2009 Friends of NRA Merchandise Package

Transcription

Since Inception, Two Million Attendees, $125 Million Raised, and Over 10,000 Events!
A P U B L IC AT IO N OF TH E NRA F O U NDAT ION
Announcing the new
Quarter 4: 2008
2009 Friends of NRA
Merchandise Package
Table
of
Contents
Featuring
Board
Guest Editorial – Kyle Weaver
3
Foundation News
Two of the Most Outstanding Friends of NRA Committees
4
National Police Shooting Championships
6
Fincastle Women on Target Clinic
7
Fall in Fairfax
8
Eddie Eagle Turns 20
32
Eddie Eagle Comes to New York
33
Friends Update
2009 Standard Merchandise Package
10
2009 Sponsor Program
15
2009 Magnum Merchandise Package
16
Western Region
18
Mid-West Region
20
Central Region
24
Eastern Region
28
NRA Foundation Donors
34
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The 2009 Print of the Year, “Bad Boys” Cape Buffalo. Award-winning wildlife artist Eddie
LeRoy shows firsthand detail of this amazing animal in its natural habitat.
Traditions is published quarterly by The NRA Foundation, Inc., for the benefit of its donors and other interested parties.
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Mr. Allan D. Cors
President
Mr. Frank R. Brownell, III
Vice President
Mr. William A. Bachenberg
Trustee
Mr. Gerald W. Bersett
Trustee
The Honorable David O. Boehm
Trustee
The Honorable Bill K. Brewster
Trustee
Mr. Ronald Crawford
Trustee
Ms. Sandra S. Froman
Trustee
General P.X. Kelley, USMC (ret.)
Trustee
Mr. Wayne R. LaPierre, Jr.
Trustee
Mr. James W. Porter II
Trustee
Mr. Dennis J. Reese
Trustee
Mr. Ronald L. Schmeits
Trustee
Captain John C. Sigler
Trustee
Mr. Wilson H. Phillips Jr.
Treasurer
Mr. H. Wayne Sheets
Executive Director
Mrs. Sandy S. Elkin
Secretary
Mr. Benjamin R. Case
Executive Director
Office of Advancement
Mr. John R. Woods
President Emeritus
Mission Statement
About The Cover:
11250 Waples Mill Road • Fairfax, VA 22030 • (800) 423-6894 • www.nrafoundation.org
Trustees
  
Grants in Action
North Carolina Says YES! to Learning Outside the Classroom
of
Established in 1990, The NRA Foundation, Inc.
(“NRA Foundation”) is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt
organization that raises tax-deductible contributions
in support of a wide range of firearms-related public
interest activities of the National Rifle Association
of America and other organizations that defend and
foster the Second Amendment rights of all law-abiding
Americans. These activities are designed to promote
firearms and hunting safety, to enhance marksmanship
skills of those participating in the shooting sports, and
to educate the general public about firearms in their
historic, technological, and artistic context. Funds
granted by The NRA Foundation benefit a variety
of constituencies throughout the United States,
including children, youth, women, individuals with
physical disabilities, gun collectors, law enforcement
officers, hunters, and competitive shooters.
  
Traditions Staff
Editor: Laura R. Dindal
Co-Editor: Nicole McMahon
Co-Editor: Amber Niblock-Shorter
Design: vann design, llc
Traditions • Quarter 4: 2008
Guest Editorial
Kyle Weaver
Managing Director, Field Operations Division
Volunteers…Making a Difference
F
or the last 14 years, I have been lucky enough to work for the National Rifle Association and be part
of a great program called Friends of NRA. I have served in several capacities in those 14 years, with the
last two as Managing Director of Field Operations Division. A large element of this position includes
the responsibilities I carry with the Friends of NRA program. I feel everything we do is important, but nothing
is more satisfying than the results this program produces. In 2008, Friends of NRA set records in dollars raised,
events held and grants awarded. The key to our success is no secret…Volunteers.
Across America on just about any given Thursday, Friday, or Saturday night, a Friends of NRA event is
being held. In 2008, Friends of NRA held 1,053 events and raised over $15.8 million for the shooting sports.
The program’s success has many elements, but at the heart of it is our volunteers. These amazing individuals
dedicate weeks, months, and many of them, years of their lives to this program and the shooting sports. From
the first committee start-up meeting to helping the NRA field representative pack up the supplies at the end
of the event, they do it all. On many occasions, I have heard a Friends of NRA volunteer call it their second
religion. Over the last 16 years, the work of these individuals has produced $125 million in grants for the
future of the shooting sports. Their hard work has helped buy equipment, build ranges, educate millions of
children on gun and shooting safety, create and save shooting teams, and made NRA part of communities
across this country.
These volunteers form committees, and many committees become families. In my years with the program,
some of the funniest and most motivating stories have come from these volunteers. From selling the right
to cut off a ponytail in a live auction to a husband traveling back and forth from the hospital to the event
waiting for a child to be born, we have seen it all. Their dedication is unmatched and a reward is unsolicited.
They do it because it means something to them and they want to make a difference.
To each and every one of you who volunteer on a Friends of NRA committee, we say thank you and God
bless you. I cannot imagine where this great organization would be today without the program you built, the
grant money it produces, and most of all, without you. You are the difference.
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Foundation News
Two of the
MOST Outstand
NRA President John Sigler presents the 2007 Most Outstanding Friends of NRA Committee Award to Pennsylvania’s First Chairman, Mr. Dale
Emerick, Diana Emerick, Jonathan Long, and William Tylazsky. In the background is NRA 1st Vice President Ronald Schmeits.
By Laura Dindal
Event Services Manager
E
ach year during the Fall NRA Board Meetings,
individuals and organizations are invited to
Washington D.C. to be recognized for their
outstanding achievements and service to
the National Rifle Association. All have a
profound commitment to the gun-owning public and
their community, which is exemplified through their
extraordinary efforts to promote the shooting sports.
Among those honored each year is the Most Outstanding
Friends of NRA Committee. This award is normally given
to the committee that raises the highest net income, but in
2008 it was given to two committees that achieved this goal
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in 2007. It was my extreme honor to meet these volunteers
and accompany them during their stay in Washington, D.C.
For the past two years, Pennsylvania’s First from
North Huntingdon, Pa., has been the sole recipient
of this prestigious award. Since its beginning in 1993,
Pennsylvania’s First has raised over $1,200,000 for The
NRA Foundation. In 2007, they raised about $137,000.
Dale Emerick, who has been the chairman of the committee
for approximately eight years, credits their success to the
hard working committee members and the dedicated
supporters who attend the banquets every year. In speaking
with Dale, he mentioned that his committee works year
round to raise funds and support for the banquets.
ing
Friends of NRA Committees
President John Sigler presents the 2007 Most Outstanding Friends of NRA Committee Award to Corpus Christi’s
Chairwoman Laura Berry, Alice Rae Huseman, and Guiermo Pliego. In the background is NRA 1st Vice President
Ronald Schmeits.
Corpus Christi, another well-known committee located
on an island in Texas, captured the Most Outstanding
Friends of NRA Committee award as well. They were
number one consecutively in the years 1994-1999 and
have fought to retain their status in the 21st century.
Since 1993, Corpus Christi has raised more than
$1,400,000 for the NRA Foundation and in 2007 they
netted about $136,000. When first year chairman Laura
Berry was asked how she put Corpus Christi back on top,
she responded that running the event more like a business
and involving the ladies of her club, Lady Hot Shots,
helped out tremendously. Laura also credited the banquet’s
success to Senior Field Representative for South Texas,
Gayle Carter-Cook, for being “one of the hardest working
ladies I’ve ever had the privilege to work with.”
During the day I spent with Dale, Laura, and other
award recipients, we were able to tour the National
Firearms Museum and the NRA Range. We also had the
opportunity to see key sights in Washington, D.C., such as
the Capitol, the Lincoln and World War II memorials, as
well as the new Pentagon memorial. The highlight of the
day, however, were the conversations I had with both Laura
and Dale on their success with their committees.
With the devotion and loyalty that these committees’
volunteers possess, their banquets will continue to be among
the most successful in the nation for years to come.
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Foundation News
National Police Shooting Championships…
WOW!
B y G l e n H o y e r, L E A D D i r e c t o r
T
he 46th Annual NRA
National Police Shooting
Championship (NPSC)
took place September 21-24 in
Albuquerque, N.M., and had
an outstanding turnout, with
approximately 500 officers competing
in the tournament. Law enforcement
officers from around the world came to
compete for 4,000 trophies and prizes
valued at more than $300,000—one
of the best prize tables in all of law
enforcement competition shooting.
The NPSC is a valuable
competition in the law enforcement
arena, putting officers’ shooting
skills to the test as well as honing
their tactical skills. In a life or death
situation involving deadly force, an
officer’s ability to accurately shoot is
the most important factor.
With the retirement of nine-time
National Police Shooting Champion
Captain Philip Hemphill, speculation
was at an all-time high as to who
would leave Albuquerque with the
2008 NPSC title. When the smoke
cleared, U.S. Border Patrol Agent
Robert Vadasz of Tampa, Fla., had
outshot fellow competitors with a
cumulative score of 2980-195x. Vadasz
was the Metallic Sight Champion at
the 2008 NRA Bianchi Cup, where
competitors are tested on their speed
and accuracy while shooting at both
moving and stationary targets.
“It felt good,” Vadasz said. “NPSC
has taught me a lot about the mental
state of firearms competition.”
Prior to the NPSC, officers took
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part in law enforcement preevents like the New Mexico
Challenge and the Tactical Police
Competition. The New Mexico
Challenge is geared toward new
shooters who do not possess an
NRA Police Pistol Combat (PPC)
Classification Card. This year,
NPSC Competitor with Gunnery Sergeant Ronald
the Challenge hosted over 100
Lee Ermey.
new shooters who participated
in the Stock Semiautomatic
Gunny,” made this year’s event
Course of Fire, a firearms competition
especially memorable. Ermey, a former
designed to measure a shooter’s
U.S. Marine Corps drill instructor and
ability to perform on demand. The
later Golden Globe nominated actor,
Tactical Police Competition (TPC)
currently hosts “Mail Call,” on The
was comprised of over 80 officers
History Channel, where he answers
military-related viewer questions. He
In a life and death
also is an official spokesman for Glock
firearms and the Young Marines. As
situation involving deadly
guest speaker at the NPSC banquet,
force, an officer’s ability
Ermey had attendees rolling on the
to shoot accurately is the
floor with laughter. He was more
than happy to talk with competing
most important factor.
officers, sign autographs, and pose for
pictures. He even participated in the
shotgun competition, where he fired a
who participated in a three-gun
respectable score.
competition that mirrors modern law
enforcement training and equipment.
Register for the 2009 NPSC! For more
In conjunction with the NPSC,
information, visit www.nrahq.org/
armorer schools offered by DMPS,
law/competitions/npsc/npsc.asp, call
Beretta, Glock, and Sig Sauer taught
(703) 267-1632, or contact us via
attendees everything they needed to
e-mail at [email protected]. The 2009
know about a certain make and model
of gun, including assembly, disassembly, NPSC is scheduled for September
20-24, 2009. For a complete listing of
maintenance, and more. The schools
results and information about this year’s
were so popular the NPSC plans to
championships, as well as a variety of
offer them again next year.
downloadable photographs, visit www.
