nra virginia board meeting
Courtesy savethe2a.org

By Ron Carter

I just arrived home after concluding my first time attending an NRA board meeting. I home flew from Dulles to Denver and drove another two hours and am still overloaded with what happened, what didn’t happen, who attended and who was absent.

First, I arrived at the Hilton Washington Dulles Airport on Friday at noon and was only able to attend the Civil Affairs Committee meeting. As you may have read from Rob’s post, the security was less than friendly and the executive sessions had been used to exclude interested/concerned members from learning more about their organization.

The Civil Affairs Committee is chaired by Jim Porter and as he called the meeting to order I was still unaware of what committee meeting it was. I don’t recall him announcing it. No signs, itinerary or other publications were to be had that would give any indication.

Nevertheless, it was still interesting while it lasted. The last thing mentioned before they went into executive session was from NRA Second Vice President Willes Lee who ironically said, “The great work this committee does should be made public.”

The Friday evening gathering at the hotel bar was inspiring. Many directors stopped by and several concerned members joined us in discussing issues and speaking with directors who weren’t occupied.

Saturday morning there was some confusion about where breakfast was being held. Many directors mistakenly thought that breakfast was held in the area where the meetings took place. This resulted in several directors walking past us, while we waited in the hallway, multiple times as they searched for their colleagues.

The board meeting was called to order by President Carolyn Meadows who explained her absence from the Finance Committee was due to an illness affecting her voice. She had First Vice President Charles Cotton assume her duties.

First was the matter of the roll call, which I believe (there was some discrepancy) that 55 of the current 71 directors attended.

Then there was a vote on a bylaw clarification for how board candidates would submit their request to waive the 5-year life membership requirement.

That was followed by reports from board officers and staff. The reports from the board officers were nothing like I would have imagined. It was basically adulation for Wayne LaPierre. In Carolyn Meadows’ report she made an odd quip that was concerning. She said that several people had told her that she would go to jail. She laughed it off saying not to send her chocolate chip cookies because she doesn’t like them.

Weird. Right?

First Vice President Cotton gave a similar “report” congratulating Wayne LaPierre and then spoke about William Travis’ line in the sand at the Alamo, not “spreading lies”, and “stand on the wall with us.”

Second Vice President Lee echoed his co-presidents and added a “we are at war,” speech that somehow came back to the statement, “Wayne makes the NRA tick.”

Wayne LaPierre gave his speech next. Interestingly, he’s created a “war room” which will now provide a rapid response to current events, social media and apparently the rapid production of 60-second videos.

Three were shown during the open session portion of the board meeting. One of the lines that is going to be a phrase commonly repeated is, “A kernel of truth in a bushel of lies” which seems to somehow address all the allegations from Ackerman McQueen, Oliver North, the New York Attorney General, the New York Department of Financial Services, the District of Columbia Attorney General and more apparently. It was exceptionally unclear what the lies and truths are exactly.

At the conclusion of his speech Wayne appointed Jason Ouimet to be the new head of NRA-ILA. However, he didn’t realize the board actually had to vote in Ouimet. So, with a quick correction by Cotton, the board was on to a vote which essentially approved LaPierre’s will.

There was then a break in the meeting and upon returning VP Cotton announced the meeting would be going into executive session, which Ted Nugent opposed. He was overruled because he didn’t clarify (more motion) the extent of matter or time that he wanted the meeting to stay open. The meeting then went into a three-hour-plus executive session with a working lunch.

When the meeting was finally opened back up shortly after 1:00pm, Save the Second’s bylaw amendment proposal, submitted by petition, was discussed and deferred by the bylaws committee for further review of “its merits.”

Prior to adjourning the meeting at 1:52pm, First Vice President Cotton thanked those board members for the candid discussions during executive session, particularly Ted Nugent and Duane Liptak.

More thoughts and commentary to come later.

 

This post originally appeared at savethe2a.org and is reprinted here with permission. 

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55 COMMENTS

  1. Sounds like something to hide from the membership.

    No GOOD news here.

    Thank you Ron and Rob.

    Thank you TED NUGENT.

    • We need to ask ‘Sweaty Teddy’ to wear a wire and record the next ‘closed executive session’…

      • Where in this giant cluster-fuck were our Gun Rights Defended ?

        Back slapping while in the buffet line does not impress me , or the millions who now see just how badly we have been lied to.

