BCGOP Executive Committee Meeting, Monday, 23 July 2007, at Ryan’s on Patton Avenue

 

·        6:00 p.m.  Meet for Dinner

·        6:30 p.m.  Call to order by Chairman Mark Delk

·        Invocation by Don Yelton

·        Pledge of Allegiance by all

·        Roll Call was accomplished by sign-up sheet

·        Minutes of June Meeting (and prior Meetings not approved in June meeting.)  approved by the Committee

·        Mountain State Fair Friday, Sept 7 through Sunday, Sept 16.   George Keller seeking workers for our booth.   We will share space (and cost) with the Hendersonville Republicans.

·        Treasurer's Report by Mark Delk, in the absence of Ed Osada.  We have about $4,000 in the bank.   Our routine operating costs are about $400 per month. 

·        Vice Chairman for Social & Fund Raising Report by Rick Jenkins.  Night with Tourists Baseball, August 31, with at least one of the Republican candidates for Governor throwing out a first ball, $35 per adult, $20 per child.  Rick to work out some sort of tickets for us to sell.

·        Vice Chair for Organization Report.  Rich Mills was absent due to outpatient procedure that day.   Discussion led by Chuck Durand regarding the requirement to have all 76 Precinct Judges on board in the next month or two, following directions from the Board of Elections. 

·        Precinct Chair Recruitment Committee is functioning, reports Zora Hays.

·        Jesse Ledbetter appointed and approved as Precinct Chair to replace Bill Fishburne.

·        Dorothea Alderfer appointed and approved as BCGOP Parliamentarian.

·        The replacement of Nona Jane Harrison was deferred.

·        Chairman's Report regarding Candidate Recruitment, we had short introductory speeches by Asheville City Council candidates Matt Hebb, Bobby Lee Johnston, Selina Sullivan, and Bill Russell.

·        Don Yelton invited all candidates to appear on his URTV show, 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. each Wednesday.   Don is working on having a live debate before the election.

·        Joe Dunn spoke about the need to get up to date on bad decisions by Council, especially the water agreement.   He emphasized that the role of the BCGOP in the elections is to get the voters to the polls, “Get out the Vote,” GOTV.

·        The Nominating Committee of Jesse Ledbetter, Frances Cosgrove, and Joe Dunn is functioning.   There are many offices open in 2008.

·        George Keller reported briefly on the Let Asheville Vote referendum petition drive.   At the time of the meeting, it was 21 signatures short of 5,000.

·        Chairman Delk reported that he contacted Senator Burr, who eventually voted against the immigration bill.

·        In a discussion of the upcoming Asheville City elections, Bill Lack repeated the desire to match city precincts which need help with county precincts which can give help.

·        Mark Delk was asked to request an up-to-date list of all precincts, county-wide, which will be involved in the 6 Nov elections.

·        The Action Club will have a table at Goombay; we are all invited to participate.   Candidates are urged to use the space as their HQ during the three-day event.

·        City Council candidates spoke at the recent Men's Club meeting.

·        Next meeting of the BCRW Club is on August 9.  Candidates will speak.

·        Candidates will speak at the first-Thursday BRRW Club meeting in August.

·        George Keller affirmed the Latte Republicans

·        Kids Club community service was canceled.   They have asked to lead the pledge at the ball game on August 31.   The Kids club t-shirts have been designed; only money to buy them is required.

·        Brief discussion about meeting locations which might have better security, better wait staff, better food.

  • Secretary to send out notice that Rep. Jim Guest of Missouri will be in the area on this coming Thursday evening.  Would you be interested in hearing him speak about the Real ID?  Jim Palmer of ALIPAC is trying to pull together a group of interested folks.  We will meet around 6pm in Asheville at Ryan's at Biltmore Square.  If interested, please RSVP to Kathie at the e-mail address above.
  • New business began with motion from Yelton, which passed unanimously, for a committee of Duncan, Delk, and Bill Lack to write and publish a press release that the Executive Committee supports and would like to increase “ballot access.”  Considerable discussion of the term; Chuck Durand suggests “freedom to run for office,” or “equal opportunity to run for office.” Press release to repeat that we supported the referendum petition drive but tabled a motion to support partisan City Council elections, as our position on partisan elections has been misrepresented by the media.
  • Zora asked if we could have a portable microphone for use in our meetings.
  • Motion by Zora, passed unanimously, for Chairman to send note to precinct chairs urging their attendance at the Executive Committee meetings.
  • Zora urged the separation of precinct meetings from the county convention – to go back to having them the month before.  
  • Meeting adjourned at about 8:30 p.m.

 

Submitted by George Keller, Secretary