Starting an NRA-Affiliated Club

Story by Andrew Clark

Hello, I'm Andrew Clark, a senior at Stevenson School in Pebble Beach, Calif. As the founder of the Stevenson Hunting and Shooting Club, an NRA-affiliated club, I am excited to share my tips for creating a successful and fun NRA school club.

September 2007, Club Sign-Up Day: The rumble resonating off the marble steps of the brimming amphitheater could not so much be attributed to the music blaring from the Reggae Club's monstrous speakers, but to the range of bellows and shrieks entreating students to sign up for a plethora of clubs. As I stood on tiptoe to survey the amphitheater, I felt completely overwhelmed. I wandered through seemingly endless ornate club displays and endured countless appeals from various club leaders. Although options ranged from Young Republicans and Democrats to the Future Business Leaders of America to the Ping Pong Club, I could not find an issue or idea I was passionate about and wanted to fully commit my time to.

September 2009, Club-Sign-Up Day: Flanked by two valiant club officers, I scream like a madman, hoping to entice students to join my own club, the Stevenson Hunting and Shooting Club. As the last students dwindle out of the amphitheater, we have 67 new members!

What inspired this dramatic change? As a freshman, I didn't join a club but still made friends with a common interest—the shooting sports. A passionate hunter and shooter, I was continually approached by students either involved with or interested in the shooting sports. I realized that the best way to share our passion was through a school club, so I secured a club affiliation with the National Rifle Association during my sophomore year. (www.nrahq.org/clubs/aff-form.pdf)

Two friends and I officially founded the club in our junior year and generated unexpected interest. The responsibility to provide an enjoyable and worthwhile experience for the club's 67 new members now fell to me and the other officers. As the club's president, I soon realized that motivated, passionate club officers are the most important component of a successful club. Secretary Connor Holt and treasurer Connor Finch were especially vital to the club's great success.

As a new club we faced many obstacles and challenges, however, in overcoming these obstacles I've come to realize the three tenets of our club's success: dedicated club officers, innovation and a willingness to use technology.

Firstly, tremendous dedication from our student leadership and the help of one parent volunteer enabled us to overcome doubts that a Hunting and Shooting Club was impossible without significant parent involvement.

Furthermore, the problem of boring classroom meetings was solved by beginning every meeting with a short multiple-choice quiz on firearms and hunter safety to encourage active participation while fulfilling the club's goal to inform members about shooting sports and gun laws. We used regular trips to the local shooting range to teach students proper and safe shooting techniques.

Another obstacle was the formidable schedules of our members. With vigorous academic workloads and numerous activities, some interested students were unable to attend during school time allotted for club meetings. Our club's approach to connecting with its members was therefore modified and modernized, most notably through social media.

To keep members connected, we established an electronically distributed quarterly club newsletter with several articles written by club members. With the librarian's permission, we placed issues of American Rifleman (obtained through our NRA affiliation) in the school library. As both members and non-members pick up the magazine, this simple donation has proven extremely valuable in sparking discussions related to the shooting sports and Second Amendment rights.

Finally, because a club newsletter and the donation of some issues of American Rifleman were not enough for dedicated club members to entirely keep up with the club, we began to utilize technology—social media.

We established a club YouTube channel (RLSShootingClub), which documents various trips to the ranges, contains firearms reviews and features a video with the club's mission statement. Club member J.B. Morey describes the channel as "a great way to show videos [of club activities] because if we can't meet in a classroom it still enables us to learn from each other." Furthermore, we regulate a club forum where meetings and photos are posted, and we are in the process of developing a club Facebook page.

Lastly, the prestigious 2010 NRA's Youth Education Summit significantly contributed to the club's success. My acceptance to the program, which resulted from my work with the club, provided considerable publicity from the NRA Blog, Monterey Herald and Sirius Radio Channel "Patriot Radio". This attention prompted a generous donation of ammunition for our trips to the range from an alumnus of our school, Mark Cary. While the summit was an incredible experience for personal learning and growth, I am also extremely grateful for the benefits it provided to our club.

The Stevenson Hunting and Shooting Club has overcome challenges and embarked upon a bright future. The outstanding success of this NRA affiliated club can be attributed to dedicated club officers, innovation, and a willingness to use technology. However, perseverance and a true passion for hunting, the shooting sports, and the Second Amendment are the most important tenets of any club devoted to the shooting sports.