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and National Matches Centennials. Both the National Matches and
the National Board for the Promotion of Rifle Practice, the predecessor
to the Civilian Marksmanship Program, were founded by the U. S. Congress
and President Theodore Roosevelt's administration in 1903. Centennials
of the founding of the National Matches and CMP will be celebrated in 2003.
The CMP Board established a Centennial Committee chaired by Ms. Judith Legerski,
Vice Chair of the Board of Directors. Special Centennial logos are being
created and will be featured on Centennial items available throughout the
year. The major Centennial celebration will take place at Camp Perry on
Saturday, 9 August, at the conclusion of the 2003 National Garand Match.
Former National Matches competitors should mark that date on their calendar
for a return to Camp Perry. Rimfire Sporter Centennial Series Hosts Sought. The CMP introduced its new Rimfire Sporter Rifle Match in 2002. In 2003, the CMP will host a National Rimfire Sporter Match during the National Matches at Camp Perry on 26 July. The CMP also will sanction Club Rimfire Sporter Matches in 2003 and will conduct a special four-match "Centennial Series" of Rimfire Sporter Rifle Matches at clubs in different locations around the country. Shooters who compete in the National Rimfire Sporter Match or the Centennial Series Matches will receive T-shirts and be eligible to earn the coveted achievement medals that go to shooters who fire cut scores for those medals. The CMP is looking for shooting clubs that are interested in hosting one of the Centennial Series Matches. The club must have a 50 yard covered firing line suitable for smallbore firing. The CMP will provide the staff to conduct the match. Any club interested in hosting a CMP Centennial Series Rimfire Sporter Match or in running a sanctioned Rimfire Sporter Match of their own should contact CMP Competitions @ competitions@odcmp.com. New U. S. Distinguished International Shooters Badges. This prestigious badge is only awarded to shooters who win or have exceptionally high place finishes in Olympic, World Championship, World Cup or continental championship competitions. The International Distinguished Badge was established by the Department of Defense in 1963 when President John Kennedy presented the first USDISB. The badge was presented retroactively back to 1920 and until now has been awarded to 422 American shooters. At the 2002 World Shooting Championship in Lahti, Finland, two junior shooters, Trevor Peterson, a 17 year-old running target shooter from Blackfoot, Idaho and Adam Curtis, an 18-year-old double trap shooter from Las Vegas, earned the final points on their badges to become the 423rd and 424th American shooters to earn the badge. New State Junior Directors. The CMP recently announced the appointment of several new CMP State Junior Directors. Mrs. Grace Leinberger was appointed as a Co-Director, with her husband John Leinberger, for the State of Missouri. Mrs. Delores McNamara of Las Vegas, Nevada, was appointed as a new Junior Director for Nevada. Arnie Vitarbo, who was the Junior Director in Colorado, recently moved to Utah and was appointed as the new Director for that state. Jim Shaver, a well-known, active junior leader from Colorado Springs, was appointed as the new Junior Director in Colorado. Jerry Head of Port Orchard, Washington, was appointed as the new Washington State Director. FWB P70 Junior Price Increase. A drop in the price of the dollar vis-à-vis the Euro has made it necessary to increase the price of the FWB P70 Junior Air Rifles that are available to junior clubs and teams from the CMP. The current price is $680 each, but that price will go up to at least $725 on 1 January. In a positive change, affiliated clubs and teams can now purchase the P70 junior air rifle on the delayed payment plan where 20% is paid down and the balance is paid in 20% installments every six months. Reduction in Carbine Prices. CMP-affiliated clubs that have junior programs are eligible to purchase M1 Carbines for use in club marksmanship programs. In a change that will make it possible for more clubs to replace the older and often well-worn carbines that they have been using or to expand the number of carbines available in the club, the CMP recently lowered the price clubs pay for. <BR><BR>. Affiliated CMP clubs that want to take advantage of this price reduction may contact CMP Affiliate Relations, 419-635-2141, ext. 1101 or shand@odcmp.com. Congratulations. Christie Sewell, the Manager of the CMP Competitions Department, and her husband Henry Sewell, are the proud parents of a new baby daughter, Haylie Irene, who was born on 1 November 2002. Mother and daughter are both doing great and Christie anticipates a quick return to her work at the CMP where preparations for the 2003 competition season are already underway. CMP Affiliates Annual Reports. The Annual Reports that the CMP requires all affiliated clubs and state associations to file as part of the CMP renewal process will be distributed to all current affiliates in early January. Affiliate contact persons who provided email addresses to the CMP will receive the report via email and will be able to file electronically. Other reports will be mailed. The deadline for Annual Reports will be 31 March 2003. Junior Club Ammo Price Increase. Junior shooting clubs and teams that are affiliated with the CMP have been able to purchase training grade smallbore ammo for $95.00 per 6,500 rounds, with shipping costs included in