My First Event As a Chapter Leader and What it Meant to Me…..
In January I decided to take the leap and become a Chapter Leader for a non-profit organization known as Wildlife Women, Inc. I had done my research checked out the girls and thought long and hard about joining and taking on a leadership role. After hosting my first even on March 24, 2018 it confirmed to me that I am where I’m meant to be and my heart was filled that day.
That day I was able to bring 10 women together and provide a place they felt comfortable and secure so that they could get their carry and conceal permits. The CCDW class was 8 hours long, it poured the snow the entire time, but we had a blast. Two mother and daughter combos came, a couple of my dearest friends came, and I had women of all age ranges with different levels of experience. One of the mother daughter combos was actually me and my Momma. Growing up I always seen her as Superwoman and as tough as they came, but I never really knew that she knew little about guns. She didn’t know the proper way to hold a hand gun, how to properly load a gun, or even what kind of gun was suited for her to carry. By the end of the class she was shooting well and was comfortable with the gun in her hand. She knows what kind of gun she wants to purchase for herself and I was able to leave the class knowing that no matter what, my Mom now has the ability to protect herself even when my father is not around. Not only her, but all the women that attended the class now have that knowledge, and it all happened because our amazing organization was able to bring that to them.
During the shooting portion of our class we went to public property to shoot. Our instructor, Andrew Baldwin, was amazing. It was below freezing, the snow was coming down like crazy, but all of the women braved it out and we were able to shoot and qualify for our permits. I sat back and watched each of them and watched them learn more and more as they shot more. Their confidence grew and their knowledge grew.
This class taught me so much and it showed me the main reason why Wildlife Women has such a big hold on my heart. We are able to provide women with education and teach them all these great things in a place where they are comfortable and not afraid to just let loose. We get to teach them how to shoot, how to protect themselves, and even for some, teach the ability to even go out in this beautiful earth, harvest an animal and be able to provide for themselves and their families. We also have a whole lot of fun while we do it!
I hope you enjoyed my little description of our class and hopefully you will be able to join us soon!
Cassie Diamond
Wildlife Women
WV Chapter Leader