The Bandera County Democratic Club met Saturday, August 10, at the Silver Sage Community Center for their, where a group of 26 members met to conduct routine business and discuss various club projects.
President Essie Stewart welcomed two new members, Diane Edwards and Pam Draper to the meeting. Membership chair Patti Pyle also reported four new members had joined and encouraged all members present to keep talking to their friends and neighbors about joiningthe club.
Josh Greene and Patti Pyle spoke about the progress of the card writing project. Greene said his home would be available for meetings and Pyle would continue to meet at the Bandera Library.
Pyle said that in one hour at the library three members were able to address 57 envelopes. She encouraged members to participate in the project.
Greene spoke about how to use the VAN registration information provided by the Democratic Party of Texas. Tom Denyer provided information on how to select the categories of the VAN database so that specific interest groups could be targeted. That information can be divided by age, sex, voting participation, address and precinct.
The VAN is an online database that is a “voter activation network.” It is purchased by the Democratic Party of Texas and made available to party officials in each county.
Democratic Party Chairman Lynn Oliver stated she would give Josh Greene access to the VAN information. Oliver also stated that precinct chairs had VAN access and personal knowledge of Democrats in the county which could be helpful.
The membership seemed very pleased with the project’s progress and the contact with the Democrats in the county.
Another fundraiser, “Honey for Harris,” was introduced. Member Janus Olive donated the honey from her own hives in Bandera County.
Donations of $15 for large jars and $10 for small jars of honey were suggested. President Essie Stewart proposed that the Club match funds accrued by the honey sales and send that to the Harris/ Walz campaign.
Democratic Club member David Black spoke about getting hats made to tout the slogans of the presidential campaign.
He showed several styles of “trucker hats,” one of which said, “vote for truth, trust, and transparency.” Another had the slogan “vote for democracy.”
The hats came in red, white, and blue.
Black emphasized that these hats were suitable for any political party in the county and that they were not for sale, but to sell “ideas.”
“I’m selling ideas, not hats,” he said.
He asked for a signup sheet for anyone that wanted one. He also made 100 bumper stickers. He also said the hats supported Bandera business.
In new business, President Essie Stewart introduced the idea of having an entry in the Bandera Labor Day parade. She emphasized that it would be hot, but that “it is a lot of work, but it is fun if you had all the resources.”
She also said that the members would not be walking in the parade but riding on a trailer or in the back of a truck.
Stewart emphasized that there were decorations for a possible float available, and Democratic Chair Lynn Oliver said they were in her garage.
Oliver had contacted candidate Dr. Kristen Hook who is running against Republican Chip Roy for a seat in the US House of Representatives.
Oliver mentioned that Hook wanted to participate in Labor Day activities and could include Bandera in her junket. Oliver also mentioned that the Club would have to get their parade entry in by August 26 if they wanted to participate.
Chairman Oliver spoke about getting a voter registration table set up at the Market Days during the Labor Day parade.
She referenced a bipartisan table set up at the recent Back to School Bash.
Oliver encouraged the group to get their certification to be deputy voter registrars. She said the training is online and that once the members have been trained, they would need to contact Bandera County Election Administrator Andrea Jankoski to be tested.
The members approved the allocation of $150 for related expenses should the Club decide to participate in the parade.
Member Tom Denyer brought up the use of an official agenda at the meetings.
He also stated that the club had tabled a motion made in the June meeting about donating one thousand dollars to Beto O’Rouke’s organization, “Powered By People”.
He explained what the organization did to support the political process and voter registration.
Denyer repeated the motion to donate $1,000 to O’Rouke’s organization, which he characterized as “quite efficient and organized.”
Member Jodie Sinclair asked if it was possible to donate a lesser amount or should the club go with the original $1,000.
The original motion to donate$ 1,000 passed through a vote of the membership.
Chairman Lynn Oliver related an instance where she was pricing political signage but couldn’t continue with the purchase due to the lack of ready petty cash available through the club.
“We could be hamstrung because there is no petty cash available,” she said. “We really need to know what we can budget for the things we know we will need.”
Oliver added the purchase of 100 signs would be allocated to 10 signs per precinct in Bandera County.
Precinct 203 Chair Robert Rios suggested that the club establish a permanent discretionary fund for which expenditures would be subject to the approval by the club president, Democratic Party Chair, and club treasurer.
Lynn Oliver suggested the amount of the discretionary fund to be in the amount of $400. The motion passed.
Member Mike Gould made a presentation on the “rebranding” of the Democratic Party in Bandera County to be more effective in recruiting more member support and to win elections.
Gould also stated that Texas is as close as it has been in fifty years to turning from red to blue. His presentation was well received by the audience. “The future of our nations is in our hands,” he asserted.
President Essie Stewart mentioned the annual coat drive.
“We have been very successful in the past and have gone in with the Republicans on this,” said Stewart, suggesting using the Event Center at Helping Hands to organize the project.
She suggested that the Club take a week between the election and Thanksgiving to organize the drive. She also suggested the Club distribute the coats before Thanksgiving which is the traditional start of cooler weather in Bandera County.
No vote was taken on this project.
Stewart stated that Texas House District 53 candidate Joe P. Herrera would be speaking to the club at the monthly meeting in September.
Herrera is running against Republican candidate Wesley Virdell and Libertarian candidate Brian Holk for the seat vacated by longtime Texas Congressman Andrew Murr.
