NRA

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NRA App And Webpage Updated

October 29, 2026 by 1 Comment

The IT staff at the NRA has been working hard to update the look and feel of both the NRA App and the NRA’s main webpage. They are both essentially new given the overhaul and updates.

From the announcement on Facebook:

A new look. More accessible resources. A better member experience.

The new NRA.org makes it easier to find training resources, legislative alerts, local events, and membership management.

Paired with the enhanced NRA app, digital magazines, event finders, and your digital membership card are all right at your fingertips.

NRA EVP and CEO Doug Hamlin highlights how this launch marks a major investment in modernizing the organization and delivering a better experience for members.

Check out the website: NRA.org

Download the app: https://www.nrapublications.org/nra-mobile-app/

Of particular interest to me was the governance information. I had fought to make this information which includes board minutes, the bylaws, and financial reports accessible to members. Transparency of this information for members is key. While it took a few days to get this information transferred to the updated NRA.org page, it is now there.

Here is how you access it:

Start by going to the NRA.org webpage and clicking on “My NRA”. If you have previously registered on the Member Services page, you will need to log in again. If you are new, just follow the prompts.

The new My NRA page will look like this when you scroll down. I omitted the top of the page which had my membership card and the magazines. As you can see, it will have a ton of information available including your certifications, membership status, course registrations, orders, etc. Of interest here, is the Governance Information.

Once you click on that, a new page will appear looking like this:

Scrolling to the bottom of the page you will find the Board of Director Meeting minutes going back to Sept 2023 and up to the most recently approved which is April 2026.

The NRA’s Chief Technology Officer CD Tiwari and his IT team have done a great job in enhancing the look and feel of the NRA’s webpage and app. It is a night and day difference over the old website.

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Vindication Of A Sorts

October 20, 2026 by 2 Comments

I received notice from the Secretary’s Office that the NRA Executive Committee will be having a meeting on Wednesday to discuss succession planning. Seeing that term in an official NRA communication feels like vindication of a sorts.

Six years ago this month, the NRA held its Annual Meeting and Meeting of the Members in Tucson, Arizona. It was a small meeting held during the Covid-19 pandemic. Probably the only reason they even held the meeting was that Article III, Sec. 8(a) required an Annual Meeting of Members.

I presented a resolution at that meeting concerning succession planning. It requested the Board of Directors to create a formal succession plan for the Executive VP and the Executive Directors. It went on to ask that the plan be presented at the 2021 Meeting of Members. You can read the full resolution here.

As you might guess, the resolution was soundly defeated. It was perceived as a challenge to Wayne LaPierre’s reign as EVP. One of the arguments made against it was that the bylaws had a so-called succession plan in that the Executive Director of General Operations would serve as the Interim EVP. While, of course, this was correct, it ignored the fact that people were dying right and left during that time period from Covid-19. Most at risk were those over 65 and those who had other health issues. In other words, Wayne who was 70 at the time and then-head of General Operations Joe DeBergalis who was, to put it mildly, obese.

My closing comment on the whole episode was this:

Resolutions at this Meeting of Members were pretty much doomed to failure in their original form. They best they could hope for was a referral to committee. A reasonable guesstimate of the number of voting members attending the meeting was in the 150-200 maximum range. That included 50 Board members, a number of their spouses, a number of older members from the area, and just a handful of us who want to see the NRA become a healthier organization. I really felt like I was one of the younger members in attendance and I’m 63!

I realize that change takes time and I need to play the long game. It is still frustrating but it is what it is. Just another great thing brought to you by 2020.

A post by Jeff Knox about the lack of leadership options written in May 2020 is what got me to researching succession planning. Much of my research went into a post from May 2020. It pointed out the people like Chris Cox, Ollie North, and Kyle Weaver had all been forced out of the NRA. It went on to say:

Healthy organizations have succession plans. Good leaders make it a priority. Development of future leaders is such an organizational imperative that it is usually under the purview of the CEO. Having a succession plan is both forward looking and a measure of risk management.

I stand by what I wrote in 2020. Healthy organizations do have succession plans and good leaders make it a priority.

