NRA Certified Instructor and Range Safety Officer Connie Elliot volunteered at the recent Boy Scout Jamboree, where thousands of scouts participated in the shooting sports. Read on for Elliot's story on running the OK Corral air gun range and how introducing young people to shooting became a rewarding experience.

Attending the Boy Scouts of America (BSA) National Jamboree as staff is a different experience than participating as an adult Troop leader. Both have their own merits, however, attending as a staff member and seeing Jamboree emerge from bare land to a city for thousands is exhilarating.

As an NRA Certified Instructor and NRA Range Safety Officer, you see and hear many things while helping on a range. There are those that ask why we would want to give up two weeks of vacation to spend it with scouters and scouts we have never met before. I had the good fortune of being selected as staff for the Venturing Exhibit’s OK Corral and there are Jamboree scouts that have helped change the way I look at our youth today.

The OK Corral consisted of 12 stations where scouts competed against each other by shooting air rifles at five targets. The first scout to knock down all five of their targets won that round and progressed to the darkened indoor range where they experienced shooting the Night Stalker air rifles with lighted scopes. Needless to say, this was a highlight and the scouts that did not win their round scurried back in line to try their shooting skills again and again.

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Last night at 6:30 p.m., Camp Perry volunteers were honored at the Clubhouse for all of their hard work and dedication they have given this year at the National Matches. As volunteers walked into the Clubhouse, they were each entered in a drawing to win prizes. Some of this years prizes included hearing protection muffs, hats, t-shirts and mugs.

Once volunteers were inside, a constant sound of laughter and chatter could be heard as volunteers sat down and relaxed with their fellow workers and friends. After a few minutes of cheerful conversations, a huge line formed as volunteers went over to get their dinner and dessert.

After enjoying their meal, Outstanding Service awards were given to volunteers who have dedicated service to the National Championships at Camp Perry for 5 or 10 years. Amazingly, two 30 year service awards were also given out. Both Carol Newman and Patricia Seifert have volunteered 30 years at the National Matches.

The most laughter of the night was heard when the Trompen Trophy winner was up for debate. This award is special for the high power volunteers at Camp Perry because it is awarded to the person who, as they have put it, "screwed up." Any volunteer can nominate someone for this award by telling the story of how the volunteer messed up. This years 2010 Trompen Trophy winner was Claire Russell because she decided to drive back to the pits to get signatures on score cards; the only problem was, she was so excited she got the signatures, she drove back when the competitors were shooting and caused a cease fire.

The volunteer banquet last night felt more like a family reunion because of how close all these volunteers are. The National Matches would not function or exist without all the volunteers that spend their summers working hard at Camp Perry. So if you see any volunteers, at Camp Perry or other matches, go over and thank them for their devotion and support to the shooting sports.

NRAblog loves to talk to NRA Volunteers, and we try to introduce our readers to as many of these dedicated patriots as possible. During the smallbore prone phase of this year's National Matches, we were able to chat with three couples. Their stories are below.

The Herringtons

Lloyd and Phyllis Herrington, pictured above, are no strangers to Camp Perry. “She’s been volunteering 11 years, and I just got my 10 year pin this year,” Lloyd told NRAblog. He said they read NRAblog and he believes they may even have been featured here already. When we thanked them for their dedication to the National Matches, this couple said they wouldn't spend their summer any other way.

"In the 1960s Phyllis competed here at the Matches," Lloyd said, "then we started raising a family, and here we are now, married 52 years, with great grandchildren." 

Phyllis has been teaching Hunter Education for the past 14 years in the state of Ohio. “She was honored with a Governor’s award for outstanding service, which they rarely give out,” Lloyd told us proudly. “She’s small, so all her guns are cut down in size,” Lloyd said. “Our grandkids all started with her guns.”

The couple, who teach Right To Carry courses in Ohio, typically volunteer for both the pistol and smallbore rifle phases.

