The NRA partners with many youth cooperative organizations, from the Boy Scouts of America to 4-H. Thousands of young people receive training from NRA Certified Instructors each year through our Cooperative Youth Organizatons Program.

The NRA Whittington Center is involved with a variety of these programs. The Center will host young people from Wyoming for an educational clinic in early September. The entrance to the Whittington Center is pictured at right.

From the Platte County Record Times:

Platte County Shooters head to NRC Tourney

3 members of the 4-H Shooting Sports Club have qualified for a trip to Raton, New Mexico, with the National Rifle Association.

The four day shooting clinic is an opportunity only 12 shooting participants from Wyoming have qualified to attend, and Platte County’s Ashley Johnson, Leo Perez, Jr., and Toby Tackitt, will be the first Platte County shooters to attend the event in eight years.

“I feel nervous, but I’m happy,” Johnson said, adding she was happy Perez and Tackitt will also be able to represent Platte County. “I’m excited.”

Perez said shooters qualify to attend the event by making the top scores in 5 shooting disciplines throughout the State.

Read the entire story here.

At 4:30 p.m. EST on Sunday, August 15, tune in to the Outdoor Channel for a new episode of Elk Chronicles. Friend of the NRA and master bowhuntress Lisa Metheny recently completed a successful elk hunt on the rolling acreage of the NRA Whittington Center. To hear the whole story, you'll have to tune in!

Read more about the show Elk Chronicles here.

We're sorry to say that every slot for the 2010 Women's Wilderness Escape has been filled. But there's still a chance to be part of this life changing experience. And if you're a certified NRA rifle or pistol coach looking for a couple of weeks to get away, then Women’s Wilderness Escape Coordinator Patricia Zollman has the answer for you:

Imagine sharing your expertise while on 33,000 acres of western mountain terrain in the scenic high mesa country of New Mexico. It’s where the elk and antelope roam and the skies are so wide you can almost see back in time. Yes, it’s truly a volunteer’s dream job and it all happens at the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, New Mexico - the most comprehensive shooting center in the nation.

NRA Women’s Programs is seeking volunteer event staff who would like to support the 2010 NRA Women’s Wilderness Escape from September 20 through October 4. Specifically we are looking for NRA Certified Rifle and Pistol Coaches.

NRA covers gasoline, food and housing expenses for all Women’s Wilderness Escape staff. For more information or to request a 2010 event staff application and information packet, call Rosemary Herr at 703-267-1399 or Patricia Zollman at 703-267-1378. Come join us!

NRA is proud to host the 3rd annual Women's Wilderness Escape scheduled for September 23 – October 1, 2010 at the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, New Mexico.

The cost of this nine-day retreat is $1,250 and is open to women 18 and older. Fee includes housing, food and all event activities. Transportation is not provided.

No experience is necessary, and all firearms and ammunition are provided. Participants will learn to shoot rifle silhouette, long range high power rifle, black powder rifle, pistol, trap, skeet, sporting clays and archery. Other activities include map reading, camping, survival training, game calling, hunter education and Native American history.

Find out more about the Women's Wilderness Escape and read what some of our 2009 participants had to say about the event.

For a taste of what this 9-day program entails, check out NRAblog's coverage of the past two years' Escapes.

You never know who you're going to run into in the halls of our NRA National Firearms Museum. Last week, we ran into NRA Whittington Center Executive Director Wayne Armacost. Originally from Maryland, Wayne was back on the East Coast to visit family over the Christmas break. While here, he thought it would be nice to take a 'Phil Schreier' tour of the museum.

While the rest of his family was distracted by Supica's Safe, NRAblog pulled Wayne aside to ask a few questions:

So who'd you bring out today?

My father, Uncle John and cousin Craig.

Their first time at the museum?

Yeah. We've wanted to go for years but it was tough getting everyone back at the same time.

And the Whittington Center -- what's on tap for the new year?

There is a lot. The season kicks off with Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) in New Mexico, turkey hunts, and Rocky Mountain 3-Gun that's been sold old for a while now.

