Last year, NRAblog was on hand to cover New York State Rifle and Pistol Association's Annual Meeting. NRA News' Cam Edwards and NRA President Ron Schmeits addressed the 2009 meeting. This year, we offer our thanks to Eddie Falcon, a Benefactor member of the NRA and founder of homedefensesite.com, for the following report and photo:

 

Wallkill Rod & Gun Club hosts NYSRPA Meeting

On June 12, 2010 the Wallkill Rod and Gun Club opened its doors to gun lovers from as far as Princeton, NJ. Ray Carney and his staff did a great job putting together an awesome experience and a fun-packed day. There were many displays of guns from the Colt Collectors booth to the .50 BMG. The Sullivan County Sheriff’s crew tapped off the afternoon with a demonstration of full-auto firearms, which three ladies from the audience had the opportunity to shoot.

The event had many opportunities for the public to shoot the guns on display. The NRA's Education and Training Division participated with a new event they called the 3-Gun Experience. If you provided the necessary handgun permit, you were able to shoot the following three stages: a carbine shoot, a handgun shoot, and a shotgun shoot.

Three gentlemen from NRA Headquarters in Virginia – Andy Lander, Sean Thornton, and Mark Richardson – and I coordinated the 3 Gun event. Alongside our event, Andy Massimilian operated a pay to shoot event. For a few dollars event goers were offered the opportunity to shoot a FN Scar, an UZI, a .50 BMG and the new Remington 1911.

Wayne LaPierre addressed the crowd of over 800 to much applause. Wayne repeatedly thanked NRA Board Members Tom King (also the President NYSRPA) and Joseph DeBergalis, Jr. (Vice President NYSRPA) for their hard work and dedication in fighting for the 2nd Amendment Rights in New York.

The afternoon was wrapped up with an unbelievable chicken bake, a tradition at the club, where more than 650 people pre-ordered tickets for the meal.

Board Member (and esteemed Sheriff) Jay Printz has been to the NRA Annual Meeting each year since 1998 with the exception of 2004 when he was working in Iraq. Printz caught up with NRAblog to talk about this year's event. “Everyone at NRA who works to put on this event deserves a hearty thank you,” Printz told us. “I can't see how they can top this next year … but they probably will.”

“Each meeting has its individual flavor and all are exceptional,” Printz continued. He sent this picture from Charlotte. Pictured in front of the Beretta booth, from left to right: Kenny Mullins, NRA member and retired NYPD; NRA’s Kayne Robinson; and Printz.

“Last year's meeting was especially memorable as I was able to bring my brother Ken Printz for his 60th birthday present,” Printz said. “Ken was just floored at everything he saw and everybody he met.”

"It's my honor to welcome you," Wayne Anthony Ross told the crowded conference room at the Charlotte Convention Center on Sunday, May 16, 2010. Ross, the chairman of the Gun Collectors Committee, is a longtime NRA Board Member and true friend to the community. "We have 25 gun collector organizations represented here, and before I say anything more, I’d like to introduce NRA Vice President David Keene, a fellow Winsconsinite who has honored us with his presence."

"It’s a pleasure to get the chance to be here for a few minutes," Keene said from the podium at the front of the room. "I’m awed by how much effort and love goes into this."

"Collecting is one of the ways we enjoy our firearm rights," Keene said. "You're an important part of what we do and why we're here, and I want to thank you for all you do."

"The heritage of the NRA goes back," Keene continued. "Waaaay back, and you are preserving a vital part of the American heritage, in addition to having a heck of a good time while you do it."

The first year any collector group participates in the NRA National Gun Collecting Awards Competition, it receives a special plaque. After that, the group receives a special star ornament for each additional year of participation.

In 2010, one group debuted an exhibit: the Southeastern Antique Arms Collectors Association. All NRA affiliated gun collector clubs are eligible to enter, Senior Curator Phil Schreier told NRAblog.

