Shooting program resumes for 4-H members
Date: Jan 16, 2006 6:11 PM
http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/01164-Hguns.html

Shooting program resumes for 4-H members

Lisa Nicita
The Arizona Republic
Jan. 16, 2006 12:00 AM

Arizona 4-H members lost their Shooting Sports Program for
three days in December, until outraged parents and
participants persuaded the Board of Regents to bring it
back.

But the future of one of the most popular and fastest
growing 4-H programs in the nation remains uncertain in
Arizona.

Glenn Westmoreland, a shooting sports leader for Queen Creek
4-H, has grown used to the pop of gunfire as participants
practice at his home. Things were silenced when he received
a letter in mid-December saying the popular youth program
had been canceled.

“It was kind of a shock to everybody,” he said.

The Board of Regents, which oversees the University of
Arizona-sponsored 4-H, decided to end the program statewide
after an audit alerted board members to the existence of the
longtime program.

Anne Barton, Board of Regents spokeswoman, said the board
wasn’t comfortable with the university being responsible for
the guns. While the participants or clubs use and maintain
their own guns, the UA, as the program sponsor, would be
legally responsible if there were any accident or incident
related to the guns.

The board reversed its decision to cancel the program a few
days later, after receiving a flood of e-mails and letters
from parents who wanted their kids to continue to learn
about firearms.

“We definitely want to keep the program,” said Rachele
Golliher, program coordinator for Maricopa County 4-H.
“It’s something they really seem to enjoy.”

The program, which teaches marksmanship and responsible
firearm use with 22-caliber rifles, air pistols, air rifles,
archery, shot guns and muzzle-loading arms, does not use
live ammunition.

1,000 kids, 11 counties

About 1,000 kids from 11 Arizona counties participated in
the 4-H project during the 2004-05 year.

Kids generally meet twice a month for practice and
participate in county, state and national competitions.

Westmoreland said he likes the program because it keeps his
kids busy and out of trouble.

“It’s a constructive outlet for the kids’ time,”
Westmoreland said. “It just seems like whatever the deal is
that’s caused them (board members) to make their decision,
they’ve forgotten about the kids and that’s who the program
is set up for.”

Jon Wootten, a Queen Creek Town Council member and an active
leader with Queen Creek 4-H, said the shooting program
provides an additional avenue for kids to participate in
once they grow out of or grow tired of animal competitions.
He said he was shocked when he heard the program was cut.

“No matter your feelings about guns, the idea that we would
want to remove an option for kids to compete and learn about
these things is just mind-boggling to me,”

‘Vital program’

Wootten said. “It’s absolutely a vital program.”

Barton, the regents’ spokeswoman, said the support expressed
by the parents and kids involved with the program prompted
the board to re-evaluate the decision.

But no one is sure of the program’s future.

The board has asked the university to look into whether the
program can continue without the school bearing legal
responsibility for the weapons. It’s unclear what the
alternatives might be.

“They thought it was important enough to at least give the
opportunity to the university to bring back some more
information,” Barton said. “The ball is back in the
University of Arizona’s court.”

The next Board of Regents meeting is Feb. 2-3, but the issue
has not yet been scheduled for further discussion.