Gunnery Sergeant Ronald Lee
NRAblog.com.
Ermey, favorably referred to as “The
Fincastle
Women
On
Target®
Clinic
By Danielle Sturgis,
Media Specialist
I
attended my very first Women On
Target® clinic in April 2008 at the
Isaac Walton League in Northern
Virginia. The low-pressure atmosphere
featured a high ratio of volunteers
and NRA-certified instructors to
participants, and I left convinced I
would attend my next Women On
Target® clinic with my mother.
When I started working with Gene
Strickler, director for the Women
On Target® clinic at the Ridge Rifle
Association in Fincastle, Va., I knew
I had found the right fit for Mom,
Angie Sturgis. When she came to
visit for a weekend before Christmas, I
mentioned the idea. She seemed a bit
hesitant, but agreed to attend the Ridge
Rifle Association’s event with me.
I grew up in a divided household.
Mom, a homemaker, and Dad, a former
Marine, had different opinions on
firearms. Primarily, my mother didn’t
see the need for them, and certainly
not in her household, with her three
daughters growing up.
When my father saw my interest in
firearms peak while attending college,
he agreed to purchase a .38 pistol
for my graduation gift. Only when I
started working for the NRA two years
later did Mom realize the firearms issue
wasn’t just a phase. She saw Dad and
I trek to the local range when I was
home on a weekend visit. She heard us doesn’t have is an agenda, hidden
costs, or sales pitches.
talk excitedly about attending NRA’s
We walked down the hill to find
Annual Meeting in St. Louis. She
our place at the pistol range. Mom met
witnessed his pride when I took the
her instructor, who gently introduced
job at NRA Headquarters.
her to the .22 pistol she would shoot.
By then my father had proudly
As she started firing, she was smiling.
purchased his own handgun for
After she retrieved her first target, she
home defense, pointing out all three
was beaming. “It’s fun,” she said. Gene
daughters had flown the nest. I told
hugged me. Mom did even better at
Mom she should be familiar with the
the rifle range, and she out shot me
firearm as she would be any other tool
around the house. I also saw it as a way because Gene insisted I try shooting
left-handed.
to involve her in the community Dad
As we headed back to Northern
and I had.
Virginia, I asked Mom what she really
After picking up Mom at the
thought. “I’m glad I did it,” was all
airport, I wasn’t so sure. “Will there be
she said. The next day, I realized how
real bullets?” she asked nervously.
proud she was when she was talking to
We drove to Fincastle and met
a friend on the phone. “I did well,” she
Gene and other volunteers for dinner,
said. “I’ll send you the pictures.”
and Mom interacted with NRA
She insisted I send all the photos
members who regularly visit the range
to my father, who of course responded
with their families.
with pride. But I could tell something
The next morning we stood in line
was different. She was one of us now.
to register and put on our bright red
Women On Target® ball caps. Gene was She might even go to the range with
sure to assign Mom to an early relay.
Dad and I the next time I visit.
The classroom segment was held
Plan on attending the next Women on
outside at the top of the highest hill.
Target® Clinic by contacting Elizabeth
Mom and I sat under a canopy with
Hellmann at (703) 267-1398.
dozens of other women listening to
Ridge Rifle members
walk us through the
basics. We participated
in an exercise to
determine the dominant
eye and then we learned
the primary NRA safety
rules.
Their were women
surrounding us from all
over the state. Each had
her own reason for being
there, and I realized
there is no such thing
as a “typical” Women
On Target® participant.
The program is unique
because it has something Angie Sturgis posing with Ridge Rifle Association Pistol and
Rifle Instructor Jim Hamilton.
for everyone. What it
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Fall
Foundation News
in Fairfax
2008
By Ashley Weaver
Assistant Director of Planned Giving, Donor Relations
O
ctober 9-11, 2008, marked the NRA
Heritage Society’s Third Annual “Fall
in Fairfax” event sponsored by Universal
Coin & Bullion, Ltd. of Beaumont, Texas.
This was the first year the event was fully
underwritten and we thank Universal Coin & Bullion, Ltd.
for their commitment to preserving the Second Amendment.
“Fall in Fairfax” is a time for Heritage Society members
to come together at NRA Headquarters and celebrate
their common interest in the shooting sports and the
preservation of freedom. It is a time of recognition for
all they have done to protect our Second Amendment
heritage. It also provides an opportunity for those
considering making the NRA a beneficiary of their estate to
come and meet others who have done the same thing, and
to learn what the NRA Heritage Society is all about.
This year guests were treated to an unforgettable array
of events. The weekend kicked off Thursday evening with
a welcome reception and dinner with NRA 2nd Vice
President David Keene. Guests thoroughly enjoyed his
remarks, the opportunity for questions, and the intimate
atmosphere of the evening. Attendees left energized and
ready to start the weekend.
Friday’s activities were blessed by beautiful weather.
Some guests toured historic Manassas National Battlefield
while others took the opportunity to shoot sporting clays at
Bull Run Regional Park. Each group claims to have had the
best time. The afternoon wrapped up with a barbeque lunch
at Bull Run as everyone shared stories of their day.
In honor of the National Firearms Museum’s “Guns
West!” display, guests were invited to wear their best
western attire for Friday evening’s museum tour and western
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themed dinner. Participants were given a private guided
tour of the museum by the new Director of the National
Firearms Museum Jim Supica and senior curators Phil
Schreier and Doug Wicklund. They were a picture out of
the old west with their historic western attire.
Guests had the special opportunity to dine at the heart
of the NRA in the headquarters atrium amidst the newly
updated Defenders of Freedom Wall. It was a special night
with both the Executive Director of NRA-ILA Chris Cox
and NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre in
attendance. New Heritage Society Ambassador Members were
recognized for their documented planned gift commitment
to the NRA by Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre
and the Director of Planned Giving, Timothy G. Fisher.
On Saturday, guests were given the opportunity to learn
about the NRA’s needs and the best way to accomplish
their charitable goals. A variety of charitable planning
techniques were discussed and what effect the new
administration will have on your tax planning.
Saturday evening brought the most unique opportunity
the NRA has had during “Fall in Fairfax” yet. Heritage
Society Ambassadors and friends were treated to a once in
a lifetime opportunity to have a private guided tour of the
National Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, Va. It
was a moving experience to visit the museum and to bear
witness to all of the men and women who have fought and
given their lives so that we may live free.
After the tour, guests assembled in the museum’s Tunn
Tavern before heading to the Leatherneck Gallery for a
private dinner. The atmosphere was awe-inspiring and
humbling, and when guest speaker James Warner took the
podium, the crowd was speechless. Mr. Warner is a former
Special thanks to Universal Coin & Bullion
J Official Bullion & Rare Coin Dealer of the NRA
J Sponsor 2008 “Fall In Fairfax”
J Sponsor 2009 Heritage Society Annual Meeting Event
Reagan administration domestic policy adviser, former NRA
attorney, and former Marine. He closed the evening with his
words of courage during times of adversity. His words were
heard loud and clear as everyone understood the battles we
will face as protectors of freedom in the years to come.
Heritage Society Ambassador Membership is awarded
to those individuals who have made a gift to any NRA
entity in their will, trust, or other estate plan and have
provided documentation of that gift to the NRA Office of
Advancement’s Planned Giving Department. Please join
From left: NRA Office of Advancement Executive Director Ben Case,
Universal Coin & Bullion Vice President of Marketing Paul Stein,
NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre, and Universal Coin &
Bullion President Mike Fuljenz.
us at our next Heritage Society event during the NRA
Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Phoenix, Ariz., on May
14, 2009, and for “Fall in Fairfax” October 8-10, 2009 in
Williamsburg, Va., to celebrate the 15th anniversary of the
Heritage Society.
For more information about “Fall in Fairfax” 2009 or becoming
an Ambassador Member of the NRA Heritage Society, please
call the Planned Giving Department at (877) NRA-GIVE or
visit us on the web at www.nraplannedgiving.com.
9
Friends Update
2009 Friends of NRA
Standard Merchandise
Package
2009 Friends of NRA Print of the Year “Bad Boys” by Eddie LeRoy
A
ward-winning wildlife artist
Eddie LeRoy presents the
unyielding 2009 Print of the Year,
“Bad Boys.” Set in the savannas of
Africa, three Cape buffalos display
their stern determination to protect
the herd. These animals have very
few predators and have the ability to
protect themselves and their young.
LeRoy depicts these “Bad Boys” as
they display their relentless attitude of
doing just that. The unsettled dust and
landscape gives a real representation
of the Cape buffalo’s environment.
In true Africa fashion, the buffalo
and oxpeckers serve to benefit one
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another as the birds feed off the insects
that hassle the giant beast. Leaving
no detail to spare, LeRoy creates a
beautiful and uncompromising picture
of the Cape buffalo. Friends of NRA has
reproduced this painting as a giclèe;
a form of fine art that uses inkjet
printing to perfectly capture every
detail. Each canvas comes in a Modena
Vintage frame with oatmeal lining and
measures 18½” x 35½.” Every giclèe
is printed, signed, numbered to 1,125,
and framed in the U.S.A.
Eddie LeRoy, the 2009 Friends of
NRA Artist of the Year, resides with
his wife and sons in Eufaula, Ala.
His art career began while he was in
college, with an emphasis on wildlife.
LeRoy uses acrylic to bring his scenes
to life and has been chosen as the
artist for numerous stamp-art programs.
To LeRoy, “Bad Boys” is all about
attitude. Having hunted all over the
world, the Cape buffalo has always
been one of Eddie’s most intriguing
subjects. Fascinated by their size,
power, and demeanor, LeRoy captures
those traits in this painting. He notes
how the buffalo do not mind the
oxpeckers, however, as you can see,
they definitely mind the presence as
Eddie LeRoy taking the original photo.
The 2009 Gun of the Year, Ruger
Vaquero Matched Set, leads a
merchandise package that is sure
to impress the novice as well as the
experienced collector. The merchandise
package consists of 42 items—including
seven firearms, three framed pieces of
art, and 32 miscellaneous items—and
promises that 2009 will be the most
exhilarating year so far!
2009 Friends of NRA Gun of the Year
Ruger Vaquero Matched Set .45 Long Colt Revolvers
S
ince its introduction to the firearm
market in 1993, the Ruger Vaquero
has been a leader in the sport of
cowboy action shooting. In the past 16
years, Sturm, Ruger & Company has
referred to the Ruger Vaquero as “the
gun that won the new west.” They now
introduce the completely custom NRA
2009 Gun of the Year Matched Set.
Each revolver in the set is made
in America and characterized by 5 ½”
blued barrels with gold roll marks, a
color case finish on the frames, and
Hogue® simulated ivory grips. The
gold roll mark on the right side of
each barrel reads “NRA 2009 Gun
of the Year Matched Set.” NRA
custom serialization of each set reads
as NRAR-0001 and NRAL-0001
sequentially through 1,125. Every
exclusive set includes a custom Sturm,
Ruger, & Company commemorative
red double revolver hard plastic case,
which is exclusive to Friends of NRA
events. Also included is an NRA/
Sturm, Ruger, & Company certificate
of authenticity.
