Baxter County Republican Women
We Gather:
The Elk's Lodge
101 Elk Way Mountain Home, AR
2nd Thursdays 12:00 - 1:00
11:30 for lunch
January - November
contact us at:
PO Box 1584 Mountain Home AR 72654
Baxtercountyrepublicanwomen@gmail.com
January speaker Nicole Skidmore from Informed Choices
President Sandy Nelson: 503-412-9643
Come join us as we grow! All Republican women are invited.
BAXTER COUNTY REPUBLICAN WOMEN
February 8, 2024
MINUTES
The meeting opened with attendees reciting the Lord’s Prayer.
President Nelson led in saying the Pledge of Allegiance.
Minutes of the January meeting were approved as read.
The Treasurer’s report was presented by Brenda.
Guest speakers were Paige Evans, a three-term member of the Mountain Home City Council,
and Sharon Lloyd, President of the Arkansas Federation of Republican Women.
Both ladies presented in-depth discussions and descriptions of their relative offices which were
well received by those present and proved incredibly informative of the history of their offices
as well as ongoing challenges being faced daily.
Under Old Business the following items were addressed:
The BCRW Treasurer’s name has been added as a signer on the bank account.
The Secretary of State Quarterly report has been filed, and the signature card
was updated.
The Petty Cash Fund was established with a deposit of $100.
One item under New Business was the report of the resignation of Mary Ellen Anderson as
Second Vice President. A replacement will be sought to fill the position.
Under Other Business discussion concerned the Lincoln/Reagan Dinner to be held on May 4.
BCRW will be helping with decorating and organizing. The speaker will be John Thurston,
Arkansas Secretary of State.
The meeting was adjourned promptly at 1 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Nancy M. Lewis
Secretary
________________________________________
Baxter County Republican Women
January 11, 2024
Minutes
The meeting was called to order at 12:00 by President Sandy Nelson.
Prayer was led by Don Nelson.
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mary Ellen Anderson.
Minutes of November 9, 2023, were read by Mary Ellen Anderson. Brenda Simon moved, Sandra Olson
seconded, to approve the minutes as presented. Motion carried.
Treasurer's Report was given by Sandy Nelson.
Speaker Tink Albright, candidate running for District 4 State Representative, was introduced and given an
opportunity to speak. A period of question and answers was held after the business meeting concluded.
No external meeting reports given at this time.
Old Business:
-Election of Officer. Hearing no nomination from the floor, Mary Ellen moved to elect Brenda Simon as
Treasurer. Sandra seconded, motion carried.
-Following discussion and explanation, Sally Little moved that our Treasurer, Brenda Simon, be added to
the BCRW Centennial Bank account(s) as a signer. That the account continues to require two signatures for
disbursements. We further move that the Treasurer be added as a contact to the Secretary of State PAC
reporting system. Mary Ellen seconded, motion carried.
-As required in our bylaws, the President shall appoint 2 members-at-large to the executive committee.
Sandy has asked that Christine Sullivan and Sandra Olson fill those positions, which they have agreed to
do. Mary Ellen moved, Alison Goin seconded, to approve these appointments. Motion carried.
-Following discussion, Sally moved to establish a $100 petty cash fund, to be maintained by the Treasurer.
Alison seconded, motion carried.
-A status report on our application for charter with AFRW was presented by Sandy. The bylaws have been
reviewed by AFRW and many changes have been either suggested or required. After requesting our review
of those changes, Alison and Sally agreed to compare our original and their changes and to report back at
the February meeting. The question was again raised as to what AFRW will do for us if we comply with all
the changes and proceed with the application.
New Business:
-Fundraiser. It has been discussed that we have a spring fundraiser, however, the BCRC is planning to have
its Lincoln Day Dinner in late April. Sandra moved to eliminate the spring fling idea and help with the
Lincoln Day Dinner, with the agreement with Chris Chamberlin, President of BCRC, that we would receive
1/3 of 1 /2 of the proceeds. Sally seconded, motion carried. Our energies will be put into driving up the
proceeds of the dinner. Simultaneously, we will begin the process of planning an October fundraiser.
