It's What She Believes In 

NRA Woman's Voice May 1997 

By Melinda Gardner Bridges 

When was the last time you taught anyone how to shoot? Have you served on your state Friends of the NRA (FONRA) committee to raise money for your community? Have you ever decided to set up a neighborhood grassroots meeting to develop a pro-gun legislative campaign?

Shooting sports enthusiast and NRA activist Doris Shyda has. And, as the owner of Shyda's Shoe & Clothing Barn in Lebanon, Pa., she doesn't have a lot of spare time. From a few racks in her husband's gun store, Doris built a lucrative business that is going strong 20 years later, and all the while she never lost focus of her devotion to the outdoors.

How does Doris have time to volunteer? She makes every minute count.

Working to preserve the outdoors and the future of the shooting sports is prompted not by business concerns but other concerns. "It's what I believe in," she said. Her dedication is demonstrated by her involvement with at least seven other shooting/conservationist organizations besides the NRA.

Like many women, Doris was not exposed to shooting and other outdoor pursuits during childhood because her family did not understand hunting. "They were afraid of guns," she said. Not until she married was Doris introduced to hunting and the shooting sports. Since then she has become a modern-day Mrs. Johnny Appleseed, planting seeds of enthusiasm for and proficiency with the shooting sports, particularly among women.

An avid trap shooter, Doris strongly believes in sharing her thrill for hitting clay birds. She has taught numerous women to point, not aim, at the targets. She encourages one-on-one training for women; this personal attention gives them more confidence. She suggests that women find an instructor who is a patient teacher, and advises women against being taught by a husband or significant other who might have minimal patience.

If women are encouraged to participate in hunting and shooting activities, we will surely see the numbers of gun enthusiasts grow, Doris said. But don't stop there. Why not involve beginning shooters in fundraising and grassroots activities right away? Doris escorts her friends and students to fundraising dinners to network and to get them interested in different facets of the shooting sports.

As her clothing business became successful, Doris realized that few clothing lines, much less marketing, were aimed at women. She has since worked with a number of manufacturers to design hunting and outdoor clothing for this growing market.

As a businesswoman, she participates in a number of outdoor shows, always promoting not only her clothing but also involvement, especially of kids, in the shooting sports. At the recent Eastern Sports & Outdoor Show in Harrisburg, Pa., she coupled her business presence with a booth to promote the youth programs of outdoor organizations.

Doris also actively donates to the NRA's educational and safety programs by participating in the auctions that highlight Friends of the NRA dinners. At one FONRA event, she was the high bidder for an Idaho duck hunt and then used that opportunity to introduce a woman friend to shooting. Doris also provides merchandise as well as funding for charity shoots sponsored by the Women's Shooting Sports Foundation.

So how can you volunteer? For a couple hours a week take a beginner to your local range, just as Doris does, and teach them how to shoot. Introduce friends to the regulars at the club, encourage them to join, make them feel at ease. Get them involved in an organized shooting activity. Call your local NRA field rep at (800) 672-3888, ext. 1340, to learn how you and your specific talent or knowledge can best be used in an organized grassroots effort. Attend a FONRA dinner in your area and get to know others who care about the shooting sports and the Second Amendment.

Shooting activities, whether they be hunting, a trap shoot, or backyard plinking, are more fun when the whole family is involved. Doris strongly feels that women need a lot of support to be active in shooting. It is also important to encourage our youths to pursue shooting and hunting activities, because they are the future of this sport, she said.

Doris actively worked with her two sons to make sure they grew up with an appreciation for the outdoors and for shooting. Her success can be seen in her older son's management of the family gun shop, and her younger son is the company owner and designer of Lincoln traps.

As Doris has shown, teens, too, need to learn the value of volunteering, of giving something back. To teach teens the importance of volunteering, Doris suggests that parents and adults set good examples by volunteering in the shooting sports.

When asked about retirement, Doris suggested she might become a guide for women, to take them hiking, shooting or hunting, or maybe run a shooting school--something to encourage others to take up the shooting sports.

Why? It's what she believes in.