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2009 Friends of NRA Volunteers of the Year

All volunteers are essential to the success of the Friends of NRA program, but a select few stand-out as the backbone, the base, the foundation of entire areas and regions within the Friends of NRA network. These volunteers are known as Friends of NRA Volunteers of the Year, and out of all 50 area volunteers nominated for this award, only five are selected as the Region Volunteers of the Year:

Region Volunteers of the Year:
Eastern Region: Maryland: Randy and Suzanne Lewis, Washington Co.
Central Region: Tennessee: Tracy Hightower, Kentucky Lake
Mid West Region: Oklahoma: Ron Tarrant, Southeastern Oklahoma
Southern Region: Florida (Southern): John and Jean Gettle, South Bay
Western Region: Alaska: Denny Hamann, Alaska State 

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The Club House at Camp Perry was buzzing with activity last night, both inside and out. Each year, NRA hosts a Volunteer Banquet to thank our hardworking volunteers for their help and to present awards of recognition.

All volunteers were entered into a drawing for great prizes including NRA memorabilia, digital cameras, shooting equipment and accessories, and more. Service awards were given to 15 volunteers, including Chief Referee Kenneth Boyd for 25 years of service, and NRA Trophy Room guru Pierce Johnson who has volunteered for an incredible 40 years.

Volunteers also signed a t-shirt for sponsor Universal Coin and Bullion to thank them for donating t-shirts and supporting the National Pistol Championships.  

Outside the Volunteer Banquet, a beach party sponsored by NRA's Competitive Shooting Division was in full swing for competitors and their families featuring food and live music.  

Thanks again to NRA volunteers for your support of the National Matches!

The Volunteer Office at Camp Perry looks drastically different, thanks to recent renovations. Not only is the inside office now on the opposite end of the building, but new teller windows help separate the office from the general congregating area. The new office has a dedicated storage closet, which creates more space and enables better organization. "The new office is very nice. It makes it easier to work," said Mary Johnson, a volunteer celebrating her fourth year at Camp Perry. Because the office is separate from the congregating area, the bathrooms are open 24/7 for volunteers.

Another exciting improvement to the Volunteer Office is a digital flat screen TV, a digital antenna, a DVD player, and even a comfortable futon. The bookshelf is still up against the wall filled with what seems even more books, and there are also several tables and chairs for volunteers to sit down and have lunch. Volunteers feel these improvements help create a better environment to relax and socialize. Jim Collins, a visitor to Camp Perry's Volunteer Office, walked in and said, "Wow! What a homey touch."

The "Nancys," as a pair of volunteers working in Camp Perry's NRA Sales and Memorabilia Store refer to themselves, had more great things to say about the newly renovated office. Nancy deKryger said, "I love it! The separated office helps keep the NRA staff from hearing a lot of background noise when volunteers are inside the building talking. It's also nice to have a TV so we can watch the news." Nancy Landstrom said: "The new renovations are terrific! A lot of volunteers come to Camp Perry—it's sometimes our vacation! Family is always first to me, but Camp Perry is definitely second. It's nice to be able to enjoy our time here even more."

Today marks the first day of the 2010 National Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, where these competitions have been taking place for over 100 years. This morning, all of the volunteers for the pistol phase met for training at Petraca Range, while the Army's Marksmanship Unit is holding their Small Arms Firing School which is open to civilians looking to become better pistol shooters. 

At the Entry Office, competitors are busy picking up packets and bags with information and souvenirs, while the Stat Office finalizes squadding for last minute entries.  

Tonight at 6:30 is the First Shot Ceremony taking place on Rodriguez Range (Range 3). Each year this ceremony kicks off the National Matches with a special guest firing the first shot of the competition. Soldiers will also jump from a helicopter and deliver the American flag to be raised, as pictured above from last year. Immediately following the event is the Shooters' Reception at the Club House for staff and competitors to socialize and relax before the competition begins.  

We'll be bringing you coverage of today's events, so check back for photos and more details.

NRAblog is on the ground at Camp Perry, preparing to bring you live coverage of the 2010 National Rifle and Pistol Matches. The events will kick off at tomorrow evening's First Shot Ceremony, and then Tuesday marks the beginning of the National Pistol Matches. 

Staff and volunteers are busy putting the finishing touches on all the different aspects of Camp Perry. From the NRA Sales and Memorabilia Store, to the Trophy Room, and the ranges, all areas are being finalized.

More volunteers are also arriving and checking in with the Volunteer Office to receive their assignments before they report for training tomorrow morning. Nearly 120 volunteers will provide assistance during the pistol phase in a variety of different capacities.

