It’s time to head to the starting gates as the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits come to Louisville.

SPECIAL REPORT
By NRA Staff

   Every spring the NRA Annual Meetings & Exhibits make us proud to be NRA members fighting in freedom’s cause. With our Second Amendment rights on the line in the 2008 elections, it’s critically important that leading NRA members join us to send a message to politicians in every corner of the country—we are ready and able to defeat gun banners and elect pro-Second Amendment candidates in this election. Your presence in Louisville will help send that message loud and clear.

   As in years past, a parade of leaders, including members of Congress, governors and military officials, will come to show solidarity with NRA.
   NRA leaders, too, will command the big stage. We’ve been inspired by the likes of NRA presidents Charlton Heston, Jim Reinke, Joe Foss, Marion Hammer and Sandy Froman; executive vice presidents Harlon B. Carter and Wayne LaPierre, and NRA-ILA chiefs Jim Baker and Chris Cox. Who could ever forget Heston’s ringing declaration: “. . .from my cold, dead hands!” First stated at the 1989 St. Louis meetings, those five words became a rallying cry for gun owners throughout the difficult 1990s.
   The huge Exhibit Hall is the place to soak it all in. With its friendly, fair-like atmosphere it is centered on guns, shooting and hunting. The hall has grown at a mind-boggling pace. Nowadays hundreds of booths pack every inch of gigantic convention centers, a fact put into perspective by a billboard in Pittsburgh (2004) that proclaimed “4 Acres of NRA.” We’ll cover more than six acres in Louisville this year.
   Top-level entertainment has also been part of the package, featuring some of the biggest stars in country music and comedians who keep us laughing, and this year will be no exception. One well-known Annual Meetings regular is NRA Director and rock legend Ted Nugent, whose presentation showcases his amazing talents and boundless energy for firearm freedom.
   Just as rewarding is meeting people whose names are new to us, but whose enthusiasm for the shooting sports and pride in NRA mirror our own. These folks travel from virtually every state, not just to attend events, but also to actually be part of NRA. Over the past decade attendance has been soaring, and last year in St. Louis we set a new record at 64,000+. Obviously something important is happening.
   This year’s lineup in Louisville promises what could be the greatest Annual Meetings ever. Please come and be a part of NRA’s signature event as we celebrate freedom and American values. You’ll be glad you did.

Celebrating Our Values
   Gun-rights advocacy reached new heights last year when NRA’s Celebration of American Values convened presidential candidates to state their views on firearm freedom. A similar Leadership Forum will be reprised at the Kentucky Expo Center, on Friday, May 16, at 12:30 p.m. Pro-freedom speakers currently slated to appear include U.S. Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and Mitch McConnell, NRA Board member Lt. Col. Oliver North, and special guest Marcus Luttrell, a former Navy SEAL whose story of heroism in Afghanistan is told in his just-released book, Lone Survivor. For ticket information, go to www.nraam.org or call (877) 800-4NRA.
   NRA’s Celebration of American Values Banquet will take place Saturday, May 17, at 8 p.m. at the downtown Kentucky International Convention Center. TV/radio dynamo Glenn Beck will headline and focus his unique conservative wit on firearm ownership, and Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal will receive the Harlon B. Carter award for service to the Second Amendment. Members are urged to become event “co-chairmen” by sponsoring tables. There are two levels of co-chairman sponsorships, Platinum at $20,000, and Gold at $10,000. Sponsorships come with exclusive benefits, including VIP photo opportunities and recognition in the Celebration program. For further information, call (703) 272-1500.

Out on the Town
   This year’s Opening Ceremony takes form as an open-air party Friday, May 16, at 7:30 p.m. with the “NRA Thanks Louisville” free concert featuring Grammy award-winning artist John Michael Montgomery, sponsored by Gander Mountain and hosted by Fourth Street Live!