"Each of these organizations is to be commended for their individual and collective efforts and the resulting success that has been enjoyed by thousands of visitors in the Exhibit Hall this weekend," Ross told the crowd before calling representatives to the front of the room to receive their stars. Below, we've listed each group that is celebrating 25 or more years of participation: 

Ohio Gun Collectors Assn.	57
Michigan Antique Arms Collectors	49
Ruger Collectors' Association	36
Minnesota Weapons Collectors Association	31
Smith & Wesson Collectors' Association	28
Miniature Arms Collectors/Makers Society	27
Winchester Arms Collectors Association	25

More...

NRAblog recently shared a few details about Ted Nugent’s “speaking presentation” at the Annual Meeting in Charlotte, North Carolina. Here are a few more details and additional pictures from the event.

Ted Nugent’s seminar at the NRA Annual Meeting, titled We The People, was filled with everything the crowd could desire and more. Lines formed early and wrapped around hallways and stairs as everyone gathered for the Motor City Madman’s message for the members.

“The spirit of our blood brothers must be spread,” Ted cried from the stage. “It all starts with membership. If you’re not a member of the NRA then you are not a force to be reckoned with.” He called for more. If you’re a Member, become a Life Member. If you’re a Life Member, become a Endowment Life Member. And if you have a friend, a family member, or a neighbor who isn’t a member of the NRA, then it’s your job to sign them up.

The event came to a close as Ted grabbed his guitar and played a few tunes for the grateful crowd. They thanked him as they welcomed him – on their feet, with deafening applause.

Five of the seven 2010 Brownells Youth Ambassadors are here on the scene at the NRA’s 139th Annual Meetings and Exhibits in Charlotte. Thanks to the generosity of Frank and Pete Brownell, the Ambassadors are attending the entire convention.

The Brownells are pictured at left with the Ambassadors and Bill Poole, NRA’s Director of Education and Training.

“Keep up the good work,” Frank Brownell told the youth. The group enjoyed a quiet moment at the Brownells booth on Friday, sharing brown and yellow cupcakes with their sponsors. The Ambassadors presented the Brownells a plaque with a picture of the group at the 2010 SHOT Show, which symbolized the beginning of the Brownells' affiliation with the program.

"These kids are just so appreciative of the chance to be here, among all these NRA members, and all this excitement," Claudia Olsen, who manages the Ambassador Program, told NRAblog. "We've been together today, bouncing around the Exhibit Hall and meeting with industry folk, and tomorrow we'll do a Refuse To Be A Victim seminar and more." 

The first Club University of 2010 kicked off this morning as our unofficial emcee Son Nguyen introduced Herb Lanford of Columbia, South Carolina. As the NRA Board chair of Clubs & Associations, Mr. Lanford travels to all Club U events to welcome the crowds and answer their questions.

"We are here to answer your questions," said Mr. Lanford. "We have to answer your questions and ask you for more. That's why we provide services like Club University to our members. It's a fabulous way to spend a little time and money so you can improve you operations and increase the benefits to your members."

Not every woman lucked out and won the raffle our Women's Programs Department hosted at the Great American Hunting and Outdoor Show the end of January. But that doesn't mean the Women's Program Department doesn't have a hunt for you!

Pictured above, Women On Target Hunt Coordinator Ann Marie Foster gives NRA Board Member Dave Butz a hand in selecting a winner from the raffle. Foster reports back to the blog from the hunts she attends, and can be reached at WomenOnTargetHunts@nrahq.org.

Space is available in several hunts:

• Pheasant & Chukar, Nebraska, October 22-24, 2010
• Mallard & Wood Duck, Michigan, October 22-24, 2010
• Whitetail Doe/Spike, Axis Doe, and Unlimited Hogs,, Texas, October 22-24, 2010
• Whitetail Doe/Spike, Axis Doe, Rio Grande Turkey (Tom/Hen), Hog, Texas, November 12-14, 2010
• Whitetail Doe/Spike, Axis Doe, Rio Grande Turkey (Tom/Hen), Hog, Texas, December 10-12, 2010
• Whitetail Doe, Hog, Coyote & Bobcat, Oklahoma, December 31, 2010 & January 2, 2011

While on the road with some of the finest firearms the National Firearms Museum's (NFM) has to offer, Senior Curator Doug Wicklund often runs into a number of fans. They are constantly asking for autographs, begging for pictures, and simmering with questions about what the NFM has on display back home. No where was this more apparent then when he traveled to Westminster, Maryland for the NRA's Great American Hunting & Outdoor Show with a few American Hunter classics. While there, he filmed tonight’s segment of Curator's Corner – Matthew Quigley’s 1874 Sharps Buffalo Rifle.