After that we'll be hosting the Black Powder Silhouette Championships, New Mexico YHEC, as well as some law enforcement and military groups that'll be training out there. You know, there aren't very many facilities in the U.S. that can handle such a diverse group of events.

Sounds busy.

It is. Might get even busier if we're successful in expanding our facilities to include a 1,500 or 2,000 yard range. But we're still waiting on that one.

 Special thanks to Victoria Shipp for sharing her report with NRAblog: 

In September 2009, I had one of the most exhilarating, interesting and memorable experiences of my life. I was one of the lucky; fifty women (ranging in age from late twenties to mid-seventies!) chosen to participate in the NRA’s Women’s Wilderness Escape, held at the NRA Whittington Center near Raton, New Mexico. This Center is set on 33,000 acres of unspoiled landscape which is home to mule deer, antelope, brown bear, rattlesnakes and I’m sure much more. Although the deer really camouflage themselves well, they seem to have no fear of humans as they wander at will.

This “Escape” was in its second year and I can only foresee that there will be many more to follow since it gives women a chance to learn about, and use firearms, hunting techniques, game calling, personal safety, just to name a few things that they may never have an opportunity to experience anywhere else. The organization, scheduling, work and time that the folks at the NRA headquarters in Fairfax, VA, put into this program is truly amazing. In addition to the instructors, there were dozens of volunteers, people who love what they do and are willing to help for two weeks. The camaraderie at the Center is wonderful; all the staff were willing, ready and able to assist, and the women got to know each other fairly quickly. More...

The Women's Wilderness Escape participants are certainly having their fair share of fall fun. The weather has been glorious, the meals delicious, and the friendships genuine.

But what would an NRA event be without the occasional giveaway? At dinner each night in the communal cafeteria every participant is given a carnival-style numbered ticket. At the end of dinner and before the evening activity, a number is drawn. "Each night we'll have a lady choose a pistol case from our current selection, until the last night there's only one option," Rosemary Herr, Women's Programs manager, told NRAblog.

One thing's for sure: each and every Women's Wilderness Escape participant is a winner this week at the gorgeous NRA Whittington Center in Raton, New Mexico. Stay tuned for more as-it-happens coverage.

Like every event at the NRA Whittington Center, mealtime is quite an adventure. The cafeteria-style line gets long, with 51 participants and nearly 40 volunteers and staff from the Women’s Wilderness Escape clamoring for food. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner are all served in this manner, with plenty of smiles and laughter from the kitchen staff.

“This isn’t Burger King,” a cheerful chef jokes whenever someone asks for an adjusted portion. Vegetarian items are available, and a salad bar sits in the middle of the rustic dining room, decorated in a hunting lodge motif.

“Y’all better eat the rest of this lasagna because it doesn’t make a very good breakfast,” the chef hollered last night, yielding ripples of laughter from the dining room. Sure enough, ladies and volunteer instructors alike dutifully lined up for seconds.

“You know, as long as I’m not the one cooking, it’s all good,” a woman told her dinner table neighbors.

Refuse To Be A Victim coordinator RuthAnn Sprague is on hand at the Women's Wilderness Escape as a member of the NRA Women's Programs staff. But she has a special assignment in addition to regular duty.

One of the evening sessions during the nine-day wilderness event at the NRA Whittington Center is a shortened version of the NRA's popular coed self-defense series Refuse To Be A Victim. A few of the 51 Women's Wilderness Escape had already experienced the course, which is the NRA's only educational course that does not include firearms instruction.

"The first thing to remember is your best chance of surviving an attack is to avoid being a victim altogether," Sprague, above right, told her classroom full of participants. "We'll cover a variety of tips tonight to help us raise our awareness in all situations. Let me know whenever you have a question!"

"I've been to the full-length course back home, and it was very informational," a participant said. "I'm making a point to attend the session out here because you can always use a refresher, no matter who you are."

Look for a Refuse To Be A Victim seminar in your area.

While many of this year's Women's Wilderness Escape participants have some experience with firearms, the majority are new to archery. The volunteer archery instructors start small. "First we start with a blank, white target," Lead archery instructor Linda Dubrol told us. "We then move to color, with a yellow bullseye surrounded by red, blue, black, and white rings."

