Around the NRA: Boy Scouts marksmanship display

Exhibit details NRA’s involvement with instructing Scouts on safe firearms handling

There’s a new piece of flair around the NRA Headquarters offices. On the building’s top floor, the sixth, where our Competitive Shooting and Education & Training divisions reside, a display case on the NRA’s relationship with the Boy Scouts of America has appeared.

Firearms safety and learning to shoot are part of becoming a Boy Scout. NRA Certified Instructors, Training Counselors and Range Safety Officers help introduce Scouts to the shooting sports at District Camporees, summer camps, High Adventure bases, sponsored events and the National Jamboree.

In the first Scout Handbook of 1910, “Marksman” was one of the original 14 Badges of Merit. In 1967 the badge was renamed to the “Rifle and Shotgun Shooting,” allowing Scouts the option of earning the badge with either gun.

The badge was modified one last time, being split into “Rifle Shooting” and “Shotgun Shooting” in 1987. These two badges remain today and it’s estimated that 50,000 badges for each are earned each year.

This is exhibit is one of four that were made last year to be featured in the Marksman Exhibit at the National Boy Scouts Museum in Irving, Texas. Three were given to the museum, each featuring a different firearm, and the remaining exhibit stayed at NRA Headquarters.

Instead of sitting in storage, the National Firearms Museum decided to put it on display in the office for everyone to see – it is an exhibit after all.

Displays like this can be found all around the building and it’s just one more thing that makes working at the National Rifle Association a unique experience.

About the author:

NRAblog is your connection to the programs of the NRA. It is a project of the NRA’s Media Relations Division.

PUBLISHING:Deputy Executive Director Andrea Cerwinske

CONTRIBUTORS:
Kerrin Brinkman. E-mail her at KBrinkman (AT) nrahq.org.
Lars Dalseide. E-mail him at LDalseide (AT) nrahq.org.
Kyle Jillson. E-mail him at KJillson (AT) nrahq.org.