Have you been to a Friends of NRA event, or been the recipient of a Friends of NRA grant? We want your stories!

Submit stories and photos to Amber Niblock-Shorter at aniblock-shorter@nrahq.org by Friday, January 29, 2010. Be sure to visit the magazine's newly designed website to view previous quarters of Traditions magazines.

From Traditions magazine:

It’s safe to say the Southeast Missouri (SEMO) committee has a history with Friends of NRA. Though chartered in 1993 when the Friends of NRA program was just beginning, they are hardly stuck in the past when it comes to their fundraising approach. Instead, 17 banquets later, the SEMO Friends of NRA are still going strong and consider their extensive experience as merely good grounding for putting on a great event.

Back when the now-distinguished committee was getting started, the NRA Field Representative at the time was invited to speak about the new program. The informational meeting was attended by an astounding 90 people, made up of local gun enthusiasts, Poplar Bluff Gun Club members, and local gun shop regulars. From that fortunate day, the SEMO Friends of NRA committee emerged and began its long-standing tradition of raising money for The NRA Foundation. More...

From Traditions magazine:

At the Kodiak Crab Festival last May, Alaska Friends of NRA made friends with Tim Baker, Vice President and Robert “Bobby” Bonestroo, Operations Manager of Apollo Medi Trans. Tim introduced himself to the Kodiak Friends of NRA Committee Chairman Dave King and was immediately sold on the program when he discovered Alaska Friends of NRA feels the way he does about giving future generations the same traditions, heritages, and freedoms he had when he was growing up.

Tim and Bobby were invited and attended the Kodiak Friends of NRA banquet that weekend and had a fantastic time. While enjoying the atmosphere that exists at an Alaskan Friends of NRA banquet, they found out the Friends of NRA program works tirelessly to promote the shooting sports in Alaska and nationwide, giving back all proceeds in grants that go to the future of the shooting sports. “Steve Smith, who owns Alaska Guns and Ammo, taught us how crucially important it is to support programs like Friends of NRA,” Tim said. “Friends of NRA is something important to us and we are really excited about it.”More...

From Traditions magazine:

The thought of a Teacher’s Day at the Range may sound far-fetched to some, and even when the Citizens Range and Recreation Club of Central, NJ, (CRRC) received a grant from The NRA Foundation to follow through with plans to “Educate Educators” with a “Teacher’s Day at the Range” they too were surprised at the overwhelming positive response they received.

After all, it’s teachers, who through their own passionate pursuit of knowledge, stress a love for learning to their students including times when it may take them somewhat outside their comfort zone. Thus, some 70 elementary, middle, high school, and collegiate-level teachers from over 24 different school districts, became the students for a day.

More...

Thanks to Nicole McMahon for sharing the following piece, which was written by Amber Niblock-Shorter and appears in the current issue of Traditions magazine:

Small, rural, low number of NRA members, and a weak local economy: sounds like a potential site for a successful Friends of NRA committee, right? While Allen Parish in Louisiana can be described as any of the previously mentioned descriptors when it comes to building a Friends of NRA committee, there is something to be said for persevering against the odds.

In late 2008, Kenny Blackwell contacted Senior Field Representative Dick Kingsafer about starting a Friends of NRA committee in Allen Parish, an area located in central Louisiana forest and nursery country with a population of about 26,000 and a total of only 200 NRA members. Blackwell had volunteered on a Friends of NRA committee in Arkansas before moving to Louisiana and sought to start a committee in Oakdale, the largest community within Allen Parish that contains only about 8,200 people.

“I believe very strongly in the Second Amendment and what the NRA is doing,” said Blackwell. “When I moved to Allen Parish nothing was going on and the people weren’t traveling to the surrounding areas to attend banquets. I just saw a need to have a banquet to locally support the NRA.”

More...

Thanks to Amber Niblock-Shorter for sharing the following with NRAblog:

Seventeen years ago, Southern Regional Director Al Hammond was the Florida Field Representative in charge of starting the Florida Friends of NRA program. To help him create awareness about the new program, he enlisted one man’s help as a volunteer – Bud Fisher. With a keen knowledge of the state of Florida and Fisher’s help, Hammond built the program from the ground up and made it into what it is today. Florida is the second highest fund raising state in the Southern Region and ranks in the top ten nationally in terms of the number of banquets held per year.

