KNOM, the Alaska Radio Mission, sent a reporter to  a recent Women On Target Instructional Shooting Clinic -- and not just any clinic. This particular clinic focused on personal protection of a very specific kind: bear defense.

KNOM Profiles features an in-depth interview with Women On Target volunteer Alexandra Brown, an NRA Certified Instructor and Training Counselor. 

“Women On Target is for any woman anywhere who’d like a fun, safe introduction to various shooting sports,” Brown explains in the interview. “It allows the local people to choose a program to fit their needs.”

“So, bear safety for Alaska.”

Brown and her volunteers tailored the day's lessons to the very real possibility of a bear encounter. Above, Brown leads her participants through the safety briefing and range exercises. 

Women On Target National Coordinator Diane Danielson was thrilled to see the creativity in making the range exercises as real as possible. "They did a great job of simulating a bear, with a target on movable skids," Danielson said. "They would start the target moving, with it making a path to the shooter, giving each participant the chance to actually shoot at a charging target rather than a stationary one." More...

NRANews Executive Producer John Popp and his band of audio/technical wizards stopped by headquarters today to shoot segments for the show. They left with a little more than originally planned.

"Taping at NRA Headquarters accomplishes two things," explained Popp. "First, shooting here provides our viewers with an actual view of the building. We tape our interviews at the museum, in the hallways, on the range - where ever we can find a free space.

"Second is the wild cards. Today, for example, we ran into Competitive Shooting's H.Q. Moody. That impromptu meeting turned into two separate interviews. They wouldn't have happened if we weren't here at headquarters."

In addition to the Moody interviews, Popp and his crew had the opportunity to sit down with Ruthann Sprague from NRA Women's Programs, J.R. Robbins from NRAHuntersRights.org, and (pictured above) National Firearms Museum's Phil Schreier. All of which are scheduled air on NRANews.com somewhere between 9pm and midnight Eastern Time over the next few days.

Since the inaugural Women's Forum in March, the NRA's Education and Training Division has been brainstorming ways to involve women in its programs. NRAblog has featured stories from several forum participants -- Kimberly Hobart, Penny Gilliam and Patricia Mcclelland Merydith -- and we're pleased to continue the series with NRA Certified Instructor Laura Whitlock.

Women On Target instructor Laura Whitlock was born and raised in North Carolina, went to graduate school in South Carolina, and recently moved to Virginia for a career with the federal government. Although she hasn’t held many Women On Target seminars yet, she explained that once she’s settled in her new home, “I would love to establish a WOT client base here.”

While she has plenty of room to grow as a Women On Target instructor, over the years Whitlock has “done a lot of teaching for women. As I got involved in law enforcement, I would be asked to teach wives, girlfriends, daughters, whatever, because it seemed that they would be more relaxed learning from a woman.”

A natural instructor who has experience teaching in the criminal justice and government fields, Whitlock soon became hooked: “I found out I really enjoyed it, and I got certified with the NRA. It’s so infectious to see people having a good time realizing that shooting can be a hobby in addition to self defense.” More...

The Texas Trophy Hunters Association provides a weekly podcast on the issues facing the hunting community. Our own JR Robbins, Managing Editor of NRAhuntersrights.org, is a frequent guest on the show. In current and coming broadcasts, learn about:

• How NRA defends hunters’ rights
• How New Jersey finally got a bear hunt
• The importance of women to hunting
• Blizzards of regulations that are driving people out of hunting.
• … and other news that affects your freedom to hunt.

Download the free podcasts.

For the latest on how NRA defends your hunting rights, be sure to bookmark NRAhuntersrights.org. Send your feedback to huntersrights@nrahq.org.

Alpen Optics Vice President of Marketing Vickie Gardner is a clever lady. Her business card, in fact, reads "Vice President of Stuff & Marketing." She explains, "I figure, who really looks at it, anyway -- plus, you have to have fun!"

Garder, of Rancho Cucamonga, California, is also a hardworking volunteer. She was honored with the prestigious Betty Lou Fegely Emerald Cornerstone Award at this year's annual meeting of the Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA). Gardner was singled out for her extraordinary volunteer service to the organization. Thanks to fabulous outdoor photographer John Jefferson for snapping this photo.

Alpen Optics is known for its line of binoculars, spotting scopes, rifle scopes and accessories. Alpen's objective is to provide superior quality optical products at affordable prices while providing features and benefits normally found only on products priced much higher. Alpen offers more than 70 products and accessories, and all are backed up by a limited lifetime factory warranty.