Not only is this a classic rifle from the Old West, it's the one used by NRA Boardmember Tom Selleck in his 1990 movie Quigley Down Under. As Selleck says in the movie:

"It’s a lever-action, breech loader. Usual barrel length’s thirty inches. This one has an extra four. It’s converted to use a special forty-five caliber, hundred and ten grain metal cartridge, with a five-hundred and forty grain paper-patched bullet. It’s fitted with double set triggers, and a Vernier sight. It’s marked up to twelve-hundred yards. This one shoots a mite further. "

Though Doug's delivery might not be as moving as Quigley's, he promises to have a few more secrets to share – at least more than what was revealed in the movie. But for that, you'll have to tune in tonight at 10:20 p.m. for this week's segment of Curator's Corner on NRANews.com or on Sirius Patriot channel 144.

Justin McDaniel from NRAHuntersRights.org had the opportunity to interview NRA Board member Richard Childress of NASCAR fame. We thought our readers might appreciate the chance to get to know this new board member. Read on:

Hunting Gets NASCAR Legend’s Motor Running

Richard Childress is perhaps best known as the owner who oversaw six of Dale Earnhardt’s record-tying seven championships in NASCAR’s top series. Childress’ race teams have won 11 championships and 184 races overall in NASCAR competition, including two victories each in the Daytona 500 and Brickyard 400. In 2010, Richard Childress Racing will field three cars in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series, driven by Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer, respectively, starting with this Sunday’s season-opening Daytona 500.

In addition to being one of NASCAR’s most successful team owners, Childress is also an accomplished hunter and dedicated conservationist. He’s hunted all over the world and works actively with such groups as the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation. In 2009, Childress was elected to his first term on the NRA Board of Directors.

With the start of the 2010 Sprint Cup season just days away, Childress was gracious enough to take the time to talk with us about his hunting career and work in wildlife conservation.

Q: Who introduced you to hunting? What can you tell us about your first hunt?

RC: My step dad introduced me to hunting when I was probably 7 or 8 years old. We went squirrel hunting and rabbit hunting. I had a little 410 shotgun that I used, and that’s the first gun I can ever remember shooting. And then for squirrels we’d use a single-shot bolt .22. The .22 was probably my very first gun. More...

Tom Hindman has been a Youth Hunter Education Clinic instructor for 12 years. On Saturday, at the NRA's first Great American Hunting & Outdoor Show, he was awarded with the Hunter Instructor Award -- the first of its kind awarded by the NRA.  

"As I told (NRA Director of Education + Training) Bill Poole, it's a manifestation of the opportunity of working beside some fabulous people who bring out the best in virtually everyone," Hindman said. "I work with some stellar performers who are team players." Hindman is between NRA Board Member Dave Butz, left, and Poole.

Hindman and his wife drove to the Maryland-based show from Johnstown, Pennsylvania.  He said he couldn't have dedicated the time and effort to the hunting community without the support of his family and friends. 

We met up with NRA Board member John Cushman and his lovely wife Carol briefly right outside the NRA booth on the floor of the SHOT Show. “Be sure and check out NYSafe.org,” he told us. He and Carol, pictured at right with our own Danielle Sturgis, flew in from New York to report on the show for their newsletter.

And we’re passing it on to you. The Sportsmen’s Association for Firearms Education deserves your attention!

Other Board members spotted by NRAblog this week during the 2010 Shooting Hunting Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show include Ted Nugent, Frank Brownell, and Dave Butz. Yes, they move fast, but we're determined when it comes to catching up with our Board members. Stay tuned!

