We must drive membership!

[OODA]

What is the CRPA doing to recruit new members?!? Maybe we should give away a free trail membership like the NRA (https://www.nrahq.org/nrabonus/accept-membership.asp) and offer an electronic copy of The Firing Line.

[DVLDOC]

Not a bad idea

[rweller]

What is the CRPA doing to recruit new members?!? Maybe we should give away a free trail membership like the NRA (https://www.nrahq.org/nrabonus/accept-membership.asp) and offer an electronic copy of The Firing Line.

The first answer is that we do offer a free trial membership program and have for quite a long time. We offer it through various firearms dealers and at gun shows through NRA or CRPA booths. We have expanded our exposure with various firearms dealers and public ranges within the last several months.

Additionally, one of the items we have routinely discussed at CRPA board meetings is the fact that quite a number of gun owners are not familiar with CRPA or that we are the NRA state affiliate organization. We are planning a larger outreach program for gun shows and public venues, which is a prime source for new members.

Additionally, CRPA has become the majority owner in a 3-hour radio program that is now broadcast nightly on KLAA in Los Angeles, KERN in Kern County, a Fresno radio station and several others that have or are coming on the air shortly in California.

The radio program is called "The Radio Detective" and it is hosted by Jerry Pearce, a former law enforcement officer.

It is a rather unusual move to be involved in ownership of a radio program. However, the amount of exposure since it actually kicked off this past October with one station has already begun to pay off in new memberships. Additionally, we have seen a significant increase in memberships over the past two to three months since the program has started to increase the number of listeners as the number of stations has started to expand. We have also seen a four-fold increase in CRPA's website activity. The activity level started to increase in late fourth quarter of 2008 and continued to increase dramatically during first quarter 2009. So far, in April/May the activity level for hits, membership sign-ups, renewals and donations remains very high compared to past activity. With the addition of KERN, we have seen a very large increase in the past few weeks in new membership activity in the central valley area. Apparently KERN is considered a 'powerhouse' radio station in that region of California and has a substantial coverage area.

As we move forward and prepare for the next board meeting in September, we intend to offer additional incentives for new and existing members. We are planning to expand CRPA's website for additional member benefits that promise to expand both our exposure and membership levels.

That's part of the effort being made to increase membership. There are some other things going on that are still be formulated.

The key to success longterm is to not just market the organization, though any organization will tell you, the more members you have, the more swagger you have politically, which is very true. However, CRPA must continue with litigation, litigation support and challenging California anti-gun laws at both the local and state level.

There is a significant amount of discussion amongst various pro-gun organizations to coordinate various activities so everyone is not stepping on each others feet trying to roll-back some the laws in California. As everyone here knows, SAF and Calguns recently filed a lawsuit to challenge one element of California gun laws. There will be more activity on this front from NRA/CRPA and other groups. California, particularly in light of the recent 9th Circuit Nordyke case, is fertile ground for testing the limits of anti-gun laws and expanding Second Amendment incorporation nationally.

This is certainly a turnaround from what we have been experiencing in California for the last 20+ years. Being on the offense is much more fun than playing defense.

Ralph
CRPA Board Member
GunNewsDaily.com

[Boo_Radley]

Not to stir the pot, RWELLER, but I've been on this site probably 3 hours a day for the last year, and I can honestly say that I don't know what the letters CRPA stand for without having to look them up. Maybe with a bigger presence here on CalGuns, that will soon change.

BTW, you mentioned a radio show on KLAA in LA,, but you didn't tell us how to tune in. How about a time and frequency?

[rweller]

Not to stir the pot, RWELLER, but I've been on this site probably 3 hours a day for the last year, and I can honestly say that I don't know what the letters CRPA stand for without having to look them up. Maybe with a bigger presence here on CalGuns, that will soon change.

BTW, you mentioned a radio show on KLAA in LA,, but you didn't tell us how to tune in. How about a time and frequency?

Exactly my point. A lot of people don't know who CRPA is. It's stands for California Rifle & Pistol Association.

KLAA is 860 AM in Los Angeles, maybe 890. It is generally broadcast from 11:00 PM to 2:00 AM Pacific, (time corrected) later on the East Coast obviously. There is a station in Floriday that carries as of late as well. You can also listen with online streaming. Go to CRPA.org and click the black block on the upper left and it will take you to the Radio Detective site with links to listen online.

Ralph

[OODA]

Ralph,

Thank you for that informative update. I'm both an NRA and CRPA lifer but didn't know about all of these recent activities. How can I as a Southern California neighbor help spread the word?

