The Northeastern Action Wildlife Club recently presented checks in the amount of $500 to the Roanoke Rapids Graded School’s Hunter Safety Skills teams and the Halifax Academy team.
The Roanoke Rapids team was formed last year at Chaloner Middle School with 23 team members. This year they expanded to add a team at Roanoke Rapids High School and have 28 team members. Coaches for the teams are Ron Baird, Jamie Christenbury, Ben Clements, Brian Davis, Lee Gibson, Chuck Hasty, Bruce Norton, Chris Rogers, Michelle Rogers and Lisa Salmon.
This is the first year Halifax Academy will have a team. It is coached by Tony Herman with parent participation and has 19 students combined of middle and high school students.
Both schools will compete on March 14 in the District 3 Youth Hunter Safety Tournament sponsored by the North Carolina Wildlife Commission. It will be held at Rose Hill Farms in Nashville.
Scoring is based on hunter skills and capability in orienteering, as well as target shooting, whether in archery, rifle or shotgun. Success depends on decision-making abilities, outdoor knowledge and a keen aim.
The competition was established to:
To promote the Hunter Education Program in the public and private schools.
To promote public awareness of the Hunter Education Program in North Carolina.
To encourage the Hunter Education graduate to go beyond the basics by developing their knowledge and skills in all areas of hunting experience, which will result in a safer and more responsible
sportsman.
To offer the young people a positive experience in all disciplines of the shooting sport.
To experience and learn a variety of legal hunting methods, its efficiency, operation and effectiveness. To promote the safe sport of hunting and shooting.
In the fall of 2013 members of the NCWRC and Roanoke Rapids Police Department approached RRGSD Superintendent Dennis Sawyer and the RRGSD Board about establishing a Hunter Skills Safety Team.
With their approval Chaloner Middle School established a Hunter Skills Safety Team.
The team was comprised of one staff member, four coaches and range safety officers, and a member of NCWRC. The first year here were between 20-25 students in the 7th and 8th grade that showed interest in forming a team.
Pictured in the photo above are members of the Roanoke Rapids team with Wildlife Officer Carl Hatcher; president of the Northeastern Action Wildlife Club Jimmy Storey' Roanoke Rapids coach Michelle Rogers and Halifax Academy coach Tony Herman.