Don’t Miss . . .
   Auction Fever—Everyone comes out a winner from fundraising auctions to benefit The NRA Foundation. Place your bids on fine firearms, hunting adventures, artwork and much more. Make plans for the National NRA Foundation Banquet and Auction on Thursday, May 15, at 6 p.m., and the Sportsmen’s Luncheon and Auction on Friday, May 16, at 11 a.m. Seats are limited so reserve yours now: visi www.nraam.org or call (800) 672-3888, ext. 1369.
   Also on May 16, at 6:30 p.m., the Second Annual NRA-ILA Dinner and Auction will offer many fantastic guns to the highest bidders. (For further details, see pg. .) Proceeds support ILA’s legislative and political efforts. For information and reservations, call (703) 267-1568 or email mrunnels@nrahq.org.

Leaders Speak Out—NRA’s leadership team, including (from l.) Chris W. Cox, Wayne LaPierre and John Sigler, will take the podium during the Meeting of Members to report on NRA operations and strategies in this critical election year.

   Prayer Breakfast—This well-attended event of testimony, fellowship and praise, now in its 11th year, will welcome as keynote speaker David Blanton from the popular “Realtree Outdoors” TV series. Slated for Saturday, May 17, at 7 a.m., a ticket is required for entrance.
For details, go to www.nraam.org.
   Annual Meeting of Members—Gather with fellow NRA members on Saturday, May 17, at 10 a.m. for officers’ reports and official business. Hear Wayne LaPierre, John Sigler, Chris Cox and others outline NRA’s strategy going into the fall elections.
   Airgun Range—A favorite with the kids, but just as compelling for attendees of all ages who find it only natural to test their marksmanship at an event held by NRA.

SEMINARS & SESSIONS

Topics ranging from gun rights to firearm history, and from self-defense to hunting will be addressed by expert speakers.

Friday
9 a.m. Firearms Law Seminar—Full-day course covering current issues in firearm jurisprudence. Faculty includes legal scholars, federal law enforcement officers and NRA attorneys. CLE credits available.
Contact: (703) 267-1250 or www.nrafoundation.org/lawseminar.
8 a.m./9a.m. Grassroots Breakfast/Workshop—Free workshop featuring NRA officers. ILA staff will provide materials and strategies members need to educate and empower fellow gun owners in the drive to elect pro-Second Amendment candidates.
8 a.m/9 a.m. Clubs and Associations Breakfast/Workshop—Experts share how best to promote the shooting sports.
1 p.m. Refuse To Be A Victim—Make a decision for self-empowerment: You will not be a victim. Learn tips and techniques to help you develop a personal safety strategy.
2 p.m. African Hunting Experience —Africa veteran Craig Boddington and NRA Publications Editorial Director John Zent convey a spirit of adventure along with hard-core know-how that will appeal to both seasoned and new safari hunters.
2 p.m. Methods of Concealed Carry —Expert law enforcement trainer Tom Marx coaches members on safe, legal and effective ways to carry concealed.

Saturday
1 p.m Refuse To Be A Victim (see above)
2 p.m. Guaranteed Whitetails Tactics —Big buck authority Bill Winke teams with American Hunter Editor in Chief Scott Olmsted and Executive Field Editor Frank Miniter to share deer-hunting strategies.
2 p.m. Guns of D-Day—Historian Martin K.A. Morgan joins Mark Keefe, American Rifleman Editor in Chief, for a discussion of combatants’ arms in this pivotal World War II battle.
2 p.m. In Their Own Words—NRA members who devoted their time and effort to protect firearm freedom recount their experiences on the front lines of grassroots politics.
2 p.m. Methods of Concealed Carry (see above)

Sunday
11 a.m. NRA and the Media: It’s Not the Critic Who Counts—NRA Second Vice President David Keene joins a discussion moderated by NRA Director Susan Howard, aimed at helping members understand and work with the media. Panelists include NRA past president Sandy Froman, Board members Oliver North and Cleta Mitchell, and political analyst
Ralph Hallow.
11 a.m. Handloading Today —Economy, self-reliance and performance are great reasons for shooters to load their own ammo. American Rifleman Senior Associate Editor Aaron Carter and outdoors writer Dave Campbell tell how to do it right.
12:30 p.m. Ted Nugent: United We Stand—High-intensity music, gun talk and hunting lore from an unabashed voice for firearm freedom.
1 p.m. Refuse To Be A Victim —attendees from the Friday and Saturday seminars are invited to participate in an instructor development workshop.