TexasCHLforum.com

Mike1951 wrote:

LikesShinyThings wrote:Find the soonest, nearest Friends of NRA dinner and go to that. Enjoy a decent meal, good company, and fun conversations, not to mention some fun games, auctions, and other activities.
Edited to add: http://www.friendsofnra.org/National.aspx?cid=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'm glad that so many enjoy Friends of NRA. I've only been to one dinner; my last.

For someone like me, and actually we were a table of eight, that neither drink nor gamble, it was one of the most unpleasant evenings of my life.

I'm sorry to hear you didn't enjoy it. We don't drink or gamble, either. We recognize it for what it is - a fundraiser, and go and enjoy ourselves knowing what it is all about. Even without participating in a lot of the games, we enjoy the conversation and the atmosphere. I understand this is not for everyone. We make it fun and enjoy ourselves. Sounds like you, not so much. At least you know your preference now.

Side note: One of my favorite stories is when a friend came from (far) out of town for a weekend visit. We just happened to discover that there was a dinner in the area the evening he arrived and he was amenable to going. Wouldn't you know it, HE was the one (of the three of us) who won a rifle that evening.

OldSchool wrote:After hearing about it from forum members last year, we had planned to be there this year. Well, over the course of the year we forgot about it -- until we saw someone mention it on the forum the weekend before. Too late to go.

What is our punishment?

Find the soonest, nearest Friends of NRA dinner and go to that. Enjoy a decent meal, good company, and fun conversations, not to mention some fun games, auctions, and other activities.
Edited to add: http://www.friendsofnra.org/National.aspx?cid=0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Alternative: Attend the NRA Annual Meeting. If you haven't been to one, I highly recommend it. That is a real experience! Nothing like being surrounded by thousands of pro gun folks. And the exhibit hall will take you two full days to cover half-ways decently. I believe it will be in Houston year after next. April or May, IIRC.

The Annoyed Man wrote:

LikesShinyThings wrote:

The Annoyed Man wrote:I fully planned to attend the dinner, and Stevie, I was looking forward to meeting you in particular. I had planned to sit with Crossfire and Marty. I had even discussed it with my wife in advance. But come Friday, my wife wanted a date. As they say, if momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. We went on a date instead.

Maybe next year....

Gee, my husband and I use the TSRA foundation dinner (and Friends of NRA dinners) AS our dates, not instead of. You need to teach your wife these are fun - and if she's winning bidder (auction, live or silent) or lucky draw (bucket raffle), she might come home with some new jewelry, or a new gun, or something else that tickles her fancy. What can I say, I've been infected.

My wife has no problem with the TSRA, or any of its events. When I say "date," I mean "DATE," as in two's company and all that. Who am I to argue with such flawless logic?

Oops. Just call me Captain Oblivious.
No, I wouldn't argue with that sort of flawless logic, either!

The Annoyed Man wrote:I fully planned to attend the dinner, and Stevie, I was looking forward to meeting you in particular. I had planned to sit with Crossfire and Marty. I had even discussed it with my wife in advance. But come Friday, my wife wanted a date. As they say, if momma ain't happy, ain't nobody happy. We went on a date instead.

Maybe next year....

Gee, my husband and I use the TSRA foundation dinner (and Friends of NRA dinners) AS our dates, not instead of. You need to teach your wife these are fun - and if she's winning bidder (auction, live or silent) or lucky draw (bucket raffle), she might come home with some new jewelry, or a new gun, or something else that tickles her fancy. What can I say, I've been infected.

Re Stevie's points:
As for the current apparent focus of TSRA to hunters... I hope Stevie that what you express is an inaccurate perception that just happened to come out in the people you ran into, though I certainly can't assume that. I agree that the "2A folks" tend to be more activist and directed to protecting our rights, from what I've seen. Hunters often (not ALL, by any means, but as a general trend) in my limited experience seem to lean more to the "I just want to hunt. Don't get me involved in politics." type of attitude. Then again, a LOT of folks, pro-gun or not, are not interested in politics. Of course, those are the people politicians love - they let the politicians do anything they want - aka, glean more power for themselves. (Ooops... not intending to besmirch you and your intent to become a politician. There are exceptions to every rule, may you be one of those exceptions.)

Any way, having not been at the meeting, I cannot speak intelligently on the perception you discussed. But you've at least raised my awareness to keep an eye on the emails from TSRA, and an ear on what I hear from/about them. Forewarned is forearmed, as they say.

stevie_d_64 wrote: the usual suspects were sick, or didn't come because of the lack of a "gunshow" event next door to the convention...

...or had a schedule conflict that couldn't be avoided. (Sorry, but for the time being job trumps fun, even if the fun is TSRA.)

Now I'm curious about the "air" that you mention. I have to admit I've felt a touch more "secure" in what will happen in the legislature this year due to the numbers in our favor. No, I don't think it is a done deal, and I do make a point of contacting my legis-critters. But I have a sense that Texas will move in a pro-gun direction this year.

As for the national level - I personally still feel the need to do work our legis-critters there, too, relative to the laws that might be submitted or voted on.

Stevie, are you saying you got an impression that folks were kind of blase about protecting our rights?