Alpen Optics is a proud supporter of the NRA's Women's Wilderness Escape. Alpen Optics is a six time winner of Outdoor Life Magazines' Great Buy Award for the Shasta Ridge 10x42 Model Binoculars and winner of the Field and Stream Magazine's Best of the Test Award for the Model 711 20x50 Spotting Scope.

For more information about Alpen Optics, visit www.alpenoutdoor.com. Stay tuned to NRAblog for additional coverage of the POMA conference.

The Athens Banner-Herald details a Georgia Police Department's preparation for a Refuse To Be A Victim® seminar.

Class teaches skills to deal with danger

Oconee County deputies want to arm residents with the information to make themselves a harder target for criminals. "Criminals aren't looking for hard targets; they're looking for easy targets," said Oconee County Chief Deputy Lee Weems.

Weems and Cpl. Jason Lowe are gearing up to teach a four- to five-hour crime prevention program called Refuse to Be a Victim.

The program is taught across the country and gives people key information on how to be aware of their surroundings and what to do in a dangerous situation.

Refuse to Be a Victim is sponsored by the National Rifle Association, but is not a gun training course, Weems said. Instead, the curriculum focuses on how to avoid potentially dangerous situations through such practices as refueling a car during the day rather than after dark, and keeping distance between yourself and a stranger when asking for directions.

Read the rest of the article here.

To take a phrase from 30 Cal Gal, which is the name of her blog, Anette Wachter is "an unusual woman in an unusual sport." After all, it's not often that you run into a six-foot brunette with a custom Palma bolt action rifle who competes in Long Range High Power. And the best part about her adventures in high power is that she's only been shooting for six years.

"My husband got me started when we first met," explained Wachter. "I decided to give it a try and two years later I caught up to his Master level."

Over the course of her budding shooting career, Anette has successfully transitioned from across the course service rifle to mid range to long range. But don't think that means she's an old hand at running the 1,000 yard courses. In fact, Camp Perry is only her fourth long range high power tournament.

"I was in the first two shoot offs, so things are going pretty well so far," said Wachter.

In her professional life, Anette owns and runs Pet Elegance. Described as a boutique pet accessory, Pet Elegance designs and manufactures luxurious collars, leases, identification tags and more for cats and dogs. While the business is doing well, Anette claims to have received more recognition from her blog.

"I didnt' realize how many people were reading it," said Wachter. "Complete strangers come up to me to say they love 30 Cal Gal." More...

At 4:30 p.m. EST on Sunday, August 15, tune in to the Outdoor Channel for a new episode of Elk Chronicles. Friend of the NRA and master bowhuntress Lisa Metheny recently completed a successful elk hunt on the rolling acreage of the NRA Whittington Center. To hear the whole story, you'll have to tune in!

Read more about the show Elk Chronicles here.

Alpen Optics Vice President of Marketing Vickie Gardner recently announced Alpen Optics will partner with the National Rifle Association's 2010 Women's Wilderness Escape for the archery and hunting portion of the program.

A nine-day experience unlike any other, the Women's Wilderness Escape is held at the NRA's Whittington Center in Raton, New Mexico.

"It's so exhilarating to find companies like Alpen Optics who stand "at the ready" to support female opportunities," says Rosemary Herr, Manager of NRA Women's Programs.

Since the inaugural Women's Forum in March, the NRA's Education and Training Division has been brainstorming ways to get more women involved in its programs. NRAblog has featured stories from several forum participants in their own words – Penny Gilliam and Patricia Mcclelland Merydith – and we're pleased to continue the series with NRA Certified Instructor Kimberly Hobart.

An NRA instructor for 25 years, Kimberly Hobart of New Philadelphia, OH, has worked hard for years to build up an incredibly popular Women On Target program at her local shooting club. An accountant by day, Hobart says that finding time to promote and organize Women On Target events “would be impossible without all of the volunteers who help us. I’m just a small part of it.”

Hobart explained that her interest in firearms comes from a lifetime of shooting with her family – she owns a firearms retail shop with her father, and she’s been a competitive pistol shooter for 25 years. Today, she’s even a trustee at her community’s 1,000-member shooting club, and Hobart decided to start Women On Target clinics about six years ago, when the club began offering women’s-only programs: “I have a great group of about 40 volunteers from the club, and we offer everything at Women On Target – rifle, pistol, and shotgun.”

