Have the NRA Training Department conduct a three-day NRA Training Counselor Workshop at your club or a nearby facility! NRA can also put you in contact with an NRA Appointed Senior Training Counselor. Senior Training Counselors (STCs) have the option to conduct a TC Workshop with minimum assistance from the NRA Training Department. All requests to conduct a TC Workshop must be in writing (email will suffice) and be approved by the Training Counselor Program Coordinator. Requests to conduct a workshop will be considered in the order they are received, so plan ahead!
It is not necessary to conduct an NRA Training Counselor Workshop at a shooting facility. Remember, this is not a shooting course; it is a course designed to teach you to train the trainers. Any suitable facility -- a formal classroom, hotel meeting room, clubhouse, etc. -- is sufficient, as long as it meets the following criteria:
- Facility must have enough space to comfortably have: 25-30 participants seated at tables (two per 6-foot table, or three per 8-foot table), an instructor's table at the rear of the class, a presenter's table at the head of the class, an overhead projector and screen, a side table for materials and training aids.
- Facility must be laid out so that it is easy to maintain a safe direction while handling firearms.
- Facility must be located within a reasonable proximity (15-20 minute drive) to hotels and restaurants.
- A commercial airport must serve the area, and it should be near interstate or major highway interchanges.
- Classroom portion of facility must be available for the exclusive use of the workshop (e.g., no interruptions due to non-participants, curious onlookers, etc.).
NOTE: Clear photographs, video tape, DVD or CD of the facility along with a map of the surrounding area (with the location of the training facility, hotels and restaurants marked on the map) is helpful in determining the suitability of a particular location.
A minimum class size of six participants is required to provide the necessary amount of interaction that is the trademark of an NRA TC Workshop. Due to the required minimum class size of six participants, NRA Training Department will only promote one TC workshop within a 150-mile radius every three months. If you are within 150 miles of a currently registered workshop, it is recommended that you merge your resources and work together with the point of contact provided for that workshop. Throughout the years, our experience has proven that more than one workshop in a geographical location during the same general period of time has resulted in no attendance at either workshop, which has a negative impact on the overall training program. Private workshops will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
TC Workshop Staff
Based on observation, discussions and Training Counselor Workshop evaluations, it has been determined that TCWS staff should be limited to three, in certain cases a maximum of four, members.
The individual sponsoring or organizing and administering the workshop must be coached on ensuring that assignments and planning takes place in a timely manner. We must also ensure that staff does not get in a rush and give short shift to the process. Sponsors must review the course schedule at least two weeks prior to the TC Workshop and obtain approval of the assignments from the TC Program Coordinator.
Although we want to continue our philosophy of decentralization of workshops, we will provide a Training Department staff member or selected Senior or Master Training Counselor to oversee and participate in the conduct of the workshop. Only select workshops will include an STC or MTC candidate. The Training Counselor Program Coordinator will recruit and propose qualified Senior and Master Training Counselor candidates for approval by the NRA National Instructor Trainer and Manager, NRA Training Department based on the needs of the program. We have learned that large staffs (some larger than the number of participants) are not conducive to a quality program, create confusion, and even public differences of opinion. A small quality workshop staff removes the confusion and enables the candidates to transition from instructor to Training Counselor seamlessly.
There are segments of the population or customer base that need Training Counselors, STCs and MTCs more than others. Those determinations will be made on a case-by-case basis. We do not want to mislead anyone into believing that it is “their due” to become an STC or MTC.
Submit your request to sponsor an NRA Training Counselor Workshop to:
NRA Training Department
ATTN: TCWS
11250 Waples Mill Road
Fairfax, VA 22030
trainingcounselor@nrahq.org
You can call the Training Counselor Program Coordinator to discuss your options at (800) 672-3888, ext 1422, or (703) 267-1422.
