Highlights from the 2018 Conference...
The Texas Concealed Handgun Association (TCHA) Board of Directors is proud to announce plans for the 21st annual conference, April 6-8, 2018 at the YO Ranch Hotel and Conference Center, Kerrville, Texas.
Our keynote speaker for the upcoming conference will be Dr. Suzanna Gratia Hupp, author of From Luby’s to the Legislature: One Woman’s Fight Against Gun Control. Dr. Hupp witnessed the tragic shooting of 23 people at Luby’s Cafeteria in Killeen, Texas, among them her parents, on October 16, 1991. Her transformation into a high-profile, gun rights activist and author began when her impassioned calls for the right of citizens to carry guns for self-protection thrust her into the middle of the gun-control debate.
The range day activities are being handled by special guest range instructors Aaron Marshall and Jamie LaBarbera of Guncraft Training Academy. They will also be teaching a class on “Training That Wins: Being Truly Prepared for Armed Self-Defense.” Other training offered is the NRA Basic Range Safety Officer Course, Situational Awareness & Making A Window, Medic First Aid CarePlus Course, just to name a few. In addition, to the training and range day activities, there will be other activities, such as a mini gun show, president reception, Saturday luncheon & banquet, and free-play bingo. Below is detail information regarding the conference registration process, schedule, hotel accommodations, raffles, training programs, instructor bios, etc.
We look forward to seeing you there!
Conference Schedule
TCHA is continuing its effort to offer excellent education opportunities to LTC licensees, LTC instructors, law enforcement personnel and concerned citizens during the Twenty-First Annual Conference. These programs are designed to improve the knowledge and skills of all gun owners. The goal is to set a standard of excellence that may become the normal requirement within the LTC community. Several courses will be offered.
The complete 21st Annual Conference Schedule is available here and the detail class descriptions and instructor bios can be found by clicking here.
- NRA Basic Range Safety Officer Course, by First Sergeant Richard A. Buchfink, Jr., USA, Retired. Note: Pre-registration is required for those desiring to take this course.
- The 85th Legislature, by TCHA legislative director Larry Arnold
- Training That Wins: Being Truly Prepared for Armed Self-Defense, by Aaron Marshal & Jamie Labarbera, Guncraft Training Academy
- Situational Awareness & Making a Window, by Chris Bird, author of The Concealed Handgun Manual and Thank God I Had a Gun, and Bill Davidson, owner of Tac-Pro Shooting Center
- Medic First Aid CarePlus, by Stephen Bennett, owner of National Personal Defense Academy
- Interacting with Law Enforcement after a Shooting Incident, by Sheriff Mike Griffis
- Virtual Tactical Academy, by Austin Davis, Owner and CEO of DavisSeminars.com, Kangaroo Carry, and Virtual Tactics Academy
- Due Process of Law, by Larry Bloomquist & Capt. Cris Andersen, Texas Law Shield
- Defensive Tactics for the LTC, by Ken Lewis, Vice-President of the National Protective Services Institute
Each student who completes a course will receive a Certificate of Completion. Students, who hold their handgun license, and complete at least four courses, will receive an Intermediate, Advanced, Master or Sustaining LTC Certificate from TCHA. The certificates will be awarded by mail.
Speakers & Special Guest Range Instructors
The Saturday luncheon speakers will be a representative from the Texas Department of Public Safety and P.J. Hermosa, National Director of Texas Law Shield.
P.J. has been with Texas Law Shield’s Legal Defense for Self Defense Program since the early beginnings. He has worked his way up from a part time Member Services Representative to the position as National Director. P.J. brings unparalleled enthusiasm for members and our cause of offering piece of mind to all gun owners. He was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. At an early age he started his career in the industrial sales industry, where he worked his way into sales management. Always having an entrepreneurial spirit he decided to bring his talents in sales management and business development to small business in his home town. He is a proud father and avid supporter of all of our 2nd Amendment Rights.
Our keynote speaker is Dr. Suzanna Gratia Hupp. She will highlight the Saturday evening banquet. Ms. Hupp witnessed the tragic shooting of 23 people at Luby’s Cafeteria in Killeen, Texas, among them her parents, on October 16, 1991. Ironically she had decided against carrying a small revolver—that could have dramatically changed the day’s events—in her purse that day out of a fear of losing her chiropractor’s license if caught possessing a weapon. In this autobiography, she chronicles her evolution from a small-town chiropractor into a national icon for the right to armed self-defense. Her transformation into a high-profile, gun-rights activist began when her impassioned calls for the right of citizens to carry guns for self-protection thrust her into the middle of the gun-control debate. She repeatedly testified under oath against the ineffectiveness of gun-control laws that, in her opinion, disarmed law-abiding citizens, making them potential victims of criminals who did not obey the law. This position on gun legislation paved the way for a decade-long tenure as a member of the Texas House of Representatives, where, in addition to championing Second Amendment and privacy rights, she served as a member of the House Rural and Veterans and Military Affairs Caucuses, Chair of the House Select Committee on Child Welfare and Foster Care, and Chair of the Human Services Committee. She is the author of From Luby’s to the Legislature: One Woman’s Fight Against Gun Control.
