NC Firearms advocacy

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Hey Lunkhead - I see you're in Jacksonville, it appears that we've got a pretty strong following out here. Glad you came aboard.

It looks like we have sufficient interest to move along with this, I'm looking forward to hearing what Phil has to say to Dreamer. I'm going to try to get together what we need to form a non-profit. I believe incorporating will be the first step we need to take here.

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Two updates, the first one being a bit off-topic.

I am now posting as bebog but used to be hittman2. I contacted John and explained that when I first registered I used hittman2 as I have for over 10 years now at any website I sign up as. It is a combination of 2 last names and nothing more. However, with this being a firearms related site, it may be taken wrong as in Hit-man. Some people can be really stupid and I can see now comments from anti's like "yea those gun fanatics even have a member claiming to be a hit-man". With the way I hope the nccdl.org thought will take off and bring in attention, I really needed to change my username before any unwanted negative attention is brought upon OCDO over something like a username. (See, it is somewhat on topic ) He was gracious enough to help me out and I am now bebog (behind every blade of grass)

Now, directly on topic. I looked into filing for a non-profit which I am fairly sure is how vcdl.org is organized. I have started 2 small businesses myself and found that the process is very similar for a non-profit. We must file for the following:

1. An available business name (NCCDL and North Carolina Citizen Defense League are available) We would pick one and file DBA's for any other names.
2. File for articles of incorporation with $60 fee.
3. Must create by-laws which must be kept at the corporation's principle place of business (this brings up a major discussion point at many levels)
4. Create and maintain record books (any CPA's on the forum)\
5. File for EIN (employer identification number) from the feds and the state (basically a taxpayer ID number)
6. Apply for tax exemption status.
7. Apply for solicitation license before soliciting any donations.

There are many smaller details being glossed over but those are the major steps to take in getting state and fed recognition. Like I said before, there are some differences but most of these steps are the same for starting any small business and I have been through it with 2 LLC's.

Some other major details are things like a banking institution, company board, director, place of business (a real biggie from a cost standpoint), and a CPA (a priority must have) and a business lawyer (highly suggested but not a must have at first)

If I may, I would like to suggest the following for comment:

1. Let's start off by contacting the director of VCDL and see if he will give us guidance. What I would love to ask is if he is willing to sit in on a conference call for us all to participate. I have conference services that will handle up to 100 attendants with no charge. We could post the info here on when and how to attend. Dreamer mentioned talking to him this weekend and I am certainly not shy about calling and seeing if we can setup something (Dreamer, what say you? I would like to talk with you first since I don't want us to be coming at him from all directions and overwhelming him.)
2. Depending on how the first contact goes with the VCDL director, I would propose a meeting offering anyone who can to attend and help with setting up the organization. We can discuss mission statements, what we really want to focus our efforts toward as an organization, find out what talents are among us regarding CPA's, anyone with space for rent, attorneys, etc.
3. Depending on that meeting, move forward with officially setting up the organization with state and fed filings.

I will just stop here for now and wait for comments. Does this sound like a good track to take?

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That is inline with what I found also. Although, I don't think we need to get a solicitor's license first, unless we expect to get $25,000 or pay a lawyer with it. That will allow us to quickly take in memberships while the ink is drying. I think we need to take this to a new thread if we're all decided to make the NCCDL a go, I'll start one up.

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Thank you CarryOpen!

**edited due to mistype.....

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North Carolina has needed this (a version of the VCDL) for some time.

However, will this action alienate the GRNC & NCRPA members? Don't we need everyone who is adamant on this situation?

A perfect world situation would dissolve both of these groups into one bigger group. An alternative would be to make these other groups brother or sister factions in association with the new NCCDL.

It would be nice for this group to get political in backing proven candidates who are for our rights as North Carolina citizens and US Citizens.

Then and only then can we begin breaking old group for getting our rights (universal open carry, college carry, carry in parks, bars, public business carry, castle defense, state property carry [without written or implicit/personal permission] self-defense brandishing immunity, etc.) back from the liberal and pseudo-republican power brokers.

I would like to see a NCCDL backed candidates (or bills written by NCCDL members) make it into law and maybe eventually into the 4th state constitutional revision (heck, man... we've had three already, WHY NOT a fourth?)

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I am the IT guy for an Association Management Company, we manage non-profit trade associations so I will help when I can.

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I also don't want to alienate the other groups. I know little about them beyond what other folks here have told me. If we can tap into that strength, it would be great.

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I wish we could get a representative from both groups to have their presence here on OpenCarry.org, if not maybe their actual organization president. It would be great to get them on here to get their views, how they have been operating, get an idea of what has been effective and what hasn't been effective.

Will a letter writing campaign have to begin to get these groups interested in becoming affiliates with the NCCDL?