Meeting Adjourned 1:00 PM
Respectfully submitted,
Christine Sullivan
Acting Secretary
____________________________________________
Baxter County Republican Women
November 9th, 2023
Minutes
The meeting was called to order at noon by President Sandy Nelson
Prayer was led by President Nelson
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Brenda Simon
Minutes of October 12th were read. Motion to approve with corrections was made by Brenda, seconded
by Sandra and approved.
Treasurer's Report was presented by Nancy Lewis.
Special guest and speaker Jo Lisa Blossom from Into the Light was introduced and gave a presentation
of their organization helping human trafficking in the Mountain Home and North Arkansas area.
No reports of external meetings at this time.
Old Business
The Oktoberfest was discussed, pros and cons listed: Pros – we learned to work together and
made some money. Cons – cold food, loud music, need more advertising.
New Business
Following discussion Brenda moved, and Nancy seconded, to allocate $100 for new member
packets to include member roster, bylaws, disciplinary policy and updates of same. Motion carried.
Comments
The charter application has been submitted to AFRW, awaiting approval
Meeting adjourned at 1:00 PM
Respectfully submitted,
Nancy Lewis
Secretary/Treasurer
_______________________________________________
BAXTER COUNTY REPUBLICAN WOMEN
October 12, 2023
MINUTES
The meeting was called to order at noon by President Sandy Nelson.
Prayer was led by President Nelson.
The Pledge was led by Mary Ellen Anderson.
Guests introduced were Tony Chamberlain, Scott Liles, and Ruth Blaskovich.
Minutes of September Meeting and Treasurer’s Report were presented by Nancy Lewis and approved as read. Mary Ellen moved and Sandra Olson seconded. Motion carried.
Mary Ellen reported on the Election Integrity Committee.
TREASURER’S REPORT
Renewal of Post Office Box was approved.
OLD BUSINESS:
Mary Ellen reported on happenings at Quorum Court and Dennis Frank. Also discussed was the Election Integrity Committee. There will be a meeting on October 21 at the Ramada Inn to discuss Election Integrity.
Scott Liles reported on various city ordinances which included raising funds for Grandma’s House. He said all eight City Council seats are up for re-election.
Mary Ellen reported on setting up our Facebook page to encourage conservative women to run for office.
Motion was made by Mary Ellen and seconded by Sally to join AFRW for the sum of $265. Motion was approved.
There will be a State meeting on November 4.
Sandy reported that information supplied to the Secretary of State is up to date.
Sandy reminded everyone of the Oktoberfest fundraiser to be held on Saturday, October 21.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 1 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Nancy Lewis
Secretary/Treasurer
_______________________________________________
BAXTER COUNTY REPUBLICAN WOMEN
September 14, 2023
MINUTES
President Nelson opened the meeting with prayer.
Mary Ellen Anderson led the group in saying the Pledge of Allegiance
Minutes were read by Secretary Nancy Lewis
The Treasurer's Report was given by Nancy Lewis
Reports of meetings:
Mary Ellen Anderson reported on a court hearing which was held in Little Rock.
The subject of the hearing was to use paper ballots rather than machines for voting.
Old Business:
The Oktoberfest planned for 10;/21 was discussed. Sandy has offered fabrics to decorate the
tables. Tickets are $20 and are good for four items: brats and/or drinks. Sally Little offered to
contribute to the Silent Auction.
Emphasis was placed on the fact that the Oktoberfest is a fund raising effort to help support
candidates who may be running for office.
A motion was made, seconded, and approved to go ahead with the Oktoberfest.
Also discussed was election of officers for BCRW.
New Business: Alison Goin, Bonnie Schreiber and Sally Little were recognized as new members.
Other new business included setting up a Facebook page for BCRW which will be helpful in
recruiting new members. It will also e used to promote Oktoberfest and upcoming events the
Club will have.