        ” But …. but …. we’re the NRA , you ‘ need ‘ us ”
        NO we don’t

    • Uh, Uncle Teddy is belly up to the hog trough right next to ole Wayne. Nugent got $50,000 plus expenses for himself and his wife (that’s right…..2000 members’ annual dues) to speak and twang his guitar for an hour Sunday afternoons at the Annual NRA Conventions to a crowd of about 1500 “choir members”. That’s right also, it was not even a break even crowd. Also, he charged $50 each to sign 1200 guitars for the Friends of NRA fund raising events…..that’s right also….$60,000 annually. That’s $110,000 annually to an NRA Director to attend the NRA Convention and help out with his mystique the Friends of NRA.. If he really supported the 2A, I would think he would donate those services. But, noooo, not Uncle Teddy. Gotta make those payments on his Texas ranch. Directors should provide whatever services they might contribute to the NRA on gratis basis. If they don’t attend the Conventions and be available the total show time on the floor for members to talk with them, and they don’t want to provide gratis services, and they should attend every Board Meeting at their own expense, then they can resign from the Board of Directors.

  2. Gonna be fun to listen to the secretly recorded tapes of the executive session….(someone MUST have recorded it…lol)

  3. If my gun club didn’t require membership, the NRA would have one less member. I’m tired of “Wayne’s World”.

  4. I was at the Friday night meetup with Save the Second. Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the Saturday meetings. I was very impressed by the level of commitment and depth of knowledge shown by those I met on Friday. I look forward to supporting further measures to bring some measure of sanity, transparency, and fiscal responsibility to the way the NRA is run, so that it can get back to the business of protecting the Second Amendment. Special thanks to Rob Pincus for his cogent summary of the proceedings of Thursday and Friday.

  5. Someone should have recorded it, absodamnedlutely!

    This behavior of the BOD sounds typical. A large, corrupt outfit trying to maintain the power of the old guard, of the elite membership. Using lies, procedure, deception, secrecy and threats to maintain control.

    While there’s never a good time for this to happen to the NRA, this is certainly a bad time. What with anti-gunism resurging, and Trump being about as trustworthy as a three dollar bill.

    • Y’all are being snickered yet again.

      “The reports from the board officers were nothing like I would have imagined. It was basically adulation for Wayne LaPierre. In Carolyn Meadows’ report she made an odd quip that was concerning. She said that several people had told her that she would go to jail.”

      That sounds like one of trumps cabinet meetings, where everyone massaged the ego of the dictator in order to stay in his good graces.

      Don’t you get it, Wayne is the agent of the international arms merchant, exporting war across the globe for fun and profit. The NRA is just their propaganda arm to support the bloodshed and violence that they profit from.

      This has nothing to do with the Second Amendment or American freedom, it’s all about supporting an atmosphere of anger, hate and greed.

      I’m not saying the dams are right, but it’s clear that the NRA and they’re hidden owners represent the Darkside of the force.

      Tell me, would Jesus sit on the board of the NRA? Would Jesus export war and violence to 120 countries across the globe, to promote multinational corporate interests?

        • So you don’t want to think how you’ve been shived by false patriots at the NRA so you call me a troll.

          Fascinating.

          You know, your first clue was when the NRA leadership took meetings with the Russian ambassador at the NRA convention in Louisville.

        • Hurf durf Russia-drumf-NRA boogeymen conspiracy! Sweet Jesus do you hear yourself? At least the 9/11 conspiracies are rooted in a misunderstanding of how certain metals act under heat. Yours are just fvcking stupid.

  7. Thank you Ron and Rob for being there for members like myself who could not.

    I was one of the petitioners for the amendment proposal which was discussed and deferred by the bylaws committee for further review of “its merits.”

    If the NRA does not reform itself into an organization whose primary purpose is to protect the 2nd amendment instead of one whose purpose is mainly to defend the mistakes of Wayne LaPierre whereas the NRA will have become an organization itself that needs a further review of “its merits”.

    Patron #4875884

  11. “Carolyn Meadows’ report she made an odd quip that was concerning. She said that several people had told her that she would go to jail. She laughed it off saying not to send her chocolate chip cookies because she doesn’t like them.”

    The only way I can see Wayne’s World ending now is for NY state and or the Feds putting a end to it,as Wayne and sycophants have rigged the rules that excludes members any member from raising any questions regarding Negotiating Rights Away mismanagement of the organization.

    I can foresee many getting jail sentences,deservedly so,hopefully Wayne’s golden parachute keeps Bubba away at night when he comes looking for a new girlfriend or not.

    Thank you Ron and Rob.

    Thank you TED NUGENT.

  12. It sounds like the Nugent tried to do the honorable thing and was outvoted.

    It does make you wonder what they were hiding from us little folks or why.

    They are till the strongest voice for the Second Amendment. We will see where this goes for the next five years, which is when my member ship runs out.

    • That alone is enough justification for me to boot her tail out. Doesn’t like chocolate chip cookies! Where is she from, Russia?

  15. There is a ton of money at play. Wayne and Co. Are not going anywhere. Sadly the only way to fix it is to starve them of funds. There is no reason why another organization or even three cannot be built up to replace the NRA.

    Sad that it came to this.