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I wonder if it would be wise to begin calling (or snail or e-mailing) the NCRPA and GRNC brass about NCCDL for the purposes of solidarity?

However, considering how little presence they have here or in any other forum, I have often wondered is it even necessary considering we have no idea of the size their respective groups?

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Once we have a membership going and have the details ironed out, I would love to work with the other organizations for similar goals. Until we get off the ground though, I think it would be jumping the gun.

I would also like to set up affiliate memberships with the VCDL where we each give membership discounts to members of the other group or have an inexpensive "brother/sister in arms" sort of membership. This would be useful to us early on to get membership support, but will also help bring them new member support as well as make members from either group moving to the other state aware of the other organization.

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I havebeen a member of GRNC for several years. I like what they stand for what they have done for NC in the past. I have volunteered manyweekends to man tables for them at gun shows to try and garner interest and support. I am not opposed to a new organization, but would like to see us proceed in a manner that would work in concert with the established contacts in Raleigh and around the state, as opposed to alienating anyone and fragmenting the membership, if you will.

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I'd love to see a new group start up that would help raise awareness in many areas. Not only doing things to advance the right to bear arms, but to also help encourage safe handling of fire arms for people new to the life style.

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I own a hosting company, I would be willing to host the NCCDL site for free as part of my involvement.

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HI folks:

This thread having beenbrought to my attention recently, a few points need to be made regarding GRNC. Having been one its 3 founders in 1993, I suspect I am reasonably qualified to respond to points recently made.

Let me address two principal points: (1) That GRNC is, by someone's perception, "not very active;" and (2) That GRNC is "less active and effective" than VCDL.

In terms of activity, GRNC drafted and introduced, in the last session of the General Assembly: (1) Restaurant carry; (2) Parks carry which would have prevented the problem which occurred in King, NC); (3) Improvement of CHP renewals (passed); repeal the pistol purchase permit law; and (4) Castle Doctrine (passed the Senate).

Meanwhile, we killed legislation to: (1) Expand the mandatory gun storage law passed in 1993 before GRNC existed; and (2) Create an SBI database for registering people whose pistol purchase permits are denied (for the most arbitrary reasons) by sheriffs.

Inrafting and passing NC's original CHP law, killing gun show and mandatory gun storage legislation (repeatedly), killing SBI gun owner registration (twice), killing a "Gun Trafficking Study Commission " that would have saddle us with anti-gun legislative recommendations for a decade or more, passing CHP reciprocity, passing the bill bypassing purchase permits, and far more, GRNC's Legislative Action Team has been quite "active" and extremely effective.

Unfortunately, North Carolina has been (like many places) saddled with a Republican Party bent on implosion. You may recall that in 2002, the R party won control of the NC House for the 2nd time since reconstruction -- by one seat. When Republican Mike Decker (now in jail) SOLD his party affiliation to Speaker Jim Black (also in jail), the resulting 60-60 NC House breakdown found it difficult to elect a Speaker...

...until RINO Richard Morgan stepped in. He negotiated a "co-speakership" deal with Dems -- over the resolute objections of real conservatives -- effectively giving Democrats control of the redistricting process (previously disputed, with districts redrawn by a judge). The result was that conservative Republicans who opposed Morgan found themselves without districts, and Democrats gained a stranglehold on power until ... 2010, after which redistricting will occur. FYI, when Morgan brokered this Faustian deal, I issued an alert dumping phone calls into his own HOUSE, causing him to call me screaming.

Virginia does not face this debacle. What North Carolinians should be doing is not grousing about how new pro-gun bills haven't passed, but rather -- considering liberals' stranglehold on the legislature -- asking why the Blues controlling a Red state haven't shoved an agenda of gun control down our throats.

First, if anybody has a problem with GRNC's legislative agenda, we have always been -- and will always be -- receptive to input. Better yet, join the leadership group and push what you want.

Frankly, this is the first I have heard of dissatisfaction. Call me, if you want, at 704-907-9206. Better yet, attend our legislative tactics seminar on Friday, May 14 in Charlotte. It will give you a much better idea of how GRNC operates. Details on our web site at grnc. org

Paul Valone, President, Grass Roots North Carolina

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Thankyou for the update Paul. As a relatively new member of GRNC I found your post to be informative & reassuring. Unfortunately I will not be able to attend the meeting on Friday (can't get off work), but I appreciate the info.

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My pleasure. If GRNC has fallen down on the job at anything, it is communicating to its members. Although legislative alerts go out frequently (when the General Assembly is in session: note that it returned to session today after several months), we have been remiss in sending newsletters and in getting enough information ont the web site. These are things we will be addressing in coming weeks. You will see substantive changes in both.

Meanwhile, if you think we should be doing something, please contact me directlyat either 704-907-9206 or GRNCFFE@aol.com

Paul Valone