Doug Hamlin New NRA Executive Vice President and CEO

The August 2024 issue of the NRA's American Rifleman magazine arrived in the mail.

The magazine reported that over 72,500 NRA members attended the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits in Dallas in May. This was a good sign. 

The NRA Board met on Monday after the show and elected new leadership. Doug Hamlin, who was the executive director of NRA Publications, was named Executive Vice President and CEO of the NRA, a position once held by Wayne LaPierre. 

Hamlin didn't waste time. He has announced new accounting practices that are transparent and they will be held accountable to the membership. 

Chaos At Facebook and the NRA

This morning, Facebook crashed. Bigtime.

Nine hours after the crash, Facebook said that the problems have been resolved. There's only one word for that: BULLSHIT! 

This afternoon, following our coffee/breakfast gathering down at Denny's, I spent over two hours trying to resolve my login problems. I have been a little more successful with my phone in logging in. But, once I got in, I tried to make a post and immediately got bounced out. So nothing's really been resolved.

Luckily, the latest issue of Guns & Ammo arrived in the mailbox this morning. After giving up (for now) on Facebook, I did some non-stressful reading.

One item caught my attention. It was an article in Keith Wood's "Spent Cases" column. Wood is a longtime member and former employee of the NRA and, as he put it, is "rooting" for the NRA following Wayne LaPierre's departure. But he recognizes that the organization is currently "on life-support". 

He names several things the National Rifle Association needs to do in rebuilding trust. 

Fundamental changes include:

Leadership: Seek out and hire a qualified CEO who has a background in turning companies around.  The NRA needs a CEO with integrity and willing to do whatever is necessary. Handing out pink slips on the "executive floor" would be a good start, Wood states.

Transparency: A "top to bottom audit" by a credible third-party with the results posted online and shining a light on past wrongs. The NRA should create detailed quarterly reports and make them available to the membership. 

Relocation: Move the NRA headquarters and legal charter to a more appropriate location (a gun-friendly state). Unless unencumbered with debt, the sale of the NRA headquarters in Fairfax, Virginia would generate much-needed capital into the organization's budget.

Board Reform: He stated one of the "fundamental flaws of the NRA's structure is its 76-member Board of Directors." The Board's size ensures that the "members' power is too diluted to be effective." Apple, the world's largest corporation, has nine members on its Board and General Motors has 13, he points out. There is no need for a 76-member Board of Directors.

I totally agree. These steps are vital for a stronger-than-ever NRA.

I Voted For Superman (Among Others)

Above, Dean Cain in 2018.

Yesterday, I mailed in my completed ballot for the National Rifle Association's election of their Board of Directors. 

The ballot stipulated that up to 25 candidates can be voted for. There was also a by-laws amendment measure on the ballot.

Of the candidates I voted for, actor Dean Cain, formerly of Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, was one of them. He was running for re-election to the NRA Board.

Above, the current (March) issue of American Rifleman.

The ballot was included with the current issue of American Rifleman magazine.  

Hopefully, once the election is over, the Board can get to the task of straightening out the financial and membership issues left in the wake of Wayne LaPierre's departure. 

Wayne LaPierre Ends His NRA Reign

Above, Wayne LaPierre at the 2017 CPAC. Photo by Gage Skidmore.

NRA executive vice-president Wayne LaPierre's announcement that he's stepping down as of January 31 was long in coming.

For the past several years, the NRA's influence in gun rights, membership and elections dwindled. 

Now, he's about to be put on trial for alleged corruption. He cited "health reasons" for his resignation.

Why are many supporters of the National Rifle Assocation breathing sighs of relief?

The National Review takes a look at La Pierre's reign.

They begin it with:

This afternoon, the National Rifle Association announced that its executive vice president, Wayne LaPierre, is stepping down at the end of the month.

“With pride in all that we have accomplished, I am announcing my resignation from the NRA,” LaPierre said in a statement released by the organization. “I’ve been a card-carrying member of this organization for most of my adult life, and I will never stop supporting the NRA and its fight to defend Second Amendment freedom. My passion for our cause burns as deeply as ever.”

During an NRA Board of Directors meeting today in Irving, Texas, NRA President Charles Cotton reported that he accepted LaPierre’s resignation. According to the NRA, LaPierre cited health reasons as a reason for his decision.

Long-time NRA executive and Head of General Operations Andrew Arulanandam will become the interim CEO & EVP of the NRA.