  16. Thanks for the report such as you were allowed to attend and report. The NRA will not get another dime from me as long a WLP is still there in any capacity. I’ve been a dues paying member for longer than I can remember. My shooting club of which I have been a member for 18 yrs used to require membership based on getting insurance from the NRA for the club. I’m not sure that was true but what was true is they used to get about $2000 a year from the NRA for range development and programs (matches). What a sorry state of affairs. Disgusting.

    • I guess it’s good that the NRA improves your range and puts on matches at the sportsman’s club because that’s what the NRA is supposed to do. Their charter is to improve civilian marksmanship and to train police departments. They’ve been a leader for our rights for how many years? ZERO and counting. We all know the crappy rights history of the NRA. I’ve only been a member for three years (with two to go ) how do I get a refund of dues? I don’t belong to a fancy club ,don’t do matches and don’t expect Wayne to step down unless pushed out. I really thought the NRA was a voice for firearms owners but it’s just a cash cow for the EVP and board…………….PM

  17. Ted Nugent should be running the NRA. Wow, that would be amazing. Can you imagine? It’s the rock and roll this geriatric organization needs, to bring in young and vibrant people, to show the middle finger to the crazed commie mobs after the 2A, while waving the American flag as if it was the last banner of freedom. He would completely transfor the orgnization in a no bullsht, no compromise army that doesn’t wait for them to attack the 2A but instead goes right into offence. 🙂

  18. Ted Nugent, the voice of reason. Scary.
    No more money from me to Wayne’s World. Time for the broom to sweep things clean.

  20. If an organization- any organization, is dependent on 1 leader, then that leader had done a very poor job. Leaders should be making their organization robust enough to do without them. A lack of term limits invites corruption.

  22. Eric Hoffer — ‘Every great cause begins as a movement, becomes a business, and eventually degenerates into a racket.’

    Seems like we’re there.

  24. As long as the requirement that you belong to the NRA or you can’t shoot at our range exist. Along with Fuds, companies like Midway Arms ( https://www.midwayusa.com/nra-support ) and low information members etc so will the NRA. Starving them out is not going to happen. They may be diminished and if those of us who dropped membership join one at least one of the other groups maybe they will become strong enough to throw some weight around. The NRA is still the 800 pound gorilla, sadly one more concerned about protecting the cash cow and present leadership than gun rights.
    New York or the Feds or some other state investigators are likely the only way Waynes world is going to change.
    While I hope that is not the case, odds are that will be what creates NRA v2.0.

  26. Do we actually have 71 directors?????? How is that actually effective as a board? Big companies usually have less than 15 or something. Is it a board of directors or congress? Too many directors and doesn’t that make it easier for some slimy guy to like Wayne to just play them off each other and for the dynamic of uninterested directors and “other guy got it”. ?

  27. Gun Owners of America.. the NRA is bleeding members dry for their own pockets.. to hell with Wayne “Peppy Lepew” LaPierre.. that dude is shady as hell.

  28. “congratulating Wayne LaPierre and then spoke about William Travis’ line in the sand at the Alamo”

    I hope everyone realizes how frightening this little tidbit is. This is how Wayne & his compatriots see the fight to preserve the 2nd Amendment; a suicidal heroic ‘last stand’ against an unstoppable juggernaut. No one in their right minds would invoke the Alamo for this sort of event/cause, even if it was vaguely ‘gun control’ related. It was a slaughter and strategic route, that was so terrible it eventually spurred follow on efforts to oppose the Spaniards that *weren’t* crushing defeats.

    You always wonder (well, normal non-psychopaths always wonder) about people like LaPierre & Hammer “How do these people live with themselves, knowing how they are so utterly destroying an org they at one time did important things for and claim to value?” It’s because they don’t see themselves as doing it. Every new corruption allegation, based in fact or not, every new membership short fall, every new lawsuit or investigation, every new board member resignation or defection, every dollar of debt; every one of these is seen as another part of the hail of bullets from “The Opposition” who will destroy the NRA helmed by LaPierre in his moment of greatest glory, despite all his valiant efforts & heroism. It’s not only inevitable in LaPierre’s mind that the NRA is defeated by “The Opposition,” it is *necessary* to cement his heroic legacy.

    The NRA is suicidal.

    • The Alamo scenario for NRA is historically bogus, as well. Houston wanted the Texicans to consolidate into a single, larger army, not be isolated and/or defeated in small fortresses. Barrett saw value in whittling down Santa Ana’s army, little by little, delaying the “final battle”, buying time for Houston to organize and equip. As it happened, both were right.

      In the end, Houston was waiting for the Mexican army, intending to stop Santa Ana, and end the war. While all the Alamo defenders were killed, Barrett knew Houston was preparing to defeat Santa Ana. Nowhere does NRA have a final backstop, a Houston waiting to defeat the enemy. Not only is NRA suicidal, defeatist, NRA is not Barrett, but Masada.

  29. It looks like many, many people waited time and money to hear La Pierre making himself proud of himself and dictating his wishes. What a bunch of crap.

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