2009 Friends of NRA Knife of the Year
D’Holder Bowie Hunter
O
nce again, D’Alton Holder has teamed up with upstate
New York’s Canal Street Cutlery Company. This time,
the collaboration has led to the creation of this exclusive
Bowie Hunter. Holder’s world renowned experience in knife
making has made his name synonymous with precision and
beauty, and the Bowie Hunter is no exception. Created
from one piece of 19C7 Sandvik specialty steel, each knife
truly represents Friends of NRA. The handle is fashioned
from top grain genuine leather, which has been peened,
dyed, and stabilized. The handle also features a recessed
nickel silver NRA shield. Baron Technologies has skillfully
engraved a moose profile and Friends of NRA logo on the
left side of each blade. Each knife is numbered 1 of 1,125
on the blade, and consecutively numbered on the tang by
Canal Street Cutlery Company. Accompanying the knife is
a custom designed moose faux antler base. The natural color
and striations make it the perfect match for this one-of-akind knife, making it a great addition to any NRA home.
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Friends Update
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1 | Daisy Red Ryder
NRA Model 1938 BB Gun
17 | Weatherby NRA Special
Edition .257 WBY
2 | Laser Dual Reflex Sight
10 | NRA American Heritage
Bullet Board
3 | New Realtree APG Benelli
Nova 20GA Shotgun
11 | Leupold Acadia 10x42mm
Green Ring Binoculars
19 | New Henry Youth
Golden Boy .22LR
4 | Leupold 100th Anniversary
CRKT Fixed Blad Knife
12 | NRA Windmill
20 | Leupold MX-121
Xenon Flashlight
5 | Friends of NRA Leather
Briefcase & Portfolio Set
6 | NRA 2nd Amendment
7 | Flushing Roosters by Cole Johnson
8 | NRA Flatware Set & Display Box
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9 | NRA Birdhouse
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13 | 20” NRA Neon Wall Clock
14 | NRA Limited Edition Buckle
15 | PFLEX Fly Spinning Kit
with Combo Case
16 | Boyt H Series Double Long
Gun Case
18 | Wood Decoy Three Teal Set
21 | Friends of NRA Knit Blanket
22 | Cabela’s Knife Kit
23 | NRA Shooting Sticks
24 | Cattail Bird Feeder
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Friends Update
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25 | NRA Axe & Knife Set
26 | Remington Model 597
.22LR Camo
27 | Gerber Obsidian Clip
Folding Knife
28 | ADG Electronic
Front Load Vault
29 | Primus-Atle
Propane Grill/Stove
30 | NRA Six Piece Kitchen Set
31 | Polaris LED Lantern
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33 | Kimber Ultra Carry II-NRA
Freedom Defender .45 ACP
34 | Smith & Wesson
642 Carry Comp .38 Special
35 | The Lesson II
Traditions Series Sculpture
36 | Innocence Step Stool
37 | Weaver Bottom Pintail Decoy
38 | NRA Custom Knife Sling Combo
39 | 10-10 Hunter’s Specialties
Blind Realtree® APG HD
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32 | Custom NRA Deer Lamp
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New 2009 Sponsor Program
F
riends of NRA is offering a
wonderful opportunity to join a
select group of proud Americans
whose love and commitment to the
shooting sports will ensure its vitality
for years to come through the Friends
of NRA national sponsor program.
With the support of Friends of NRA
national sponsors, future generations
will enjoy the same rights and privileges
that have helped shape our lives.
Friends of NRA national
sponsors are entitled to a number
of benefits—notably the sponsor
sculpture, a sponsor hat, and the
NRA Foundation’s quarterly magazine
Traditions, which keeps sponsors
updated on The NRA Foundation and
Friends of NRA. Most importantly, 100
percent of the sponsorship pledge goes
to the NRA Foundation.
“Cape Buffalo” is the first sculpture
in a new, exclusive NRA Big Game
Sponsor Series for Friends of NRA.
The talented designers at Big Sky
Carvers have captured the majesty and
intensity of the Cape buffalo, which is
inspired by the award-winning wildlife
artist, Eddie LeRoy’s Friends of NRA
2009 Print of the Year “Bad Boys.” Set
in the savannas of Africa, the Cape
buffalo displays a stern determination
to protect the herd and symbolically
represents our collective determination
to protect Second Amendment rights.
These animals can reach 7 ft. in length,
weigh more than 1,500 lbs., and reach
a height of 5 ft. at the shoulder. The
Cape buffalo have few predators, and
the bulls protect themselves and their
young by gathering their cows and
calves in a circle while they form a
protective outer layer. Known as one
of the “Big Five” or “Black Death” in
Africa, the African Buffalo is widely
regarded as a very dangerous animal
and usually lives in large herds of up to
1,000. This highly sought after trophy
has been hunted by many, including
the first presidential conservationist
Theodore Roosevelt, and William
(Buffalo Bill) Cody.
Each sculpture is meticulously cast in
fine resins with a hand-applied bronze
patina, standing at approximately 9½”
wide x 7½” tall. The finished sculpture
rests on a 1½” black faux marble base
engraved in gold lettering and finished
off with a National Rifle Association
medallion.
Liberty $250
Pioneer $2,500
“Cape Buffalo” Sculpture
Sponsor Hat
n Special Invitations and
Purchasing Opportunities
n Complimentary Subscription
to Traditions Magazine
Liberty benefits plus:
n Smith & Wesson M&P45 with NRA Logo
n
n
Heritage $600
Liberty benefits plus choice of:
n Origo Granite Peak Watch
or
n NRA Silver Stag
Damascus Knife & Sheath
Freedom $1,250
Liberty benefits plus choice of:
n NRA Weatherby
SA-08 Semiautomatic
12GA Shotgun or
n Leupold Gold Ring 15x30x50mm
Spotting Scope Kit
Patriot $5,000
Liberty benefits plus customized package
based on your individual interests.
NEW Kimber $7,500
Liberty benefits plus:
n Kimber Marias I
or II over-under .20GA Shotgun
(limited quantities available)
Founding $10,000
Liberty benefits plus customized package
based on your individual interests.
15
Friends Update
2009 Magnum Merchandise
Friends of NRA announces the 2009 Magnum Merchandise
Package. Available to the top performing committees, this
package offers high-level firearms, sporting goods,
and home décor items.
Within each state, committees and field
representatives work together to choose the
events eligible for Magnum Event status. Roughly
15 percent of all committees can earn the title of Magnum
Event; and these events are the only ones allowed to offer
the Magnum Merchandise Package.
These carefully selected events represent the highest
quality that Friends of NRA has to offer. The process
of choosing a Magnum Event includes examining the
committee’s past net income, attendance figures, and
marketing savvy. Each year presents a new opportunity for
committees to move their event into Magnum status.
The goal of the Magnum merchandise package is to
Prairie Thunder Sculpture
F
rom Marc Pierce’s storied
collection comes another oneof-a-kind sculpture. Featuring three
bison, the sculpture is created using
a Mt. bronze process, which utilizes
pewter and resin to give each piece
a true bronze weight and feel.
Each sculpture includes a brass
tag reading Prairie Thunder and is
individually numbered to 1 of 150.
make big events even bigger! Earning Magnum Event status
puts a committee in an exclusive group that will receive
the listed benefits. These extra items will increase interest
in the event, boost attendance levels and provide additional
income.
Through each committee’s dedication and hard work,
Friends of NRA has created a brighter future for the
shooting sports. This package will help those chosen Friends
of NRA committees take their fundraising to the next level!
16
Package
Thankful Sculpture
M
arc Pierce dazzles again with
this deep sculpture featuring
a grateful hunter kneeling in prayer.
Thankful uses the Mt. bronze process
and also includes a black felt bottom
with the Friends of NRA logo. Each
sculpture is complete with a brass tag
reading Thankful.
NRA Benelli R1 Rifle .300 WSM
T
he Benelli R1 .300 WSM is a great rifle for any hunter. Features of the
rifle include an AA-Grade satin walnut stock, 24” barrel, detachable
magazine, base scope rail, and a fitted hard case. Also includes a shim kit that
allows for precise stock adjustments for drop and cast, and leads to a truly
custom fitting firearm. The rifle is complete with custom NRA lettering on
the receiver.
Magnum Events Benefit Through
n
Increased exposure on the Web, in NRA Publications,
and special recognition at State Conventions
n
n
Custom Designed Logo
Logo-branded Web listing on www.friendsofnra.org
n
n
Exclusive Merchandise
Exclusive use of Magnum logos and banners
for promotion
Leupold/DoskoSport
Combo
P
erfect for any hunter
or rifleman, this
special three-in-one
package comes with each
of the following: 1) one
DoskoSport Deluxe Double
Pistol Hybrid Case; 2) one
set of Leupold Yosemite
Binoculars, 6X30 mm;
and 3) one Leupold RX-1
Rangefinder.
17
Friends Update
Western Region
Committee Spotlight
Alaska Friends of NRA
Anchorage, Alaska
I
n early 2007, the Alaska Friends of
NRA took a long hard look at their
Anchorage Banquet. Anchorage
is the biggest city in Alaska and has
over a third of its population, yet the
Anchorage banquet was nothing to
write home about for many years.
A flash of brilliance hit State
Fund Committee Chairman Scott
Hamann: “What if we transformed the
Anchorage Banquet into the Alaska
State Friends of NRA Banquet?” This
idea caught on like wildfire throughout
the entire Alaska Friends of NRA.
However, they did not just want to
change the name—they wanted to
rewrite the book. The goal of the
Alaska State Friends of NRA banquet
would be to have the biggest and the
most exciting banquet in Alaska.
To have a committee of this scope,
size and objective, a strong leader is
needed. That leader is Denny Hamann.
He leads by example and has an
incredible ability to break an obstacle
down to its smallest parts and then
eliminate them one by one. It also takes
a strong committee, which the Alaska
State Friends of NRA committee is.
They needed to implement the
three-legged stool plan taught to
them by Western Region Director JP
Nelson. First leg: hold a successful
pre-event raffle; second leg: sell out
From left to right: Treasurer Jim “The King”
McCaffery, and “raffle meisters” Garry Ervin
and Murdock.
all dinner tickets; and third leg: get
as many donations, underwriting and
sponsorships as possible. If the three
legs were solidly in place, then a
successful banquet would be inevitable.
To build the first leg, the committee
planned a 50 gun pre-event raffle.
Tickets would be $50 each and they
would sell 1,500 tickets. With only
$25,000 in guns they would net
$50,000 once they sold out the raffle.
The second leg was easier since the first
Alaska State Banquet was a success.
The event’s success would not have
Volunteer Spotlight
Jefferson State Smokes as #2 Oregon Banquet
Jefferson, Oregon
I
magine entering a fairground and
smelling what people call “the
best prime rib in Oregon.” These
are the words from Oregon Field
Representative Mike Carey, and Chris
Pellissier, chairwoman for the Jefferson
State Friends of NRA committee, when
describing Yummy’s Cowboy Cuisine.
The Jefferson State Friends of NRA
committee uses Yummy’s every year.
The caterer does the preliminary
cooking before the event, brings a
BBQ smoker with him, and finishes
smoking the meat at the banquet. He
takes the meat out of the smoker and
18
carves it right there. Not only does
it add to the atmosphere, Pellissier
says, but it makes the smoky flavor
so scrumptious that it’s the highlight
of the evening. “He does such a good
job,” Pellissier says, “people come
back…and they come back for more!”
