HairyEyeball
New Member
Howdy, folks. As the membership director of Arizona Citizens Defense League, if there's anything I can help with in your effort to form a Texas CDL, just ask. We were inspired by the Virginia Citizens Defense League (obviously another good source), some members of which moved out here and discovered 'the wild west' was nowhere as advanced in firearms freedom as our reputation warranted - much like modern-day Texas.
Our website has been down for a few days, as some of you have discovered, it's back up.
If there's any 'secret' to our success, it's persistence: Our Constitutional Carry law, currently our flagship bill, is something we'd gotten through both Houses for two consecutive years, only to have it die on our former Governor's desk - the same former governor now posing as fatherland security gestapo fuhrer - two consecutive times. Some would call that a 'defeat' after the first time, some after the second, but we did pass it through both houses, twice...hardly a 'defeat', and governors change. We also stick to our mission: We're 'the gun lobby' in Arizona. We don't let ourselves (as an organization) get publicly involved in legislation outside our sphere (like SB 1070).
We're fortunate enough to have two individuals who have the time and resources to be our full-time, unpaid volunteer lobbyists at the capitol every day the legislature is in session. With a constantly growing, constantly improving cadre of recruiters and a presence at every gun show, every TEA Party, every event 'our kind of people' may be found, we've been growing our membership from four founding members with the idea to our current level of 3500.
We make use of our members by what we ask them to as well as what we don't: We all know what the problems are, and that sitting around complaining about them to each other won't solve them, so we don't hold meetings - except for the annual, where we provide good food and plenty of it, relevant speakers, and the opportunity - in fact, the request - for 'tasteful open carry' of your finest barbecue gun. We limit our contact with members to four e-newsletters a year ('treeware' version available on request), one annual meeting notification, and, during the legislative session, only those bills that concern us: The bill name and number, what it says, what our position is, who to contact, and how to contact them. We also began by supplying a pre-written, 'sign-and-send' letter, and as income allowed, switched over to the CapWiz system, which targets our members' elected reps by zip code. We actively recruit our legislators (and legislative candidates) - and with over 25% of the current legislature as members, we have the access (and trust) to sit down with them and craft good legislation. We make it a point to have people travel to the capitol to testify on bills, and when we can open with "I represent over 3500 Arizona voters", we get their attention. When our mailing list - which goes far beyond our membership, their friends and families - crashes the capitol email server, they know who's watching their votes - and with their voting records on firearm-related legislation permanently posted on our website year after year, there's no way they can hide.
We established three levels of membership: Basic Annual @ $30, Sustaining Annual @ $50, and Life @ $300, but discount each by $10 at gun shows and later, other events. We designed a distinctive T-shirt which we give with Annual and Life, or sell for those who support us without joining, or want more than one. We recognize our outstanding volunteers and our 'friends' in the legislature in front of their peers at our annual banquet - with plaques or trophies, or 'practical' items: Certificates and memberships to Front Sight are highly prized, and readily available. Better yet, we organize an annual trip to Front Sight (enough of us to overfill a class) - and 'sell' it as part of our commitment to 'responsible firearms ownership'.
That's a little off the top of my head. Hope there's something in there you can adopt - or adapt - and I'll shut this down before it becomes endless, but if there are any specific questions, either post them or PM/email me.
Our website has been down for a few days, as some of you have discovered, it's back up.
If there's any 'secret' to our success, it's persistence: Our Constitutional Carry law, currently our flagship bill, is something we'd gotten through both Houses for two consecutive years, only to have it die on our former Governor's desk - the same former governor now posing as fatherland security gestapo fuhrer - two consecutive times. Some would call that a 'defeat' after the first time, some after the second, but we did pass it through both houses, twice...hardly a 'defeat', and governors change. We also stick to our mission: We're 'the gun lobby' in Arizona. We don't let ourselves (as an organization) get publicly involved in legislation outside our sphere (like SB 1070).
We're fortunate enough to have two individuals who have the time and resources to be our full-time, unpaid volunteer lobbyists at the capitol every day the legislature is in session. With a constantly growing, constantly improving cadre of recruiters and a presence at every gun show, every TEA Party, every event 'our kind of people' may be found, we've been growing our membership from four founding members with the idea to our current level of 3500.
We make use of our members by what we ask them to as well as what we don't: We all know what the problems are, and that sitting around complaining about them to each other won't solve them, so we don't hold meetings - except for the annual, where we provide good food and plenty of it, relevant speakers, and the opportunity - in fact, the request - for 'tasteful open carry' of your finest barbecue gun. We limit our contact with members to four e-newsletters a year ('treeware' version available on request), one annual meeting notification, and, during the legislative session, only those bills that concern us: The bill name and number, what it says, what our position is, who to contact, and how to contact them. We also began by supplying a pre-written, 'sign-and-send' letter, and as income allowed, switched over to the CapWiz system, which targets our members' elected reps by zip code. We actively recruit our legislators (and legislative candidates) - and with over 25% of the current legislature as members, we have the access (and trust) to sit down with them and craft good legislation. We make it a point to have people travel to the capitol to testify on bills, and when we can open with "I represent over 3500 Arizona voters", we get their attention. When our mailing list - which goes far beyond our membership, their friends and families - crashes the capitol email server, they know who's watching their votes - and with their voting records on firearm-related legislation permanently posted on our website year after year, there's no way they can hide.
We established three levels of membership: Basic Annual @ $30, Sustaining Annual @ $50, and Life @ $300, but discount each by $10 at gun shows and later, other events. We designed a distinctive T-shirt which we give with Annual and Life, or sell for those who support us without joining, or want more than one. We recognize our outstanding volunteers and our 'friends' in the legislature in front of their peers at our annual banquet - with plaques or trophies, or 'practical' items: Certificates and memberships to Front Sight are highly prized, and readily available. Better yet, we organize an annual trip to Front Sight (enough of us to overfill a class) - and 'sell' it as part of our commitment to 'responsible firearms ownership'.
That's a little off the top of my head. Hope there's something in there you can adopt - or adapt - and I'll shut this down before it becomes endless, but if there are any specific questions, either post them or PM/email me.