Hammond relied on Fisher’s leadership background in the United State’s Navy and his strong commitment to the principles of the NRA to help him lead and guide volunteers in starting new Friends of NRA programs all across the state. As a Navy pilot, Fisher was stationed in several places across the world, from Iceland to Italy, before becoming a Primary Flight Instructor in Pensacola, Fla. In 1975, he retired from the Navy as a Lieutenant Commander and possessed all the skills needed to aid Hammond. More...

Thanks to Amber Niblock-Shorter of NRA Field Operations for sharing an exclusive interview she conducted with Jason Evans, Senior Product Manager with Benelli USA. The piece appears in the current issue of Traditions. Read on to learn about Benelli USA's relationship with Friends of NRA, their commitment to the Second Amendment, and what’s on the horizon for their company.

Amber: Can you give me some background on your company and how Benelli’s relationship began with the National Rifle Association?

Jason: Benelli USA is predominantly a shotgun company which Imports/Markets Benelli, Franchi, Stoeger, Uberti, and Stoeger Air. What makes the company unique is the Inertia Driven™ operating system on our semi-automatic shotguns. We offer this high-tech simplicity at three distinctly featured and priced levels in our Benelli, Franchi and Stoeger shotgun lines. Inertia Driven™ actions are the most reliable, simplest to maintain and most durable actions in production; earning the reputation of being named “Simply Perfect.”

From the start, Benelli USA has worked to support the NRA. Our company is very young when compared to some of the industry giants, but we’re very aware of the key role the NRA plays in protecting the Second Amendment rights of gun owners. Benelli USA understands the long term, strategic importance of conservation groups and organizations. With that in mind, Benelli USA’s executive management created an internal structure to support these organizations. Fortunately for us, Laurie Kayser and I were tasked to manage these special accounts – we feel privileged to be a part of their teams and both of us are committed to help support these organizations.

More...

Wisconsin Field Representative Scott Taetsch wrote the following article. Thanks to Nicole McMahon for sharing it with us: 

Superior Range Shooters Club Receives Grants

Located in the scenic Black River Valley Parkway in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, and in the shadow of Copper Peak, the only ski-flying hill in North America, sits the new Superior Range Shooters Club.

Because of generous grants through The NRA Foundation and strong support by the Big Snow Country Friends of NRA, in its ten short years, the Superior Range Shooters Club has grown to now offer rifle, pistol and shotgun shooting sports to the general public. It is fast becoming the premier shooting facility in the area. In 2007, the club received a $7,700 grant from the Wisconsin State Fund Committee in order to build proper safety and impact berms. Because of these improvements, the club was now able to begin 4-H shooting programs and host NRA Shooting Sports Camps for the general public.

Because the range was intentionally built in a remote location, miles from any public water and sewer services, all that were available for bathroom facilities were portable units. With the huge increase of usage by women and children, more improvements were needed if the programs were to continue to grow.

In 2009, the club received an additional $25,000 grant from the Wisconsin State Fund Committee to install a well, septic system and indoor bathroom facilities on the property. This project is the first phase of an indoor educational classroom facility and allows the club to further expand to include programs such as the NRA’s Women On Target and other introductory level educational shooting programs.

“We would like to thank The NRA Foundation and specifically all of the patrons and supporters of the Friends of NRA events for the continued support of the Superior Range Shooters Club. Your funding has helped our club to grow and expand much faster than we could have ever done with local support alone,” said Gary Kusz, President of the Superior Range Shooters Club.

The extended version of this article will be in the upcoming Traditions - Quarter 4 magazine coming out in January. Visit www.friendsofnra.org for archived Traditions magazines and news from The NRA Foundation and Friends of NRA.

The latest issue of Traditions magazine is online!

If you enjoy reading about NRA Grants in Action here at NRAblog, we encourage you to check out the stories of Traditions.

Traditions is The NRA Foundation’s quarterly publication, designed to inform readers about the successful mission of the foundation to promote and expand our shooting sports traditions. Our mission with this publication is to bring you – our supporters, volunteers, and grant recipients – information about The NRA Foundation and the success of our efforts.

Why Traditions? Because that is what The NRA Foundation is all about. Our hunting traditions, our shooting sports traditions, the tradition of freedom that our forefathers secured for us and have passed on through the generations.

There are many ways to ensure tradition. The NRA Foundation ensures it through education. That’s what Traditions is all about.

Elizabeth Hellmann, National Program Coordinator of the NRA Women On Target® Instructional Shooting Clinics, is more than an expert shot and a renowned firearms instructor. She’s also a passionate writer.