I feel a vindication of sorts in that the NRA is finally seriously looking at what I presented almost six years ago to the day. Still, I have to wonder if the then-leadership of the NRA had been proactive about succession planning would the organization have had to endure the turmoil, loss of members, and tenuous finances that it does now. A viable successor and a willingness to act on it would have allowed the Board to push Wayne into retirement and potentially avoid much of fallout from the NY lawsuit.

We cannot go back and rewrite history. However, we can learn from it. I would hope the Executive Committee and ultimately this Board of Directors of which I am now a member will create a viable succession plan. Shakespeare wrote in The Tempest, “What’s past is prologue.” I hope he was correct.

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NRA Gun Bus Is Coming To North Carolina

September 26, 2026 by

The powers that be in NRA-ILA had the idea to buy a RV from Facebook Marketplace, wrap it in NRA and sponsors’ logos, and drive it around the USA stopping in states where there are crucial elections. Not only will they generate free media exposure but the bus is essentially paid for with the sponsors’ donations. Additionally, it is a great way to connect with NRA members, supporters, and, most importantly, voters before the midterm elections. Many pro-2A candidates will be making appearances in conjunction with the bus tour. I have heard that Rep. Tom Tiffany (R-WI) who is running for governor in Wisconsin appeared at one of the earlier stops literally the day after he survived a plane crash into a lake!

North Carolina is one of the battleground states in which the NRA Gun Bus will be making stops. There will be stops across the state from east to west and in between. They will start out in Vass at Ed’s Gun Shop on October 5th, detour up to Virginia for an additional event there, then back to Rocky Mount on the 8th, tailgate at the Rice v. ECU game on Saturday the 10th, and finish up in Whittier on Monday the 12th.

https://www.nraila.org/gunbus/nra-gun-bus-2a-day-at-eds-gun-shop

https://www.nraila.org/gunbus/nra-gun-bus-2a-day-at-enc-indoor-shooting-range

https://www.nraila.org/gunbus/rice-owls-v-east-carolina-tailgate

https://www.nraila.org/gunbus/nra-gun-bus-2a-day-at-outpost-mountain-outfitters

I plan to attend the stop in Vass on Monday, October 5th, and then again in Whittier on Monday, October 12th. I am very pleased that the Gun Bus is coming to Western North Carolina as we have a very competitive race in the 11th District between a “nepo baby” Democrat and a staunchly pro-2A Republican woman.

In the links above, please RSVP if you plan to attend any of the events. It isn’t required but does help the organizers plan. I know some of my fellow NRA directors from North Carolina do plan to attend some of these events.

For my friends in the other Carolina, the NRA Gun Bus will be at a tailgate in Columbia on Saturday, October 3rd, for the Kentucky v. South Carolina football game.

Some photos from one of the earlier stops in Montana and Iowa.

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NRA Petition Candidate Needs Your Help

September 7, 2026 by

Wade Callender has decided to run for the NRA Board of Directors by petition. When I ran into Wade at this year’s SHOT Show he had mentioned that a run for the Board was in the back of his mind.

For those that don’t know Wade, he served as Deputy Executive Director and General Counsel of NRA-ILA for three years. Prior to that he had served as the general counsel of a software company and as a JAG officer in the US Navy. Currently, he has his own legal practice in the Dallas metro area. Wade was endorsed as a potential successor to Wayne LaPierre as EVP back in 2024 by Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and Utah Attorney General Sean Reyes. More importantly, Wade stood in the way of Bill Brewer getting his hooks into ILA’s assets.

I have known Wade on a personal basis for a few years now. He has my support. Both the Complementary Spouse and I have signed his petition. If you are a voting members – life or five year continuous annual member – please consider signing Wade’s petition.

Wade’s Petition: https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/925021a2-ed4b-480c-bd9c-1f4b798c0e85

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Petitions For The 2027 NRA Ballot (Repost)

August 10, 2026 by 3 Comments

Repost: If you are a voting member of the NRA and have not already signed these petitions, I’d urge you to do so ASAP. They are all off to a good start and need just a push to make the required 285 valid signatures needed to be on the ballot.