this price. Federal Cartridge Company manufactures this ammo. Federal has now notified the CMP that the price of the CMP smallbore club ammo will increase. Final prices to CMP affiliates have not yet been worked out, but it is expected that while the price for the ammunition will remain about the same, all affiliates that have smallbore ammunition shipped to them will have to pay shipping charges in addition to the cost of the ammo. The CMP anticipates that the cost to affiliates of air rifle pellets and BBs will remain about the same as in 2002. JROTC National Air Rifle Championship. The Army, Marine Corps and Navy JROTC Commands have asked the CMP to work with them to organize the first JROTC National Air Rifle Championship in 2003. Qualifying for the championship will involve a series of postal and shoulder-to-shoulder competitions in three-position air rifle. Six JROTC unit teams will represent each of the three services in the national competition that will take place at the Army Marksmanship Unit ranges at Fort Benning, Georgia in late March. Arizona Passes Shooting Range Protection Bill. On May 10, 2002 Arizona Governor Jane Hull signed into law a model shooting range protection bill. This landmark bill will provide protection against nuisance noise suits and requires developers to pay for noise abatement when a zoning change impacts ranges. New College Shooting Coaches. Two champion shooters who are also outstanding teachers joined the NCAA college rifle coaches ranks this fall. Launi Meili, who won the 1992 Olympic gold medal in women's 50 meter three-position rifle, became the new rifle coach at the University of Nebraska. Nebraska has a relatively new women's rifle team, but the program is strongly supported by the Athletic Department and Athletic Director. Glenn Dubis, a four-time World Champion in 300 meter rifle and a recent retiree from the U. S. Army became the new rifle coach at the University of Alaska. Dubis replaces David Johnson who moved up to become the National Rifle Coach. Alaska has won the NCAA Rifle Championship the last two years. Ohio Scholarships. The Ohio Rifle and Pistol Association announced the awarding of two new college scholarships for Ohio junior shooters who excel in competition and in the classroom. Tia Gilson, who attends Otterbein College, and Jeff Hudak, who attends the University of Toledo, received $500 scholarships from their state association at the ORPA Annual Meeting in Wilmington, Ohio on 9 November 2002. Both Gilson and Hudak were members of the ORPA junior highpower team that competed in the 2002 National Matches at Camp Perry. Rifle Pairs Clinics. The CMP now has a new "pairs clinic" program that provides advanced rifle marksmanship instruction to "coach-shooter pairs." Affiliated clubs and teams can schedule clinics that are taught by CMP Training Director and 1992 Olympic silver medallist Bob Foth. Including a coach or parent with each junior shooter assures that the clinic instruction also is passed on to others in the shooter's home club or team. In the clinics, instruction is given to both the shooters and the coaches. The coaches then have an opportunity to reinforce what they learn through on-the-line coaching during range-firing activities. For the 2002-2003 school year, Foth still has several weekends available when he can teach pairs clinics. Registration is normally limited to 8 to 12 pairs. Clinic fees are not yet established, but the CMP will partially subsidize the clinics to keep registration fees low. Any school team or club that wants to sponsor a clinic should contact Bob Foth at bobfoth@juno.com. Wolf Creek Olympic Range. USA Shooting, the Georgia Shooting Sports Association and a group of shooting sports leaders in the Atlanta area continue their efforts to save the Wolf Creek Olympic Range near Atlanta. The Georgia Department of Natural Resources has developed a plan to take over the facility from Fulton County, Georgia. The proposal was put on hold until after the recent elections, but it now has an excellent chance to move forward again as soon as the transition team for the new Governor of Georgia has had an opportunity to get established. |
 The U. S. Congress commissioned the National Trophy in 1903 when it established the National Matches. This prestigious trophy is usually called the "Dogs of War" trophy. The Dogs of War image will be featured in many 2003 centennial activities.  In 2003, the CMP will begin sanctioning Club Rimfire Sporter Matches and will conduct a National Rimfire Sporter Match at Camp Perry and four Centennial Series Rimfire Matches at other clubs around the country.  Only U. S. shooters who place high in Olympic, World Championship, World Cup and continental championship competitions can earn the U. S. Distinguished International Shooters Badge.  A drop in the value of the dollar will necessitate a price increase in 2003 for clubs that plan to purchase P70 junior air rifles.  Prices for CMP smallbore ammunition that is sold to affiliates with junior programs will increase in 2003 when the actual cost of shipping will be added to the ammunition cost. The prices of air pellets and BBs are not expected to increase.  The CMP will cooperate with the Army, Marine Corps and Navy JROTC commands to organize the first JROTC National Air Rifle Championship in 2003.  Launi Meili, new rifle coach at the University of Nebraska, is shown here with her 1992 Olympic gold medal  Glenn Dubis, new rifle coach at the University of Alaska, is shown here after winning one of his four World Championship titles. |
