Attendance Way Down!

[Jess B. Guy]

I go to about 7 NRA dinners each year. Haven't had any rubber steaks or dried chicken. Food is usually pretty good. The money from the dinners goes to shooting sports. No political speeches (other than table conversation). The auctions are fun (can be expensive though), and the comradery is great.
Friends of NRA website has all the info you need.

[Calif Hunter]

I go to about 7 NRA dinners each year. Haven't had any rubber steaks or dried chicken. Food is usually pretty good. The money from the dinners goes to shooting sports. No political speeches (other than table conversation). The auctions are fun (can be expensive though), and the comradery is great.
Friends of NRA website has all the info you need.

As he says, the money raised at the dinners goes towards local shooting sports cause, groups and projects. The Boy Scouts, other youth groups and shooting clubs are eligible for grants to improve their programs or facilities. Our club's youth program (a 503c organization) has gotten funds to host youth pheasant hunts and shooting clinics.

As I help cook for our dinner - all the food is donated by our club to improve the profits of the event - I can say there is no rubber steak or dried chicken. We start the night before with smoking beef brisket with red oak all night long. Appetizers including deep fried turkey are served during the games. Dinner starts with a huge salad bar. Dinner includes the brisket, home made baked beans, green beans with mushrooms, bacon and onions, rolls and the starch varies between mac and cheese, au gratin potatoes or rice pilaf. Sometimes grilled shrimp is included with the dinner. Cheesecake is usually the desert. We get rave reviews for our food.

[Grumpyoldretiredcop]

Went to my last one last year. Same big time sponsors took home all the guns, same as every other one I've attended. I'm a Life Member and am sick of LaPierre receiving and spending big bucks while shrilly complaining that the NRA's finances are in disarray. I'm equally sick of the political infighting among the directors. FPC gets my donations until the NRA house is cleaned up.

[slamfire1]

There is a real serious problem with financial integrity at the NRA. It is apparent that the leadership of the NRA is using the organization's money for their own lavish life styles. It is totally corrupt to be using sub contractors for personal services. I am certain Ollie understood this as Government people undergoing yearly training on ethics and not using contractors for personal services is always addressed.

We know that the NRA was sending membership money to a subcontractor and requiring that subcontractor to provide clothing to a board member. I have no doubt Wayne was also requiring travel services, booking flights and hotels, limo services, laundry, groceries, lawn and house maintenance, pet care, etc, etc. You can go down the list of the types of free services you want someone to do to make your life easy, and I have no doubt, the NRA board and Wayne were using NRA membership money for these personnel services.

This is bad. And the fact Ollie could not fire Wayne and his cronies just shows the NRA leadership is corrupt.

[Shadowtengu]

I left the NRA when they abandoned Philando Castile, a law abiding citizen/teacher with a CCW. He was immediately treated as the cause of the incident, without trial or waiting for further information. it was all blue line first, civies second. I realized then the NRA doesn't really care about minority gun ownership. Or if they do, they missed one hell of a time to show it/support it. My money goes to CRPA now.

[Thordo]

The Compton Hunting and Fishing Club held its FNRA dinner on Saturday, and attendance was much lower than previous years. We are usually a High Caliber Club and often win Top Net accolades. Instead of 100-120 people, there were perhaps 70.

Regardless, the food was great - many appetizers including deep fried turkeys and the main meal of a heavy salad bar, slow smoked brisket, baked beans, au gratin potatoes and cheesecake was enjoyed by all.

From what I have heard, all the FNRA events have been down this year....

Overall, FNRA attendance is down all over the country and no it has nothing to do with the NRA's finances or management. To dispel a lot of the negative comments about NRA in this thread, NONE of the funds collected (at least here in El Dorado County) go to NRA. It stays right here. Actually, at our dinners FNRA announces to whom ALL of their dinner revenue goes to. In El Dorado County, FNRA is the primary fundraiser for the EDC Sheriffs Explorers, they are like the scouts but they train with the Sheriffs Dept in preparation for joining the academy.