Hap Myers made a $50 donation to the club which was gladly received.
Guests welcomed were Teresa Smith and Jenay Mize.
There being no further business, the meeting adjourned at 1 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Nancy Lewis
______________________________________________
Baxter County Republican Women
August 10, 2023
MINUTES
The meeting was called to order at Noon by President Sandy Nelson.
President Nelson opened the meeting with prayer.
The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Mary Ellen Anderson.
The Treasurer’s Report was given by Nancy Lewis.
Minutes of the July 13 meeting were approved as written.
Reports of meetings attended were given by:
Mary Ellen on Quorum Court, City Council, and Town Hall with Governor Sanders.
Meghan Cawthorn on the District meeting which was July 15 and featured Kari Lake.
Old Business items covered included Don Nelson reporting on setup of the Fair Booth. Don said helpers would report to the storage shed on 8/21.
Also discussed was our Oktoberfest and committees which will be needed: Publicity, Invitation, Auction, Tickets, Setup and takedown of the facility. Motion was made by Mary Ellen and seconded by Sandra Olson to proceed with the fundraising function to be held on October 21. Motion passed. Sandy will follow up with Elks’ rep Roger about contracting. Specifics about fundraiser are attached.
Discussion of electing new officers followed with election to take place in November. Mary Ellen has offered to serve as President, and Sandy offered to be Membership Chairman. Other nominations will be forthcoming.
New Business included discussions about identifying candidates running for public offices, vetting them, and furnishing funds if possible.
Sandy reported that she had filed the first Tax Report with the State.
Sandy also reminded members that the State RPA convention is August 19 in Little Rock.
The meeting was adjourned at 1 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Nancy M. Lewis
Secretary
________________________________________________________________
BAXTER COUNTY REPUBLICAN WOMEN
July 13, 2023
MINUTES
The meeting was called to order at Noon by President Sandy Nelson.
President Nelson read the Resolution which underscores the purpose of BCRW and our dependence on Almighty God to lead our group.
Mary Ellen presented information about the wording UNDER GOD in the Pledge of Allegiance before leading the group in the Pledge.
The Treasurer’s report was given by Secretary/Treasurer Nancy Lewis.
Minutes of the June 8 meeting were read and approved.
Old Business:
Discussion was held about Bylaws. Motion was made and seconded to adopt Bylaws. Mary Ellen moved and Brenda seconded. Job Descriptions were discussed but no further action was deemed necessary.
Fundraising was discussed. Ideas presented included an Oktoberfest. It can be held at the Elks, and further discussion will be held with management to arrive at cost of tickets and what would be included. Specific items would be the number of drinks or brats furnished per ticket.
New Business:
The possibility of encouraging members to run for office was discussed with specific mention of Mary Ellen possibly opposing Scott Flippo in the next election.
Members were encouraged to seek candidates to run for School Board and City Council positions.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 1 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Nancy Lewis
Secretary
________________________________________________________________
BAXTER COUNTY REPUBLICAN WOMEN
June 8, 2023
MINUTES
The meeting was called to order at 12 Noon by President Sandy Nelson.
President Nelson read the Resolution which underscores the purpose of BCRW and our dependence on Almighty God to lead our group.
President Nelson led in the saying of the Pledge of Allegiance.
Minutes of the May 11 meeting were read and approved.
The Treasurer’s report was given by Secretary/Treasurer Nancy Lewis.
Reports of Meetings Attended: Mary Ellen Anderson and Sheila Atchley reported on Quorum Court.
Mary Ellen also reported that there is a meeting of the Advertising and Publicity Committee at City Council this afternoon.
Old Business: In reviewing proposed By-Laws, there should be a stipulation that members be registered Republicans. Also discussed was being able to vote electronically, by text or email, once a member is aware of the items being discussed and is fully informed. Votes should be submitted
to the Secretary at least 24 hours prior to the regular meeting. Another option for voting can be by phone if member has heard the discussion.