Having a special caterer is only part
of the formula that makes Jefferson
State the No. 2 event in Oregon. They
also have great merchandise, including
a fishing trip to Alaska and two
African hunts, and they have a strong
committee foundation enabling them
to keep costs down while still having a
fun event.
“We have a core group of six to eight
people who have been together since
the beginning,” said Pellissier. “We
really believe in what we are doing.”
They also believe in giving back
as much money as they can to the
NRA Foundation, which is one of the
reasons they try to keep costs down to
a minimum. Pellissier, who has been
in management, budgeted for another
non-profit organization, and has
her own business as an independent
insurance agent, knows exactly how to
do this.
been possible without Jim “The King”
McCaffery, Garry Ervin and “Murdock,”
who were the raffle meisters of the
event. They not only sold all of their
event tickets, but they were sold out
one month prior to the banquet.
They approached the task of
building the third leg like all the
others—divide and conquer. By
dividing up local businesses and
scouring the city, they became so
overwhelmed with donations that they
sent some of their surplus to smaller
committees in the Alaskan Bush.
Their goal was to spend $0 on VDO
merchandise and they accomplished
their mission. They also brought in
$6,205 dollars in underwriting and sold
$11,000 in sponsorships.
On the night of the banquet, the
doors opened at 5:00 p.m. sharp and
there were already attendees lined up
at the door. As people flooded into the
room the bucket raffles ignited. The
silent auction was rockin’ and rollin’ as
the event raffle ticket sellers sold their
tickets and the Heads or Tails game,
which was always a big hit, was even
bigger this year.
Just before the live auction, the
committee presented their “Because of
You” campaign, allowing attendees to
see how the money raised in 2007 was
spent. Attendees not only enjoyed the
presentation, but it also encouraged
them to be even more generous.
The highlight of the evening,
however, was the live auction. Because
most of the items were donations, the
committee only spent about $1,000.
The live auction raised over $28,000,
which was more than enough to cover
their expenses.
Needless to say, the Second
Annual Alaska State Friends of NRA
banquet was an astounding success.
It netted over $124,000 with only
375 people in the room—more than
doubling what they did in 2007.
When asked what his secret to
running a successful banquet is,
Hamann replied, “It is no secret. Keep
your costs down, always try to double
your money at a minimum and make it
fun for the attendees!”
The creation of the Alaska Friends
of NRA State Banquet not only
brought in a tremendous amount of
money to support the shooting sports,
but it also brought every committee in
Alaska together with the common goal
of supporting The NRA Foundation.
They are already planning their 2009
banquet and they promise it will be
even greater next year. For the Alaska
Friends of NRA, the sky is the limit!
Attend a 2009 Friends of NRA
event in Alaska. Contact NRA Field
Representative Brad Kruger at (907)
235-9059 or via e-mail at bkruger@
nrahq.org.
fantastic donations. Most purchases
are local and that’s how we foster
community relationships.”
This year the committee had
over 300 attendees and netted over
$47,000. As an Oregon State Fund
Committee member, Pellissier would
like to see the money they raise
from their banquet go to statewide
organizations that do programs such
as youth and women’s shooting and
outdoor days. She says that it is
important for families who do not
have access to firearms learn to be able
to shoot them from free educational
activities.
Attendees come to the podium to collect their prizes.
“We focus on donations, cutting
the printing costs through my business
and talking to community members
about what has to be done,” Pellissier
commented. “The local community
really steps up to the plate with
Attend a 2009 Friends of NRA
event in Oregon. Contact NRA Field
Representative Mike Carey at (541) 3859404 or via e-mail at [email protected]
to find out more information.
19
Friends Update
Western Region
Volunteer Spotlight
Larry the Table Guy and King City:
Third Year in a Row
King City, California
O
n Thursday June 12, 2008,
the King City Friends of NRA
held their annual fundraising
event at the Salinas Valley Fairgrounds
in King City, California. In only
their third year, with 330 people in
attendance, they were able to raise
approximately $59,000 and are proud
of their achievement thus far.
After the group was organized by
Central California NRA Senior Field
Rep. Jason Quick in 2006, they raised
$21,638 at their first event. When final
national numbers were tallied, they
were ranked #1 of first year events
in the nation. In 2007 the committee
sold 29 Freedom Sponsorships and one
Pioneer Sponsorship, raising $43,750,
and earning a coveted spot on the top
50 list, ranked #41 nationally in their
second year.
One reason for the King
City committee’s success is their
enthusiastic group of committee
members. One who stands out is Larry
Santos. After joining the committee
Mid-West Region
Volunteer Spotlight
Donation Results in $125,000
for Banquet
Delta, Colorado
T
he finest Friends of NRA
volunteers not only give their
time and money, but they
also have the strong desire to further
the NRA’s mission. They do not let
competition and pride steer them
away from the true reason why Friends
of NRA exists—to raise money for
the future of the shooting sports and
to ensure the Second Amendment
endures for generations to come.
George and Cindy Butcher of Delta,
Colo., are these types of volunteers.
20
Colorado Field Representative Marc Steinke
(left) with Cindy and George Butcher and one
of the Liberty Centurion gun safes.
They have given an enormous amount
of time and money since becoming
members of the NRA, but their most
recent contribution is one of the most
generous yet. The Butchers donated
Larry the Table Guy
hard at work at the
2008 event. late in its first year, he managed to sell
five Freedom Sponsorships as well as
numerous individual tickets. In 2007,
Larry sold 18 Freedom Sponsorships,
each of which is a table of eight
people, earning him the nickname of
“Larry the Table Guy.” In 2008, with
the help of three local businesses,
Larry secured a Kawasaki Mule 610
4x4 donation, which sold in the live
auction for $7,050, adding greatly to
the bottom line.
Another noteworthy donation
enough money to underwrite 25
Liberty Centurion CN20 gun safes—
one for every Colorado Friends of NRA
event in 2009. These safes will be filled
with five to ten firearms and used for
super raffles. Each committee runs a
$10,000-$20,000 pre-banquet raffle
and nets over half. When all is said
and done, these super raffles will result
in over $125,000 for Friends of NRA.
Colorado Field Representative
Marc Steinke located the Butchers
through a mailer for the Montrose
Friends of NRA banquet. The mailer
included information on the Colorado
Elite Sponsor Program, which Cindy
and George wished to be a part of.
There are more sponsor levels and
activities within the Colorado Elite
Sponsor Program, such as a fiveday, six-night fishing trip for two, a
Colorado trophy elk and mule deer
hunt, and fishing and elk hunting trips
for U.S. Iraq war veterans.
Mid-West Region
in both 2007 and 2008 was a wild
pig hunt with internationally
recognized author and television
personality, Craig Boddington. In
2007, 16-year-old Matthew Doughty,
a fan of Boddington, begged his
mother to purchase the pig hunt for
him in the live auction. Doughty
was ecstatic when his mother held
the winning bid for the hunt. The
Saturday after Thanksgiving 2007,
Doughty experienced a successful
hunt with Boddington, which will be
remembered for quite some time.
The King City Friends of NRA
committee is looking forward to
another great fundraising event on
February 28, 2009. According to
Chairman Tim Benedix, “The goals
of the committee are funds and
fun,” and apparently they have been
successful at both!
George Butcher has been an
NRA member for 40 years and has
been involved with Friends of NRA
since 2000. In 2002, he served as
co-chairman, and his wife, Cindy,
served as treasurer of a committee
in California where they received a
plaque of appreciation for their efforts.
Butcher wants to see both the NRA
and The NRA Foundation benefit
from his contributions. “It is important
to preserve our Second Amendment
rights, and the only way to do that
is to be an NRA member,” he said.
Funding programs like Refuse to Be a
Victim® is also important to Butcher.
“We need to get women involved in
the shooting sports. Women have to
be able to protect themselves.”
For more information on the Elite Sponsor
Program, contact Colorado Field Representative Marc Steinke at (719) 207-4080
or via e-mail at [email protected].
Committee Spotlight
Colorado’s Newest Committee
Strikes Black Gold
Grand Junction, Colorado
H
aving 700 attendees at a
over and netted the committee over
Friends of NRA banquet and
$17,000, as well as boost community
raising about $65,000 is what
awareness for the banquet. For the
would be expected from a successful
banquet, Walck donated a limited
veteran committee. But from a new
edition Marlin Lever action 45-70
committee—that is unheard of. The
commemorative to the Oil Industry,
newest committee to join the Friends
which brought in over $5,500.
of NRA family, Grand Valley in Grand
The highlight of the evening was
Junction, Colo., put all speculation
for every person who bid over $2,500
aside when they did exactly that at
for an item would also be sending
their first banquet September 12, at
an Iraq war veteran to hunt elk in
the Two Rivers Convention Center.
Colorado for free. By the end of the
“They were an incredible group of
night, they were able to send four
volunteers. They were hard workers
lucky veterans.
who had connections in the oilfield
Given the success of their first
community,” said Colorado Field
banquet, Steinke believes they have
Representative Marc Steinke. Steinke
the potential to be the best in the
met the founding members when
nation. “Give them a couple years,
the committee treasurer for the Four
they are shooting for number one!”
Corners Friends of NRA banquet set
Attend a 2009 Friends of NRA event
up a meeting for the group back in
in Colorado. Contact NRA Field
March. Because of the committee’s
connections in the oilfield community, Representative Marc Steinke at (719)
207-4080 or via e-mail at msteinke@
they were able to receive hundreds of
nrahq.org for more information.
donations, sell 700 dinner tickets and
have the highest netting
event in September.
Committee member Randy
Walck secured $25,000
in donations alone. “It
was great to see a large
group come together with
the common purpose of
supporting the NRA,”
commented Walck.
Prior to the banquet,
the committee had a “super
raffle” with ten guns in a
From left to right: Chairman Kelly Claussen and committee
safe, which sold three times members Randy Walck and Blaine Beecher.
21
Friends Update
Mid-West Region
Committee Spotlight
Oklahoma has New #1
Committee
Woodward, Oklahoma
Northwest Oklahoma Committee group photo
T
he Northwest Oklahoma
Friends of NRA committee has
been around for a long time,
but this year was their first year on
top in Oklahoma. Their event, which
took place on September 27, had 425
people in attendance and raised almost
$84,000 in net income. They have the
highest net income for the Midwest in
2008 so far. A huge accomplishment
considering Woodward, the city where
the event took place, has a population
of only 12,000.
Oklahoma Senior Field
Representative, Darren Delong,
could not believe the numbers they
produced. “I was in total awe at the
amount of money they raised,” Delong
said. “All I can say is WOW.”
Chairman Clair Craighead,
Treasurer Travis Mann, and Secretary
Dale Blaylock contributed to the
success of the banquet by running their
22
20-member committee in a systematic
way. “We take turns being chairman
every few years to keep things fresh.
Each chairman has different ideas and
this gives him a way to implement
them,” Mann said.
Even though they all have an
individual impact on the banquet,
it’s their collective effort and the
connections they have in the
community that makes the banquet a
huge success. “Between Clair, Travis
and I, we know 90% of the people
in this trade area,” added Blaylock.
“That’s what makes this work.”
These gentlemen also have one
common aspiration—their desire to
further youth programs in their area and
make their banquet a place for families.