Elizabeth has agreed to share a recent piece, “Women and the NRA,” with NRAblog. An excerpt is printed in the current issue of Traditions magazine. NRAblog is pleased to present the complete article as a series of posts:

The NRA Benefits Us All

Each year, thousands of women discover the benefits that the NRA offers them, from firearms safety training to learning outdoors skills to taking responsibility for their personal safety into their own hands – not to mention their family’s safety. And in return, the NRA is thrilled when women try competitive shooting; when women try recreational shooting; and when women learn that marksmanship is a skill like any other.

We hope that each year, more and more women will learn that they have a place in the NRA alongside their grandfathers, their fathers, their uncles, and their brothers. Women belong here, and we want them to bring their mothers, their sisters, their nieces, and their daughters with them.

Thanks so much for sharing this with us, Beth! For those of you just tuning in, today's piece is the conclusion of a series of five posts from Beth. Take a moment and catch up:

• part I
  
• part II
  
• part III
  
• part IV
  

Elizabeth Hellmann, the National Program Coordinator for NRA Women On Target® Instructional Shooting Clinics, is more than a talented shooter and renowned firearms instructor. She’s also a passionate writer.

Beth was kind enough to share a her article on Women and the NRA with NRAblog. An excerpt is printed in the current issue of Traditions magazine. NRAblog is pleased to present the entire article as a series of posts:

Why Women Learn About Guns, continued

Safety

Following the NRA’s Rules of Gun Safety can help keep women and children safe in their own homes. In my own case, I grew up with guns in the home and tagging along with the (male) members of my family on hunting trips. From an early age, I learned gun safety rules and the importance of them. I knew that my own children needed to learn gun safety, too – not because we had guns where unauthorized people might find them, but because my children might visit a friend’s home where others had access to guns that were less well-secured. This point was driven home to me when I was fourteen years old, and while at an afterschool party in a private home, a boy accidentally shot a friend with a gun he found -- a gun he believed to be unloaded. Had the NRA Rules of Gun Safety been observed, a tragedy could have been prevented. Unfortunately, many people, especially women, do not know what these rules are. The NRA plays a valuable public service in providing gun safety programs (instruction that is low-cost and often free) and information that is available through literature and online. Through us, women learn gun safety standards that keep themselves and their children safe. I firmly believe that if everyone followed the NRA Rules of Gun Safety and practiced our recommendations on safe gun storage, the world would be a better place.

Personal Protection 

Today, global conditions of instability have given rise to physical and psychological violence towards women. The world can be a scary place, and the National Rifle Association can show women how to become safer and stronger, while taking responsibility for their own well-being.

As economies fluctuate and approach critical levels, greater responsibilities have been shouldered by women seeking to provide for their families. Many women learn to shoot because they want to exercise their right to protect themselves and their families. Some want to obtain a concealed carry permit, while others may already have a firearm in their homes that they want to learn to use defensively. The constant effort of the National Rifle Association makes it possible for women to defend themselves with a gun, if they choose.

Endowment and Donations

Some women become so committed to the idea of marksmanship that they want to ensure that the NRA will exist long into the future. These individuals may donate their money or financial support in addition to their time, their talent, their energy, and their political influence. In this way, women help ensure that the resources of the NRA are available for years to come – not only for themselves, but for others.

The NRA Foundation has a number of funding options at our disposal. Please consider contributing to NRA Women’s Programs today, in any amount possible. Let our voice be heard loud and clear.

 

Thanks Beth! We look forward to the series' conclusion tomorrow morning.

 

Elizabeth Hellmann, the National Program Coordinator for NRA Women On Target® Instructional Shooting Clinics, is more than a talented shooter and renowned firearms instructor. She’s also a passionate writer.

Beth was kind enough to share a her article on Women and the NRA with NRAblog. An excerpt is printed in the current issue of Traditions magazine. NRAblog is pleased to present the entire article as a series of posts:

Why Women Learn About Guns

It’s Our Right
The demand for women’s programs has never been greater, but women don’t always find it easy to walk into clubs and ranges. Some women are intimidated by guns, and some are intimidated by strangers. An unfamiliar place full of strangers with guns is an even more difficult situation. It takes a strong woman to confront her fears and rise to the challenge of overcoming them. Fortunately, many women find the idea repugnant that they “can’t” or “shouldn’t” try to shoot, and they become determined to find a place to exercise their rights – if only because it is a right they don’t want to lose.

