Williamson County Republican Women MESSENGER

logo cropped

 

 
November 2013 
         Volume 6, Issue 11                 
In This Issue
Next Meeting
President's Message
WCRW Social!

Meeting Minutes

 

Please read and review the minutes from our

 

 Oct. meeting minutes

 

before the Nov. meeting so that we made approve them at the meeting.

 

Thank you!

                      

         

Calendar of Events

Calendar

 

Nov. 11 - Monthly Luncheon Meeting

Nov. 19 - Monthly Board Meeting. 


 

 

2013 WCRW Board

 

Emily Pataki
President 


Shannon Way
1st VP Programs

Marci Revelle
2nd VP Membership

Debbie Simmons
Treasurer

Pat Grisham
Secretary

 

Donna Parker

Immediate Past President
 

 

Committee Chairs

 

Nikki Gonzales
Campaign Activities/Awards

Leila Siqueiros
Bylaws

Dolores Hailey
Caring for America/Literacy

 

Open

Chaplain/Parliamentarian

Elaine Prout
Newsletter Editor 

 

Lea Stoddard

Hospitality

Cinda Johnson
Military Liaison

Cari Christman-Ott
Legislative Chair

Vivian Wood
PAC Treasurer

Open Position
Public Relations

Michelle Foxworthy
Scholarship

Lee Ann Seitsinger
Web Master

 

Lee Ann Seitsinger

Historian 



Quick Links

Email WCRW
Williamson County  
Republican Women 
November Luncheon
logo cropped
Presents Allen Burgeron, Chairman of Honor Flight Austin, for a
Veterans Day Salute

Mr. Bergeron is a gratefully retired Marine Gunnery Sergeant; finishing his Marine Corps career from the Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, San Diego, California; serving on active duty for 20 years in both the Air and Ground components of the Marine Corps. Allen is one of the founding members of Honor Flight Austin.
 
Allen currently serves as a Veterans Consultant for the City of Austin and Military Ombudsman for the Department of Defense, Employer Support of the Guard and Reserves (ESGR). Allen is a passionate advocate for City of Austin employees who are Veterans and those serving in the Guard and Reserves, as well as supports Veterans and Guard/Reserve members throughout the Austin community, providing military and veteran information and benefits offered through local, state and federal resources.
  
MONDAY, November 11th, 2013

11:00am Meet and Greet

11:30am Lunch and Program 


Location: Williamson Conference Center

(behind the Wingate Hotel at I-35 and 79)

1209 North I-35

Round Rock, TX 78664

MAP 

Please RSVP by November 7th through our ticketing system by clicking on this link:

 http://wcrwnovember2013.eventbrite.com  

 

Veterans Day - Kids lunches 1/2 price    


Meeting Cost: $16 members & $20 non-member

PAYMENT OPTIONS: 
 You may send in your check prior to the meeting to help check-in at the meeting  go more smoothly.  Please mail your check made payable to WCRW-PAC.
WCRW-PAC
  PO BOX 342

     ROUND ROCK, TX 78680

 

*OR, you may pay at the door if you prefer.

  Please note: If you are unable to keep your reservation, WCRW is still responsible for lunch costs. It is our policy to bill $16 for no-shows.

 

If you have any problems, you can reach
Shannon Tracy by email

vpprograms@wilcorw.org  

President's Message
Emily Pataki

                                      Emily 
 
Greetings Republicans!

October was an exciting month for our club.  The WCRW celebrated its 36th Birthday at our monthly luncheon and fundraiser - a big THANK YOU to everyone who came and contributed a gift.  As you all know, this is our club's one opportunity to raise funds for our political contributions and scholarship program for 2014.  We came very close to reaching our goal, and we are still accepting gifts from people who have not yet had a chance to donate.  Please click on the 'Pledge' button to leave your gift today.

Members of the WCRW also had the opportunity to travel to San Antonio for the TFRW Biennial convention, which was a blast!  Our delegates had the opportunity to mingle with and hear from several statewide candidates and elected officials, as well as attend fantastic educational seminars to help get us ready for the 2014 elections.

Finally, we announced our 2014 slate of officers - we are looking forward to what our new (and some veteran) leaders will bring to the WCRW!  Please see the October minutes for the proposed list of officers, as we will be voting on the slate at our November luncheon.

With all of this excitement surrounding our club, there has never been a better time to invite someone new to come and experience all we have to offer.  We look forward to seeing you in November!
   
Sincerely,
Emily Pataki
President
 

Legislative Update
By: Cari Christman

Sanctity of Life Legislation Challenged in Court

In a recent effort by Democrats to thwart House Bill 2, pro-life legislation passed by the Texas Legislature during a 2013 special session, Planned Parenthood, ACLU of Texas, the Center for Reproductive Rights, and other abortion providers filed suit against the state to halt implementation of portions of the bill.  The legislation seeks to raise minimum safety standards for abortion clinics statewide, ensure access to emergency care after an abortion is performed, require providers to accurately follow FDA guidelines when prescribing the use of abortion drugs and prohibit abortions performed 5 months or later due to the recognition that fetuses feel pain.  A number of conservative organizations, pro-life groups and over fifty members of the Texas Legislature showed their support for the legislation by filing an Amicus Brief opposing the pro-choice groups and abortion provider's position to stop implementation of the bill.  Trial for the case began October 21st, 2013 with an expected decision later that same month.