More...

Remember reading about Refuse To Be A Victim instructor training introducing an online format?

Here's your chance to register for the next online course! National Coordinator Ruthann Sprague and the NRA's Education and Training staff are excited for the change. Almost 75,000 people have attended RTBAV seminars in the last ten years, mostly in community venues like libraries, churches, and community centers. 

With the new online program, these numbers are sure to increase, Sprague tells us. Bring this program to your community in 2010:

Registration is now open for the September 13-27, 2010 session of the Refuse To Be A Victim® Online Instructor Training course. Registration is open until August 30th or until the course reaches its maximum student enrollment. The cost is $250, and you must be at least 18 and without a criminal record to become an instructor. 

 Look here for information and details.

On August 13, Andrea Cerwinske will address the Professional Outdoor Media Association, or POMA, at their annual conference.

Now the Deputy Executive Director of NRA General Operations, Cerwinske is a hunter and a cowboy action shooting competitor. She will speak at the POMA Conference's closing banquet and plans to address the women's programs and youth programs the NRA offers.

Stay tuned to NRAblog for information on Cerwinske's speech.

"Women On Target Instructional Shooting Clinics has a new program coordinator," Beth Hellmann e-mailed NRAblog. "Beginning July 26, Diane Danielson will hit the ground running. We're thrilled to have a woman of her caliber (no pun intended) join the staff. Welcome aboard Diane!"

Danielson, pictured at right, comes to us from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where she worked in the printing industry for 33 years. The hunter and NRA Certified Instructor says she has always aspired to a career at NRA HQ.

"I took a basic rifle course at age 10, with my mom as the instructor," Danielson said. "Shortly thereafter I became a junior member of the NRA."

Now an NRA Life Member, Danielson is ready to join the staff of NRA Women's Programs, which houses both Women On Target shooting clinics and Women On Target hunting excursions; the Refuse To Be A Victim program; the Women's Wilderness Escape; postal matches; and more.

These programs are not anything new to Danielson, who has coordinated shooting clinics for women in Wisconsin for the past four years.

"I'm eager to expand the Women On Target clinics, to share what I have learned, as well as all that I will learn," she said. "The main focus will be getting clinics into clubs that haven't hosted them before."

Danielson, who is in the process of moving to the northern Virginia area, lives with her two labrador retrievers.  

For more information about Women On Target Clinics coming to your area, contact NRA Women’s Programs at (703) 267-1398 or visitwww.nrahq.org/women/isc/clinics.asp.

Refuse To Be A Victim®, the award-winning crime prevention and personal safety seminar, will be held along with an Instructor Development Workshop on August 14, 2010, at TASER International Headquarters, 17800 N. 85th Street, Scottsdale, Arizona 85255. The seminar, which is required for all instructor candidates, will begin at 8:30AM, and the instructor workshop will begin at 12:30PM.

Both events are open to the public, and the seminar is being offered free of charge, thanks to TASER International. Executive Counselor Edward O’Carroll, pictured at right, is conducting the courses. Tuition for the instructor class, which includes materials, is $175, and pre-registration for both events is requested. You may register through NRAinstructors.org or contact O’Carroll, at 703-475-4598 or rtbav911@yahoo.com.

Refuse To Be A Victim® seminars teach methods to avoid dangerous situations and prevent criminal confrontations. Experts agree the most important factor in surviving a criminal attack is to have an overall safety strategy before you need it. Seminar topics address personal safety issues as well as home, automobile, telephone, technological, and travel security. Seminar participants are presented with a variety of common sense crime prevention and personal safety strategies and devices they may integrate into their daily lives. More...

From Refuse To Be A Victim® coordinator Ruthann Sprague:

This photo is from the very first seminar held on the Big Island of Hawaii, only the third ever held in the state. The last seminar held in the state was on Oahu in 2002.

The seminar was taught by Blane Maebo, Refuse To Be A Victim® Regional Counselor, in Hilo, Hawaii.

Pictured, left to right: Lori Enomoto, Claudia Lato, Sharen Chaves, Wendy Beatty, Valerie Sue Carron, Susan Watters, and David Watters.

Send an update on your community's NRA program(s) to NRAblog for inclusion by emailing us at GOblog@NRAhq.org.

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.