NEWS BULLETIN -- November 9, 2009
www.Oregon912Project.org
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 ***NEWS FLASH***

912 President ART SCEVOLA & Events Chairman BOB PLETKA
represented us at the Congressional House Call on Capitol Hill last Thursday. 
They will share their experiences at our upcoming

GENERAL MEETING

NOVEMBER 14  --- 10 am - NOON
Please arrive at 9:40 am for Sign-in. We begin promptly at 10am.
The meeting will open with a special tribute to our Veterans!

Location: West End Building, Willamette Room  
4101 Kruse Way
Lake Oswego, OR 97035
503-675-2549

Suggested Donation: $5 per person, to offset facility rental
How to find us: Greeter will be at entrance

HOW CAP AND TRADE LEGISLATION
WILL AFFECT EVERY ASPECT OF YOUR LIFE!

FEATURED DOCUMENTARY SHORT: "CLIMATE CHAINS"
Todd Wynn, Cascade Policy Institute
Larry Logan, Marketing Specialist & Climate Change Debunker

In conjunction with the world premiere viewing of "Not Evil, Just Wrong" hosted by Oregon 912 Project on October 18, which drew an audience of almost 200 people, our dynamic presenters will entertain, educate, and motivate us as they further our understanding of the gross misrepresentations by proponents of the "climate change crisis" and give us the ammunition to confront and reject any attempts to saddle us with their "solutions"!

Copies of Todd Wynn's DVD "Climate Chains"* and Larry Logan's booklet "Do Wet Sidewalks Cause Rain?" will be available at the meeting.

*If you are unable to attend the meeting, you can view "Climate Chains" in its entirety at www.climatechains.com .

AUTOGRAPHED COPY OF ARGUING WITH IDIOTS WILL BE RAFFLED OFF AT THE MEETING!   Bob and Carla Pletka obtained Glenn Beck's autograph on several books at the Safeco Field event last month and are donating the one.

FYI!  Tee shirts with a stunning new design will be on sale at the meeting. Some long-sleeve shirts are available. Be sure to bring your checkbooks.

OTHER MEETING REMINDERS
We suggest a $5 per person DONATION when you sign in. This is our main source of funding for our room rental and other ongoing expenses. Thank you all for the generosity you have shown!

• Persons attending our meeting for the first time will have a STAR on their name tags.  Please engage these people, fill them in on our group, invite them to sit with you.  You could make the difference in whether they return or not.
• Please pick up free Oregon 912 BUSINESS CARDS to have with you for those times when you strike up a conversation with someone. They have room for you to write your contact information or our next meeting date.

 BRING FRIENDS!

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DON'T FORGET YOUR CARDS AND GOODIES FOR
CHARLIE CO., 7TH BATTALION 158TH AVIATION UNIT

This is our official outreach project. It means a lot to these young soldiers who are supporting our freedom in the very unfriendly environs of Iraq to know we remember them.  Items collected at this month's meeting should arrive by Thanksgiving,  so express your  THANKS to them as we honor our Veterans and thank God for all our blessings this month, including our freedom which they give their all to defend.

Items need to be the size to pack in the Express Boxes. Home-baked goodies, cards, and letters are especially appreciated. Monetary donations are also needed for shipping and to purchase items. Please go to the Troop Support page   for ideas and links to special recipes for cookies that can be shipped to the harsh conditions of Iraq.

>Be sure to scroll down and see the signed picture of our Troop as well as the Certificate that came with the Flag they sent to us. Your contributions in Support of our Troops are deeply appreciated.

If you have further questions, contact:    Sue Hewson at 503-703-1979.

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KICK-OFF THE CHRISTMAS SEASON
WITH YOUR 912 FAMILY

In lieu of a December meeting,
the Membership Committee is hosting

A Christmas Social
on Sunday, December 6th from 4-6 pm

Bring family and friends, your favorite Appetizer and/or
Dessert, and enjoy a couple hours of relaxed fellowship.

PLEASE BRING CHRISTMAS GOODIES, CARDS, OR GIFTS
TO SEND TO CHARLIE COMPANY. MONETARY GIFTS
ARE WELCOME, AS WELL.

Location: Fulton Community Center
68 SW Miles Street
Portland, OR 97210

Suggested $5 donation per family to defray facility charge

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KEEPING THE PRESSURE ON

Joining grassroots citizens in Washington D.C. and across the country, nearly 100 AFP and 912 members paid a House Call on Rep. Schrader's Oregon City office on November 5th.  Our efforts are having an impact, but we can't afford to let down. Take a look at what our well-funded, well-organized opposition is doing:

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=115078.

Never forget, however, that we have truth and conviction on our side these cannot be faked or paid for!  WE ARE MAKING A DIFFERENCE!

