This message is coming to you from your Association volunteer member recruiter at the Atlantic City Outdoor Sports Show. But it could be coming from any such event throughout our state, which I have the charge of coordinating as Chairman of our Shows & Exhibitions Committee. It is directed to current ANJRPC members in good standing, as well as NRA members.

I wish to thank you and compliment you, for whether you realize it or not, you are so special. You are heroes. No, I do not use these terms frivolously, but rather with the words of President Andrew Jackson in mind, when he remarked over 150 years ago, “The brave man inattentive to his duty is worth little more to his country than the coward who deserts her in her hour of danger.” On this third day of this event, people who should know better routinely walk past our booth, and in so doing proclaim their utter abdication of the responsibility which you and I, by virtue of our membership in this association, have undertaken.

The clichéd reasons why they behave this way are well known to those of us who implore our like-minded compatriots to join our ranks. At these events, we have every reason to expect like-minded people to be in attendance in abundance. Some of us, maybe most of us, have at some point in time in our lives been one of them; for whatever the reason, or even better term, excuse.

Their “reasons?”—hardly those of the staunch Americans they claim to be. “I don’t have the price of membership”—$15.00 for the show membership special price??!! This they say while holding a hot dog and soda that just cost them $8.00. “I’m a Life Member of the NRA.” (He joined in 1960 and has been riding free ever since.) “I support you guys because I don’t talk against you.” But he (or she) won’t join because he doesn’t want to lend his name or money to what he “supports.”

Than God we (you and I) have shed that disgraceful state of inexcusable ignorance and dereliction of duty to our flag, country and the intricately related cause of upholding the Second Amendment/Bill of Rights freedoms. Thank “God” (whose mention is now under fire as never before), that we do not belong to that group Theodore Roosevelt described as “…those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.”

When working these events, there is nothing more infuriating than pointing out the reasons why one should join us, and being greeted with a “Ho-Dee-Doe-Dee-Doe,” Charles Schumer/Cheshire Cat style grin as the person conveniently sashays down the aisle in search of the more trivial attainment of their price of show admission, and in so doing symbolically saying, “I’ll let somebody else do it.” That somebody else is you and I.

Your compliment-worthy behavior as members of this Association, and members of NRA, deserves salute and deserves recognition. And as an officer of this association and chairman of two committees, I pledge to you my loyal commitment to you and to all we collectively believe in.

On an upbeat note, we did sign up 31 new members, all from the southern part of our state, which is the motivating reason for this first-time Shows Committee venture. Our hope is that even with the meager accomplishment, its ripple effect will garner greater fruits for our Association’s strength on behalf of the whole of New Jersey. We hope to do at least as well as we continue our endeavors at the South Jersey Sportsmen’s Jamboree in Maurice River Township in September 18th and 19th.

See you there!

Lawrence J. Braico is an ANJRPC Regional Vice President and Chairman, Shows & Exhibition Committee and Scholarship Committee