Attendance is simply cause and effect. Low interest in 2A due to pro gun administration = low FNRA attendance. Next year (election year) you'll likely see most events sell out again.

I'm personal friends with the NorCal FNRA organizer. He handles 20+ events from Fresno to the Oregon border and says attendance is down but not significantly. We have two here in EDC that still sell out every time. The next one is game night on 10/11.

We have been donating stock kits and sponsoring game tables for years at FNRA events in CA, NY, CT, and NJ.
It's a great organization that does a lot of good things.

Oh and YES!! The food is always awesome!!

Thordo

[71MUSTY]

I have never wanted to be part of the NRA.
They do to many pro gun rallies with in a week of a shooting. That's just poor taste. They also dont do much for members. A local shop owner was arrested in 2006ish for selling assault weapons. He had lowers with mags and mag catches in and a 1/4 nut on the catch. The nut was welded to the catch. The Madison society helped him and his family. All charges were dropped. The NRA never returned his wife's calls. This happened in Modesto. The owner is now in free America. Working in the gun industry .

Until they get their sh straight I'll save my money and time for other things. Funding WLP's suits and travel and all the internal squabbling and being more an industry lobby than citizens' action committee has turned me off.

Also, I spend a ton of $$ at dinners like this and never win anything good. I always see top prizes go to head tables and I know it's probably not rigged but I still feel like a mark at the end of the night.

Top man has to go. His hubris and appetite for cash have become a burden to the organization. He's not a prophet, he's a pig. A pig that don't fly straight.

Could not agree more.

I took my yearly membership to FPC

I agree, not interested in donating until Lapierre is gone...

That's where I'm at as well. I can't reward corruption. I hope they know this sooner rather than later.

I'm a lifetime member, but currently i wont give them any more $. I also dropped their carryguard product as they would not give me a straight answer as to its status if push came to shove. They also wouldn't give me a prorated refund... classy. They don't do much for us in Cali, so until they change the head and actually back us strongly, its whatevers.

There is a real serious problem with financial integrity at the NRA. It is apparent that the leadership of the NRA is using the organization's money for their own lavish life styles. It is totally corrupt to be using sub contractors for personal services. I am certain Ollie understood this as Government people undergoing yearly training on ethics and not using contractors for personal services is always addressed.

We know that the NRA was sending membership money to a subcontractor and requiring that subcontractor to provide clothing to a board member. I have no doubt Wayne was also requiring travel services, booking flights and hotels, limo services, laundry, groceries, lawn and house maintenance, pet care, etc, etc. You can go down the list of the types of free services you want someone to do to make your life easy, and I have no doubt, the NRA board and Wayne were using NRA membership money for these personnel services.

This is bad. And the fact Ollie could not fire Wayne and his cronies just shows the NRA leadership is corrupt.

Do you let the media make all your decisions for you or just this one?

[socal147]

I am very committed member of the NRA, a life member for the last 20 some odd years and I will continue to support the NRA with my membership and my financial contributions. The NRA Is the only organization that is effective at the federal level to protect the second amendment. There is a reason that the gun grabbing Democrats Are constantly referencing the NRA. You don't hear them condemning and vilifying The Second tAmendment foundation, the CRPA, or gun owners of America. Only the NRA is hated and despised by the enemies of the Constitution and the Second Amendment. That's all I need to know.

That said, clearly Wayne Lapierre has been at the helm of the NRA for far too long and needs to go.

Could not agree more ...

[Divehobo]

To dispel a lot of the negative comments about NRA in this thread, NONE of the funds collected (at least here in El Dorado County) go to NRA. It stays right here. Actually, at our dinners FNRA announces to whom ALL of their dinner revenue goes to. In El Dorado County, FNRA is the primary fundraiser for the EDC Sheriffs Explorers, they are like the scouts but they train with the Sheriffs Dept in preparation for joining the academy.

