Page 3 - TFRW PNL July 2018

Inspire. Unite. Achieve.

The Value of TFRW

As District Director/Deputy President Coordinator, This list is not even complete! And all of our other
naturally I hear about concerns facing our clubs. One activities add even more opportunity for Republican
issue has truly distressed me lately, and I’d like to make involvement. I’m talking about:
sure all of our Federation members are aware of it.
• Entries in parades,
For some time now, various TFRW clubs around the
• Delivering donated items to a women’s shelter,
state have been encouraged to draw away from, or
Fisher House, etc.,
in some cases, sever their relationship with the Texas
Federation of Republican Women. The reasons for this
• Greeting new citizens after naturalization
encouragement to separate vary, but the outcome of
ceremonies,
such actions would be, of course, a weakening of the
Federation, and ultimately of the Republican Party • Packing boxes of items for our troops,
overall.
• Delivering dictionaries and/or Constitutions to local
Here’s what I started saying about this around a year or schools, and
so ago, “TFRW is keeping the lights on in Texas, as far as
Republican events and opportunities are concerned.” I • Collecting and delivering school supplies, to name
don’t mean to sound as if this is an original thought, of just a few.
course! But I’ve come to realize that it’s one that’s not
TFRW, as a parent organization, offers a biennial
been stated aloud nearly enough. Other Republican
convention, Leadership Day, and Legislative Day, and
organizations, lovely as they are, are simply not holding
our regions host regional workshops as well. The list of
the sheer number of meetings, events, and activities
events on offer by TFRW and all its clubs is pretty much
that TFRW clubs do on a regular basis. Every time – and
endless – because we come up with new stuff all the
I do mean every single time – I’ve mentioned this in the
time. Who would replace all of these types of events if
past year, the other person has said to me, “Huh. I’ve
TFRW dwindled or ceased to exist? No one, that’s who.
never really thought about it that way before.”
Many might think campaign activities – block
I believe that many people, even many TFRW members,
walking, phone banking, preparing mailings,
think club meetings and an occasional candidate forum
volunteering at county headquarters, or attending
are the extent of a club’s activity level. We need to
conventions – don’t have much to do with one’s
be reminding everyone – especially those who would
membership in a club since you can do those things
encourage a club to forego federation – that on any
on your own, but we know they’re much more
given day, during just about any week of the year, TFRW
accessible through membership in the Federation. It’s
clubs are offering Republican educational opportunities
so much easier to find out the who, what, when, and
in a variety of ways. Our approximately 150 clubs hold
where of campaign involvement when your club is a
not only monthly general meetings (so many of our
part of the Texas Federation of Republican Women.
clubs now meet year-round), but also:
No other Republican organization in Texas (and that
• Board meetings,
means anywhere, of course) holds the staggering
• New member orientations, number of events and activities as TFRW clubs. No other
Republican organization in Texas affords the staggering
• Meet and greets, amount of opportunities for Republican education,
access, and camaraderie as TFRW.
• Fundraisers,
Those who would encourage clubs to separate from
• Events honoring retiring elected officials,
the Federation should think twice about the effect
a smaller, weakened Federation would have on our
• C.H.A.T.s, (Chicks Having an Awesome Time),
state. And then they should abandon their attempts
• Summer socials, and altogether.
• The aforementioned candidate forums.

Jennifer Lambert | District Director/Deputy President Coordinator

PRESIDENT’S NEWSLETTER | JULY 2018 3 TEXAS FEDERATION OF REPUBLICAN WOMEN