Remember the first time you fired a gun? Maybe your father took you out to the back 40 and let you fire a .22 at some empty cans set up on a felled tree, or maybe you tagged along on a trip to the shooting range. Whatever the opportunity, it instilled lessons that would translate into learning how to take responsibility to protect your family and yourself.
Well, here is a chance for you to pay it forward. Every American Rifleman reader can make a positive difference in someone’s life by taking part in the NRA Mentor Initiative, sponsored by EAA Corp., Winchester Ammunition, Taurus and Walker’s Game Ear. Of course, you can teach a new shooter any time of the year, but take the initiative this May.
As part of the program, we are encouraging all 5 million NRA members to mentor a new shooter.
Why is this important? Because more than 40 million Americans—maybe some of your neighbors, co-workers or family members—purchased their first guns in recent years, and many of them need help learning how to handle firearms confidently and safely.
This is the third year NRA Publications has spearheaded the initiative, and in the first two years a combined 40,000 NRA members took on the mantle of responsibility of helping the NRA grow stronger while ensuring that the passion for the shooting sports is enjoyed by future generations.
On the NRA Publications website you will find details of the Mentor Initiative along with a free “Guide for New Shooters,” which provides helpful advice. See details to enter the Mentor Sweepstakes for a chance to win one of more than 30 prizes.
Since we believe every shooter is a prime candidate to become an NRA member, we’ve included a membership application. This association was strong enough to help President Donald Trump win in 2016, but think how strong it can become if just a fraction of all those new gun owners joined our ranks.
Once given the opportunity to shoot, nearly everyone should find how fulfilling it is to learn such a practical, affirmative skill. By lending a hand, we can show, once again, that NRA members are the good guys.
Please join me in becoming an NRA mentor!
—Doug Hamlin
Executive Director, NRA Publications