Attendance is simply cause and effect. Low interest in 2A due to pro gun administration = low FNRA attendance. Next year (election year) you'll likely see most events sell out again.

....

It's a great organization that does a lot of good things.

Oh and YES!! The food is always awesome!!

Thordo

Alan, thanks for your input. Tonight I will attend my first Friends of NRA diner in San Mateo and am completely psyched. I took my first handgun class with the NRA as Massachusetts required training to get handgun permit or even touch handgun at gun shop. I have never looked back and will continue to support the NRA as I have for the last 35 years. This year, I hope to get instructor ratings during Richmond Rod and Gun training week.

[Thordo]

Alan, thanks for your input. Tonight I will attend my first Friends of NRA diner in San Mateo and am completely psyched. I took my first handgun class with the NRA as Massachusetts required training to get handgun permit or even touch handgun at gun shop. I have never looked back and will continue to support the NRA as I have for the last 35 years. This year, I hope to get instructor ratings during Richmond Rod and Gun training week.

Have a good time and win lots of stuff!!... By stuff I mean GUNS!!

Thordo

[Calif Hunter]

Unfortunately, odds favor those who buy more tickets. I usually went for the sponsor package that included tickets to the high end tables. At our club, those were the red and blue tables that had multiple guns on them as well as high end scopes, etc. There were usually only a few tickets in those buckets as not many spent the money. I often won guns. A freak occurrence was when I played a game once, intending to go back and play some more to get more chances to win. When I went back, the game was sold out. My one ticket actually won the Kimber Longmaster .22-250. I have won at least 5 guns at FNRA dinners.

Like anything else, you have to play to win.

[August]

I won't attend FNRA dinners anymore. We bought a entire table last time and when they drew guns for the sponsor tables, the winner was not to be found and there wasn't a contact number on the ticket. We all thought they would draw another ticket by the end of the dinner. NOPE! They announced, "One Draw", "One Ticket" and if it wasn't claimed during the dinner, that the guns would be put into a drawing at a future dinner.

[Thordo]

I won't attend FNRA dinners anymore. We bought a entire table last time and when they drew guns for the sponsor tables, the winner was not to be found and there wasn't a contact number on the ticket. We all thought they would draw another ticket by the end of the dinner. NOPE! They announced, "One Draw", "One Ticket" and if it wasn't claimed during the dinner, that the guns would be put into a drawing at a future dinner.

Hmmm. They don't do that at our dinners. If the ticket holder isn't there they draw another. I would let my opinion be known to the organizer, but I wouldn't not go. It's fun and a good cause whether I win or not.

Thordo

[Calif Hunter]

I won't attend FNRA dinners anymore. We bought a entire table last time and when they drew guns for the sponsor tables, the winner was not to be found and there wasn't a contact number on the ticket. We all thought they would draw another ticket by the end of the dinner. NOPE! They announced, "One Draw", "One Ticket" and if it wasn't claimed during the dinner, that the guns would be put into a drawing at a future dinner.

That is the first time I have heard of that being done! I have seen them pull guns from raffles or lower the number of guns to be raffled off if the attendance is low or there are too few bids. It is fairly common to see them reduce the number of prizes on the high end tables if not enough people buy that level of sponsor package.

I am curious to know where the raffle you went to was held. If nothing else, to avoid it. We would not do that at our dinner.

[lgm118icbm]

I won't attend FNRA dinners anymore. We bought a entire table last time and when they drew guns for the sponsor tables, the winner was not to be found and there wasn't a contact number on the ticket. We all thought they would draw another ticket by the end of the dinner. NOPE! They announced, "One Draw", "One Ticket" and if it wasn't claimed during the dinner, that the guns would be put into a drawing at a future dinner.

Where? I've attended dozens of FNRA events all over SoCal and I've never seen anything like that.