Also discussed was the purpose and function of AFRW.
New Business: It was suggested that Scott Liles, City Clerk, be contacted to get a schedule of upcoming City Council meetings, the agenda for each meeting, and that we furnish an email to receive such information.
Also discussed was the subject of scheduling speakers for the group to begin after the first of the year.
Fund raising was discussed. Ideas presented included a wine tasting, raffle or beer garden in the form of an Oktoberfest. Discussion will be continued at future meetings.
Membership in BCRW was discussed and encouraged.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 1 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Nancy Lewis
Secretary
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BAXTER COUNTY REPUBLICAN WOMEN
MAY 11, 2023
The meeting was called to order by President Sandy Nelson.
Mr. Nelson offered the opening prayer.
This was followed by the reading of the Resolution which underscores the purpose of BCRW.
President Nelson led in saying the Pledge of Allegiance.
Minutes of the April 20 meeting were read and approved.
The Treasurer’s report was given by President Nelson and Secretary/Treasurer Nancy Lewis.
Reports of Meetings Attended
Old Business
None discussed.
New Business
President Nelson presented new Bylaws which will be circulated for review.
President Nelson then reviewed the purpose and function of our group per AFRW guidelines.
The subject of Fundraising was then discussed.
There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.
Respectfully submitted,
Nancy Lewis
Secretary/Treasurer
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BAXTER COUNTY REPUBLICAN WOMEN
April 20, 2023
MINUTES
Be it resolved that this group of conservative, patriotic Republican women create a new Political Action Committee (PAC) to be named Baxter County Republican Women (BCRW). We are to be governed with Bylaws approved and modeled after those of the State of Arkansas Federation of Republican Women and the National Federation of Republican Women but most importantly that we are blessed by the will of God and that our endeavors are pleasing in His sight. We are to be guided by His Holy Spirit in all we do to further the independent nature that He has instilled in us. Motion was made by Mary Ellen Anderson to accept and approve this resolution, seconded by Nancy Lewis, and the motion carried.
By consensus we appoint the following officers to act on our behalf until such time as the Bylaws are ready for adoption and elections held, not to exceed 120 days, and the following actions for establishing the group proceed.
President: Sandy Nelson
Vice President: Mary Ellen Anderson
Secretary/Treasurer: Nancy Lewis
That said officers are authorized to open a checking account for this organization at Centennial Bank with said officers as signers. Two signatures will be required per check.
That a Post Office Box be rented in the name of the BCRW.
That we immediately begin to recruit new members who believe in the Arkansas Republican platform.
That all members have a voice and are encouraged to speak their thoughts.
That as an organization we look for, identify, and encourage women to be involved in making a difference in politics from grass roots positions on up and we promote and develop their skills to run for offices.
That filing with the Secretary of State proceeds as soon as information and documentation are obtained.
Respectfully prepared and submitted.
Nancy M. Lewis
Secretary/Treasurer
Our Purpose (as shown in our bylaws):
To increase the effectiveness of women in the cause of good government
Disseminate information to the public through political education and activity
Foster loyalty to the Republican Party at all levels of government
Promote the principles of the Republican Party
Work for Republican candidates in all elections, including non-partisan elections
Support the objectives and policies of the Arkansas and Federal Federation of Republican Women
Perform any lawful activity not inconsistent with the foregoing
We also:
- Identify and help develop patriotic women to run as candidates for public office, beginning at the grass root level.
- Fundraise to support candidates
Be it resolved that this group of conservative, patriotic Republican women create a new Political Action Committee (PAC) to be named Baxter County Republican Women (BCRW). We are to be governed with Bylaws approved and modeled after those of the State of Arkansas Federation of Republican Women and the National Federation of Republican Women but most importantly that we are blessed by the will of God and that our endeavors are pleasing in His sight. We are to be guided by His Holy Spirit in all we do to further the independent nature that He has instilled in us.