MN Firearms Safety

Primary Instructors

About Don and Bob.
Quite some time ago now, both of us became Certified MN DNR Firearms Safety Instructors for a very selfish reason; we couldn’t find a firearms safety class to enroll our kids into, so both of us underwent the certification process to become instructors.  Although never discussed in great detail, both of us knew the intent was to make sure our kids went through the class and then the future was unclear.

Well, it has been quite some time ago that the last child in our two families completed our class.  There was a discussion at the end of the class that the youngest completed; it was short and to the point and went something like this.

“So, we got them all through the class, do we do another class next year?”

“Absolutely.”

End of discussion and to this day yet, we continue to teach firearms safety classes.

So the next logical question is, “But why?”

Why do we continue to teach the firearms safety classes?  It definitely is not for money.  All MN DNR firearms safety instructors are VOLUNTEERS.  That’s right; we receive absolutely no compensation for being instructors; well at least not the typical type of compensation, i.e., money or items of value.  And it doesn’t stop with just us; from a recent newsletter for instructors, it was reported that the DNR recognized around 100 volunteer firearms safety instructors for twenty or more years of service and roughly 400 volunteers for between 5 and 19 years of service.  There are about 1,600 active firearms safety instructors in the state, so that means roughly 33% of the active instructors have five or more years of experience.  And remember, each and every one of us is a volunteer!

So what is the compensation we receive?
This is almost like a trick question since just above it’s mentioned earlier we are volunteers.  Maybe ‘no items of value,’ should have clarified to mean ‘no tangible items of value.’  It is really hard to express the reward each of us receives as the class winds down and we discuss the individual results of the tests with each student.  It almost is like each student becomes “our kid” during the course and being able to congratulate them at the end results in a realization that all of us, as instructors, have made a difference in the students’ lives.  What we have done is a life lasting education and memory for each and every one of the students.  It’s a feeling not only of accomplishment, but also of pride, as well as carrying with us the knowledge that the shooting/hunting community will remain a safe environment.

We would like to continue being firearms safety instructors for a long time to come.  Any financial assistance parents, businesses, corporations or even students could provide will help us continue. (See Donations.)

Student Instructor

About Ricky
Ricky Booth, is Don’s son.  Ricky successfully completed the firearms safety course when he was 13 years old and at the end of his class, expressed a desire to help teach the class.  Knowing that to become a certified instructor required a person to be at least 18 years of age, Bob and Don developed the student instructor role and every year since Ricky completed his class, he has been instrumental in the success of the course.  You will see Ricky running the audio/visual aids for the class, demonstrating shooting positions during classroom discussions, overseeing the laser rifle range before class and a whole host of other responsibilities.

Assistant Instructor

About Mike
Mike is always present in the classroom on those fun, busy days when the typical classroom setting is replaced with the hands on group settings, assisting in making sure the students are properly handling firearms safely; are comfortable with the numerous styles of carrying a firearm and know the benefit of each carry; correctly exhibit the various shooting positions; and understand how to safely cross a fence with a firearm.  Mike also is our liaison with the Minnetonka Sportsmens Club to reserve the Club’s facilities for our Range Testing.