Friends of NRA's popular raffle returns bigger and better than ever at the 2012 NRA Annual Meetings

At the 2011 NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Pittsburgh, Friends of NRA unveiled the Wall of Guns raffle. A popular game at Friends of NRA events in previous years, it was time to try it out on the national stage.

True to it's name, the Wall of Guns features a plethora of firearms adorning a wall. A winner is drawn every time the game sells 100 tickets and may select their prize from the wall. All old tickets are scrapped and a new raffle begins.

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Having the right instructor can make all the difference in Scouting

Kevin Cummins is an NRA Advanced Certified Instructor out of St. Louis. He's been holding shotgun instructor courses in Missouri for a long time now. His specialty is teaching those who teach the scouts. Here's an update on a recent class:

The Greater St. Louis Area Council of the BSA hosted a Shotgun Instructor class 12-13 October, 2012 at Beaumont Scout Reservation.

Education is key to firearm safety. We need to educate the next generation in the shooting sports. It begins with safe firearm handling.

Education is the foundation for everything we do. Our parents enrolled us in school so we could receive the education necessary to become good citizens and self-reliant members of society. It is incumbent upon us to continue our education daily and make certain that today’s youth are educated to best of their ability.

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St. Louis, Missouri - After arriving on the sandy shores of Miami, Florida, soon to be NRA Certified Instructor Gabby Franco found herself waist deep in guns. In an effort to immerse herself in the firearms industry, she spent the next six years traveling from trainers to ranges to shops and manufacturers. Then there was a call from home.

"My brother called from Venezuela," she started. "They were playing Season 1 of Top Shot down there and he said, 'Gabby you have to apply!' I was like … a tv show? Yea, right, me on television ... okay."

With less then a head full of steam, she emailed her background and a picture. As luck would have it — they called her right up.

"We like your email, but you need to send in an application and video. So I sent in the information. I was invited to the tryouts and well, you see, I made the show!"

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While in St. Louis for the 2012 NRA Convention, we located Top Shot Season 4 runner-up Greg Littlejohn. Greg was nice enough to take a few minutes to talk about a variety of things. With all that happens here at the NRA, a majority of the material from that meeting has been sitting in the to-do pile. No more.

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St. Louis, Missouri - "The show was a chance to reach out to the public and jump in to the professional (shooting market)."

That's how Gregory Littlejohn viewed his time on History Channel's Top Shot. Coming in second to California's Chris Cheng, Littlejohn's persona on the show at times appeared aloof before turning into the hard nosed competitor who withstood three elimination challenges. While he might not be all that happy with his public perception, he has found a silver lining in the exposure.

"I'm sure there's a hundred people in this convention hall that could outshoot me in a variety of firearms," said Littlejohn. "But I was lucky enough to get appear on Top Shot. So even if I'm not the best shooter in the world, there are opportunities now available that were unavailable before."

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St. Louis, Missouri - Most of the world will assemble in their living rooms this summer to watch world class athletes compete in the 2012 Olympic Games. Men and women who sacrificed time, sweat and family to be the best in their field. People like Gabby Franco.

“I was eighteen and so excited,” Gabby smiled. “It was like a dream come true.”

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St. Louis, Missouri - Julie Golob is known for shooting. After winning the USPSA Ladies Single Stack National Championship two weeks ago in Illinois, she now holds more than 20 National titles along with 7 World championships. Results like that don't come easy — especially when you consider her recent success in the 3-gun arena. To achieve those heights, you have to commit to the training.

"The shooting season kicks off for me with the USPSA Single Stack Nationals and of course Bianchi — one of the most intense matches to train for, so I've definitely put a lot of time into that to make sure everything is ready to go."

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Nebraska CEO increases support to the National Rifle Association

St. Louis, Missouri - During the 141st NRA Convention in St. Louis, Cabela's CEO Tommy Millner was inducted in the NRA's Golden Ring of Freedom. Reserved for those who donate a million dollars or more to the National Rifle Association, the ceremony was overseen by NRA Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre along with President David Keene and Golden Ring of Freedom member Joe Gregory.

Here's more from Meg Guegan:

Cabela’s was born of humble roots in 1961, when Dick Cabela devised a plan to sell fishing flies by running a classified ad in the Casper, Wyoming newspaper. Today, Cabela’s has grown into one of the world’s leading outfitters of hunting, fishing, and outdoor gear. As a member of the NRA Corporate Partners Program, Cabela’s has worked closely with the NRA over the years and supports a number of Association programs including the National Firearms Museum, Hunting and Wildlife Conservation, Disabled Shooting, Women’s Programs, NRA Youth Hunter Education Challenge, and The NRA Foundation. Cabela’s also participates in the NRA Add-a-Buck program and has been a significant supporter of Friends of NRA. Cabela’s support now exceeds more than one million dollars in cash.

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While at the NRA Convention in St. Louis, I talked with Top Shot finalist Gregory Littlejohn about his firearms background — this is what he had to say:

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St. Louis, Missouri - Two competitors were there to keep me up to speed on the ins and outs of History Channel's Top Shot this season: Terry Vaughan and Gabby Franco. Though Terry has proven to be as elusive as any British Commando, Gabby put herself front and center this month at the NRA Convention in St. Louis. I took the opportunity to learn more about the Venezuelan Olympian.

You won't believe how it all began.

"I started by dry firing for a year," said Franco.

A year. One full year of pulling the trigger only to hear a whack instead of a bang. Now she laughs about those simpler times, but they must have been maddening for an eleven year old. Yes she was small. And maybe like most children her age she'd ultimately move on to something else. After all, there is no way her father knew that trip to a Barquisimeto range would launch his little girl on such a journey.

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