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Floridian wins international
Winchester Hunter Education Instructor of the Year
June 7, 2007
Contact: Bill Cline (850) 410-0085
Dave Klein of
Bradenton is the 2007 Winchester Hunter Education Volunteer
Instructor of the Year. The honor recognizes an instructor
who significantly advances the cause of safe hunting through
extraordinary service in training or education.
This is the
second time in the past three years a Florida instructor has won
this award from the world-famous gun and ammunition
manufacturer. Terry and Norma Neenan of Bell also were the
first husband and wife team to win the award in 2005.
Klein also
was recognized in 2006 for his commitment to teaching hunter
safety by winning the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission’s (FWC) "Hunter Safety – 2005 Instructor of the
Year.â€
"There’s
nothing more gratifying than watching a youngster fire a shotgun
or head into the field for the first time,†Klein said. "I
do this because I value the shooting sports and hunting – and,
this is my way of being able to give back to the community.â€
Klein has
volunteered teaching hunter safety and bow hunting since 1994
and acts as the hunter safety area coordinator for his home
county of Manatee as well as Charlotte County. During his
13 years of service to the hunter safety program, he has taught
168 hunter safety courses and donated more than 3,900 hours to
the program. In 2006 alone, he helped certify 569 students.
During 2005,
Klein went over and above the call of duty by also volunteering
to assist teaching hunter safety classes in Hardee and Polk
counties, which had to be rescheduled due to the hurricanes.
Some of the
qualities that make Klein an asset to the program are his
excellent communication skills and his introduction of "team
teaching†to his area’s curriculum. Team teaching is an
instructional technique, which helps disseminate information to
students and causes less teacher fatigue.
Other
achievements to Klein’s resume include winning the FWC’s
regional "Outstanding Volunteer Award†and the "Regional
Outstanding Coordinator Award†several times. He also
promotes hunter safety within the Boy Scouts of America at Camp
Flying Eagle and works the FWC’s hunter safety booth at the
State Fair in Tampa every year.
"Volunteer
hunter education instructors like Dave Klein not only promote
the hunting and shooting sports, but they serve as leaders in
our industry,†president of Winchester Ammunition Dick Hammett
said. "Winchester is very proud of Mr. Klein along with
the other finalists for this award.â€
For more
information on how to become a volunteer hunter safety
instructor, call (850) 413-0085 or visit
MyFWC.com/huntersafety.
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