We hope to see you at the NRA Annual Meetings this weekend!

By Jim Irvine

This weekend, May 16 - May 20, the NRA Annual Meetings will be held in Louisville, Kentucky. In addition to being a huge gun show, you can also attend seminars about gun laws, concealed carry, and self defense, as well as meet Eddie the Eagle and learn about the NRA’s gun safety programs.

The Second Amendment is about more than CCW, or hunting, or target shooting – it’s about all of them and more.

Every major gun manufacturer will be there showing their wares. Whether you are looking for a new concealed carry gun, a rifle, shotgun, muzzleloader, or one of those so-called assault weapons, you will find it on display this weekend. (No guns are sold at the meetings, but there is not a better place to compare guns so that you come home to your local dealer knowing exactly what you want to buy)

While it would certainly be easy to spend several days on the exhibit hall floor, one could just as easily spend the entire time going to all the other events.

I’m looking forward to hearing speeches from the NRA executive committee as well as Governors Steve Beshear, Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney, Karl Rove, Lt. Col. Ollie North, Senators Kay Bailey Hutchison and Mitch McConnell, Ambassador John Bolton, Ted Nugent and more. The key-note speaker for Saturday’s banquet is talk show host Glenn Beck.

The exhibit hall and many of the speakers and sessions are free events. All NRA members are welcome to attend. You can join/renew at the show if needed.

If your spouse would enjoy something besides a “gun show” consider the NRA Foundation dinner on Thursday night, the prayer breakfast on Saturday morning, or the banquet on Saturday night. Tickets are required for these events and they are always well done and support an important cause.

Friday morning is the NRA-ILA grassroots workshop where you hear from Chris Cox and others on how to be more effective influencing elections and legislation. Friday afternoon is the NRA Celebration of American Values Leadership forum. Friday night is the Celebrate Freedom concert featuring T. Bubba Bechtol, Sarah Johns, Cowboy Crush and Jamie O’Neal.

Other session include topics on hunting, guns of D-day, handloading and much more. There is also an air-gun range every day.

Many Buckeye Firearms Association volunteers will be making the trip to Louisville this weekend to learn, network, and work at being more effective. We look forward to seeing and meeting many of you as well as friends from across the country whom we have met at prior meetings.

The 2009 meetings will be in Phoenix Arizona, but this year it’s an easy drive for many of us. Don’t miss this great opportunity while it’s so close to Ohio. I hope to see you there.

Click here for all the information on the National Rifle Association’s annual meetings and exhibits.

Jim Irvine is the Chairman of Buckeye Firearms Association.