Paying it forward: Faith in Future Service
Thousands viewed the 2024 Guardians of Freedom Air Show hosted by Shepard Air Force Base on April 27-28. Outstanding experience! My son, wife, two granddaughters, two grandsons and four dogs celebrated with my wife and I.
We watched from the backyard while cooking burgers. Grandson Felix tracked the flights on his tablet in anticipation of their passage overhead.
Meanwhile on the east side of SAFB, the Southwest Rotary Club hosted the 15th annual sporting clay shoot. Many of our “regulars” — with much experience at certain steps in hosting the total event — were not available this year. Questions and challenges came early and often.
Conflict on the same day as the airshow was an early question; Saturday weather was another.
“There is no Plan B,” was my answer.
Last week many hands made sure the shooters enjoyed their day with advance preparation and communication preparing those volunteers working key posts. An hour before shooter registration, college mentors from the Road to College program joined SW Rotarians in quickly setting up tables and chairs for registration and meals.
Our groups know one another well after several years placing U.S. flags for subscribers during flag seasons. During some spare time, Rotarian Michael Mitchell gave a quick gun safety overview and then coached each Road to College mentor in shooting clay targets.
Midafternoon, Felix and his dad journeyed with me to see how the shoot was going. Everyone was enjoying themselves. Shooters shooting; RIBS Inc cooking; Rotarians conducting registration and serving lunches.
Lt. Col. Paul Wruk, flying training squadron leader of the 469th Fighting Bulls, took a break from shooting to share a squadron patch with Felix and fuel his dream to attend the Air Force Academy and be a pilot!
Rain held off till 7 pm. Forty-three shooters enjoyed the day: registration, practice round, burger lunch, competitive shoot, RIBS Inc dinner with ribs and all the fixings, and prizes for first, second and third place. All the shooters enjoyed the day!
A big thank you to our hosts, Northwest Field and Stream. Lonnie Culley, thanks for stepping up for John Lamberth so smoothly most didn’t notice as the details came together.
Amazingly, I’m content and confident that the “critical” vision of success for our clay shoot renewed within Southwest Rotary Club. I'm dreaming what can we do next for the betterment of our community.
Check out Serve Wichita Falls group on Facebook to see how you or your nonprofit can make a difference.
Jack Browne is a community volunteer and former tech sales and marketing executive who worked 40 years at Motorola, MIPS Technologies and other companies. How are the children doing? Visit his website at www.newcollarcoach.com.
This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Jack Browne:
