One of the NRA’s most successful educational programs is Refuse To Be A Victim® (RTBAV), an informative and engaging personal safety course. Now, those who wish to become instructors may train online.

NRAblog spoke with Ruthann Sprague, our Refuse To Be A Victim® Coordinator. At right, Sprague addresses students at NRA HQ.

The idea for an online training course came about, Sprague said, because “in order to be trained as an instructor, you have to attend an instructional development workshop, which has to be taught by a regional counselor, and we have areas of the country where we don’t have regional counselors. So to serve the needs of those who aren’t located within a convenient distance, we decided that an online course would be very helpful.”

Also, many RTBAV instructors are people in the military who see the program as a great community service on their bases. “With their schedules and deployments and such, they had less of an opportunity to attend instructor training, and we wanted to fulfill that need,” Sprague explained.

While RTBAV operates under the umbrella of NRA’s Women’s Programs, it became co-educational in 1997, because “everyone in general, and men after those first few years, saw the benefit of the information we provided.”

According to Sprague, anyone from junior-high students to senior citizens is ideal for the course, a four-hour seminar that gives the attendees information on their personal safety and how to be less likely to become a victim of a crime.

Fortunately, with the new online Instructor Development Workshop, Sprague is confident that “it’s going to greatly increase our growth, since we’ll be able to have instructors in areas we’ve never had before.” Almost 75,000 people have attended RTBAV seminars in the last ten years, mostly in community venues like libraries, churches, and community centers, Sprague said. “A lot of our ranges and different clubs that are already NRA affiliates are already having seminars there as well,” she added.

With the new online program, these numbers are sure to increase, and if you’d like to train to be an instructor or attend a seminar in your area, email refuse@nrahq.org or visit www.nrahq.org/rtbav. The cost is $250, and you must be at least 18 and without a criminal record to become an instructor.

RTBAV consultants put a lot of time into the design of this online course. “We used the model of a college course, so there’s assessments, assignments, and accessibility,” Sprague said. “We’ve tried to cover all of the bases so that the participants are good, strong instructors when they’re done.”

Providing our Youth Cooperative Organizations with training to become NRA Certified Instructors is just one of the many services provides by NRA’s Youth Programs Department.

Groups such as Boy Scouts of America, Royal Rangers, National High School Rodeo Association and 4-H have benefitted from this type of training, allowing their newly trained Instructors to teach more youth about the shooting sports.

Several members of the Youth Programs Department staff recently provided training to the Elkhart County 4-H group and here is what 4-H Leader Harold Schmucker had to say about the training: 

On April 16, 2010, a team from the NRA came to our town. They instructed 12 4-H instructors in NRA Instructor, Rifle. The training will assist the group in training local youth in the 4-H program and at area conservation and rifle and pistol clubs.

The training process started with an e-Mail to the NRA asking about training youth shooters. Claudia Olsen with NRA’s Youth Programs Department answered the e-mail, started the process, and taught the class along with two other NRA trainers from NRA headquarters. I was floored and think I asked her at least three or four times if I heard her correctly that she would come out to our location and put on a class!

I have been involved in Elkhart County 4-H for the last five years and in the last three years our club has exploded with new youth who have a desire to learn the safe handling of firearms. This year the club has 350 youth enrolled. The shooting sports club offers rifle, pistol, shotgun and archery. More...

Silver State Shooting Sports Association (SSSSA) is an NRA-affiliated club offering a variety of NRA programs to members and the public. Club President Dolores McNamara shared the following information on how SSSSA gets new people involved, particularly youth:

Our organization, the Silver State Shooting Sports Association, has trained more than 700 new junior shooters in the past seven years. We work with the Boy Scouts, Venture Scouts, Civil Air Patrol cadets, ROTC and JROTC. These organizations have responded very well to our youth shooting programs and are regular participants. The youth are enthusiastically earning their patches, rockers and medals in the Winchester/NRA Marksmanship Qualification Program. SSSSA is the only shooting organization in our area actively and successfully conducting the rifle, pistol and shotgun programs we offer. We also recruit new youth shooters from all the Southern Nevada gun shows. Our youth programs enjoy the support of parents, too. Some of our young shooters have been with us for years. Many have progressed all the way to the Distinguished Expert awards. One of our shooters was invited to the “Winter Nationals” and has the potential of going to the Olympics in 2012. We are looking at possibly two other shooters for the Olympics and one for the Special Olympics.

More...

After nearly two and a half years of intense effort and feedback from NRA Appointed Training Counselors, the NRA Training Department proudly announces the 3rd Edition of the Training Counselor (TC) Guide, dated January 2010. The new TC Guide incorporates several policy changes and clarifies other policy issues, standardizes formatting, and allows for easier management of updates. Also bundled with the TC Guide is a CD containing Power Point® slide presentations to support instructor training in all courses except for the reloading and muzzleloading disciplines.

A couple of major policy changes include the requirement for Training Counselors to report training at nrainstructors.org, print the report and attach it to the applications with fees and submit to NRA Training Department as a package as well as the introduction of pre-course qualifications, as opposed to assessments. These qualifications are objective based, rather than subjective, thus keeping in line with the NRA Training philosophy of objective based learning. The pre-course qualifications evaluate an instructor candidate’s knowledge skills and attitude concerning firearm knowledge, safe gun handling, and marksmanship.

The new edition of the TC Guide has also been reformatted so that revisions can be posted as addendums, making it a much more manageable, living document. A digital version of the TC Guide will soon be available, so that current Training Counselors can order this, at a reduced cost, and simply print out sections as appropriate.

The TC Guide is only available for order through the NRA Program Materials Center website or by telephone at (800) 336-7402. The item number is EF 12948.

Special thanks to Assistant Curator Matthew Sharpe for this NRAblog exclusive:

NRA Life Member and World War II hero Jack Agnew passed away Thursday, April 8 near his Pennsylvania home. At age 88, Jack was a proud and dedicated member of the National Rifle Association. He was a Life Member from the age of 16 and held the title of being the oldest current training counselor in the organization, having taught hunter safety and firearms courses for more than 70 years.

During the Second World War, Jack served as a member of the illustrious 101st Airborne Division and jumped into Normandy during the D-Day invasion and into Holland during Operation Market Garden. He served as a volunteer Pathfinder and jumped into Bastogne during the famed Battle of the Bulge.

Jack was one of the original members of the “Filthy Thirteen,” paratroopers of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment famous for wearing Native American style Mohawks and war paint when jumping into battle. For his efforts in the War, Jack was awarded the Purple Heart and three Bronze Stars.

He was honored by the NRA during the National Firearm Museum's 2005 exhibit, the Arsenal of Democracy, in the Museum's William B. Ruger Gallery. The exhibit featured arms and paraphernalia of WWII veterans. Jack is pictured above speaking at the exhibit's opening, where Sandy Froman, past NRA President, honored him for being the longest serving NRA Training Counselor, a post he diligently held since 1945.

"In May of 2005 Jack loaned the Museum his prized Springfield 1911 for the Arsenal of Democracy exhibit," Senior Curator Phil Schreier told NRAblog. “Jack was one of the most genuine and generous people I have ever had the pleasure to work with and it was a sincere privilege to call him my friend."

"He was one of the most dedicated NRA members I have ever met," Schreier continued. "His passing marks the beginning of the end of that special breed of citizen soldiers Tom Brokaw called 'The Greatest Generation.'"

Jack was an active member of the Huntingdon Valley Presbyterian Church and a member of the Langhorne Rod and Gun Club. He was buried with full military honors at Forest Hills Cemetery in Huntingdon Valley, Pennslyvainia. He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth; two daughters, five grandchildren, two great-grandchildren and a brother.

Read the Associated Press obituary here. 

With record numbers of NRA Certified Instructors, Coaches, and Training Counselors, 2010 has been a busy year for the staff of NRA's Training Department. Even though the pace has picked up this year, Steve Hoback, Andy Lander, and Mark Richardson still made time to train seven new Range Safety Officers (RSO) right here at NRA Headquarters.

The Range Safety Officer course teaches many components, including a RSO's roles and responsibilities, range standard operating procedures, range inspection and range rules, firearm stoppages and malfunctions, and Range Safety Briefings which include emergency procedures. Candidates must also receive 90 percent or better on the written exam. Above, RSO candidates practice issuing a Range Safety Briefing to their classmates.

"This truly is a great course to take," said Hoback. "It's also one of my favorites to teach."

Five additional NRA staff, including Silhouette and Black Powder Program Coordinator Jonathan Leighton, are now NRA Certified RSOs. Leighton also had two of his Black Powder Target Rifle volunteers take the course to gain a better understanding of how ranges operate, especially during events run by NRA.

"This benefits anyone who spends time on the ranges at various NRA Competitive Shooting events," Leighton said of the course.

Learn more about becoming a RSO or find a course in your area.

Here's a short quiz from our friend Chip Lohman, Editor of Shooting Sports USA, and former Youth Programs Staffer.

Which of the following are true? The National Rifle Association _________.

1. Was created just after the Civil War (1871) to promote firearms safety and marksmanship skills.
2. Has raised $72,000,000+ since 1994 for shooting sports, over half of which went to programs like 4-H, FFA and Boy Scouts of America.
3. Teaches 1,000,000 people each year through gun safety classes or coaching.
4. Sanctions more than 15,000 shooting tournaments each year.
5. Conducts shooting sports activities whose accident rate is so low, the American Safety Council doesn’t track them.
6. Assists more than 3,000,000 youth who regularly participate in shooting sports.
7. The U.S. has 200 colleges with shooting teams, nearly half of which offer scholarships.
8. All of the above.

If you chose ‘H,’ you’re correct! Learn more about what the NRA does for young shooters.

The National Rifle Association has selected Janet Nyce of Green Lane, Pennsylvania, to receive the 2010 Marion P. Hammer Woman of Distinction Award. This award recognizes exceptional contributions to the preservation of the Second Amendment and the shooting sports through education, advocacy, volunteerism, and legislative activism in support of the goals of the NRA.

Nyce was introduced to hunting by her huband, James, nearly 45 years ago. Since then, the two have raised three children, nurtured six grandchildren and shared their passion for the outdoors in their Pennsylvania community.

An accomplished shooter, Nyce hunts with a rifle, shotgun, inline, primitive muzzleloader, and compound bow. Her devotion to training and education led to her becoming an NRA Certified Instructor in shotgun, rifle, and Refuse To Be A Victim. She also volunteers with her community’s Women On Target® Instructional Shooting Clinic and serves as a shotgun Range Master at the NRA’s Youth Hunter Education Challenge.

“Being a mentor and instructor are two of the greatest joys in my life. The return factor is amazing,” Nyce said. “I always have felt this quote is so true: ‘the leader who shares experience ensures a bright future and leaves a legacy of success behind.’”

A legacy of success is guaranteed with Nyce. As an appointee of the Governor’s Advisory Council for Hunting, Fishing and Conservation, Nyce mentors 30 young people who make up the Governor’s Youth Council for Hunting, Fishing and Conservation.

In 2005, Nyce was a finalist of the Budweiser Conservation Award. She is a member of many hunting and conservation organizations; a Patron member of both the NRA and the National Wild Turkey Federation; a life member of both Safari Club International and Second Amendment Sisters; and countless others.

To honor the pioneering spirit of Ms. Marion P. Hammer, the National Rifle Association bestows the Marion P. Hammer Woman of Distinction Award in her name. Hammer has influenced many in her fight to preserve Second Amendment freedoms. From her role as lobbyist in the passage of Florida's Right-to-Carry legislation, to her grassroots efforts in educating youth about firearm safety, ownership and responsibility, Hammer exemplifies activism. As the creator of the Eddie Eagle GunSafe Program and first woman president of the National Rifle Association, she has significantly impacted her community, state and the nation.

Visit this website to learn more about the Women’s Programs offered by the NRA.

Refuse To Be A Victim® coordinator Ruthann Sprague is especially busy at this time of year. The NRA's Annual Meeting attracts thousands of NRA members eager to learn from top Refuse To Be A Victim® instructors. (Read more about the Refuse events happening at this year's Annual Meeting!)

Sprague, pictured at right addressing the 2009 Youth Education Summit, passed NRAblog this important update:

We are excited to announce Refuse To Be A Victim® has been integrated with NRAinstructors.org. With this integration, Refuse To Be A Victim® instructors and Regional Counselors can easily manage their events, student registrations and information, and conveniently submit their event registration and attendance reports to NRA Headquarters.

You can log in through www.nrainstructors.org or you will be re-directed to the new site from the Refuse To Be A Victim® web pages. Members of the public will also be able to locate Refuse To Be A Victim® Seminar or Instructor Development Workshop (IDW) information from either web page.

If you have questions, contact Refuse To Be A Victim® staff at 703-267-1394 or email Sprague at rsprague@nrahq.org.