A number of vendors were pulling out the big celebrity guns (no pun intended) for the 2010 SHOT Show. Keeping in line with the NFL playoffs, Taurus - one of the world’s leading small arms manufacturers - unveiled two-time Super Bowl champ Dave Butz.

At 6'8" and 310 pounds, Butz was a defensive lineman way ahead of his time. While his size and speed might be considered prototypical of today's elite defenders, he was more than a nightmare for the offenses of his day. As a lifelong Redskins fan, I can personally say that I miss watching those who played with his style, skill, and humility. The fact that he captained two Super Bowl wins makes it even easier to sit in awe of the man.

A member of the NRA Board, Butz has long defended the right to keep and bear arms. Taurus recognized his work in this field last year by presenting him with the 2009 Taurus Defender of Freedom Award.

Here in Vegas, Butz signed hats, pictures, and allowed fans a look at the rings. Now I can't say for sure, but I believe he was sporting two Super Bowl and one NFC Championship ring. First he'd show them off, let the fans try on the rings, then step to the front for a picture. If the line was a few hundred yards shorter there'd be a picture of the two of us in the slideshow, but there just wasn't time. I had to get back to the SHOT Show.

For a few brief moments, Vegas turned into Detroit as the Motor City Mad Man started down the aisle at the 2010 SHOT Show. Always a favorite, Mr. Ted Nugent darted into the main hall and was surrounded within moments. Fans and gun enthusiast were lining up for photos and Uncle Ted was only to happy to comply.

A member of the NRA board, Ted has long been an advocate for hunting and the shooting sports. And with a reaction like he had today, he'll be quite a successful advocate for years to come. Now if only someone had a guitar handy.

The 2010 Brownell’s/NRA National Youth Shooting Sports Ambassadors were introduced to SHOT Show attendees and vendors yesterday at a special welcome luncheon. Brownells President Frank Brownell had a few words to share with the kids:

Brownell said it just made sense for his family’s company to sponsor the NRA Youth Shooting Sports Ambassador Program: "For us to get involved was so natural because its where our heart is… Where my kids and my grandkids are,” he told the crowd assembled for Tuesday’s Youth Ambassador luncheon. Brownell, an NRA Board Member, serves on the Youth Activities Committee, and has assisted in a variety of ways over the years.

"Whatever it is you're passionate about, you're going to carry with you that basic love of guns."

"We want you all to be able to grow up and share with your kids and grandkids the same love of shooting," he said, touching on the importance of maintaining the 2nd Amendment and the right of all Americans to keep and bear arms,

"This whole business of helping you out is about making sure what's in our heart is also in your heart," he concluded. We want to share that, so you'll never lose your sight, and your connection, to this shooting sport community."

Brownell joined the NRA's first Youth Ambassador, Samantha Olsen, in congratulating the seven 2010 Ambassadors on their accomplishments and encouraging them to keep up the good work. Brownell's son Pete also attended the luncheon but said his dad could do the talking. 

Senior Curator Phil Schreier reports: 

The 48th Annual Antique Arms Show in Las Vegas is the longest running show in the history of the city, and the staff of the National firearms Museum is here once again to display a collection of Reel Guns of the Old West.

Over 128,000 emails went out to NRA members in Arizona, California and New Mexico, ensuring that this year's show has had the highest gate in the history of the event. From Barstow, California, 11-year-old Ryan Howland attended the event with his mother Kathleen, to look over the selection of fine sporting shotguns. Ryan has been shooting since he was 2½ years old, owned his first .22 when he was 5 and is today an up-and-coming trap shooter of great promise.

He currently shoots Perazzi shotguns and is quite efficient at their use, having broken a string of 100 straight three times so far. He stopped by the National Firearms Museum's booth to look at the Colt Walker revolver used by John Wayne in Ryan's favorite cowboy western, True Grit. He was lucky enough to be near the table when NRA Board member Tom Selleck came by to visit and posed for a quick picture with his Mom and Tom. Keep up the good work Ryan, we hope you break Kimberly Rhode's record for being the youngest US Olympic Gold Medalist in the 2014 games!