By James C. Fulmer | Past President NMLRA
“There are two things people want more than sex and money: recognition and praise.”
—Mary Kay Ash, (founder Mary Kay Cosmetics)
History has proved that time and time again recognition and praise go a long to promote growth, either in saying thanks to the officers, or saying thanks to the participants of any event or organization to which you belong.
Pioneer Life Award winners from over the years, left to right: Wayne Flora, Eleanor Flora, PFBS Inc. President Frank Hoover, newest recipient Vickie Zeigler, author Jim Fulmer and Don Blazier.
After the victory at Waterloo, June 16, 1815 the British House of Commons voted that a medal should be struck and the “Waterloo Medal” would be given to all soldiers who participated in the campaign. The Duke of Wellington would on June 28, 1815 write the Duke of York “……the expediency of giving to the non-commissioned officers and soldiers engaged in the Battle of Waterloo a medal. I am convinced it would have the best effect on the army, and if the battle should settle our concerns, they will well deserve it.”
This medal was awarded by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland for campaign service for the Battle of Ligny and Battle of Quatre Bras June 16 and Waterloo June 18, 1815. There were over 38,500 medals awarded. The award was presented to everybody who served in the Waterloo Campaign. Recognition is important as much now as it was then, so thanks to all who serve.
June 8-16 will be National Muzzle Loading Rifle Association’s Spring National Shoot at Friendship, IN. This event is one that happens just about the perfect time for the muzzle loading shooter. By the beginning of June most local muzzle loading clubs in people’s home states have been holding competition for several months with the muzzleloaders. Starting about St Patrick’s Day in March shoots start appearing everywhere and by April almost every Charter Club in the NMLRA will be holding muzzle loading competitions. Competing for “recognition or praise,” winning anywhere from trophies and medals to meat prizes or even just a piece of paper to hang on the wall that says you participated. One of the many muzzle loading clubs I belong to is Altoona Rifle and Pistol Club Inc. and they are well known for their meat shoots and the “Participation Chicken.” At their meat shoots the worst can happen is you win a chicken. But you have recognition.
There are also the many Charter Clubs that don’t belong to the NMLRA but belong to their own state associations or are independent or belong to both or (PFBS) support both organizations. Pennsylvania Federation of Black Powder Shooters Inc. is one of those state associations. PFBS Inc. was founded in 1983. It is a Federation and this year there are 30 muzzle loading clubs that hold shoots open to the public in the shoot booklet they publish. There are over 225 muzzle loading shoots that will be held this year in Pennsylvania. From shooting heavy muzzle loading bench round ball or a slug gun to Lancaster County Longrifles Inc. rendezvous.
Chuck Dixon with NMLRA Black Powder Hall of Fame award from 2003.
The PFBS Inc. not only puts out a shoot booklet and newsletter but also the black powder State Championship matches which will be shot Aug. 23-25 this year at First Frontier Militia near Palmerton, PA. The First Frontier Militia is a muzzle loading club that, like many clubs, started during America’s Bi-Centennial. But like so many clubs that started in the 1975 era the members who joined are still members and are getting old. I used to be the young guy at 20 years old in 1975; now I am the young guy in 2019 at 64. Lamar Rabuck from Palmerton is a member who is one of those guys who came into the sport but was several years older than me but has continued to shoot and support the club. This April at this shoot he asked me where to get another rifle; he thinks this one is shot out and off the bench. He can’t get a 1-inch group anymore. Instead of a new rifle just re-barrel the old one; I have re-barreled several rifles.
There are several clubs that are doing great with young people running shoots and taking over the clubs and moving on to the next generation. But there are many who have not. Recognition and praise are needed for when the young shooters show up and try to compete and help. If a young person is willing to help, don’t chase them off by clutching to them like a drowning person to a life preserver because you will scare them off (even though you need them). Work with them; don’t overwork them; they are our future.
Shooters obtain recognition by winning matches but the workers of the gun clubs, the associations, and the nationals usually have very little time to shoot. If they do shoot, it is hard to win because of working at the scoring, range officering and target sales. All who make organizations work also need recognition and praise when they do a good job. Scorers which I have done at shoots I always feel sorry for scorers; why? Ever notice that they can score 2,000 targets correctly and nothing is said, but miss score one and you can be looked at with a raised eyebrow until you score another 2,000 correct to prove you are still capable.
Lamar Rabuck from Palmerton, PA, shooting a .50 cal. Rifle, made by the late Pioneer Life Award recipient Roger Fisher, at First Frontier Militia range.
The PFBS Inc. have numerous recognition programs. One that was started years ago is the Pioneer Life Award. The Pioneer Life was started when the idea of life membership to the state association came up. It was decided to not have a life membership you can buy but an award which gave you a life membership to PFBPS Inc. So, the Pioneer Life Award came into being to recognize members who have gone above and beyond promoting the state association. I can’t tell you there but at the PFBS Inc. annual banquet NMLRA President then Dave Arnold came down to be the guest speaker. The first awards were be to given out that night and before the banquet the PFBS Inc. Board of Directors had a meeting about the awards and Dave sat in to watch. I will always remember that a fight broke out to my embarrassment about who was to get the number1 Pioneer Life Award. Several of the founders of the PFBS thought they should get the number one. Yes, I am the one who thought numbering them was a good idea. Oops! Dave Arnold came through by saying give number1 to the NMLRA museum and draw out of the hat for the remaining awards. Worked perfectly! The people who were fighting to be number one were drawn by luck to be number 2 and 3. I was drawn that night and I am number 6. At this year’s PFBS banquet Vickie Zeigler became number 18 for all the work she has down in the muzzle loading sport. She earned it with her work, not only at the state level but also local.
What started this whole article was the NMLRA has the NMLRA Black Powder Hall of Fame and they are putting pictures to the names on the wall in the Education building at Friendship. I had taken the pictures of Chuck Dixon who is in the NMLRA Hall of Fame years ago and they were looking for copies. I was surprised that those pictures where saved on floppy disc and I had never transferred to a CD disc. So, I set out and took new pictures of Chuck. To his credit he looks to me the same he did over 15 years ago. It is important to recognize and praise people if want continued success in any endeavor.
“There are two types of people who will tell you that you cannot make a difference in this world: those who are afraid to try and those who are afraid you will succeed.”
—Ray Goforth
