It was Incorporated in 1871 to provide the training necessary to improve the marksmanship skills of the American people. The motivating factor was the Civil War. The South seemed much better equipped, “them boys can shoot,” for war than the Northern soldiers. The former were from a rural culture, the latter from a manufacturing one. This dearth of skill in more than half of the nation’s citizenry did not bode well should we find ourselves in a conflict beyond our shores.
Enough history. Fast forward through this once-great organization’s numerous contributions and achievements, and forget the well-deserved kudos and accolades of the eras before 1991. This is the year Wayne LaPierre became CEO and Executive Vice President. It was the beginning of a great change in the direction of the National Rifle Association.
Previously, it could be argued that it was the “Crown jewel of the Marksmanship and Freedom heritage of Our Great Nation.”
Today, the “Prince has pilfered the jewels and left the hulk of a lead crown to his posterity.” This will surely become a fact unless a bold few are successful in beheading the organizational structure of the Palace.
With a few exceptions, every member of the Board of Directors is guilty of failing to uphold their fiduciary responsibility to each of us as members.
As a frame of reference, the following quote from the Cornell School of Law will help those unfamiliar with fiduciary duties get a broad stroke of knowledge to understand better where the Board has absolutely failed us.
The following excerpts have been extracted from a more lengthy article on the subject of fiduciary responsibilities on the Cornell School of Law website. Feel free to read the entire article here. fiduciary duty | Wex | US Law | LII / Legal Information Institute (cornell.edu)
“When someone has a fiduciary duty to someone else, the person with the duty must act in a way that will benefit someone else financially.”
“The person who has a fiduciary duty is called the fiduciary, and the person to whom the duty is owed is called the principal or the beneficiary. If the fiduciary breaches the fiduciary duties, the fiduciary would need to account for the ill-gotten profit. The beneficiaries are typically entitled to damages.”
“Corporations and Fiduciary Duties”
“Directors of corporations, in fulfilling their managerial responsibilities, are charged with certain fiduciary duties. The primary duties are the duty of care and the duty of loyalty.”
“Duty of Care”
“The duty of care requires that directors inform themselves “prior to making a business decision, of all material information reasonably available to them.”
See Smith v. Van Gorkem, 488 A.2d 858 (1985).
“Whether the directors were informed of all material information depends on the quality of the information, the advice available, and whether the directors had “sufficient opportunity to acquire knowledge concerning the problem before action.” “
“See Moran v. Household Intern. Inc., 490 A.2d 1059 (1985).”
“Moreover, a director may not simply accept the information presented. Rather, the director must assess the information with a “critical eye,” so as to protect the interests of the corporations and its stockholders.”
“See Smith v. Van Gorkem, 488 A.2d 858 (1985).”
“Duty of “
“The duty of loyalty means that all directors and officers of a corporation working in their capacities as corporate fiduciaries must act without personal economic conflict. As the Delaware Supreme Court explained in Guth v. Loft, 5 A.2d 503, 510 (Del. 1939), “Corporate officers and directors are not permitted to use their position of trust and confidence to further their private interest.” “
“Duty of Good Faith”
“Under the duty of good faith, a corporation’s directors and officers must advance interests of the corporation and fulfill their duties without violating the law.”
“See In re The Walt Disney Co. Derivative Litig., 906 A.2d 27 (Del. 2006).”
“Duty of Confidentiality”
“Under the duty of confidentiality, a corporation’s directors and officers must keep corporate information confidential and not disclose it for their own benefit. “
“Duty of Prudence”
“Under the duty of prudence, a trustee must administer a trust with the degree of care, skill, and caution that a prudent trustee would exercise. “
“See Amgen Inc. v. Harris, 577 U.S. (2016).”
“Duty of Disclosure”
“This duty requires directors to act with “complete candor.” In certain circumstances, this requires the directors to disclose to the stockholders “all of the facts and circumstances” relevant to the directors’ decision.”
“See Amgen Inc. v. Harris, 577 U.S. (2016).””
If you have read the articles above, thank you. It is always best when making assertions that we have a common reference point.
LaPierre and others of senior management have hidden a plethora of troubling information from the Board and have been doing so for years. They have done this by refusing to accept as candidates for the Board those who would follow their duties and ask the difficult questions which should have been asked long ago.
Millions of dollars have changed hands behind the scenes for many years. So much so that the term “Crony Capitalism” may be and understatement.
Hundreds of thousands of dollars have gone to Mr. LaPierre’s wardrobe, under the guise of enhancing the corporate image. In 2020 his average salary was reported as being $1,000,000.00 per year. If he were a true fiduciary, do you think he might buy his own clothes?
Wayne’s wife has purportedly received clothing and beauty care at the expense of the membership. Did your wife have these items covered by your employer?
The loan of luxury yachts, exotic vacations, hunting trips for African big game as well as countless other trips of the same nature. “Under Wild Skies” the NRAs television hunting show was a great idea. LaPierre personally appearing in many of its more coveted adventures. Could not one of his fundraising campaigns awarded a “lucky member” one of these trips. After all the NRA is now giving away expensive pickup trucks as fund raisers.
