Announcement: 2014 NCGOP Convention in held in Cherokee, NC.

We heard from both NGOP Chairman candidates, and from 3 of the 4 Vice Chairman candidates.  See all the details about them all here on the 2014 Candidates’ page.

US Rep Mark Meadows gave the keynote speech.  

Just an observation, a round trip ticket into Asheville is $1300 (gov’t rate), but $300 for the general public.  Something is wrong.  There is dysfunction in Washington.

We won’t surrender!!  We, Americans, have a history where surrender is not an option.   In 1814, at Fort McHenry, during the War of 1812, the British burned the capitol and razed other important cities.  Ft. McHenry was in the way of the British capturing the city of Baltimore.  The general wanted an American flag big enough for the British to see it from a great distance, so he ordered a huge flag to be sewn.  It was 30-ft by 42-ft!  The British bombarded Ft. McHenry with 1,500 to 1,800 shells in 25 hrs (1 bomb per minute).  Each canon ball was 24-pounds each for a total of 36,000 to 43,000 pounds of canon lead.  In the morning, after darkness had lifted, when Francis Scott Key expected to see a white surrender flag at Ft. McHenry, he in fact saw the Stars and Stripes still waving, and the British ships leaving the harbor.  He was so inspired he wrote The Star Bangled Banner.  Today, in our national anthem, we sing to a flag not a dictator or a Party.  We were born American, not Democrat or Republican.

Meadows told another inspiring story about Captain John Paul Jones, Father of the US Navy, story in which his ship was repeated broadsided by British ships. Determined to not surrender, he stood on a raft-sized piece of his ship and taunted the British with “I have not yet begun to fight!”  Against all odds he was victorious.  He did not surrender.  He promised the House will not surrender.

Meadows biggest pride is the patriots back in his district!!  There are people who are truly what America is all about!

Next week you will learn more about Benghazi!  Know that we are not giving up on Obamacare!  We will not surrender to Executive Order, Supreme Court rulings, we will not give into anti-gun laws, and anti-Christian legislation.

[standing ovation]

Next on the agenda was the seemingly predetermined portion of the convention:

201 Delegates (20 from Caldwell County)
18 Alternate Delegates
219 total Delegates approved

2012 Minutes approved (not read).  I didn’t have or see a copy of the minutes.

Convention Rules – approved

Retaining the NCGOP Plan of Organization – approved

3 Resolutions submitted as a package from the Resolutions Committee were approved:

Resolution to Defund Obamacare

• Targeted at Rep. Mark Meadows and the US House of Representatives
• Whereas, a bill to repeal Obamacare is unlikely to pass the Senate…
• Whereas, the only feasible method of stopping Obamacare lies in the prospect of the US House passing appropriations bills that exclude funding…
• Whereas,… Rep. Mark Meadows has declared opposition to Obamacare…
• Be it resolved, that Republican constituents of the 11th District hereby petition our Representative, Mark Meadows, to make every effort to amend the language of subsequent appropriations bills to exclude any appropriations…

Resolution to Preserve and Defend the US Constitution and NC Constitution

• Targeted at the NC General Assembly and protecting the 2nd Amendment
•  Whereas the US and NC Constitution contains identical language “A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bare arms shall not be infringed.”
• “Whereas, Obama announced 23 anti-gun initiatives”
• “Whereas, It being “being necessary to the security of a free state”…, the ultimate barrier to government tyranny”
• “Whereas, Gun control only ensures law-abiding citizens are powerless in the face of criminal threat…”
• Therefore, the NC 11th District resolves to protect the 2nd Amendment….
• “Therefore, the NC 11th District encourages local and state officials to pass ordinances and laws which state that no paid employee participate in nor allow any county or state resources in the implementation or enforcement of any Unconstitutional law, Executive Order, or Executive Directive that infringes on the Constitutional right to self-defense.”

Resolution for the Reintroduction of Writing a Well Made Resolution

• Targeted at the NCGOP’s training curriculum.
• To develop a class on resolution writing to include “concepts of negotiation and consensus“.

Nominating committee read their slate of officers:   –  approved

Chair – David Sawyer
1st Vice Chair –  Angela Moore
2nd Vice Chair – Matt Wechtel
Secretary – Nancy _?_
Treasuer – Melissa Loudermilk

Twenty-four 11th District At-Large Members names were read, and then approved.  Caldwell county is represented by Clay McCreary, Pete McIllwain, and Daniel Wilcox.  These people are now on the NCGOP State Executive Committee for 2 years.