For the last four years, the
committee has set up a five-lane
shooting gallery at the banquet for
youths ages 12 and under. From 5:30
p.m. to 9:30 p.m., there are long lines
of kids shooting air rifles for only $5
per 10 shots. The winners of the shoot
have the choice between an air riffle,
a .22-caliber rifle and a single-shot
20-gauge youth shotgun. These lucky
kids are not the only winners of the
evening, “Every child leaves our event
with something. They choose between
a backpack or a Red Rider B.B. Gun,”
Craighead said.
Activities such as this are what draw
over 100 children to their banquet.
“This is not just an old boys night out,”
said Mann, “you will find lots of women
and children attend our banquet.”
Although these committee members
spend a tremendous amount of time
and effort in planning this event, what
makes the event triumphant is the
community. “We have good people
that come out to the event. Our towns
here are very supportive,” commented
Mann, “Without them it doesn’t
matter how much work we do.”
For this committee, support comes
in the form of sponsorships. Prior to
the banquet, the committee had 72
Liberty ($200) Sponsors, 53 Freedom
($1000) Sponsors, six Pioneer ($2500)
Sponsors, and two Patriot ($5000)
Sponsors – almost unheard of in a city
the size of Woodward.
The supportive community and
motivated committee members has
put Northwest Oklahoma Friends of
NRA on the map. They will no doubt
be able to continue their aspiration
of making their area ideal for youth
shooting programs and in the process
become an inspiration for other
committees.
Attend a 2009 Friends of NRA event
in Oklahoma. Contact NRA Field
Representative Darren Delong at (405)
692-8672 or via e-mail at ddelong@
nrahq.org for more information.
Grant Spotlight
South Dakota Trap Shooting Range
Comes Back With a Bang
McIntosh, South Dakota
T
he McIntosh Wildlife Club
held its First Turkey Shoot at
the new Trap Shooting Range
located southeast of McIntosh, S.D.,
on Sunday, July 20. It was a fantastic
way to celebrate the McIntosh
Centennial Celebration and the
reopening of the range, which had
been closed for over 20 years.
Over 50 people turned out for the
event, with shooters of all ages trying
to win numerous prizes donated by
the National Rifle Association and
McIntosh Wildlife Club. There were
20 rounds held with over 550 shots
attempted by participants.
National Rifle Association Field
Representative for North Dakota and
South Dakota, Clayton Pederson, was
on hand for the event. Perkins and
Corson County organizations have
been awarded nearly $40,000 through
the NRA Foundation and Friends of
NRA, with two grants awarded in
2008 totaling $15,000. The McIntosh
Wildlife Club was awarded a grant in
2008 in the amount of $4,000 for the
McIntosh Wildlife Club officers Brad Schell and Gary Merkel receive a $4,000 check from local
area NRA field rep Clay Pederson
purchase of new target throwers. The
machine was installed this summer at
McIntosh’s newly reopened trap range.
The recent donation from the NRA
Foundation was a key factor for the
club. In great appreciation
for the funding assistance,
club officer Brad Schell
remarked, “We absolutely
wouldn’t be able to have
accomplished what we
have without everyone’s
help.”
Heading the McIntosh
Wildlife club are club
officers Gary Merkel, who
serves as president, along
with vice president Jerome Seiler and
secretary-treasurer Brad Schell. The
club has about 40 members, many of
whom meet each Wednesday at 6 p.m.
for their weekly shoot. They have an
average of 15-20 shooters who take
part in the Wednesday night shoots.
Each year the Friends of NRA event
held in Lemmon, S.D., which helps make
events like this possible, takes place on the
second weekend in October. This year’s
event was held on October 11 at the
Lemmon Community Center on Main
Street. For more information go to www.
friendsofnra.org or call Clayton Pederson
at (701) 522-9622.
23
Friends Update
Central Region
Grant Spotlight
5th Annual Wisconsin USMC/NRA Basic
Rifle Fundamentals Camps Break All Records
Ashippun, Wisconsin
B
eginning on August 7, 2008,
at the Stone Bank Sportsmen’s
Club in Ashippun, Wis.,
followed by events at LaCrosse Rifle
Club and ending in Wausau at the
Duane L. Corbin Shooting Range on
August 14, the USMC Poolee events
once again broke all previous records
with over 600 young men and women
participating! This fantastic program,
in its fifth year in 2008, has attracted
over 1,600 young men and women
since inception.
Participants at this year’s Wausau
event also had the opportunity and
privilege to meet NRA Secretary
and Marine Corps legend, Major
Edward J. (Jim) Land. Land’s 24-year
Marine Corps career includes having
trained the Corps most famous
sniper, Carlos Hathcock, he was also
Officer in Charge of the First Marine
Division of Scout-Sniper and USMC
Marksmanship Coordinator, to name
just a few of his many contributions.
Created in 2004 by NRA Senior
Training Counselor Scott Taetsch
and USMC Master Gunnery Sergeant
Mike Krueger, both concerned fathers
Corporal Chris Taetsch lends a hand.
24
Major Land assisting a Camp “Poolee.”
of young Marines, this program is
designed to introduce young “Poolees”
to the basics of rifle marksmanship
while building confidence in the men
and women who have committed
themselves to defending our great
nation and cherished freedoms.
Due to today’s environment, up to
90% of high school graduates have
never fired a rifle. Those who have,
most likely have not had any type
of proper marksmanship training.
The least we can do for these brave
young people is to give then an
opportunity to learn the basics of rifle
marksmanship prior to boot camp.
In addition, activities have
now expanded to include physical
conditioning, individual strength
challenges, camouflage face painting,
and even experiencing MRE’s (Meals
Ready to Eat) for the first time. The
“Poolees” and guests also have the
opportunity to talk with current
Marines about their duties and
experiences serving in the Marine
Corps. All participants begin by
receiving classroom instruction on
firearms safety, sight alignment, trigger
control, nomenclature and basic
operation of the M16A2 rifle, which
is the same firearm they will be using
in basic training and, most likely
throughout their military career.
A “Poolee” is a person who has
signed up to be a U.S. Marine and
is waiting to be in the “Pool” of the
next batch to go to one of the two
U.S. Marine Corps boot camps.
Unlike other military branches, one
Volunteer Spotlight
Jerry Bell
Paris, Tennessee
F
riends of NRA committee
members are known to be some
of the most hard-working and
dedicated volunteers in the nation and
Jerry Bell of Paris, Tenn., epitomizes
what a Friends of NRA committee
member is and more. In 2002, he
single-handedly sold over 380 tickets
to the Henry County Friends of NRA
banquet. This year, he sold 250.
At the 2008 Tennessee State Fund
Committee Conference in Nashville,
Bell received special recognition
for setting all time records for most
banquet tickets ever sold by an
individual. For his notable efforts and
continual support of Friends of NRA,
Bell was presented a plaque along
with an Uberti 1873 Cattleman .45
Revolver Long Colt. Anyone will
tell you that Bell doesn’t do it for the
recognition, his passion resides in the
benefits that the proceeds yield for the
entire community and cause.
Bell strongly believes in the Second
Amendment rights and the youth
shooting sports programs that are funded
by the NRA Foundation through
Friends of NRA banquets. His efforts
have made a distinct difference on
the county banquet’s results, including
higher attendance rates and sponsorship
sales resulting in higher net revenue for
both the event and the state.
Bell has been married to his wife,
Carol Jean, for 55 years and has
resided in Henry County for the last
37 years, where he now enjoys working
on his 438-acre farm. His long term
connections and previous experience
as a top salesman has undoubtedly
attributed to Henry County Friends of
NRA’s climb in ticket sales, but it is
his relentless passion and enthusiasm
for the cause throughout the years that
is so contagious.
is not considered a Marine until after
they have successfully completed a
13-week boot camp, qualified with
the M16A2 at 200, 300 and 500
yards (no simulated distances), and
the 54-hour “Crucible” (a simulated
combat environments over a 50+ mile
course in full combat gear with little,
if any, sleep or food). An estimated
one in three Poolees will not become
a Marine. It truly is “The Few, The
Proud.”
Because this introduction is
so important to the success of the
“Poolees,” more and more NRA
Certified Firearms Instructors and
Marine Reservists are volunteering
their time. We are also looking for more
clubs to offer the use of classroom and
range facilities to conduct this program.
Due to ammunition costs, this
program would not be possible without
funding through the NRA Foundation
and specifically the Wisconsin Friends
“He is well respected in the
community and is known to stand
up for gun owners and hunters in
his area,” said NRA Tennessee Field
Representative Mike Webb. “He wears
his Friends of NRA hat wherever he
goes and asks anyone he has contact
with to purchase tickets with a positive
attitude, he’s not afraid of the word
‘no’ and he’s a great people person.”
Bell is known for doing whatever
it takes to sell tickets, Webb added,
whether that be knocking on doors
or hitting up local restaurants with
tickets in hand. “He talks about the
NRA everywhere he goes and carries
membership applications with him,”
said Webb. “If you tell him you’ll buy a
ticket from him later, he never forgets
that promise. He is an example and
inspiration to the committee. For me,
he is a very dedicated and outstanding
volunteer.”
Next year, Webb says Bell wants
to expand the size of the committee
and sponsorship sales. In addition, he
wants to implement the first pre-event
firearm ticket sale in Henry County
to help take the event to a higher
level. And while many people make
Henry County one of the state’s most
successful events, Bell is undeniably
one of the committee’s greatest
determining factors.
of NRA and Block Grant Programs,
which, to date, has funded over
$15,000.00.
As more volunteers and facilities
become available, our goal is to offer
this opportunity to all branches of the
service statewide.
Apply for a grant for your local
community today! Contact Grants
Manager Sandy Elkin at (703) 267-0735
or e-mail [email protected].
25
Friends Update
Central Region
Committee Spotlight
Indiana Raises the Bar
I
ndiana raised over $400,000 this
fundraising year, breaking an alltime state record and increasing
their net income by $65,000 over
last year. It was only two years ago
when Indiana saw a $100,000 increase
from its previous year. So who is the
man behind all the magic? Indiana
Field Representative John Crone
will tell you it wasn’t just one man.
“The success of Indiana is because of
Indiana,” he said.
“I attribute the success of Indiana
to one thing and one thing only—the
natural dynamics of volunteerism,”
Crone said. “The best salesman is the
creator of the product. [And] the best
salesmen we have are the volunteers
who are so passionate about the cause.”
Before becoming a NRA Field
Representative over 11 years ago,
Crone was a committee chairman in
Lawton, Okla., while he served in the
U.S. Army at Fort Still. He joined
the NRA hoping to give his family a
more permanent home. While Crone
remains in the U.S. Army Reserve,
he says his previous experience has
State Spotlight
Tennessee Turnaround
T
he Tennessee Friends of NRA
has taken it to the next level.
In 2008, Tennessee set an alltime state record, raising a net revenue
of over $200,000—an increase of
76% over last year. The record setting
doesn’t stop there; the state has seen
significant growth in committees
throughout Tennessee.
One of Tennessee’s newest
committees, Fayette County, hosted
their first Friends of NRA banquet
this year and broke the all-time state
record for new events after netting
$14,774. Many committees broke
their own event records, including the
sellout Freedom Friends of NRA event
where they reached their highest net
revenue yet. Similarly, Chattanooga’s
sellout event raised their net revenue
26
bar with an increase of 168% over
last year. Kentucky Lake, Highland
Rim, West Tennessee, Tipton County,
and Williamson County all set similar
records for their committees.