Bookmark this site for quick access to all the latest news and updates from Camp Perry. Official coverage will begin tomorrow, so check back frequently!

As we reported earlier in the week, NRAblog was invited to attend a local Friends of NRA banquet. For NRAblog's summer intern Olivia Blanchard, the experience was instrumental. "The programs of the NRA have more meaning to me now that I see where the support comes from," she said.

Above, we photographed as much of the evening as possible, including the live auction and the monumental wall of guns, where attendees buy raffle tickets for the chance to select their choice of firearm. 

Committee chairman Dave Mentzer, an NRA Life Member, doesn't see his Nokesville, VA, banquet as anything too radical.

"We're just "regular" people, having wholesome fun, wholesome food, and wholesome social interactions, which results in supporting the wholesome shooting sports, right here in Virginia," Mentzer said of the banquet, held annually at Fairfax Wildlife Club.

"As they say, freedom is not free, but fought for every day. Some fight in the courts, some in far-off wars, some however have a friendlier "fight" and that is how each and every participant at our banquet should feel," he continued. "They actually had fun whilst doing their part to defend our precious freedoms. I wish to thank each and every one of them."

"I hope that they come back next year, and if any feel interested in volunteering in making the banquet happen, our group of about 5 or 6 volunteers could use an extra hand or two."

To view a complete list of upcoming events in your state and to purchase a ticket online visit www.friendsofnra.org/events and click on the state in which you live. 

NRAblog had the chance to attend a Friends of NRA banquet in northern Virginia this weekend.

The Fairfax Wildlife Club, which is geographically in Haymarket, Virginia, has only a few dozen members. But that doesn't stop it from throwing one heck of an event. "This banquet raised $10,000 for the programs of the NRA last year," Field Representative Bob Hipple told NRAblog.

At right, the banquet's Wall of Guns was largely popular with attendees, who had the chance to buy raffle tickets, play games, and bid in silent and live auctions throughout the evening.

"Everyone was really enthusiastic, and we had a great time," NRAblog summer intern Olivia Blanchard said. "I think it's amazing to see, at the local level, how the money and support is raised to further the NRA's network of programs."

Stay tuned for more on this event!

To view a complete list of upcoming events in your state and to purchase a ticket online visit www.friendsofnra.org/events and click on the state in which you live.

Virginia's Airfield Shooting Club played host to a group of ladies at their November 2009 Women On Target clinic. Below, read the article from Club Connection, as written by Dale Mullin:

Women On Target at the Airfield Shooting Club

Hurricane Ida was no longer at hurricane strength when it visited Southeastern Virginia the week of November 9, 2009, but it still boasted strong winds and lots of rain. Virginia’s Governor declared a state of emergency as the rains that started on Wednesday continued well into Friday.

Some of the ladies who’d signed up for our clinic the following day couldn’t attend due to flooding, but twenty-one intrepid ladies did attend and what a GREAT group they were! We started the morning with a safety briefing and then divided the ladies into three groups.

One group went to shoot pistols, another went to shoot rifles, and the third group went to shoot shotguns. The groups rotated on a fixed schedule and our two volunteer coordinators, Kelly and Linn, did a superb job of helping us to stay on schedule.

When all of the ladies had sampled each of the three shooting disciplines, we gathered in the Airfield 4-H Center’s dining room for a very nice luncheon buffet. After everyone had eaten, ASC President Tim Drewry told the ladies about the club and about other shooting opportunities available to them.

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Field Representative Jack Cannon brings us the following:

Focus On Volunteers: Derrick Ard of Kimble County

Derrick Ard is proof that the hundreds of Friends of NRA volunteers in West Texas not only talk the talk, but truly walk the walk. As chairman of the freshman committee in Kimble County, he wears many hats. From his work with Texas Tech University-Junction to the 4-H Youth Shooting group, Ard is in the middle of it all.

For his first-ever banquet, Ard not only helped pull together some local people to help put on the banquet, but worked with neighboring counties to help draw in people from as far away as Menard and Sonora and even some from Monahans and San Antonio! Kimble County is located approximately 80 miles west of San Antonio on Interstate 10.