Personal Challenge
Some women want to learn about firearms because they may never have seen one or touched one. They want to learn whether firearms are portrayed accurately on film, and they want to learn why millions of men and women enjoy shooting them. Well-read women have heard arguments against gun ownership, but they know that millions of law-abiding citizens own guns that are never misused. They may have become skeptical of the steady diet of yellow journalism that is being fed to them, and want to learn what guns are really like without prejudice. After all, if millions of women are shooting enthusiasts (as the National Sporting Goods Association reports) then guns must have some allure. The kind of woman who wants to find out the facts for herself is the kind of woman who turns to the NRA first for information. She’s a woman full of the spirit of adventure and the willingness to verify her own beliefs, and she’s a woman who is open-minded.

Scholarships and Recognition
Women may also have heard that their children can benefit from learning safe gun handling, or they may have heard about an athletic shooting team at their children’s school. Many colleges and universities offer scholarships in shooting sports to outstanding high school students. (As a high school rifle team coach, I’ve known many students who have attended college thanks to winning an athletic shooting scholarship.) Also, the NRA itself offers a variety of scholarships to youth, adding up to a substantial amount of educational support for college-bound students.

 

Check back soon for more on this topic from Beth. Or, e-mail womenontargetclinics@nrahq.org and find out more about Instructional Shooting Clinics and how your club can host one. 

As we reported Friday, Elizabeth Hellmann of NRA Women On Target® Instructional Shooting Clinics has agreed to share her article on Women and the NRA with NRAblog. An excerpt is printed in the current issue of Traditions magazine. NRAblog is pleased to present the article in whole as a series:

How Women Contribute to the NRA’s Successes

Women contribute in many ways to clubs, ranges, and national associations, sometimes in ways that are more valuable than finances. Women can be some of the hardest working, most valuable volunteers in any organization – including the National Rifle Association. We have extensive knowledge on variety of subjects, sure skills, and a willingness to share our talents. But more importantly, women have influence. We are a vast, under-utilized resource.

If women help ensure the future of the shooting sports by bringing friends and family into the fold, as many believe, then offering programs designed by and for women may help ensure longevity of a number of shooting and gun safety programs. Not only are these programs geared towards marksmanship, but they are also designed to increase home firearm safety by teaching proper handling and good storage options. Often, women decide if their children will be allowed to learn to shoot and whether there will be guns in the homes. They may also determine how guns will be stored in the home.

The NRA provides guidance and standards for gun safety and firearms training that are beyond reproach. One measure of our success is that we are the unchallenged experts in the field of gun safety. Women who are eager for knowledge will turn to us for answers and for training, and we want to make sure that they are welcome here.

You may wonder why the NRA is willing to give women special attention. The NRA makes an important investment in the future when it offers service and educational experiences specifically designed for women. Many NRA Women’s Programs are designed to boost female participation in the shooting sports, and by doing so, we demonstrate that the NRA is dedicated to furthering the marksmanship skills of every citizen. NRA’s commitment to Women’s Programs provides key support for the perception of shooting clubs as family-oriented clubs.

Check back soon for more on this topic from Beth. Or, e-mail womenontargetclinics@nrahq.org and find out more about Instructional Shooting Clinics and how your club can host one.

Elizabeth Hellmann, National Program Coordinator of the NRA Women On Target® Instructional Shooting Clinics, is more than an expert shot and a renowned firearms instructor. She’s also a passionate writer.

Elizabeth has agreed to share a recent piece, “Women and the NRA,” with NRAblog. An excerpt is printed in the current issue of Traditions magazine. NRAblog is pleased to present the complete article as a series of posts:

The Matter of Female Membership

When women who love to shoot – and who may carry concealed or hunt or who may be award-winning competitors – say they don’t belong to the NRA, I am flabbergasted.

Usually, they say, “My husband belongs,” or “My grandfather belongs … or my father … my brothers … ”

Why is that? Why do women virtually choose to disenfranchise themselves when it comes to gun ownership?

Perhaps it is because women are not aware of all that the NRA offers them.

In addition to protecting the right of all citizens (male and female) to own guns, the NRA offers numerous programs for education, training, competition, and recognition of achievement.

Without the NRA’s vigilance and the educational opportunities it provides, women would lose a critical right. The right to bear arms is as important to us as it is to men – perhaps more so.

The NRA makes an important investment in the future when it offers service and training specifically designed for women. In doing so, the NRA demonstrates that we are dedicated to educating every citizen. NRA’s commitment to Women’s Programs provides key support for the perception of shooting clubs as family-oriented clubs.

Check back soon for more on this topic from Beth. Or, e-mail womenontargetclinics@nrahq.org to find out more about Instructional Shooting Clinics and how your club can host one.