting & Recreational Complex Event Center in Sparta.

Trapshooting was the first activity introduced in the Randolph County 4-H Shooting Sports Program in March 2010. The National 4-H Shooting Sports Program has been in existence since the mid 1970s, but some individual states offered a 4-H shooting sports program as early as the 1930s. Illinois 4-H received approval to become involved in the National 4-H Shooting Sports Program during the 2009-10 4-H year.

Youth development is the number one goal of the 4-H Shooting Sports Program. The program is an excellent way to provide life skill development and to establish a caring relationship with an adult mentor. Certified instructors will work with youth participants. The program will help to promote self confidence, responsibility, teamwork, self esteem, decision-making and the identification of realistic personal goals. 4-H members in the national program have demonstrated high achievement in the field, in the classroom and on the target range but personal development for young people and adult leaders is the real objective. The program will strive to make every child a winner and to adhere to the 4-H motto to "make the best better."

The goal is to add archery as the Randolph County 4-H Shooting Sports Program grows. The Randolph County 4-H Shooting Sports Program also offers opportunities for adults to volunteer with the program. For more information contact the University of Illinois Extension Office in Randolph County at 443-4364.