"In grades 7-12 the course includes in-school examination of guns as well as range shooting with a .22 single shot rifle on a sixty-seven acre piece of property belonging to the Moore County Wildlife Club."
Boy, this is a bit of fresh air! best news I've seen in a long time. Now if we can only get other states to adopt the same.
School's courses include gun safety
NC General Assembly encourages
schools to teach gun safety
By David Morgan, The Tribune
Showing that they intend to act rationally in a wilderness of fear and misunderstanding, the School Board of one private school in North Carolina has required the teaching of gun safety in all grades K-12.
Principal Dwight M. Creech of the Calvary Christian School in Southern Pines, N.C. said his school views guns to be like automobiles in terms of hardware. "If the state requires Driver’s Education, it seems only logical that gun safety instruction should be taught. Education is critical in offering an alternative to the images of guns as portrayed in movies and on TV. Those media are offering their own brand of gun instruction, and it is up to us to separate the truth from the fiction," he said.
In replying to those who would criticize gun safety education in schools, he says simply, "What’s the difference in terms of teaching about gun safety versus teaching about other kinds of dangerous things people have to deal with as they grow up? Knee-jerk reactions based on fear and lack of knowledge is totally irresponsible behavior. Frankly, I feel that it is child abuse not to afford children proper educational programs similar to this one."
The program in kindergarten through sixth grade uses a coloring book approach and teaches children that if they see a gun they should not touch it, should leave the area, and should tell an adult. In addition, students take part in role playing in which one child hypothetically finds a gun. The program is based on the NRA’s Eddie Eagle Program. Coincidentally, the North Carolina General Assembly HB 767 states that "The State Board of Education is also encouraged to promote in State schools those gun safety educational programs, such as the Eddie Eagle Gun-Safety Program, that teach children they should never touch a gun unless supervised by an adult, and that are designed to prevent firearm-related accidents among children."
In grades 7-12 the course includes in-school examination of guns as well as range shooting with a .22 single shot rifle on a sixty-seven acre piece of property belonging to the Moore County Wildlife Club. A parent or a guardian of each child is required to be present at the range during the instruction. This is important for two reasons, said Creech. "First, we want the general public to know what is going on and that what we are doing is to offer positive instructional learning, and, second, we want the parents to learn gun safety as well. We feel that their knowledge will help reinforce the learning of the children." The North Carolina General Assembly HB 71 allows weapons to be "used in a school-approved program conducted under the supervision of an adult whose supervision has been approved by the school authority."
The NRA has given the school approximately $6,000 for the courses since 1996; however, Creech said that the gun program was well under way before that. In addition, Creech is a NRA certified instructor himself. "It amazes me how ignorant a lot of people are concerning the National Rifle Association and how much good work they have done over the years," he emphasized." There are few organizations that are more American than the NRA that I know of. More schools should be doing what we are doing."
Editor’s note: Anyone wishing to contact Dwight Creech may do so at Calvary Christian School, 400 S. Bennett St., Southern Pines, NC 28387 or phone 910-692-8311 or fax 910-692-1992
-- 30 --
The NC General Assembly surely deserves a pat on the back for this one. Why not pass one on via the Governor? If you can fax from your machine, it's the next best thing to email.
There is no email address for the governor, but I got this from their site: http://www.governor.state.nc.us/feedback/
You may contact the Governor's Office by sending a letter to Governor Hunt or by calling the Governor's Office at:
1-800-662-7952 valid in North Carolina only,
(919)733-4240 or (919)733-5811.
The address for all correspondence is:
Governor James B. Hunt Jr.
Office of the Governor
20301 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-0301
Fax: (919)715-3175 or (919)733-2120
Boy, this is a bit of fresh air! best news I've seen in a long time. Now if we can only get other states to adopt the same.
School's courses include gun safety
NC General Assembly encourages
schools to teach gun safety
By David Morgan, The Tribune
Showing that they intend to act rationally in a wilderness of fear and misunderstanding, the School Board of one private school in North Carolina has required the teaching of gun safety in all grades K-12.
Principal Dwight M. Creech of the Calvary Christian School in Southern Pines, N.C. said his school views guns to be like automobiles in terms of hardware. "If the state requires Driver’s Education, it seems only logical that gun safety instruction should be taught. Education is critical in offering an alternative to the images of guns as portrayed in movies and on TV. Those media are offering their own brand of gun instruction, and it is up to us to separate the truth from the fiction," he said.
In replying to those who would criticize gun safety education in schools, he says simply, "What’s the difference in terms of teaching about gun safety versus teaching about other kinds of dangerous things people have to deal with as they grow up? Knee-jerk reactions based on fear and lack of knowledge is totally irresponsible behavior. Frankly, I feel that it is child abuse not to afford children proper educational programs similar to this one."
The program in kindergarten through sixth grade uses a coloring book approach and teaches children that if they see a gun they should not touch it, should leave the area, and should tell an adult. In addition, students take part in role playing in which one child hypothetically finds a gun. The program is based on the NRA’s Eddie Eagle Program. Coincidentally, the North Carolina General Assembly HB 767 states that "The State Board of Education is also encouraged to promote in State schools those gun safety educational programs, such as the Eddie Eagle Gun-Safety Program, that teach children they should never touch a gun unless supervised by an adult, and that are designed to prevent firearm-related accidents among children."
In grades 7-12 the course includes in-school examination of guns as well as range shooting with a .22 single shot rifle on a sixty-seven acre piece of property belonging to the Moore County Wildlife Club. A parent or a guardian of each child is required to be present at the range during the instruction. This is important for two reasons, said Creech. "First, we want the general public to know what is going on and that what we are doing is to offer positive instructional learning, and, second, we want the parents to learn gun safety as well. We feel that their knowledge will help reinforce the learning of the children." The North Carolina General Assembly HB 71 allows weapons to be "used in a school-approved program conducted under the supervision of an adult whose supervision has been approved by the school authority."
The NRA has given the school approximately $6,000 for the courses since 1996; however, Creech said that the gun program was well under way before that. In addition, Creech is a NRA certified instructor himself. "It amazes me how ignorant a lot of people are concerning the National Rifle Association and how much good work they have done over the years," he emphasized." There are few organizations that are more American than the NRA that I know of. More schools should be doing what we are doing."
Editor’s note: Anyone wishing to contact Dwight Creech may do so at Calvary Christian School, 400 S. Bennett St., Southern Pines, NC 28387 or phone 910-692-8311 or fax 910-692-1992
-- 30 --
The NC General Assembly surely deserves a pat on the back for this one. Why not pass one on via the Governor? If you can fax from your machine, it's the next best thing to email.
There is no email address for the governor, but I got this from their site: http://www.governor.state.nc.us/feedback/
You may contact the Governor's Office by sending a letter to Governor Hunt or by calling the Governor's Office at:
1-800-662-7952 valid in North Carolina only,
(919)733-4240 or (919)733-5811.
The address for all correspondence is:
Governor James B. Hunt Jr.
Office of the Governor
20301 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-0301
Fax: (919)715-3175 or (919)733-2120