The special guest range instructors are Aaron Marshal and Jamie LaBarbera from Guncraft Training Academy out of the New Braunfels, Texas area.
Aaron Marshall has two combat deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan and is currently a captain in the US Army Reserve. Aaron has trained with multiple weapons systems, from handguns to grenade launchers and heavy machine guns. He has been a firearms instructor, in both military and civilian contexts, for over 12 years. Aaron is the Executive Administrator for Guncraft Training Academy.
Jamie LaBarbera is a former police officer for the Fremont and Oakland police departments. He was also a senior training specialist for the California Motorcycle Training Program, and is a licensed private investigator. He is a POST-certified and NRA Law Enforcement certified firearms instructor. He is the Training Coordinator for Guncraft Training Academy.
Registration
The easiest way to register for the conference is online. You can also register by Mail-In Form. For those who preregistered, you will receive confirmation of your registration by email prior to the event. At the event, please make sure you check in at the registration table to pickup your conference packet and name tag.
- Total Package per person, includes classes, luncheon, and banquet, $129.00 [*See Note Below.]
- Life Members, including all of the above, $99.00 [*See Note Below.]
- Junior rate, including all of the above, $59.00 [*See Note Below.]
- **NRA Basic Range Safety Officer additional course fee, $30.00 (Note: This is a separate cost to cover the cost of the course material for the Friday afternoon Option 1 course route. Please note that taking the course is optional –participants can choose Friday’s Options 2 or 3 routes instead. Additionally pre-registration is required.)
- Range Day-PM, Friday, April 6, not included in the above prices, $30.00
- Range Day-AM, Saturday, April 7, not included in the above prices, $30.00
- For those individuals who will not be attending both days of training:
- Friday classes only, $30.00 [*See Note Below.]
- **NRA Basic Range Safety Officer additional course fee, $30.00 (Note: This is a separate cost to cover the cost of the course material for the Friday afternoon Option 1 course route. Please note that taking the course is optional –participants can choose Friday’s Options 2 or 3 routes instead. Additionally pre-registration is required.)
- Saturday classes only, $30.00 [*See Note Below.]
- Luncheon only, $30.00
- Banquet only, $59.00
- Luncheon and Banquet only, $89.00
- Friday classes only, $30.00 [*See Note Below.]
[*Note: Does not include the range day or the Friday Option 1 fee for the **NRA Basic Range Safety Officer course material.]
Note: Photographs will be taken at all events and may be published.
Lodging
The conference hotel is the YO Ranch Hotel & Conference Center, 2033 Sidney Baker, Kerrville, Texas 78028. Contact the hotel at (877) 967-3767. Please make sure you tell them you are with TCHA.
If the conference hotel is sold out, click here for an alternative list of hotels that are close to the YO Ranch Hotel & Conference Center.
Luncheon & Banquet
The Saturday luncheon, 12:00 to 1:30 pm, is a Mexican Buffet, which includes Beef enchiladas and tacos with pico de gallo, cheddar cheese, sour cream, shredded lettuce, diced tomatoes and guacamole. The buffet also includes Mexican rice, charro beans, flour tortillas, chips and salsa, and sopapillas with honey. Tea and coffee is also included. The speakers will be a representative from the Texas Department of Public Safety and P.J. Hermosa, National Director with Texas Law Shield.
The keynote speaker for the Saturday evening banquet, 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm, is Dr. Suzanna Gratia Hupp, author of From Luby’s to the Legislature: One Woman’s Fight Against Gun Control. There are two banquet dinner choices:
- Surf & Turf, which is an 8 oz grilled ribeye with garlic butter, along with three jumbo shrimp that are sautéed in lemon butter, garlic, cream and tequila.
- Chicken Wellington, which is a marinated chicken breast baked in puff pastry, with Madeira sauce.
[Each entree will include a dinner salad, roasted red potatoes, and vegetable medley. Dessert will be assorted cheesecakes or chocolate cake. Tea and coffee is also included.]
***IMPORTANT***It is vital when you submit your conference registration, either online or by mail, and you have chosen an option that includes the Saturday evening banquet, you must identify for each registrant the meal choice that has been selected: Surf & Turf or Chicken Wellington.
Gun Raffle
We will raffle off a CZ P-07, 9mm, black polymer, semi-auto pistol. [Download tickets.] This raffle will be drawn at the member’s meeting on April 8, 2018. You need not be present to win.
During the conference, the conference attendees will also have the opportunity to participate in additional gun raffles. These raffle drawings will take place at various times during the conference. More information to follow.