Does using the Calgun forum to distribute CRPA updates make sense? We need more exposure to the various lawsuits and fund raising efforts the CRPA is undertaking.

Thanks.

[Can'thavenuthingood]

A coalition table of NRA, CRPA, SAF, CGF consisting of one person from each to inform other orgs of intended legal action sounds like a good idea.

Vick

[rweller]

Ralph,

Thank you for that informative update. I'm both an NRA and CRPA lifer but didn't know about all of these recent activities. How can I as a Southern California neighbor help spread the word?

Does using the Calgun forum to distribute CRPA updates make sense? We need more exposure to the various lawsuits and fund raising efforts the CRPA is undertaking.

Thanks.

I have to tell you, it really is each individual doing their thing to get members. I recently gave two new gun owners a gift membership in CRPA. They both then became NRA members as well. Not everyone can buy someone a gift membership in a gun rights org, but if you can, please do. You will be very surprised at their gratitude for the gift. Other than that, spread the word. Take your NRA/CRPA monthly rag and leave them lying around the lunch room at work with your address label removed of course. After a period of time, people will look forward to them each month. Eventually they'll join.

CRPA is trying to get the word out in every way it can. But, more importantly there is a relatively new thing that is going on in the gun rights community. There is far more cooperation between the groups then there ever has been...EVER. Instead of fighting each other, we are getting together and fighting anti-gun laws in a coordinated effort. We now can go to court and fight for our rights based purely on a violation of Second Amendment rights. Prior to Heller/Nordyke, it wouldn't go very far, particularly in California.

It really is an exciting time. You can feel it in the air. It's like just prior to that first snowfall. You know it's going to happen. We're now on the offense and no longer playing defense.

Join, contribute to the organization of your choice, then sit back and watch the fur fly.

Ralph

[ndf9f]

CRPA is really bad at communication. I signed up for the 3 month trial membership and didn't even get a confirmation. I emailed to ask what was up, and was told I was on the list for the May magazine... nothing else. In the end, ~6 weeks after I signed up I got a magazine in the mail and no additional information at all. I have no idea why I would pay for a membership. I was going to join in order to buy a Garand from CMP and support the good fight in California, but in the end joined GCA and sent a donation to calguns foundation due to seeming lack of interest from CRPA.

The NRA sends things out all the time, a lot of it annoying, but at least you have some idea what they're up to.

[OB_WAN]

I just signed up for a 5-year membership.

How did I find out about CRPA? I just purchased a scale from someone on calguns.net. That person sent me stickers along with the shipment. One of those stickers was "California Rifle & Pistol Association". This sparked my interest quite a bit and prompted me to start looking online for more information. When I found out it was the CA equivalent for the NRA and someone who would work to help fight for my 2nd amendment rights in CA, I was sold.

Something as simple as a sticker dropped in a box and you have a 5-year member(I don't have enough money or I'd be a lifer).

[johnny_22]

Membership form included in my wife's Basic Pistol packet

Looks like there is a membership drive for the NRA and CRPA when you take the beginning classes.

[ConcernedCitizen]

[QUOTE=OB_WAN;2628751]
...When I found out it was the CA equivalent for the NRA and someone who would work to help fight for my 2nd amendment rights in CA, I was sold...

Be aware that membership dues do not support their legislative activities. They rely on donations and raffles like this one for that

http://www.crpa.org/showpages.asp?pid=1083

[ivsamhell]

What is the difference in the memberships? I'm getting rather irritated trying to figure it out. membership, business class, club...

[glockwise2000]

A coalition table of NRA, CRPA, SAF, CGF consisting of one person from each to inform other orgs of intended legal action sounds like a good idea.

Vick

+1 Totally agree with that idea.

[jnojr]

Print up a few hundred thousand "application" cards, preferably postage-paid postcards, and send a stack to every CA FFL you can find with a letter. Tell them who the CRPA is, emphasize how things have been fixed/reformed, and provide some concrete examples of how the CRPA is fighting bad gun laws. Ask them to hand out a card with every gun sold. Send 'em more if they ask.

Or, maybe do sort of the same thing, but make the card good for a free, short membership. Anyone who sends it in becomes a member for a year or six months or three months or something.

Gun shows - Back when I was working on the initiative to add RKBA to the CA Constitution, I know most, if not all, of the gun show promoters were happy to donate a table and some passes to us. We had tables at many shows throughout the state. They might be willing to do the same for CRPA. Get volunteers, print up some banners and fliers. I would volunteer in San Diego. Heck, I'd volunteer to be the pointy end and coordinate volunteers, etc. For one gun show every three months or so, no problem.