As I learned myself in 2024 when I first started gathering signatures to be on the 2025 NRA ballot for the Board, it is better to start early. Once the Nominating Committee meets and issues its report, there only remain 45 days in which to get the required number of signatures and submit them. Importantly, that is a hard 45 days with no exceptions made for natural disasters, war, or other calamities.

Some of the candidates below may also get nominated by the Nominating Committee. Frankly, in my opinion, a dually nominated candidate is stronger and was the reason I chose to continue the petition process even after I was nominated by the Nominating Committee.

The candidates below include two sitting Board members, two who served limited terms replacing two who had resigned, and one candidate who has never served on the Board but brings lots of experience.

If you are a voting member of the NRA, you are eligible to sign these petitions. A voting member is a Life Member of whatever level or an Annual Member with five or more years of continuous, unbroken membership. The electronic petition process will kick you out if you are not eligible to sign the petition or at least that is my understanding.

Todd Vandermyde

Todd is serving a one-year term on the Board of Directors. Todd brings the experience of having fought in the trenches in a blue state for gun rights as well as serving as president of the largest gun club in Illinois. He asks the questions that others either don’t think of or are too timid to ask. He lives and breathes the Second Amendment and ways to advance it. Among the board committees Todd serves on are Legal Affairs and Legislative Policy. Having nominated Todd twice for the Board, I can say without reservation he has my full support and we need people like Todd on the Board.

Todd’s petition: https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/1aaf6d83-59ab-4359-8155-78ebc00caa63

Huey Laugesen

Huey was elected to a one-year term on the Board of Directors in April. He is the executive director of the Colorado Shooting Sports Association and has brought new life to that organization. Before being elected to the Board, Huey served with me on the Membership Committee and I thought he advanced effective ways to reinvigorate our membership recruiting efforts. I endorsed him in the 2026 election and would be proud to do it again. He is now also serving on the Legislative Policy Committee with me where he will be bringing, like Todd above, the experience of fighting for rights in a blue state. Huey may be the youngest director on the Board but far from the least experienced.

Huey’s petition: https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/1b5b06d4-d28c-415e-abeb-33da7fb00ccf

David Mitten

David was part of the ElectANewNRA team in 2025 and finished a runner-up. When former NRA President Bob Barr resigned, David took his place on the Board. He was not on the 2026 ballot but is running this time. He currently serves as a non-director member of three NRA committees – Collegiate, Education & Training, and Gun Collectors. David is a retired teacher from Ohio who, among other things, helped develop the curriculum for the Ohio Hunter Education program.

David’s petition: https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/761a1fe8-b495-489f-a92b-8870b45a8aa0

Mark Shuell

Mark was nominated for the Board in 2025 but finished a runner-up. He assumed a seat on the Board when Gene Roach resigned. Mark is a retired financial planner from Michigan who has been very active in grassroots activism in advancement of the 2nd Amendment. He won the 2023 NRA-ILA Jay M. Littlefield Volunteer of the Year award for his efforts. He currently serves on both the Action Shooting and Grassroots Outreach Committees as a non-director member. Mark in 2025 was one of those candidates left in“no man’s land”. Despite this, based upon multiple conversations with him, his heart lies with reform. He was endorsed in 2025 by Jeff Knox which probably didn’t endear him to the Old Guard.

Mark’s petition: https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/e420c4e0-dd37-4f91-84a3-5bb5bd39cf68

Chuck Cunningham

Chuck is currently the Director of State, Local, and International Affairs at the Veterans Administration. In years prior to that he served as a Senior VP for Government Affairs for the non-profit Securing America’s Future Energy among other such positions. Much more importantly, he worked for NRA-ILA for almost 17 years where he served alternately as Director of State and Local Affairs and as Director of Federal Affairs. To say he would be a valuable addition to the Board is an understatement. Finally, he is assisting in raising funds for the Virginia Militia Clause lawsuit which I recently wrote about.

Chuck’s petition: https://nra.directnominations.net/Petitions/Sign/0d00d119-aa6c-476e-9894-4617a1294855

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Meme Of The Day

June 30, 2026 by

NRA Media is moving faster and more effectively in social media than in the past. Case in point is the meme embedded below that I saw on X this morning. It makes great use of the Sophie Cunningham finger pointing.