Had the 74-year-old LaPierre stepped down from the NRA in early 2017, shortly after Donald Trump had beaten Hillary Clinton and helped assure a pro-Second Amendment majority on the Supreme Court, LaPierre would be universally hailed as a hero among gun owners everywhere. But the last seven years or so have been some of the most tumultuous and most difficult in the NRA’s history, and LaPierre’s intractable control over the organization, aided by a loyal majority on the NRA’s board of directors, was a major factor in the organization’s difficulties.

To read the full article, go here. 

Finally Got Out of the House; Wayne LaPierre Resigns

Above, the Jeep after returning from the Flying J. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

For the first time since Wednesday, I was able to leave the house and go down to the post office at the Flying J. The sun melted some of the snow on the roads, but they were still slushy and icy and I had to use the Jeep. 

Interstate 40 (eastbound) was all snarled for hours due to multiple accidents in Coolidge involving tractor-trailers. Truckers speed too fast for the conditions and they end up in accidents. Then, trucks and cars pack the off-ramps to go to the Flying J and the parking lots are all congested. So I waited until the eastbound lanes were moving again before heading to the Flying J.

*******

Just read that Wayne LaPierre, executive vice-president of the National Rifle Association, has resigned his position effective January 31. This comes before the New York civil trial that alleges LaPierre and others violated nonprofit laws and misused millions of dollars of NRA funds for lavish lifestyles for themselves. 

LaPierre cited health reasons for his resignation.

American Rifleman March Issue Has Arrived

Above, the March 2021 issue of American Rifleman.

The other day, I was thinking that the latest issue of American Rifleman should be arriving at any time.

Well, sure enough, the March issue arrived in today's mail.

As usual, the magazine was chock-full of interesting articles. During my initial perusal, one that caught my immediate attention was "America's Ammo Shortage: When Will It End?"

The writer checked with several ammunition manufacturers and each thinks the shortage would be ending soon, despite several have expanded their plants and added new facilities. The main cause was/is people's reactions to the coronavirus, election, riots and other reasons of last year. Like the toilet paper hoarding of last year, many are reacting by hoarding ammunition.

Another article that caught my eye was Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre's write-up on the NRA's reincorporating in the state of Texas since the New York attorney general (the NRA is currently incorporated in New York), Letitia James began "investigating" the NRA. Her actions in weaponizing legal and regulatory power are nothing less than an attack on the organization for political purposes. It is so bad that even the American Civil Liberties Union National Legal Director David Cole called it "overreach" and "no precedent for such extreme action." So, the NRA is reincorporating to the much friendlier state of Texas.

So, if you are a NRA member, keep an eye out in your mailbox.

Whatever Became of...Susan Howard?

Above, Susan Howard in Dallas.

Yesterday, I was reading the latest issue of the NRA's magazine, American Rifleman, and was going through an article about the latest election results for the NRA's board of directors. One name caught my attention.

Susan Howard.

The only Susan Howard that I knew of was the actress who played Donna Culver Krebbs on television's Dallas series.

So I did some checking and found the following (from Wikipedia):

Jeri Lynn Mooney (born January 28, 1944), better known as Susan Howard, is an American actress, writer, and political activist. She is perhaps best known for portraying the character Donna Culver Krebbs on the primetime serial Dallas (1979–87), and as a co-star of the series Petrocelli (1974–76). She is also a screenwriter and member of the Writers Guild of America. 

Since leaving television, Howard has become an increasingly active supporter of conservative causes, especially for gun rights. In 1989, she was co-host of "The 700 Club". Howard has been active in the leadership of both the National Rifle Association and the Texas Republican Party. Howard has served as a commissioner of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department and is currently a commissioner of the Texas Commission on the Arts. She became involved in the NRA after meeting Executive Vice President Wayne LaPierre at the 1988 Republican National Convention in New Orleans.

There is a photo with the American Rifleman article and Susan Howard in the photo is the same Susan Howard from Dallas.

Now I know why there was something about her I liked.

By the way, Susan Howard won her election to the NRA Board of Directors.

NRA Buys YouTube

Above, Wayne LaPierre is all smiles following the signing of the purchase agreement.

The National Rifle association apparently switched tactics over its dispute with YouTube in censoring (i.e., removing) their gun safety videos.

The NRA bought YouTube.

According to the CMS News Service:

A deal was finalized last evening between the National Rifle Association and Alphabet, Inc. in which the gun rights organization bought the video-sharing website. 

The purchase price has not been disclosed. 

Google and YouTube are both units of the Mountain View, California-based Alphabet Inc.

Wayne LaPierre, Executive Vice President of the NRA said that this deal will remove the unfair practices of YouTube by the current regime.

If you can't beat 'em, buy 'em!

To read more, go here.