Range Activities
Aaron Marshal & Jamie LaBarbera with Guncraft Training Academy will be holding two range sessions at the Hill Country Shooting Sports Center: Friday, April 6 (PM Shoot) and Saturday, April 7 (AM Shoot). Each session will start with a discussion of firearms safety and safe range conduct. Students may attend both sessions; however, each session will be $20.00. Participation in each session will be limited to the first 20 paid attendees.
IMPORTANT: All participants are required to attend a safety briefing. If you fail to arrive to the scheduled safety briefing(s) on time, 3:30 pm on Friday and/or 8:30 am on Saturday, you will not be able to participate and will forfeit your range fee.
During the three-hour range session, you will focus on developing and improving an essential set of defensive techniques that ensure you can prevail in a self-defense shooting. Through a series of demonstrations, dry practice, and shooting exercises, you will deepen your understanding and abilities on the following topics:
- The Two Key Elements of Defensive Marksmanship
- Improving Your Trigger Control
- Balancing Speed and Accuracy Under Defensive Conditions
- Consistently Presenting From The Holster
- Primary and Alternate Shot-Placement Strategies
- Movement to Evade an Incoming Attack
The session will conclude with two fun and challenging exercises that will test your speed, accuracy, and consistency.
Equipment required for range day activities:
- Reliable, modern semi-automatic pistol or revolver chambered in 9mm or larger. Tiny pocket pistols or .22s are not suitable for this class, nor are antique or cheap surplus pistols such as Makarovs. If you have questions about a particular pistol, please contact Guncraft at info@guncrafttraining.com.
- Minimum of 150 rounds of ammunition (per session). Factory ammunition is preferred but high quality reloaded ammunition is acceptable if you loaded it. Do not bring reloaded ammunition loaded by someone else as there is no way to assure safety and quality. Revolver shooters will need at least two speed loaders and semi-auto shooters will need three magazines.
- A good quality, strong side belt holster on a sturdy belt is required. The holster must remain open and not flatten when the gun is withdrawn. The gun’s trigger guard must be completely covered when in the holster. A Kydex or reinforced leather holster is recommended. No Serpa holsters, cross-draw, shoulder holsters or inside the waistband holsters will be allowed. Appendix carry holsters are not suitable.
- Speed loader or magazine pouches are recommended to hold spare ammunition.
- Suitable outdoor clothing and comfortable shoes, as well as a brimmed cap.
- Hearing protection. Ear muffs or ear plugs are suitable. Electronic, amplified hearing muffs or plugs are recommended.
- Eye protection with side protection.
- Water will be available, but bring your Gatorade or other drink if you like.
Parts of the road at the range are rough and could pose a problem for low clearance vehicles. Please plan accordingly.
Additionally, on Friday afternoon and again on Saturday morning (prior to the going to the range), Aaron & Jamie will be presenting a class on Training That Wins: Being Truly Prepared for Armed Self-Defense, which is open to all participants. During this 45-minute seminar, you’ll find the answers to these questions and many others: A gun is a very popular choice as a tool for self-defense, and for good reason. But aside from owning the gun, what skills should you develop to be fully prepared to use it at a moment’s notice? How can you know you are truly ready to be successful against a criminal attack?
President’s Reception
The President will be hosting a hospitality/welcome gathering Friday from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM. This will be a great opportunity to meet other conference attendees and check out the vendors.
Membership Meeting
The Association’s Regular Annual Meeting and Board of Directors Elections will be held on Sunday, April 8, 2018 beginning at 9:00 AM at the YO Ranch Hotel & Conference Center, 2033 Sidney Baker, Kerrville, Texas 78028. The meeting is open to all Association members and guests at no charge.
All members are encouraged to attend. Note: A CZ P-07, 9mm, black polymer, semi-auto pistol will be raffled off at this meeting.
FAQ
- Is the YO Ranch Hotel Pet Friendly?
Yes. According to the hotel spokesperson, “It is a $10 charge for the stay if you’re staying up to 2 nights. 3 or more nights it is a $25 charge. If you leave your pet in the room by itself and still want housekeeping to come in the room to clean, the pet has to be in a crate. Otherwise, I would advise to put the Do Not Disturb sign on the door and maybe even tell Front Desk.” - Does the YO Ranch Hotel have RV spaces?
No, they do not have RV accommodations. Since the YO Ranch Hotel does not have sites on their hotel property, they did refer us to the Guadalupe River RV Park. To contact the Guadalupe River RV Park, you can call (800) 582-1916 or go to their website. This RV Park is about seven miles from the YO Ranch Hotel. - Will child care be made available?
The association is not set up at this time to offer child care; however, we do offer for older children a junior rate (16 or under) of $59.00 to attend all of the functions, except for the range day activities. For younger children, these sites may assist parents in finding child care services in the Kerrville area:
Event Sponsors & Donors
Event Vendors
Vendor Invitation
If you are interested in being a vendor at the upcoming conference, April 6-7, 2018, please click here for detail information.