The Henry County committee
stole the sponsorship show, selling
a record 39 national sponsorships.
In East Tennessee, the committee
received the High Caliber Club
banner for the first time. Southern
Middle Tennessee and Cumberland
County set net revenue records
along with NRA Merchandise
underwriting— Cumberland County
having 50% of the merchandise
underwritten, an all-time state record.
Tennessee has seen a significant
turnaround since NRA Field
Representative Mike Webb took over
State Fund Committee Chairman Brent Weil
shows off a Dillinger picture set.
given him many of the skills it takes
to be a good field representative, such
as organizational skills, the will to
succeed, and of course, a passion for
the shooting sports.
As a long-standing NRA Field
Representative, Crone said he used to
be more hands-on, but now finds the
the state in 2006. And while he had
a lot to do with the state’s gradual
climb to the top, you’ll never hear
him trying to take all the credit.
The secret, Webb says, to running a
successful state is finding the right
volunteers.
“Tennessee Friends of NRA would
be nothing without our volunteers,”
said Webb. “It absolutely humbles me
to see the hard work and dedication
that the volunteers bring to this
organization. Not only do I appreciate
all that our committees do but the
attendees as well. The commitment
and devotion of these committee
members have overwhelmed me and
their enthusiasm is really contagious
especially when new committees
are formed for the first time. These
events not only bring us together for a
great cause, but they build strong and
bonding friendships.”
Besides keeping the website
updated and e-mailing newsletters,
Webb stressed the importance of
laissez-faire approach seems to work
just as well. “Now that I’ve been doing
this for going on 11 years, I actually
have throttled way back,” said Crone.
“E-mail and telephone are the primary
tools now, and I used to log a lot of
miles. The volunteers know what to
do. I facilitate their success and help
when problems arise.”
Crone attributes some of his
success with developing strong
volunteer relationships to gaining
their confidence through the shooting
sports. “As I traveled the state, I kept
hearing ‘the NRA, an organization
for shooters run by those who don’t.’
Well, I proved them wrong on that,”
said Crone. “There was not a single
shooting game, hunting, reloading
topic, etc., that I had not done or
read enough to stay in a conversation
on. I was quickly accepted by the
volunteers. I learned the ropes of the
system in short order and was able to
find key individuals around the state
who could help us in our journey.”
Providing an environment that
allows volunteers to be creative and
a little different is also a priority to
Crone. Last year, Indiana started the
‘Gun-A-Palooza,’ and in 2008, there
were at least three events of that
type. This year, Indiana committee
members created 50 one-of-a-kind
John Dillinger picture sets, most of
which sold for over $300. The highest
sale brought in $2,500.
When it comes down to it, Crone
enjoys being a field representative
because of the benefits it brings to
giving recognition to and open-lines
and constant communication with
volunteers. “Making sure everyone
is on the same page has helped more
than anything,” he said. He also
added that the willingness to listen
to ideas from other field reps and
having new officers and members
of committees re-motivate older
members have also attributed to
Tennessee’s success.
Webb said the state started seeing
significant success when he gained the
trust and confidence of the volunteers
in not only the Friends of NRA
program but in himself as well.
“Volunteers need to know they
have an advocate working for them,”
Webb said. And an advocate is
what they have. Prior to taking the
field representative position, Webb
served as committee chairman of the
Memphis Friends of NRA for four
years. Since Mike came aboard, the
Memphis committee has been the
most successful in the state, earning
the Highest Net
Revenue award and
High Caliber Club
recognition for the
sixth consecutive year.
To continue the
state’s upward path
of success, Webb says
he wants to see more
events in areas that
have never hosted a
Tennessee Friends of
NRA event before. He
also wants to expand
the Friends of NRA
State Conference
and increase the
number of first-time
volunteers.
NRA Field Representative Mike Webb presents an Outstanding
“None of this
Commitment Award to Ryan Patrick of Guns and More, Inc.
would have been
possible if it weren’t
for the dedication of our exceptional
donors. That is what makes these
and outstanding volunteers, as well
events so successful,” said Webb.
as the generosity of our attendees and
“It’s the volunteers who have set the
big heartedness of our sponsors and
record for our state.”
Indiana and shooting sports as a
whole. “I enjoy helping the junior
clubs with the one commodity they
really struggle to get—money,” said
Crone. “I truly believe the shooting
sports teach discipline, respect, and
responsibility. Shooting teaches
lessons most kids don’t get until they
are in their 20s.”
In the future, Crone plans to use
the same volunteer-friendly formula
he did in 2008. “Some like to set up
the banquet, some like to select the
merchandise and the games to play at
the event,” said Crone. “Some have
creative money making ideas. I’m not
making any changes. We will continue
to focus on net dollars and servicing
those needy organizations that truly
must have our support to continue.”
27
Friends Update
Eastern Region
Grant Spotlight
Morganton Clay Shooters
Morganton, North Carolina
A
little can go a long way. For
the Morganton Clay Shooters
of North Carolina, this
statement never held more meaning.
Earlier this year, the newly formed
team took a $5,400 NRA Foundation
grant and turned it into both state and
national championship titles.
Two years ago Lake James Friends
of NRA Committee Chairman Paul
Deal and committee member Norris
Higgons felt more needed to be done
among youths to preserve the heritage
of second amendment rights. “We
wanted to do something to impact the
local youth of our country,” said Deal,
“and educate and inform others of
their Second Amendment heritage.”
Together, Deal and Higgins reached
out to several youth groups, but
got no response. Their luck turned
around while holding a Friends of
NRA committee meeting at the
Morganton Skeet Range. In an effort
to build fellowship, the range allowed
committee members to shoot skeet
after meetings. As it would happen, a
man named John Clark invited Deal to
shoot with him and his two sons.
“As I watched these two boys
shoot, I was amazed not only at
their ability to outshoot me,” said
Deal, “but [also] to see a dad directly
handing down one of the greatest
heritages to his sons as a treasure, with
care and deliberateness.”
The wheels started to turn, and
before they knew it, the Morganton
Clay Shooters was formed. But the
program needed funding. They turned
to the Lake James Friends of NRA and
the NRA Foundation’s North Carolina
National Champions Morganton Clay Shooters pose for their team photo. The Morganton
Clay Shooters is currently made up of over 25 young men and women, ages 8-19, who actively
compete in the sport of American Skeet and Trap.
28
State Fund Committee for help.
With the support and funding they
needed, the team was able to travel
to Bostic, N.C., and participate in
the Scholastic Clay Target Program
(SCTP) North Carolina State Trap
Tournament. By the end of the
tournament, the Morganton Clay
Shooters had taken home first and
second place in the Rookie division, as
well as first place in the Intermediate
and Junior Varsity divisions.
As a result of the team’s high
scores at the state level, they qualified
to compete in the SCTP National
Championship in Sparta, Ill. The
Morganton Intermediate Skeet Team
placed first in the nation, the Rookie
Skeet Team placed second in the
nation, and the Rookie Trap Team
finished fifth in the nation.
Since the NRA Foundation
provided funds for the Morganton
Skeet & Trap Range to purchase
three shotguns for teaching and
learning purposes, many youths and
parents with no previous shooting
experience now shoot on a weekly
basis. The Skeet & Trap Range has
seen significant growth in family
memberships, up from 98 last year to
153 this year. Range revenues have
also risen an astonishing 100% over
the last year.
“The NRA grant program is
helping a lot of kids reach their
shooting dreams,” said John Clark,
head coach of the Morganton Clay
Shooters.
As Morganton Clay Shooters
Coach Brian Burgess puts it, there is
no doubt that the shooting sports are
“alive and well in North Carolina!”
Apply for a grant for your local
community today! Contact Grants
Manager Sandy Elkin at (703) 267-0735
or e-mail [email protected].
Committee Spotlight
Northern Virginia Banquet:
No Work and All Play
Fairfax, Virginia
N
o other time has the saying
“mixing business with
pleasure” been more accurate
than for the 14th Annual Northern
Virginia Friends of NRA Banquet,
which took place October 3, in
Fairfax, Va., and welcomed 200 people
to the event.
With NRA Headquarters in its
backyard, it comes as no surprise that
NRA’s dedicated employees made up
over half of the banquet’s committee
members. Employees’ special interest
in helping plan the banquet had little
to do with work though. It was about
the opportunity to help generate
money for a cause in which they truly
believe.
Zeal wasn’t exclusive to committee
members though. Enthusiasm spread
to banquet participants from all over
Northern Virginia. Individuals relished
in a night of food, fun and fund raising.
“Attendees I talked to were excited
not just because they may have won
a silent auction item or raffle prize,
but because we were all in that room
for the same reason,” said Northern
Virginia Friends of NRA Committee
Co-Chair and NRA employee, Jeremy
Greene, “to generate funds for The
NRA Foundation, to help the shooting
sports in our own state and to build on
the shooting sports traditions.”
Nothing made attendees see and
feel the differences being made by The
NRA Foundation more than hearing
Northern Virginia native and banquet
guest speaker, Bridgette Torrise,
a 2008 Youth Education Summit
(Y.E.S.) attendee, speak about how the
Foundation has positively affected her.
Although Torrise has lived close to
the Washington D.C. area almost her
entire life, it wasn’t until The NRA
Foundation invited her to attend the
Youth Education Summit (Y.E.S.), an
all-expense paid educational trip to the
heart of D.C., that she gained an eyeopening perspective on the American
political process, history and specifically,
the importance of protecting
Americans’ right to bear arms.
Torrise spoke enthusiastically about
the life-long friendships she made
while attending Y.E.S., the exciting
and interesting places she visited, and
the experiences that gave her a greater
appreciation and passion for the
democratic process.
NRA Field Representative Bob
Hipple led the evening’s activities,
which included a silent and live
auction—conducted by Auctioneer
Frank E. Bolton—featuring a variety of
NRA items, including the “Real Guns
of Real Heroes” poster signed by the
late Charlton Heston.
The banquet’s huge hit was the
unique Lucky Seven Raffle, created by
the committee members themselves.
The specialty raffle featured unique
prizes like a $500 gift certificate to
Home Depot, a Nintendo Wii gaming
system and the 2008 Friends of NRA
gun of the year— a Weatherby Orion
D’Italia O/U 12 gauge shotgun.
Greene said the committee hopes
Top: Committee Member and NRA Merchandise
Coordinator Brian Evans helps run the banquet
raffles. Above: Boy Scouts from Troop 1519
assist in the shotgun shell game.
to see the money raised from the
event go to facilities that foster youth
involvement in the shooting sports.
“We had a great group of local boy
scouts who volunteered at the event
and were very interested in what we are
doing,” said Greene. “And getting kids
involved in the shooting sports can only
be a huge benefit to all of us interested
in preserving these traditions.”
Next year, the Northern Virginia
Friends of NRA wants to increase
community involvement and focus on
getting more Northern Virginia locals
to attend. “Many of the attendees
come from NRA headquarters,” said
Greene, “and this banquet should be
about the surrounding communities
in the Northern Virginia area as well.
People can expect a fun evening full
of prizes, raffles, games and a place to
get together with people of the same
views.”