Across the nation, more than 65,000 people hold certification as NRA Instructors. Only about 3,000 of these NRA Certified Instructors are women, and the  NRA wants to know why. 

A woman-only Focus Group is underway at NRA Headquarters this weekend. Eleven of the top female NRA Certified Instructors traveled from all over the country to participate.

Education & Training Division Director Bill Poole says once they know more about this trend, his staff will be hard at work to reverse it. “We've noticed women, and youths of either gender, are more receptive to female NRA Certified Instructors,” Poole said, noting that both female instructors and students have been increasing "gradually" over the years.

“We're interested to hear from women about how we can further encourage women’s participation in both the shooting sports and the Certified Instructor Program," Poole said. 

"Hearing from women" is exactly what's happening this weekend. Among other things, E&T is seeking the female perspective on how to increase women’s participation in the Certified Instructor program.

Upon conclusion of the session, E&T staff will meet to discuss the results. One idea they are already considering is the creation of a business model specifically geared towards women. The business model will provide women with a targeted plan to incorporate the Certified Instructor program into their already busy lives.

Stay tuned to NRAblog.com for more on this topic.

John Howard, NRA National Instructor Trainer, brings us the following:

Based on observation, discussions and Training Counselor Workshop evaluations, it has been determined that TCWS staff should be limited to three, in certain cases a maximum of four, members.

The individual sponsoring or organizing and administering the workshop must be coached on ensuring that assignments and planning takes place in a timely manner. We must also ensure that staff does not get in a rush and give short shift to the process. Sponsors must review the course schedule at least two weeks prior to the TC Workshop and obtain approval of the assignments from the TC Program Coordinator.

Although we want to continue our philosophy of decentralization of workshops, we will provide a Training Department staff member or selected Senior or Master Training Counselor to oversee and participate in the conduct of the workshop. Only select workshops will include an STC or MTC candidate. The Training Counselor Program Coordinator will recruit and propose qualified Senior and Master Training Counselor candidates for approval by the NRA National Instructor Trainer and Manager, NRA Training Department based on the needs of the program. We have learned that large staffs (some larger than the number of participants) are not conducive to a quality program, create confusion, and even public differences of opinion. A small quality workshop staff removes the confusion and enables the candidates to transition from instructor to Training Counselor seamlessly.

There are segments of the population or customer base that need Training Counselors, STCs and MTCs more than others. Those determinations will be made on a case-by-case basis. We do not want to mislead anyone into believing that it is “their due” to become an STC or MTC.

While in Washington DC attending a conference, NRAblog had the pleasure of meeting a young man by the name of Joshua Wander. Like all of our NRA Certified Instructors, Wander has a great story.

Born in Mckeesport, PA, Wander has called Pennsylvania home for more than twenty years. He received his bachelor's degree in Talmudic law with honors from a prestigious rabbinical college in Jerusalem and spent several years as a political correspondent for The Jerusalem Post. Wander served as a commander in the IDF and officer in the United States Air Force aux. before graduating from the University of Pittsburgh with a master's degree in public and international affairs with concentrations in global studies and the Middle East.

He was kind enough to grant us an interview:

NRAblog: What got you interested in shooting?

Wander: I started shooting bb guns when I was very young. Since I am a dual citizen of the US and Israel I was drafted into the army. (At age 18 there is a mandatory draft for all Israeli citizens male and female). It was in the IDF that I really trained and became interested in shooting. Later in life, my political career has expanded my horizons to a lot of the theory behind the practical knowledge.

NRAblog: When and where did you become NRA Certified Instructor? In which disciplines?

Wander: I have taught firearm training for years, but I became an NRA Certified Instructor this year. I have begun with pistol, but hope to soon complete rifle, shotgun and self defense. I am also an NRA life member and recruiter.

NRAblog: How would you describe the courses you offer? Do you cater to a certain audience?

Wander: My courses are catered to the Jewish community (although all are welcome) and are advertised within the communities. Unfortunately, many liberal Jews are gun control advocates and don't understand the necessity to train, own and carry a firearm, ESPECIALLY within our community.

I likewise have a website that caters to preparing the Jewish Community. Among other topics, it deals with firearm knowledge and training.

Wander provided us with the accompanying photos. At right, he is pictured serving in Lebanon in 1992.

It was our pleasure to cross your path, Mr. Wander! Keep in touch.