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• Monthly Report - September, 1997

November 11, 1997

Dear Friends,

Please accept my thanks for your support over the last three months. The phone calls, e-mails, and letters were very much appreciated. I want you to know that I read every letter and e-mail, and personally answer the phone whenever I am in the office. If you ever need anything, please feel free to contact me.

October proved to be a record month for Front Sight. In fact, we have trained over 400 students since August 1st. Im sure you have read many of their testimonials in previous mailings. Currently, we have four times as many students scheduled to attend courses in November and December as compared to the same time last year. It is very gratifying to see such positive growth.

I held an Instructor Course in October, which resulted in doubling the size of our instructional staff. We now have more than enough highly qualified instructors available each month to keep up with our growing student population. This means that as we double our student base next year, we will always maintain our ratio of one instructor for every five students on the firing line and one-on-one instruction in the live-fire tactical (Shooting House and SWAT Tower) training simulators. The additional instructors at Front Sight also allows me to accept some additional students in the November and December courses which were previously full. If you want to get into a course before the end of the year so you too will receive an invitation to the free submachine gun seminar in January, give me a call and I will do my best to make it work for you.

I would like to share with you, excerpts from Front Sights Instructors Manual entitled "Requirements of a Front Sight Instructor" and "Front Sight's Product" to give you a better understanding of my philosophy in choosing Front Sight's staff.

1. The ability to perform on demand, exactly, what you are teaching to the students.
2. A strong desire and ability to impart your knowledge and expertise to the students.
3. Voice, posture, vocabulary, and appearance that secures the students respect for your position as their instructor.
4. High moral and ethical character which leaves you behaving as a gentleman on and off the range.
5. A memory that allows you to always remember what it is like to be a student.
6. The integrity to teach your course exactly as it is outlined in Front Sights curriculum with no alteration to the instructional doctrine.

Whether an instructor has actually experienced a lethal confrontation and shot for blood is really a question of circumstance and occupation. It is true that the experience of winning a gun fight lends some additional credibility to the words of the instructor. However, a gun fight under one's belt does not, in itself, make a good instructor. Those who dwell on such issues soon reveal that they lack the more important instructional qualities that truly make the difference in a student's performance. With that said, let me assure you that the current staff has collectively "seen the elephant" numerous times. If you are looking for instructors who have "been there and done that" you need not look any further.

Students are the product of Front Sights activities. All efforts by all staff should be directed at producing the best product possible. The finished product is as follows:

1. A student who knows he has learned as much as possible in the time he spent with us.
2. A student who knows he has improved significantly, regardless of his level at the start of the course.
3. A student who leaves knowing that the entire staff is consistent and unified in the techniques discussed, demonstrated, and taught.
4. A student who leaves knowing that the instructional staff is the best it could possible be and that there is no better staff anywhere.
5. A student who leaves knowing he has received more personal attention than he expected he would.
6. A student who leaves feeling that each instructor has an interest in helping him and does everything possible to make the student's experience the best it can be.
7. A student who, regardless of his own political beliefs, occupation, choice of firearms, previous shooting school affiliations, income level, educational level, religion, etc. leaves knowing he was treated with the same respect and interest in improving his skills as all the other students.
8. A student who is not offended by anyone or anything that is said or done before, during, or after the course.
9. A student who knows that regardless of who is instructing a particular course, the course content and its delivery will be as listed above.
10. A student who knows that if he refers another student to us, his referral will receive the same experience.
11. A student who knows that regardless of the ability level of his referral, the staff will be willing and able to accomplish the same product as listed above.
12. A student who knows that Front Sight is the leader of the industry and will remain the leader for years to come.
13. A student who understands our purpose, embraces it and wants to assist us in our mission.
14. A student who wants to attend more courses to continue learning and growing with the organization.
15. A student who has confidence in the organization and feels he is part of it.
16. A student who knows from his first contact (advertising, referral, direct mail, web site, telephone call) to the completion of his first course, that Front Sight is a first class organization that is responsive, progressive, unified, successful, growing, and above all -- working to help him reach whatever level he desires.

The entire Front Sight staff, from the newest instructor to the founder of the organization is responsible for PRODUCING the product -- our students. To accomplish these goals we must have the willingness to constantly and objectively evaluate our performance to make sure we are producing the best product possible. The entire staff, from the newest instructor to the founder of the company must be willing to examine, accept, and correct anything that gets in the way of producing the best product possible.

Every instructor now working with Front Sight fits the "Requirements of a Front Sight Instructor" and embraces the philosophy of "Front Sight's Product."

Based on the high percentage of students who regularly return for more training, I am implementing another improvement in the delivery of our courses. Starting in December, students who have attended courses in the past, need not repeat the lecture portion of their previous course and may instead, proceed to the range where our instructors will provide them with supplemental range drills. This is another way that we intensify the students experience to give them as much training as possible in the two day and four day format.

Except for the invitations to Front Sight's Student Appreciation Weekend, Free Submachine Gun Seminar which will be mailed mid-November to all the student attending courses in 1997, this is the last letter I will send in 1997.

I hope you have found my communications with you candid and sincere. I want you to feel you are a part of Front Sights development because you are, most certainly, the reason why I endeavor to deliver a world class training experience for every student.

Please accept the next bit of insider information as my way of giving you the advance notice you need to save money and plan accordingly. All of Front Sights 1998 courses will have significant price increases. I am informing you now so you can enroll early and save hundreds of dollars on the courses you planned on taking in 1998.