As the smiles above illustrate, this activity is quite rewarding. "The women really enjoyed this part of the week last year, and we'rereceiving positive feedback aldready," volunteer instructor Lisa Metheny told NRAblog. "Abig part of the fun over here is that since the ladies aren't wearinghearing protection on the archery range, it's a lot more social."

Similar to the cheers on the five-stand shotgun range, encouraging shouts and clapping reward each participant who manages to score a bullseye. After wrapping up a morning of archery, the ladies head to lunch. After the noon meal, it's time for the next step: mock bow hunting with realisitic looking 3-D targets. "Yes, the arrows do stick in 'em," Metheny told NRAblog of the assorted critters. "It's a bit of a challenge to pull them out!"  More...

Women's Program Manager Rosemary Herr reports that the 2009 Women's Wilderness Escape at the NRA Whittington Center is on schedule. "We keep them busy," she said.

Sure enough, breakfast is served at 6:30 a.m. and most participants are on the range by 7:30. Add to that a bit of jet lag, and you have some sleepy campers. While schedules vary, the entire group breaks for lunch around noon and then returns to the range. After dinner, sessions are somewhat optional. "Some ladies just need to get to bed," Herr said. She and her staff understand. They've been on the ground at the Whittington Center preparing for the 9-day event since mid-September, and the long days are a challenge.

"No one showed up for Tai Chi this morning," Carol told NRAblog. We met her on the shotgun range, where she is serving as a volunteer five-stand instructor. A Tai Chi enthusiast, Carol hosts a session at 5 a.m. every morning. NRAblog asked if maybe she could do an afternoon session.

"It was 36 degrees yesterday morning, and I could see my breath," a woman added. An afternoon of Tai Chi may be just what this sleep-deprived group needs!

Lead instructor Linda Hart had everyone laughing this morning at the shotgun 5-stand event. "We're built differently than the guys," she told the 10 women in her care, gesturing to her hips.

As a member of the NRA's National Coach Development Staff, Linda knows her shotgun stuff. She demonstrated appropriate fit and toldthe crowd to be wary of 'off-the-rack' guns: "Unless you're a very tall lady, you're going to need to have a standardshotgun cut to you," she said. "It's something any gunsmith knows howto do."

A good portion of the morning was spent talking about recoil. "Be awarethere are many many recoil devices out there," she said.  "Before yougoout and buy a gun go to your range and try the different guns on therange and see what works for you."

In addressing stance, a popular phrase of Linda's is "I want to see your hiney behind you," meaning to lean forward rather than backward when mounting the gun.

More...

NRAblog has landed in Raton, New Mexico. The weather is a little cooler than Albuquerque, but the Women's Wilderness Escape participants have just as much enthusiasm as the National Police Shooting Championships competitors.

Stay tuned for some beautiful pictures of the NRA Whittington Center, as well as updates from the following ranges: shotgun, black powder, rifle, pistol, and archery. We'll hear from some of the dedicated volunteers who travel to Raton to make the Escape possible."38 individuals were hand selected based on their skills and classroom experiences," Rosemary Herr told NRAblog.

Participants, volunteers, and staff also gather for evening sessions to learn about turkey hunting, outdoor survival skills, and more. Don't go away -- NRAblog is reporting from Raton throughout the week.

Jan Raab, the NRA's National Manager of High Power Rifle Programs, is currently at the NRA Whittington Center in Raton, New Mexico getting ready to cover the National Fullbore Prone Rifle Championship. Sponsored by the Bald Eagle Rifle Club the championship is open to all NRA members, international or domestic.

Fullbore rifle competition originated in the United Kingdom in the 1960s as an offshoot of Service Rifle shooting and has gained popularity in the United States where it is presided over by the NRA.

Both team and individual matches are featured in the championship, in which competitors shoot from distances of 300 yards up to a maximum of 1000.

A guide to the match that includes general rules, match information, and a schedule can be found here.

Look for an update of coverage from the event once Jan has returned.