Kudos to whomever at NRA Media created this meme. It is effective and it gets the point across in a humorous manner.

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My NRA Committee Assignments

May 14, 2026 by 11 Comments

While I am waiting for the full list of who is assigned to what NRA committee, here are my committee assignments for 2026-2027.

  • Audit (elected as previously noted)
  • Membership
  • Legislative Policy
  • State and Local Subcommittee of Legislative Policy
  • Hunting and Wildlife Conservation

I served on all of these committees in the previous year and had requested to serve on them again. Of course, the Audit Committee is elected by the Board of Directors and is not merely an appointment by the President.

I have talked with some other directors who did not get all their requested committees. I think one reason I was able to get everything I requested is that I am retired and have the time to devote to serving on them. Not everyone has this sort of flexibility.

I see a direct correlation between what we do in the Legislative Policy and Hunting & Wildlife Conservation Committees and in building or rebuilding our membership.

When the full list of all committee assignments is released, I will post it. I don’t think it will be marked Privileged and Confidential.

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Two Can Play This Game

April 14, 2026 by 1 Comment

The gun control industry and their assorted organizations have long targeted pro-rights firearms-related organizations and their political activities on behalf of pro-rights candidates. For example, the Cult of Personality known as Giffords filed a complaint in 2019 with the Federal Elections Commission against the NRA alleging illegal campaign coordination and excessive contributions. They later sued the NRA directly in a case that is still pending. That case was filed in 2025 and they were represented by the Campaign Legal Center Action. If the board and their activities are any indication, they are your typical leftist group that targets conservatives and non-RINO Republicans despite the claim of being non-partisan.

Thus, it was with great pleasure that I read today that the National Shooting Sports Foundation has filed a complaint against Giffords PAC with the Federal Elections Commission. Their complaint alleges Giffords PAC and their allies have been skirting the FEC’s joint fundraising rules. The campaigns involved are all anti-rights Democrats including  U.S. Sen. John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Gov. Abigail Spanberger (D-Va.), Sen. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Gov. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.), Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Gov. Roy Cooper (D-N.C.) and Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-Ariz.).

From the NSSF press release:

“Giffords PAC has been playing fast and loose with how they are soliciting funds to support themselves and their preferred gun control candidates for elected office,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF’s Senior Vice President and General Counsel. “The FEC’s joint fundraising rules are clear but Giffords ignores them because they believe they are above accountability. Their fundraising misleads consumers by falsely claiming these joint fundraising solicitations are not authorized by any candidates or their campaign committees. Giffords PAC and these candidates are knowingly ignoring mandatory FEC disclosure requirements.”

Giffords PAC sent fundraising emails in partnership with preferred federal and gubernatorial candidates for office that ask potential donors to “split a donation between my campaign and Giffords PAC…” yet it has failed to properly follow the required FEC joint fundraising procedures. FEC regulations require the appointment of a joint fundraising representative or formation of a joint fundraising committee with the associated campaigns, yet Giffords PAC’s most recent FEC Statement of Organization does not reflect its involvement in any joint fundraising efforts.

Further, these emails soliciting donations stated they were “Paid For By Giffords PAC” and “not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.” However, the joint fundraising emails are obviously authorized by candidates. In fact, the emails are signed by candidates and jointly solicit contributions for the campaigns. Those email solicitations sent donors to an ActBlue website that asked donors to support candidates and Giffords antigun agenda. FEC regulations require that mass mailings of 500 or more substantially similar communications include appropriate disclosures, however Giffords PAC has not included appropriate joint fundraising disclosures in either their emails or ActBlue contribution pages, and falsely claim that these communications are not authorized by any candidate or candidate’s committee.

Turnabout is fair play. I’m pleased to see the pro-rights side finally taking action about the dubious activities of the gun control industry and their allies.

You can read the full complaint here. It does give an item by item accounting of their illegal joint fundraising activities.

As a final aside, I remember when Mark Kelly was running for the US Senate. Out of the blue I started getting campaign solicitations asking for donations for his campaign. Strangely enough they were all sent to me using a nickname I never use but had used to sign up on the Giffords website. I’m sure there was no coordination between the organization named for Kelly’s wife of which he was a co-founder and his campaign (wink-wink). Right.