I recommend that you choose the course or courses you want to attend in 1998. Fill out an application and mail or fax it to me with payment in full by December 31, 1997 and you can enroll in 1998 courses at our 1997 prices. If you dont have a brochure or application, please call me and I will mail one to you immediately. You can also enroll via Front Sights web site.

I will even accept your application with "To Be Determined" on the course description and date. This way you can lock in the 1997 prices and have all the time you need to arrange your schedule or decide which course and date you want to attend. Once you decide which course and date works best, I will place you in the course. Also, consider Front Sight courses as gifts this holiday season. I guarantee you that it will never cost less or be easier to enroll in a course than right now, so please take advantage of what I am offering you.

If you have any questions or want to put together a group of students to attend in 1998 at 1997 prices, please feel free to call me. Again, I feel you have shared a very important part of Front Sight's history in the last three months and I will do whatever I possibly can to assist you in reaching Front Sight in 1998.

Lastly, a page of testimonials from some of the women who attended courses at Front Sight in the last few weeks. If you have a mother, wife, sister, or daughter who you would like to see become proficient with a handgun, share the comments from these ladies -- a few of which had never shot a firearm before attending Front Sight.

I look forward to seeing you at Front Sight soon. Have a Happy Thanksgiving and a joyous holiday season.

Yours truly,

Founder and Director
Front Sight Firearms Training Institute

A SAMPLE OF TESTIMONIALS FROM WOMEN ATTENDING COURSES IN OCTOBER

"I am very impressed with the high level of professionalism in the way the course is set up and with the individual members of the staff. Some clearly very experienced teachers -- great support, enthusiasm, encouragement with just the right balance of pushing the student for their best performance. The system you teach is clear and obviously works for the untrained shooter as well as the experienced shooter. In terms of my skill level, mental attitude and approach to firearms, I'm a completely different person with a gun after taking this course. Anybody who owns a handgun for home defense should take this course whether you have had previous training or not."

"I thought this course was very educational, well organized, and very professional. As a woman who has always been reluctant to become familiar with my gun, and who has often found the macho gun shop owner attitude intimidating, I really appreciated the friendly, but serious approach to firearms training at Front Sight. For the first time ever, I finally feel comfortable with my firearm. Front Sight removed the stereotypes I often associated with gun enthusiasts. In the Front Sight environment, learning, not ego is the focus. I also thought the lectures were wonderful. Thank you so much!!"

"I really enjoyed the class immensely. The instructors were excellent. They were courteous at all times and very patient. The class provided the fundamentals to build a good foundation for me to improve on. Having so many instructors so that there was always at least one available for any one-on-one instruction needed was great."

"The two day handgun course is more accessible for women and beginners (I am both) than I anticipated. None of the paramilitary macho stuff that I thought I would see. All the instructors are very patient and able to deliver exactly the right information when needed. If you have made the decision to have guns in your home or office, you have an obligation to yourself and those around you to use them safely and efficiently. This course is the best way I can find to accomplish this in an intensive weekend, and to be instructed by professionals who not only know their business, but know how to teach as well. Thanks to Front Sight, I feel safer with guns in our house now that I have taken this course."

"I appreciate the professionalism that each instructor showed before, during, and after the course. Instruction and constructive criticism were given in a manner with respect toward the shooter. Positive comments were always given along with any corrections that were made. Whatever your current skills are, you will be surprised at how much your level of accuracy, competence, and self esteem will increase by the end of the course. You will learn new skills and advance your current skills to higher levels. Front Sight is well worth the time and money."

"I just wanted to tell you again how much I enjoyed your four day defensive handgun class. The class was very informative and the instructors were excellent--much better than I expected. There was great uniformity and patience among the instructors throughout the course. From the instruction and lectures on the legalities of using your gun, I learned that there is so much more to having a gun than going to the range and shooting once a week. I have a whole new perspective and respect for it."

"I came into this course without any knowledge of guns. Now I am very comfortable, yet respectful of my pistol. The instructors were very patient and accommodating. If you already have a firearm or wish to purchase one, I think it is necessary to attend a course at Front Sight Firearms Training Institute. Being a single parent, I was able to acquire the skills and knowledge to feel comfortable enough to own and operate a firearm to defend my loved ones."

"Front Sight is the ideal place in which you can learn how to handle weapons safely, properly and most efficiently. The four day handgun course helped me learn how to protect myself in situations where I could be in danger. Ladies! Front Sight is not a boot camp and the training is done with a touch of humor and great deal of fun. I had a great time."

"From the perspective of a total novice and woman, I found the instructors were always helpful with constructive critiques and positive comments -- never criticism. I felt I had a personal trainer for most of the four days. The best part was that I received the benefit of six personal trainers every day as all the instructors were very wonderful and very watchful. I had fun because the instructors gave me the confidence to do it."

"I am so impressed with the level and quality of training at Front Sights Four Day Defensive Handgun course! My expectations were met, if not surpassed. The tactical scenarios were a huge eye-opener. I especially liked the instructor to student ratio and the low key approach the instructors take which makes it easier to absorb the information given. This was perhaps, the most impressive aspect for me. I felt as if I was receiving private instruction along with the benefits of being in a group. Attending a course at Front Sight is an excellent and responsible thing to do."

"The instructors are all absolutely top-notch. The course is well thought out, and teaches time-tested methods. Truly the highest degree of professionalism. This is the best opportunity you will ever have to improve your shooting skills."

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