Through his guidance, the Kimble County 4-H has grown each year, adding new shooters and expanding their offerings. He attributes a large portion of this growth to grants funded by Friends of NRA and The NRA Foundation. These grants enabled the 4-H to purchase more firearms and equipment, thereby expanding the number of youth they could include in the Shooting Sports Program.

"Friends of NRA and The NRA Foundation are real supporters of our youth shooting groups," states Ard. "Without the grants we have received, our program would be very limited. But with the grants, we are able to allow more shooters to learn the safe and fun that shooting can bring."

With Kimble County's first banquet behind him, Ard took a little 'time off' from work and his responsibilities with 4-H to take in a long weekend of Speckled Trout (Specks) fishing on the Gulf Coast. Ard enjoys hunting and fishing with his family in his down time. You can see from the picture above, Ard knew exactly where to find some Specks!

An NRA member for thirty-plus years, Maryland resident Bob Culver recently sent NRAblog a few pictures of his trip to the Annual Meeting in Charlotte. We were able to catch up with Culver to learn a bit more about his impression of Charlotte.

But first, a little about Bob.

A long-time gun enthusiast, Culver was a member of his high school rifle team. He said he originally joined the NRA because the organization “supports my personal interests and ideas.” Family and friends share his interest in firearms, and Culver loves attending NRA Annual Meetings, gun shows, and local community fairs whenever possible.

Culver thinks it’s important to promote “gun involvement in a friendly way,” and he enjoys encouraging people in his Montgomery County, Maryland, community to become more involved in safety training programs and to “promote the American heritage of firearms.”

Culver’s wife, Cathy Nutter Culver, shares his strong interest in firearms and NRA programs; in addition to being an NRA member, Cathy volunteers as coordinator of Women on Target shooting clinics in her community.

Both Mr. and Mrs. Culver enjoy organizing and participating in events with the Monumental Rifle Pistol Club, which will be holding a shotgun event this Saturday.

When we asked Culver what he thought of this year’s Annual Meeting in Charlotte, Culver said he and his wife had a great time attending various seminars and the Friends of NRA National Foundation banquet.

The couple particularly enjoyed hearing Ted Nugent speak, since, as Culver said, “The Nuge is always good.”

The Culvers also enjoyed the hospitality of local Charlotte businesses. Culver said people in Charlotte “were extremely friendly and glad to see us, glad for the business,” which made the trip particularly pleasant.

"That sign sums it up," he said, referencing the photo at right. He snapped a quick picture of Cathy next to an advertisement for Matt's Chicago Dogs.

“We have more than 100 years of combined U.S. Marine Corps experience in our family,” said NRA member George Hitchcock, Sr. pictured at right with George Jr. (center) and his brother (right). “My son just got out. Show them your tattoo."

Sure enough, George Jr. lowered the collar of his shirt to show the Marine Corps emblem right on his neck.

"It's good to be here as a family," George Sr. told us when we asked how the Meeting was going. "My brother came with us, and it's been a real good time so far." 

 

       

The National Rifle and Pistol Matches at Camp Perry, Ohio, were centerstage in Charlotte as the staff of the NRA's Competitive Shooting Division manned a booth promoting the shooting sports. The national matches are held each summer, and a dedicated group of volunteers are responsible for much of the event's success.

 At left, Dot Priestman, an NRA volunteer, got creative and used the NRAblog signature yellow tote to draw a name for Sunday's raffle. 

 "The response has been great," Marketing Coordinator Woody Arenas told NRAblog. "Friday, Saturday, and Sunday we drew people's names out of a raffle for prizes, which draws a crowd." Sponsors donated prizes, which Arenas and staff handed out to happy NRA members at the conclusion of each day.

If you'd like to share your favorite photo from the Annual Meetings with NRAblog, send it to GOblog@NRAhq.org.  

Only 11 days remain in this exciting joint venture! Check out this Camp Perry custom Springfield Armory M1A match rifle. Special thanks to both AuctionArms and Springfield for making this possible -- remember, all proceeds will directly benefit the volunteers of the NRA's Competitive Shooting Division.

Details on this firearm: this one of a kind, custom Springfield Armory M1A rifle includes a walnut stock and stainless steel national match barrel with special engravings on stock and action – truly a unique collector’s item. Serial #228238.  

Why delay? Place your bid today.