Aurora Hawkins is the facilitator of the Baton Rouge chapter of the all-women gun club, A Girl and A Gun Womens Shooting League.

Hawkins was the guest speaker at a recent Zachary Rotary Club meeting.

A Girl and A Gun Women’s Shooting League is a ladies only organization established by women shooters for women shooters for pistol, rifle and shotgun sports! The league is designed to take beginners to whatever skill level they wish to achieve, and provide experienced shooters with more opportunities.

The Baton Rouge chapter of AG & AG started in 2011 and is 70 members strong today, said Hawkins.

"The objective for some women is to improve their skill levels for target and/or competitive shooting," Hawkins told the service organization Jan. 3. "Others want to improve their skills or they are interested in certain aspects of self-defense."

Hawkins said many women go into the sport of shooting or become a member because their husbands bought them a gun and they want to become proficient in shooting it.

Hawkins is a NRA certified instructor who teaches classes and clinics to women gun-owners and leads AG & AG events such as Breakfast and Bullets. "We eat a light little breakfast of juice and muffins before we put some lead down range," Hawkins said.

AG & AG events are intended to be fun, she says, and they are social gatherings where women can come together for support, encouragement, ask questions in a safe and nonjudgmental environment, improve on their marksmanship and bond together in the shooting community.

In Hawkins' clinics, she provides the basics of safe gun handling and range etiquette, techniques on grip, stance, trigger control and sight picture.

She says there is no age limit to the women that come to her classes but she recommends teens come with an adult. All AG & AG events are supervised by NRA certified instructors and/or range safety officers.

"We are all about breaking barriers and opening doors to new interests," Hawkins said about AG & AG.

For more about A Girl and A Gun Shooting League or an upcoming event, www.agirlandagunclub.com.