Alabama 4-H Volunteer
Inducted November 13, 2008
Jack Mitchell has volunteered for the Alabama 4-H Shooting Sports program in various capacities since 1998. On the county level, he has served as a club leader in Dallas and Monroe; a recruiter, and trainer of other volunteers in rifle, muzzleloading, and archery; and a special events planner.
On the state level, Mitchell has been an instructor-trainer in rifle and archery for county volunteers and 4-H Center staff and a member of the state 4-H Shooting Sports Committee. He has planned and worked on numerous shooting sports events, always with an eye toward safety and education.
It is difficult to estimate the number of people Mitchell has affected through the 4-H Shooting Sports program. He has trained 35 archery instructors and 55 rifle instructors. He has taken 25 4-H’ers to compete at the Civilian Marksmanship Program national youth marksmanship competition in Ohio and has directly instructed approximately 1,000 youth at state and county rendezvous and field days. He has overseen 4-H and archery in the schools’ competitions where more than 3,000 youth participated.
Since 2005, Mitchell has conducted 15 multicounty discipline instructor training to ensure volunteer leaders are certified to teach shooting sports. He is an active Alabama Hunter Education instructor and National Rifle Association training counselor. Mitchell is certified to teach the following: home firearms safety; muzzleloading pistol and rifle; shotgun; .22 rifle; and personal pistol protection. He has taught three pistol personal protection classes for women in Monroe County.
The 4-H Shooting Sports program has benefited from Mitchell’s leadership abilities on two levels. He has conducted numerous pieces of training and helped many other volunteer leaders. But more importantly, Mitchell understands youth development and weaves the concepts into his training sessions and interactions with youth.
Nominated by Emily Kling and Denise Legvold
