Dear Editor: On May 8th, the Covington Rotary Club, in conjunction with the Covington Police Department and the Newton County Sheriff’s Department, co-sponsored a Gun Safety Clinic at the FFA Camp. The class lasted all day with the morning being devoted to topics such as the Georgia gun laws, the fundamentals of shooting, the different types of weapons and home safety just to name a few. After lunch, we each got experience shooting on the firing range.

We were extremely fortunate to have Range Master Sgt. Arvo Bowen to be in charge of the event. He was able to deliver a very serious message about gun safety and proper usage of firearms in a very engaging, interesting and humorous manner. Not only was he a great instructor, but he was also an outstanding organizer. He provided a gun safety manual that was easy to follow and quoted current laws concerning firearms and use of force. Through his efforts, he assembled a number of skilled firearms instructors from the Covington Police Department, the Newton County Sheriff’s Department and DeKalb Technical College who willingly donated their time and talents for over eight hours on their off time on a Saturday.

We started the day as 20 inexperienced novices and ended the day with a better appreciation of handguns and a strong desire for more training. I would like to thank Chief of Police Stacey Cotton and Newton County Sheriff Ezell Brown for their willingness to work with the community and allow citizens the opportunity to receive training from professional and highly trained instructors.