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NRA Annual Meeting, New Patches, Etc.

April 10, 2026 by 2 Comments

The NRA Annual Meeting is just around the corner. It opens next Friday, April 17th, in Houston at the George R. Brown Convention Center. I know it is coming because I’ve been getting multiple press releases from various companies in the firearms industry saying they will be exhibiting there. I think there will be over 500 exhibitors this year.

This Annual Meeting marks the return to Texas after being in Atlanta last year. A lot has changed since that meeting in Dallas. The reform wing of the NRA is solidly in charge of the organization. we have a balanced budget, and many of the Old Guard have deserted the NRA for the NRA Foundation. As Jeff Knox points out in an Ammoland article published yesterday, 72% of the Board including the recently elected newcomers are new since 2019. He goes on to add that the vast majority have been elected since 2022.

A couple of other changes from the past will include no vote for the 76th Director and no big Friday political event with state and national politicians. The reason is that there won’t be a 76th Director election is that there were only two candidates not seated and Isaac Demerest withdrew his name from consideration. Thus, Lynn Gipson will be elected by default. I’m not sure why there won’t be the political event but I’m sure cost was a factor. Frankly, I don’t miss it.

Even without the Friday political event there are a number of events planned ranging from the NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund Annual National Firearms Law Seminar to the National Friends of the NRA Dinner to the NRA Women’s New Energy Brunch. There will be over 50 seminars held that on topics ranging from hunting whitetails to self-defense and everything in between. Most importantly, there will be the Meeting of Members on Saturday morning at 10am. I do know there will be some resolutions introduced and the officers will be reporting on some proposed bylaw changes. This is a chance to have your voice heard.

The Complementary Spouse and I will be flying in on Wednesday evening. I have committee meetings on both Thursday and Friday. The Board meeting will be on Monday starting at 9am. If you are still in Houston on Monday, I’d encourage you to attend.

This will mark my first anniversary on the Board of Directors. To commemorate this, I had a new blog patch made specifically for this Annual Meeting. They were made for me by A-B Emblem which is a local company which has made the custom NASA patches for every flight from Apollo 11 through Artemis II.

I will have a limited number to give away. If you see me in Houston, stop me and ask for one. I’ll be glad to give you a patch. Regardless, if you are in Houston and you see me, I’d love to chat on ways to make your NRA even more effective.

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NRA App Is Live

March 19, 2026 by 5 Comments

The marketing and IT staff at the NRA have been working for months on a smart phone app for NRA members. As of yesterday, it is now live! It was something we on the Membership Committee had been urging since last September. We wanted it sooner but the reorganization and other issues delayed it.

From Doug Hamlin:

To All:

I am thrilled to share some incredible news—our new NRA App is launching TODAY! This is a milestone moment for our organization, one that reflects months of creativity, determination, and truly exceptional teamwork. I want to personally thank Mike Pedersen, Managing Director NRA Media, for his hard work and leadership in bringing the NRA App to life. 

What started as a bold idea has become a fully realized product that will transform how we serve our membership and advance our mission. This launch isn’t just a technical achievement—it’s a statement about who we are: innovative, courageous, and relentlessly committed to progress.

The NRA App is available for download from the App Store and Google Play.  Go and download the APP right now! It can display your digital NRA ID Card in your apple wallet, access the latest news from ILA, you can read your digital magazine/Official Journal, find local NRA events based on your geolocation or zip code, and access Member Benefits. 

To our staff: thank you for your energy, collaboration, and resilience. To our board: thank you for your guidance, trust, and support every step of the way. This success belongs to all of us.

But make no mistake—we’re just getting started. This launch opens the door to new possibilities, new users, and new impact. I couldn’t be more excited for what comes next.

Let’s celebrate this moment—and then let’s keep building.

Full Speed Ahead,
Doug Hamlin 

I have downloaded it for my iPhone and it was easy to set up. Not only can you read the magazines and get discounts, now you won’t be having to search for your membership card when you need your member number for whatever reason!

Here are the links for both Apple IOS and Android:

IOS: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/nra/id6759682557

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=org.nra&pcampaignid=web_share