National 4-H Shooting Sports Invitational, Grand Island, Nebraska, June 23-27, 2008

Posted on: 2/7/2008 From: Jim Hamilton & Jeff Goodwin

Each year since 2000, the National 4-H Shooting Sports Program has hosted a national competitive event which serves as one of a number of important educational methods to engage youth in 4-H Shooting Sports programs. These programs have as their mission teaching the safe and responsible use of firearms, the principles of hunting and archery within the educational structure of conservation, natural resources, and wildlife stewardship. This mission is accomplished through program activities providing young people with opportunities to develop life skills, self-worth, and conservation ethics.

The National 4-H Shooting Sports Invitational, has been hosted by a variety of states since it was first conducted in Texas in 2000. Since 2002, the National 4-H Shooting Sports Foundation was the sponsoring organization for this event. With the dissolution of the National 4?H Shooting Sports Foundation in September 2007, the National 4-H Shooting Sports Program is continuing to transition to ensure program accountability, fiscal responsibility, safety, and responsiveness to the system.

As the first part of a phased-in transition to move the National 4-H Shooting Sports Program under the oversight and responsibility of a Land Grant University, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension has agreed to provide leadership for the National 4-H Shooting Sports Invitational for 2008 and 2009. Nebraska State 4-H Program Leader and Associate Dean of Extension, Beth Birnstihl, will provide general oversight and Steve Pritchard, Nebraska 4-H Shooting Sports Coordinator will serve as first point of contact and will lead the coordination and implementation of the event. You and your state 4-H Shooting Sports contact person will see correspondence from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension 4-H program in the near future regarding details intended for your state participants. Steve Pritchard can be reached at (402) 395-2158 or (308) 536-2691 for further information.

On behalf of National 4-H Headquarters, the National 4-H Shooting Sports Program Committee, and 4-H Shooting Sports program participants, we would like to thank the faculty, staff, and volunteers from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension system for taking the leadership role in this event. We are confident that your 4-H Shooting Sports teams will experience a terrific event in Grand Island, Nebraska this June.