Constitutional Amendment Election

The Constitutional Amendment Election is here.  Early voting began Monday, Oct. 21st and concludes on Friday, Nov. 1st.  Election day is Tuesday, Nov. 5th.  The ballot consists of nine proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution.  This will be the first statewide election requiring voter identification for in-person voting.  For complete information about where and when to vote, and information on photo ID requirements, pleas visit VoteTexas.gov

Special Election - House District 50

Governor Rick Perry called a special election to be held on Tuesday Nov. 5th, the date of the Constitutional Amendment election, to replace a vacancy left by democrat State Representative Mark Strama in House District 50.  Dr. Mike VandeWalle is the only Republican running to fill the open seat, against three Democrats.  For more information on Dr. VandeWalle's campaign, visit DrMikeforTexas.com


 TFRW Convention 2013


Crystal Caviness, Linda Jewett, Donna Parker, Marci Revelle and Shannon Tracy represented WCRW at the 2013 TFRW Convention in San Antonio during October.

What an incredible event - beginning with key note speaker, Susana Martinez, Governor of New Mexico and ending with lunch key note speaker, Ted Cruz!  Sen. Cruz said it was "good being back in America".

We had the opportunity to meet with almost every state-wide candidate, on a personal level.  We attended workshops on U.S. Tax policy and Community Engagement ( the new phrase for "Outreach").

We won the John Goodwin Tower Award for our campaign volunteer hours, community activities and meetings over the past two years!

We elected Jody Rushton as the new TFRW President for 2014-2015.  We ate good bread (you had to be there)!
YOU do not want to miss the next TFRW convention to be held in Lubbock in 2015.



 

Monthly Social
October's social had a great turn out. Thanks to all who came out to visit at The Dig Pub in Cedar Park.




 
 
 

 

 

Membership Update

2014 Renewals are now due!

Beat the January rush and renew your WCRW Membership today.  Our dues are still a low $30/year for Regular Members and $20/year for Associate Members. 
This is also a great opportunity to update your personal information (address, phone, email, etc.) to ensure we publish the correct information in our annual directory.  This is an important time for our club and our Republican officials and candidates.  Your continued support and participation is greatly appreciated.
Please consider renewing your membership now!

 
CARING FOR AMERICA


Donna Parker, Pat Grisham, Linda Jewett and Dolores Hailey in red T-shirts with Republican enthusiam were happily greeted by Andrea Smith of the Caring Place on the morning of October 5th.  WCRW volunteers reported to Marie Young, Manager, at the fabric center where they measured and priced fabric items to be sold in the thrift store.  The store has everything a department store would have, but with specialties: antiques for sale  and a boutique.  Revenue from the thrift shop helps families in economic crisis.  The WCRW volunteers wanted to share some of their fun time with photographs -







  Board Meeting  
 
 
November Board Meeting - November 19th
11:00 - 12:30
Everyone is invited to attend our board meetings.  They are being held the week after our luncheon meeting on Tuesday.  This month's meeting will be held at
1717 N IH 35
Suite 304
Round Rock, TX 78664
 From 11:00 -12:30
   
WCRW Knows How To Party!




 
 
 
    
RED, WHITE AND YOU
JOB FAIR

 

The Texas Workforce Commission is proud to announce the second annual statewide Hiring Red, White & You job fair to take place on November 14, 2013. In cooperation with 28 Workforce Solutions partners, the Texas Veterans Commission, the Texas Medical Center, Gov. Rick Perry and Dr. "Red" Duke Jr., the Hiring Red, White and You job fair connects Texas veterans and their spouses with Texas employers who value the experience, discipline and other exceptional qualities inherent with a military background.

Last year, over 12,000 veterans and more than 1,400 employers attended the statewide job fairs. TWC estimates that approximately 2,800 hires were made as a result of the statewide job fairs.

There are more than 1.7 million veterans in Texas. With the recent end of America's nine-year war in Iraq and the current drawdown of U.S. troops in Afghanistan, a mass of unemployed veterans are returning home to the United States. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the national unemployment rate for all veterans is 6.3 percent. In contrast, for those veterans who served in the military post-9/11, the unemployment rate is 10.0 percent.

These job fairs are part of an unprecedented statewide employment effort in hopes of serving those who have served for us.

 

Red, White and You Listing 

 
Due to our increase in facility costs, we will now require that all luncheon attendees pay the standard member or nonmember fees.  Any questions regarding this policy, please contact Emily Pataki at president@wilcorw.org.  We appreciate your support and cooperation in this matter
  
     ATTENTION ALL PRINTERS! 
 
The WCRW is looking for a new potential printer to put together our annual directory for next year.  If you or someone you know runs a conservative printing company here in Williamson County that would like to do business with us, please contact Marci Revelle at vpmembership@wilcorw.com or Debbie Simmons at
                             
  
Fundraising 
 

Hollidaze WCRW has two wonderful friends who help us with fundraising.  Kathie Holliman of Hollidaze Gifts is a long-time supporter and often brings a wide assortment of Republican-themed items to club luncheons, including her popular "Republican Women are the Life of the Party" shirts. Kathie donates a portion of each sale back to WCRW.  You can order these shirts by emailing republicanlady@ymail.com. 
POLITICAL ADVERTISING PAID FOR BY WILLIAMSON COUNTY REPUBLICAN WOMEN-PAC. WCRW, PO BOX 342, ROUND ROCK, TX, 78680. POLITICAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO WCRW ARE NOT DEDUCTIBLE FOR INCOME TAX PURPOSES CORPORATE CONTRIBUTIONS ARE NOT PERMITTED NOR AUTHORIZED BY ANY CANDIDATE  OR COMMITTEE.