To attend the next Friends of NRA event
in Northern Virginia, contact NRA Field
Representative Bob Hipple at (540) 6310633 or via e-mail at [email protected].
29
Friends Update
Eastern Region
Volunteer Spotlight
Two Volunteers Overcome
Obstacles to Hold Banquet
Loudoun County, Virginia
H
ow can only two volunteers
plan a Friends of NRA
banquet? Just ask Chairman
Bob Geisler and Treasurer DeWayne
Kornman of the Loudoun County
Friends of NRA banquet that was held
on November 6 in Virginia. Not only
did they plan the event, they produced
the most successful Loudoun County
banquet to date.
First time committee chairman
Bob Geisler became involved with
the committee when his organization,
Loudoun County Izaak Walton League,
was looking for a liaison for the local
Friends of NRA. Geisler was told it
would be a simple task—sit on the
committee and help when needed.
However, when Geisler attended the
first meeting, Kornman and himself
were the only volunteers. Geisler
stepped up to the task of becoming
30
Chairman
Bob Geisler
with
attendee
holding the
Savage
“Predator
Hunter”
.22-250 Bolt
Action Rifle
chairman despite never having planned
an event or attending a Friends of NRA
banquet before. He did not let those
facts worry him. “I just pretty much
did it,” Geisler said, “[Eastern Virginia
Field Representative] Bob Hipple was
really helpful and told me to focus on a
few things.”
Those few key elements were
setting up a banquet hall, caterer
and selling tickets. When setting
up the banquet hall and caterer,
Geisler’s main concern was reducing
expenditures where previous year’s
committees had spent too much.
He was able to accomplish this by
spending less than $500 on the
banquet hall and negotiating a deal
with the caterer.
The Izaak Walton League and the
local Safari Club were both incredibly
supportive by purchasing tables,
making them the largest groups in
attendance. In addition to selling
tables to these organizations, Geisler
had tickets available at a local gun
shop, sent e-mails to NRA members
and used flyers and word of mouth to
boost ticket sales. In the future, Geisler
hopes the committee can make tickets
available on the Internet to make it
more convenient for buyers.
At the banquet, Western
Pennsylvania Senior Field
Representative Tom Baldridge
substituted for Bob Hipple and led a
spectacular event. As soon as people
walked into the event hall, they were
enveloped with a captivating energy
that filled the room. That credit can
be given partially to Baldridge, but
can also be given to the attendees
who came to the event. They were
quick to spend money and had a great
time supporting the NRA Foundation.
From start to finish, no one would
find Geisler or Kornman without a
smile on their face. Once the banquet
and auctions were over, people
stayed around to socialize and even
volunteered to help out for next year’s
banquet. If they have any reservations
about helping plan a banquet for the
first time, Geisler can say confidently
to them, “Don’t worry, just work hard
and you’ll be fine.”
To attend the next Friends of NRA event
in Loudoun County, contact NRA Field
Representative Bob Hipple at (540) 6310633 or via e-mail at [email protected].
Committee Spotlight
Warren County Scholastic
Trap League
Warren County, Pennsylvania
T
rap shooting is a widely
popular sport throughout
Pennsylvania’s Warren County.
But only a short time ago, little
opportunity existed in the county for
youths to pursue their interest in the
shooting sports. All of this changed
in 2006, when committee members
of the Warren County Friends of
NRA supported an initiative for local
gun clubs to implement youth trap
shooting teams within the county’s
high school system.
Today, the committee has aided
in the establishment of the Warren
County Scholastic Trap League, which
is made up of seven high school trap
shooting teams, including one in nearby
Erie County. They are also responsible
for producing the number one junior
trap shooting team in the nation.
Lenny Olsen, Chairman of the
Warren County Friends of NRA, has
been serving on the committee for 13
years and was ardent about starting the
league. Olsen believes that instituting
programs like the Scholastic Trap
League is essential not only because
it benefits many youths and the
entire community, but because it also
promotes the shooting sports to the
youth who will carry on the tradition
in the future.
The NRA Foundation State Fund
Committee of Pennsylvania has given
seven individual grants to league teams
to alleviate gun, ammo, ear and eye
protection, and clay target costs. Since
Coach Carl Black and the 2008 Winning Warren County Scholastic Trap League
its formation, about 200 students have
participated in the program.
This year, the top seven trap
shooters in the league were selected
to compete in the state and national
trap shooting tournaments. Carl Black,
Warren County’s coach and father
to one of its members, took it upon
himself to take the kids to the state
and national tournaments. Olsen
describes Black as one of the driving
forces behind the team and their
success.
With Black’s help, the team
took home the first place trophy
at nationals, sending a resounding
validation to Warren County that
their efforts are worth the results. Gold
medal or not, the Warren County
Friends of NRA greatly values what the
implementation of the program has
done for high school students and the
county as a whole.
The NRA Foundation grant
program has enabled Warren County
to fund shooting programs for the last
14 years. This is only the second year
for the scholastic shooting team, and
the committee takes great pride in
knowing they played a part in helping
raise a portion of the funding the team
needed to enable them to win multiple
state championships and the national
championship.
“Everyone loves it,” said Olsen.
“Every year the number of students
participating in the program has risen.
I can see what the money does for the
county, so we just keep working at it.”
A special thank you goes out to
Coach Black for all the work he did
and all the help he provided the
national champs.
Get your committee involved with your
local shooting teams by visiting www.
friendsofnra.org to find your local NRA
Field Representative.
31
Foundation News
E
ddie Eagle celebrated his
20th birthday in style. His
amazing journey over the
past two decades has been a
remarkable flight. In his travels, Eddie
has reached over 21 million children
with his groundbreaking gun accident
prevention program.
The NRA’s Eddie Eagle GunSafe®
Program has met with resounding
success across the country, and has
proven to be an accident prevention
plan that truly works. Since the
program’s creation in 1988, fatal
firearm accidents in the Eddie Eagle
age group (pre-K through third grade)
have decreased by more than 80%.
The NRA believes that programs like
Eddie Eagle are a significant factor in
that decline.
Eddie Eagle
Celebrates His
20th Birthday
32
The program’s success is due to
several factors including that the
program was especially designed for
young children through the combined
efforts of qualified professionals, such
as clinical psychologists, reading
specialists, teachers, curriculum
specialists, and law enforcement
personnel.
Eddie’s four important safety steps
are easily remembered by children: “If
you see a gun, STOP! Don’t Touch.
Leave the Area. Tell an Adult.”
The friendly character of Eddie
Eagle facilitates a child’s learning
experience and the safety message is
further reinforced by the use of a fastpaced and colorfully animated DVD
and fun-filled activity books.
Additionally, the Eddie Eagle
GunSafe® Program is easy to teach.
Clear, simple-to-use instructor
materials are provided to aid in
program presentation and the time and
location requirements for the program
are extremely flexible.
The Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program
does not teach gun handling, gun
nomenclature, or gun use. It does not
promote gun use or participation in
any shooting sports, and the program
makes no value judgments about
whether guns are good or bad.
During his travels, Eddie has
brought his life-saving message to all
50 states, Puerto Rico, and Canada.
But his far-reaching journey would
not have been possible without the
on-going support of thousands of law
enforcement personnel, teachers, and
volunteers who dedicated themselves to
protecting children from gun accidents.
Financial support for the Eddie
Eagle GunSafe® Program has been
provided over the years by NRA
members, volunteers, civic leaders
and elected officials, children’s safety
advocates, and The NRA Foundation.
Schools, daycare centers, hospitals,
libraries, and law enforcement agencies
may be eligible to receive free Eddie
Eagle GunSafe® Program workbooks,
stickers, posters, videos, and instructor
guides.
Eddie Eagle looks forward to
spreading the word about gun safety for
another 20 years, and with the help of
dedicated individuals and organizations
across the states, his message can
continue to reach children for many
years to come.
Bring Eddie Eagle to your community,
call (800) 231-0752, send e-mail to
[email protected], or visit its Web site at
www.nrahq.org/safety/eddie.
Eddie Eagle
Comes to New York
“H
ot Shots” Cub Scout
Shooting Camp in New
York was the hot spot to be on
August 22-23. Eddie Eagle was on
the scene, teaching scouts about gun
safety and the four important steps to
take if they find a gun.
Children and parents alike could
be heard repeating the four steps,
“Stop! Don’t Touch. Leave the Area.
Tell an Adult,” throughout the
presentation. The program was one of
the first steps in teaching the scouts
about firearm safety before families
took part in the various camp activities
that day.
The “Hot Shots” Eddie Eagle
presentation was held at Camp
Woodland in Constantia, N.Y., through
the Hiawatha-Seaway Council, BSA,
and included participation from over
68 cub scouts and their parents. The
camp focuses on giving each scout
expert instruction in safety and in the
proper techniques to use to hone their
shooting abilities and is geared toward
effectively improving their hand-eye
coordination and marksmanship.
The NRA Foundation’s New York
State Fund Committee contributed the
funds to implement the Eddie Eagle
program throughout the state. Denise
and David Simmons presented the
Eddie Eagle program along with their
20-year-old granddaughter, Laura, who
played Eddie Eagle. The production
received overwhelming feedback and
excellent reviews from both parents
and children.
Eddie Eagle GunSafe® Program
is sure to make another appearance
soon, and now, through funds raised at
Friends of NRA events across the state
and with contributions by the NRA
Foundation’s New York State Fund
Committee, children and parents from
all over New York can expect to see a
lot more of him in the future.
33
Grants
in
Action
North
Carolina
Says
YES!
to Learning
Outside the Classroom
A
student’s education is
far from over when they
hit high school, and
continuous academic
exploration is to everyone’s benefit.
Somewhere between math word
problems, dissecting frogs, and reading
from British literature- the important
subjects of civic duty and Second
Amendment rights falls through
the cracks. Fortunately, The NRA
Foundation’s North Carolina State
Fund Committee is committed to
helping provide students with the
opportunity to dig deeper into the
subjects of social accountability, citizens’
rights and governmental procedures.
At the urging of Coastal Carolina
Friends of NRA committee member
Myron Cross, the State Fund
Committee has given up to $21,000 a
year to fund the North Carolina Youth
Education Summit (Y.E.S.), a program
modeled after the NRA Foundation’s
National Youth Education Summit.
Since its inception in 2004, up to 25
students from across North Carolina
are chosen each year to participate
in a four-day, all-expense paid trip to
their state’s capital in Raleigh. The
selected students participate in various
34
activities aimed at helping them
develop a better understanding of their
state and national constitutions as they
relate to the Second Amendment.
Additionally, they are given the rare
opportunity to interact with their state
government’s executive, legislative,
and judicial branches. Students also
explore activities in the shooting
sports, visit the Airborne and Special
Operations Museum in Fayetteville,
engage in legislative and congressional
candidate forums, as well as taking
historical tours.
The trip isn’t all fun and games
though— both the legislative and
congressional candidate forums require
each student to ask questions of the
panelists, ranging from educational,
political, and Second Amendment
issues. Furthermore, while attending
the state Y.E.S., students are
competing to earn a fully-funded trip
to the National Y.E.S. in Washington
D.C. The lucky individual, exceptional
enough to earn the title “Washington
Scholar,” is flown to the nation’s capital
where they have the opportunity to
network with other outstanding high
school sophomores and juniors from
across the country and vie for over
Students in front of the Legislative Building
in Raleigh, N.C. Apply for the 2009 North
Carolina Y.E.S. program by contacting Field
Representative Doug Merrill at (828) 628-0410
or via e-mail at [email protected].