In the last 5 years the NRA has seen its membership approach or surpass the 5-million-member mark. Since that high, it has lost more than 20% of it’s members and thus a huge reduction in it’s income.
It is having it numbers whittled away by other organizations which do a better job of legislative action. There was a time when the NRA was thought to be the preeminent force in the area. But it is expensive, and Wayne needs things. Now the NRA sadly, is hanging on the coat tails of other 2A organizations and has been relegated to claiming falsely their victory without mention of the real drivers of the victories. This is a direct deception of its remaining members.
There was a time when it was the “Gold Standard” of firearms training. Other organizations are now offering training on a very large and competitive scale. With 4 million members (approx.) it has on its training department employee roles fewer people than we have fingers on one hand. Let that sink in!
These are the two primary areas which attract members to the organization. What does this say about Lapierre’s priorities?
This decline coincides with the revelations of corruption at the very top of the food chain. Ackerman McQueen was a public relations fiasco of phenomenal import. Budgets, (if these was a real one) were exceeded with no accounting. The increases were simply paid by the NRA with little if any hoopla from the “absent from their duties Board.”
The New York Attorney General, who admittedly is a partisan hack, has been given all of the ammunition necessary to bring the organization to its knees, if not it’s actual end, by Mr. LaPierre. The Board of Directors is only now becoming aware of the true scope of the corruption within the NRA. But they remain feckless in the face of overwhelming evidence of Wayne’s thievery.
The Board of Directors elected Wayne to his current term. The real question is why they haven’t removed him. Much has been hidden from them. There are 75 Board Members. Of these, a select few are the executive committee. It is the executive committee that is tasked with the actual selection and election of LaPierre. And they have been at his side, knee-deep in his stench for years. The executive committee is composed of boot lickers, butt kissers, and yes men/women who question not Waynes’s whims or fancies. Like the “Godmother, his wish is their command!” These members, the chosen “few” hold the keys to the Kingdom and freely use them to open doors which no one should dare to pass through. The shame is with them no matter how deviously they try to hide.
Now we can certainly empathize with the members of the Board who are not Wayne’s hand-picked chosen few, but we should not forgive them.
Can you imagine the explanation that would be necessary if 60 members of the Board were to submit their resignations en masse? No words could absolve the remainder from the contempt and detestation of the overwhelming majority of the membership. Any media outlet would be happy to cover their live assemblage and united resignation. While they may not pierce Wayne’s narcissistic armor, they would at least have cleansed themselves of the lies and deceptions he continues to practice.
The News media would have had a field day, there may have been some dancing in the streets. But most Americans would have said, “There are 60 Americans who will not tolerate the lying cheating, and stealing which are pervasive within the uppermost leadership of the NRA.”
Alas, it should not be a huge surprise, just look at the current state of our government.
I find myself asking, “which is a reflection of which?”
Now, the NRA is looking for employees to staff the organization when it moves to Texas.
It is doubtful that anyone blames them for wanting to leave New York which has long been hostile toward the organization. But, really? With millions and million frittered away on self-aggrandizement, political favors, and dare we speculate potentially, kickbacks through vendors. We should now spend many more millions in a move to Texas?
It is obvious that LaPierre expects that he will still hold his office as the move takes the organization south. Prudence however seems to dictate keeping the organization routed in its current location until such time as it requires to recover from the damage that has been done.
To quote a very good friend and wise man, “We have no rank, only different positions or duties.”
Wayne, we have no need of a King, and you sure as hell are no leader! You must go.
OK Board, let us put it in your hands now. Fire Wayne or resign en-masse to accomplish what should have been done many years ago.
It has been postulated that many current employees will not make the move from New York. This is unfortunate as these staff members are the ones we’ll truly need in the future. They are the ones doing the grunt work while the un-deserving receive the few accolades still available. Sometimes life just isn’t fair, but it should still be honest.
It is truly a shame that this article has not been more hopeful. As a young boy I looked forward to my uncle passing on his “American Rifleman” magazines to me. A Garand for $20.00 send in the check and they’d deliver to your door. Dad and I were born in Alabama, Mom in Pennsylvania. Dad died when I was 13. I was not allowed to have guns as mom was afraid of them. I have made up a lot of ground in that regard, and I remember the NRA and the American Rifleman fondly. I know what the NRA was, sadly I also know what it has become. As we age, we lose lifelong friends through death. It is not the same as seeing something you love brutally murdered.
Wayne LaPierre should rot in the darkest recesses of hell for stealing the dreams and hopes of thirteen-year-olds born and yet to be born.
Move the NRA. Leave the “House of LaPierre” to rot from the annals of human endeavor.
All of this sickens me. I had hoped that the writing might be cathartic, alas it has not!
Keep fighting. Don’t let this Bastard win!