NAAGA – 1st National Convention – “I’m so glad to have attended!”

BY Jaron Smith – Owner

“From the Desk of the Owner” will be a series of information and data compiled by the owner, Jaron Smith, to inform our clients, customers and onlookers of all the things taken place at Run Your Gun Tactical ®. The first entry will give some great updates of our courses/services and our company as a whole. Remember to contact us if you have any questions about you will read. Enjoy the content, and thank you!

NAAGA and Smitty

As a member of the National African American Gun Association (NAAGA), I was allowed to volunteer for the organization’s training department. In my short time, I have been able to facilitate the process of certifying the basic pistol course. What does this mean? It means that the organization’s course is recognized to allow any instructor who holds the certification to be eligible to certify students. In a nutshell, it allows the instructor to teach the course which allows their student, upon completion, to apply for the state’s permit. You know what, just contact me, and ask questions because it’s confusing me as I am writing it, lol. I also have overseen various programs to afford our instructor’s options. One of those options is our partnership with Right to Bear Insurance. If you are interested in a valuable concealed carry program, please let me know. I look forward to contributing more to the success of NAAGA.

Basic Pistol Instructor Course

During the convention our team was able to facilitate the course for the leadership of the different chapters across the country. It was scheduled as a means to enlighten chapter presidents, vice presidents, etc. of the materials and the importance of our approach to firearms training. I was ecstatic to be in position to share my knowledge with these individuals. The course was developed to educate the student with the basics and fundamentals of handling a firearm. It also covers safe storage, proper mindset, etc. So, a breakdown of the schedule. Day 1 was a full day of classroom sessions. The students were introduced to the course as a student. It provides the insight to what their students will be learning, and it gives them the ability to gather the understanding of the expectations to successfully execute the instruction. The 2nd part of Day 1, the students graduated to candidates. They were then placed in the “hot seat”. Now, the hot seat for us means it gives us (Training Counselors) the privilege to critique the knowledge of the material as being taught by the candidates. I get it. It’s their first time learning it, so how can they be efficient? I’m glad you asked. Basically, the candidates are grouped together (based on class size), and they receive a portion of the materials to teach . Once their assignment is received, they have an allotted amount of time to prepare to teach the information back to us. This is otherwise known as “Teach-Backs”. From there our goal is to provide information and feedback on the thought process of why the information is structured in the manner that it is. Day 1 is indeed a FULL DAY.

Day 2 was a mixture of classroom and the range! The candidates continued their efforts to display their knowledge of the materials, and they experienced the qualification. We were only had so much time to be able to complete the remaining course work because, again, we are at the very 1st convention. We were able to see success with a high pass/fail ratio. From there we graduated these candidates and assured them that by following the program they should be able to offer an amazing experience.

If you are looking to become an instructor, please consider choosing Run Your Gun Tactical to oversee the process. We are offering a course in the month of September. You can visit our Events tab to read and learn how to get started.

The Convention Experience

Let’s just say it was breathtaking! Who knew in my lifetime I would be able to see the level of togetherness amongst black and brown happen on the scale that it was done. What I mean by that is, we were able to attend a VIP private event on the 1st night, we were able to attend the President’s Gala where awards were given out, and there were many session as well as a Vendor show taking place all through out the convention center. It was a great overall experience! Oh yeah, did I mention that I was able to teach a session about how to start a FFL? Not bragging or anything, but yeah, I’m something like somebody. Seriously, it was a privilege to be able to do so. To see the amount of people who chose my session was rewarding. The attendees asked questions and were provided with the answers to get started. I want to thank my new buddy, James Manlove of the Lotus Group (Delaware), for sharing his insight and expertise. If you’re in the DE area, please look him up. Overall, thank you to the NAAGA team for making it happen! That’s just what we do.

what’s next?

Well, we are continuing to schedule courses, and there are a few projects that we are working on. More on that to come soon. Join our Newsletter to be in the know. We will provide this update monthly!