For most of us, the thought of handling a firearm is a serious undertaking, one that has involved a great deal of safety training. The thought of pointing a firearm at another person is so foreign to law-abiding gun owners, despite what the opponents would like the rest of the population to believe.
With this in mind, a 14-year-old Kansas Eagle Scout decided to do something slightly different for his service project. Nathan Toy of Troop 366 took it upon himself to organize a firearms safety event as part of his project, an undertaking he is hopeful could one day save someone’s life.
“I think the public needs to be better informed on the use and responsibility of gun ownership,” Toy told the Leavenworth Times. “I want my project to have a direct impact on potentially preventing a gun-related accident. But most importantly, the information shared today may one day save a life. There is no better project in my mind than that.”
It didn’t take long for Toy to gather a variety of safety-related products and merchandise from a number of firearm manufacturers. The young man used the materials he received to build informative and education hand-outs he then distributed at the event.
The National Shooting Sports Foundation, which has been a leader in promoting, protecting and preserving hunting and shooting sports since 1961 also got involved. The Foundation provided Toy with all-inclusive safety kits containing educational CDs, gun locks and certificates that are to be signed by both children and parents as a their promise to firearm safety.
These free gun safety kits are distributed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation as part of Project ChildSafe through distributors across the United States.
Scoutmaster Jerry Overbey of Troop 366 is hopeful that this could eventually become an annual event as part of the Boy Scouts community outreach program.
Boy Scouts of America has long been a supporter of safe and responsible gun ownership offering members a variety of shooting sports programs including Cowboy Action Shooting, the Competitive Pistol Program and Safety and Marksmanship Training.