At the end of February, nearly three dozen Academy supporters gathered at the beautiful Wingspread Conference Center in Racine, Wisconsin, to lay out the vision for the institution’s future. Though winter’s chill whipped around them, conference participants generated plenty of their own energy. Among other topics, they set ambitious goals for Academy recruitment, curriculum, student life, post-graduation placement, funding, and outreach. Academy leaders called the weekend “a turning point” in the institution’s brief history, and the ideas generated at Wingspread will no doubt be debated and discussed for years to come.

Those are the basic facts about the conference. Now we want to hear from you!

For those of you who attended the USPSA weekend at Wingspread, what were some of the defining moments of the gathering? Can you give us a sense of the Academy’s direction and momentum?

We’re also looking for a confirmation or denial of the rumor that everyone’s talking about: Did notoriously hard-core Academy co-founder Chris Myers Asch really plunge into the icy waters of Lake Michigan, thereby becoming an honorary member of the Polar Bear Club? Inquiring minds want to know.

As always, we welcome your comments and questions.