Congratulations to Gail Bussell!

As the chairman for the HEARTLAND Friends of NRA in Oklahoma City, she has been nationally recognized as Friends of NRA Volunteer of the Year for 2011.

Gerry Moore told a friend in 2009 he had cancer. It didn’t stop him. It only slowed him down. His closest friends fondly remember a mentally strong, humorous, driven man who was passionate about many things and dedicated to principles, including the right of all citizens to keep and bear arms. For this reason among others, the NRA was very important to Gerry. He wanted his grandchildren to continue hunting and shooting guns, and he firmly believed the NRA was the only way to keep the Second Amendment going.

Following his prognosis, Gerry continued to attend the local NRA committee meetings and the Heartland Friends of the NRA banquets. Living day to day in early 2010, he declared he had ridden his last rodeo. Much to everyone’s dismay, Gerry attended an August 2010 banquet as doctors told him he had only days to live. Even more surprising was the fact Gerry walked into the September 2010 wrap-up meeting simply saying he couldn’t miss it. Although he struggled, that action showed how passionate Gerry was about supporting the Second Amendment, and the moment was very moving to other committee members. It was his wish that after his passing that his wife would continue to be a banquet sponsor in his memory. Gerry passed a week later.

Gerry was very active in sports, but his true love was hunting. Time spent hunting allowed him the opportunity to exchange stories with his friends and to wager on who could bag the biggest game. With no siblings, many friends felt like family to him. Early one morning about ten years ago while hunting with one such brother just west of Watonga, Oklahoma, Gerry fell. That is, he fell fast asleep in his deer stand and plunged about 12 feet to the ground breaking his gun and his spirits. With no broken bones he fortunately was not hurt seriously, just suffered stiffness and muscle pain, which was more than he could say for his weapon.

On another occasion, Gerry wanted a friend to shoot in a skeet league with him. His friend indicated he did not have a good shotgun for skeet shooting. The next week Gerry showed up with a new Winchester 101 over and under shotgun! This shows how loyal and generous Gerry was.

A close comrade recalled an unforgettable elk hunt shared with Gerry. Their kinship had grown from their love of the outdoors and the freedom they experienced during their many hunts. They were in Cooperton, Oklahoma, a wide spot in the road about 50 miles northwest of Lawton in the Wichita Mountains and were guests of the owners of Deer Time Ranch known for producing big bulls and cows. With Gerry’s advanced stage of cancer, this was the ideal place for two guys who loved to hunt. Navigating the higher landscapes where the larger animals roamed proved to be more than the fellows could handle so they set their sights on a more conducive location. Opening day Gerry was posted in a shooting house with a wheeled office chair like he was King of the Mountain. “It was perfect, if you remember the first time you took your child or grandchild into a candy store. That was the look on Gerry’s face. The smile only stopped because he ran out of face.” As the morning light appeared over the mountain and shone on the green field where Gerry was sitting, several deer could be seen directly in front of the shooting house with the added bonus of a bull elk bugling a few hundred yards away. While working the cow call around the side of the mountain, his friend received a radio call from Gerry. With a broken voice Gerry said, “I just want to thank you for making an old man’s year.” His friend replied, “Well, let’s close the deal on this bull and then we can get sloppy.” Gerry laughed and said, “Just get it done, boy.” Neither of them finished with an elk that day, but that hunt proved to be one of the best hunts for two good companions.

Gerry was a man who made lasting impressions on his friends and a person who will never be forgotten or replaced. He was an NRA life member, a dedicated supporter and volunteer, and a stalwart for the organization. One of his proudest accomplishments was attending Jeff Cooper’s Gunsite Academy for a week about fifteen years ago. Those who knew him best considered their proudest accomplishment to be able to call him brother.

Available soon, HEARTLAND Friends of NRA will launch a new facebook page.  Keep up with current drawings, activities and events and learn more as we begin to plan for the 2010 banquet.

It's been a long time coming, but Friends of NRA is finally there! We've finally joined social media phenomenons Facebook and Twitter so we can keep our circle of friends informed on the latest Friends of NRA happenings.

Friends of NRA has been able to open a whole new door for connecting with the general public and its current committees and the two social sites have become invaluable tools for individuals, businesses, and non-profits alike. Through the creation of a Friends of NRA Facebook Page, become a fan at THE PATRIOT NATION, individuals are able to link their profiles to our page, receive updates, give feedback, and connect with other committees across the nation.

“Social media is allowing Friends of NRA to communicate to a mass audience unlike anything we’ve done before,” said Nicole McMahon, Senior Event Services Coordinator in NRA's Field Operations Division. “We update our Facebook pages daily with news we find on how Friends of NRA is helping the community through grants we distribute to clubs and organizations while also highlighting our volunteers who make a difference.”

Friends of NRA also uses their Twitter feed, follow us at FRIENDS OF NRA to update our audiences on the latest fundraising success stories, highlight when local committees are spotlighted in the news, and anything new and exciting happening within the program.

And what makes these social medias so attractive is the instant interactive capabilities it allows non-profits like Friends of NRA to have with individuals. For instance, fans and followers of Friends of NRA can comment on recent events, exchange information with volunteers, offer suggestions on what works well at their events, along with a plethora of other options.

“Social media is helping with the marketing of Friends of NRA banquets too,” said McMahon. “I’ve received numerous comments from field reps and volunteers who say they’ve already sold raffle and banquet tickets through active promotion on Facebook. We weren’t expecting this type of participation, but it’s definitely a plus! The more people we can reach using this medium, the more people we can potentially recruit as volunteers and the more organizations we can potentially give grants to that support the shooting sports.”

Friends of NRA strongly urges its committees to utilize the Facebook and Twitter tools as well by creating their individual committee pages and feeds. As of now, the Friends of NRA Facebook fan page has over 4,000 people who “like” the page and the number is growing every day. And as far as Friends of NRA is concerned, it's only the beginning in their push to reach out to fellow Friends of NRA committees. If you are already on Facebook or Twitter, start following our feeds today! If you’re not, what are you waiting for?