$30,000 in academic scholarships.
The North Carolina Y.E.S.
Washington Scholar for 2009 is Sarah
May of Franlinton. Chaperones felt
strongly that she would be an asset to
the Washington Y.E.S. experience and
May’s high grade point average and
exceptional leadership skills made her
a strong candidate for the position.
Myron Cross, along with his wife,
is credited with helping start the
North Carolina Y.E.S. program. Now,
four years down the road, Cross says
North Carolina gets more out of the
Y.E.S. program than they give. “There
was a multiplying effect,” said Cross.
“The kids are amazing and it is a winwin situation for everyone.”
“We get letters from the kids and
parents who say [Y.E.S.] was lifechanging,” said Cross. Students’ lives
aren’t the only ones affected. When
the state’s Supreme Court justices
meet Y.E.S. students, Cross said
“[they] are in awe with what the NRA
Foundation has done for these kids.
The people in state government would
see these kids and think, ‘you know,
the anti-gun people aren’t doing
anything like this for the kids’. It’s a
big deal what we are doing.”
Foundation Donors
NRA Foundation Thanks the Following Donors
For Their Generosity and Continued Support
August 1, 2008 – October 31, 2008
Individual Donors
Gifts of $25,000+
The Hal & Jean Glassen
Memorial Foundation
Michigan
Mrs. Betty S. Mayes-Petty
Kansas
Mr. Wilson H. Phillips, Jr.
Virginia
Gifts of $5,000 - $24,999
Anonymous
Iowa
Crimson Trace Corporation
Oregon
Davidson’s, Inc.
Arizona
Doug Turnbull Restoration, Inc.
New York
Family Shooting Centers, Inc.
Pennsylvania
Mr. Douglas A. Hambach
Wisconsin
Mr. Everett C. Hogg
Pennsylvania
R. K. Mellon Family Foundation
Pennsylvania
Mr. and Mrs. Thomas S. Moorman
Texas
Natchez Shooters Supply
Tennessee
Pfeiffer Family Foundation
Texas
Wake County Wildlife Club
North Carolina
Mr. Wayne H. Williams
California
Gifts of $1,000 - $4,999
American Custom Gunmakers
Guild
Wyoming
Animal Care Clinic - Monadnock
PLLC
New Hampshire
Anonymous
California
Association of New Jersey Rifle &
Pistol Clubs
New Jersey
Auctionarms.com, Inc.
California
Scott L. Bach, Esq.
New Jersey
Black Hawk Rifle Club
North Carolina
Mr. and Mrs. David P. Bookman
West Virginia
Mr. and Mrs. Robert E. Callan
Arizona
Mr. Alfred C. Canino
New Jersey
The Michael & Beverly Carrick
Foundation
Ohio
Mr. Anthony J. Chimblo, III
Connecticut
Component Engineers, Inc.
Connecticut
Mr. Phil M. Creasman, Jr.
Arizona
Paul L. Davies
California
Jason and Melissa Devine
New Hampshire
Dillon Precision Products Corp.,
Inc.
Arizona
H. R. and Sally Gentsch
Illinois
Mr. and Mrs. Alfred G.H. Gorlach
New Jersey
Mr. and Mrs. Henry J. Guarriello
Pennsylvania
Keith and Connie Hamilton
California
Mr. and Mrs. David Hanes
Nevada
Mr. and Mrs. Ted Hogan
Texas
Sam Holloman
Texas
James D. Julia Auctioneers, Inc.
Maine
Mr. and Mrs. Leland C. Johnson
Washington
Kimmell Family Foundation
Oklahoma
Mrs. Vera Koo
California
Vernon K. Krieble Foundation, Inc.
Colorado
The Robert M. Lee Foundation
Nevada
The Lehigh Valley Chapter
Charitable Foundation
Pennsylvania
James F. McCosker, D.D.S.
New York
Numrich Gun Parts Corporation
New York
Mr. and Mrs. Charles L. Pearson
Alaska
Mr. John D. Pearson
Michigan
Mr. Fred N. Sortwell
Colorado
Ms. Jill Sosin
Arizona
Mr. & Mrs. Horton Spitzer, c/o
Community Foundation of
Jackson Hole
Wyoming
Mr. and Mrs. Robert A. Sproesser
Pennsylvania
Mr. and Mrs. Frederic O. Vicik
Washington
Mr. Christian Volf
Florida
The von Gontard Family
Foundation
Missouri
Widener’s Reloading & Shooting
Supply, Inc.
Tennessee
Gifts of $250 - $999
Mr. Grant Adamson
California
Dr. Dennis Afton
Pennsylvania
Mr. Raymond G. Azevedo
California
William D. Beamer, Esq.
Florida
Dr. and Mrs. David E. Bennett, III
New Mexico
Mr. Joseph G. Breton
Texas
Mr. and Mrs. Brian W. Clements
Pennsylvania
Mr. Neil Damron
Alabama
Mr. David J. Easterla
California
Mr. Albert Fisher
Virginia
Galco International
Arizona
Ms. Helen A. Giese
California
Anonymous
Arizona
J & G Sales, Ltd.
Arizona
Mr. Michael Jacquemart
California
Mr. Thomas J. Keim
California
Mrs. Karen Kollitides
Connecticut
Mr. Drew Koval
Virginia
Macro Strategic Design, Inc.
California
Mr. Daniel O. Maldonado
Texas
Mr. Daniel Masso
Florida
Mr. Donald C. Maxham
California
Mrs. Shirley Morris
Virginia
Mr. and Mrs. Lathan D. Murphy
Florida
Anonymous
Virginia
Mr. George William Nugent
Ohio
Mr. George F. Pond
Texas
Mr. and Mrs. David R. Rochefort
Massachusetts
Mr. and Mrs. Raymond C. Roy
New Hampshire
Mr. Bruce A. Shaughnessy
Oregon
Sierra Outlook Services
California
Mr. and Mrs. Kirk D. Smith
North Carolina
Mrs. Ruth E. Smith
California
Mr. and Mrs. Gary M. Swearingen
New Mexico
Mr. William C Trimble, Jr.
Maryland
Walnut Creek Rifle Club
Pennsylvania
Mr. James F. Watt
California
Mr. Terrance R. Whitley
Georgia
Mr. Justin Willette
Massachusetts
Mr. Shaun R. Willis
China
Woodul Charitable Fund
Texas
In Honor of Gifts
Mr. Nathan Crim
Mr. and Mrs. Earl J.
Greensweight
Bryon E. Haney
Mr. Dennis B. Haney
The Soldiers
Mr. Alvaro A. Trabal
In Memory of Gifts
MSgt. Stanley E. Allaback, USAF
Mr. James R. Smith
Norman Douglass Astin
Mr. Wesley G. Brown
Jon C. Cooke Enterprises
Mr. and Mrs. David E. Loveless
Ms. Sherry R. Moore
Dave Blackwood
Mr. Steven W. Jackson
Henry D. “Chub” Boss
Mr. and Mrs. Roger Boss
Nelson R. Boss, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Roger Boss
Herbert Cadle
Mr. and Mrs. Kelly Truitt
Joseph L. DeSaye
Ms. Randalei Ellis
Berton A. Dunn
Ms. Dawn L. Swallick
James R. Gaskill
Ms. Susan Bisio
Charles E. Gibson, Jr.
Ms. Stacy L. Clement
Ryan T. Grow
Mr. Salvador Piazza
Ms. Hazel P. Sinclair
Arthur Hall
Mr. William T. Cummings
Mr. and Mrs. Wylie A. Dunn
Eric Alan Hamilton
Keith and Connie Hamilton
Ronald R. Harris
Ms. Mary Christopherson
Jerry Hattox
Mr. and Mrs. Gary M.
Swearingen
Ms. Valerie Swearingen
Bill Hilsendeger
Ms. Linda L. Peters
Emmett Knox
Veterans of Foreign Wars
Auxiliary, Robert E. Bottles Post
John T. Krug Jr.
Amvets Riders Chapter 148
Grismer Tire Company
Mr. and Mrs. Donald Parrott
Edwin A. Morris Sr.
Mrs. Shirley Morris
Richard Morris
James Cecil Auctioneers
Elmer G. Osborne
Mr. and Mrs. James L.
Walters, Jr.
Jack C. Overdorff
Mr. and Mrs. Lyle Bickford
Michael Petrouly
Mr. and Mrs. Robert H. Schultz
Charles N. Pirtle
Mr. Paul E. Rockhold
Charles R. Plauman
Mr. Raymond H. Cochell
Lt. Col. Louis E. Roninger, U.S.
Army (Ret.)
Ms. M. Joane Orcutt
Stephen R. Schieck
Mr. Daniel Masso
Robert B. Smith
Mrs. Ruth E. Smith
Cecil Aubrey Tanner
Mr. and Mrs. Frederick H.
Banfell
Mr. C. F. Bell
Mr. J. D. Brown and Ms. Nancy
B. Razaitis
Mr. and Mrs. A. G. Condon
Mr. and Mrs. Ed Jaeger
Mr. and Mrs. Michael D. Miles
Mr. and Mrs. William G.
Robbins, USN (Ret.)
Mr. and Mrs. William G. Rogers
Mr. and Mrs. Russell Schroeder
George Norman Teutsch
Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd A. Edwards
Lauren B. Wahlquist
Mr. James H. Skaggs
Dr. Russell P. Webster
Mr. and Mrs. James C. Johnson
Donald Wise
Mr. Charles W. Wise, III
Sam D. Wooten
Ms. Delight Reisanuer
Thomas W. Yowell
Mr. Jerry L. Adelman
Mr. Brent Tidwell
Estates
Estate of Clifford C. Beroset
Ohio
Estate of John A. Brown
Michigan
Estate of James L. Debrey
Illinois
Estate of R. Gary Forsberg
Pennsylvania
Estate of J. Andrew Foster
New York
Estate of Orvis C. Hoffman III
Pennsylvania
Estate of Paul A. Krentar
New Jersey
Estate of James R. Nicol
Washington
Estate of Vernal C. Raines
West Virginia
In-Kind Gifts
Mr. Freeman E. Alsop
Virginia
Mr. Jay Andriot
Virginia
Mr. Michael C. Avery
California
Dr. Thomas Caceci
Virginia
Mr. William Thomas Gennetti, Jr.
Virginia
Mr. Donald L. Gettier
Maryland
Mr. Richard Hanson
New Jersey
Mr. Kevin Kettle
Virginia
Ms. Edith Lauren
Maryland
Mr. Jan S. Nagrowski
New York
Mr. Mark Segraves
District of Columbia
Mr. Dennis Sherman
Michigan
Listed contributions do not
necessarily reflect total giving
for the year. We make every
effort to ensure accuracy and
completeness of donor names. If
you notice any errors or omissions,
please contact us at (800) 423-6894
or by e-mail at [email protected].
Thank you.
35
The NRA Foundation
11250 Waples Mill Road
Fairfax, VA 22030
NONPROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
THE NRA
FOUNDATION

2009 Friends of NRA Merchandise Package

Transcription

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