Though not everyone has the ability to participate in weekday rallies, we trust that you are calling, emailing and FAXing government officials.  We are over 400 strong now, which means if the majority of us are contacting our representatives we have substantial influence.

We are asking all members to follow the link below and respond to a brief survey about your calling patterns. We will send the results when we get them tallied so we can all see how we're doing.

Member Action "Legislator Alert" Survey

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PREPARE FOR ACTION

Efforts are under way for a coordinated approach to ensuring that the Tax Referendums we helped place on the January ballot are passed.  Watch for forthcoming posts on how you can become involved in canvassing, phone banks, etc. It's time to put our boots to the ground! This will be a great opportunity to hone our skills for the November 2010 elections!

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TEA PARTY EXPRESS MAKES STOP IN PORTLAND

An enthusiastic crowd of approximately 700 people gathered outside Michael's Italian Beef & Sausage Co. to participate in a rally when the Tea Party Express rolled into Portland on October 30. Oregon Tea Party leader Geoffrey Ludt reports:

"The event was good as it attracted a majority of folks who'd never been to a political event before.  The event was also covered well on the radio and, those groups that participated were able to network and build membership and capacity." 

Larry Tebo agreed, indicating that he left Oregon 912 business cards with over 60 interested people.  Center photo below is member Rosie Gagnon and daughter Hannah.

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"OBAMACARE:
THE CULMINATION OF LIBERAL INCREMENTALISM"

Dr. Frank Rosenbloom was given a standing ovation by 912 members following his informative and compelling presentation at our October 10 meeting that armed us with ammunition to refute the government's claims about why we need a complete healthcare overhaul. The link below will take you to a copy of his address which contains links to all the graphs and charts he showed. For those who were unable to be at the meeting, you are fortunate to be able to catch up on all he said.

Dr. Frank Rosenbloom link

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OREGON 912 BOARD BRIEFS

The Board met on October 21st.  The next Board meeting is scheduled for December 2nd.  Hereafter, the Board Briefs will be emailed following each Board meeting.

The following were discussed:

• General meeting format: 1) New Member Welcome and sharing, 2) 912 business and announcements, 3) featured presentation, and 4) Reminders and Action Assignment.
• Jack Blevins presented his idea for a tri-fold brochure for distribution to individuals and businesses. The brochure will include a phone number and P.O. Box number for contacts. Jack also proposed the idea of holding a forum for Republicans to question conservatives and independents.
• A decision was made to invite Larry Logan, a well-known climate change "debunker" to collaborate with Todd Wynn on the November 14 meeting.
• The need for us to acquire the capacity to accept credit cards.
• The November meeting will include a Salute to Veterans.
• Purchasing protocol - Larry Tebo or Bob Pletka should be contacted regarding purchases of merchandise.
• Make it clear that meeting donations are "Suggested" not required, so those who are experiencing financial strain will feel free to attend.
• The 912 Database will not be disseminated to individuals. When the new website is up and running, we will have the capability of sorting members to be contacted by committees in a way that will not compromise their privacy.

COMMITTEE REPORTS

Communications & Technology - Ann Agent reports that the new website is being tested by the Board as an effort to work out any major kinks prior to the official launch to our members.  The new site will provide several levels of permissions. Public, where guests can view a public section of forum posts, Member Only, giving access to additional forum sections, and even Committee Specific forums so they can plan, discuss and work on their projects. Our goal is to also allow space for each community specific 912 chapter, so that local people can create their own meetings, pages, forums and information network. We also will have a section for pictures and video embedded for our educational/resource section.  
      There are some key issues with the discussion groups and mail lists that need to be refined before we launch.  We are learning that the platform we're building it is so powerful, it will allow us to eventually expand into a full fledged community network if we wish. But for now it will be strictly for news, information, committee- specific forums, meeting announcements, newsletter dissemination, action alerts and discussion forums. The biggest news is we are making sure the discussion forums can be followed and responded to via email, so those topics of interest that one posts will be easy to follow and not get buried in the archives.
      The first phase will involve members coming to our new site and registering and refining their profile. They will be able to see Member Only content.  Watch for the special announcement coming soon regarding when and how to register so you won't miss out in registering into our new home.

Membership - Sarah White shared plans for a December Christmas social, approximate cost for room rental ($180 - $250) and need to give members a choice of dates through a survey.  She suggested that we might increase attendance by employing an automatic phone reminder prior to meetings.

Sales and Events - Bob Pletka proposed organizing a rally outside Keller Auditorium where Al Gore will be speaking on November 18.  Also under proceeding with a one-month radio ad blitz after the first of the year; a celebratory event in March for the one-year anniversary of the 912 organization; and developing plans to get as many Oregon 912 members to next year's 9/12 march in Washington D.C.

Political Action - Mark Taber has organized his committee into several subcommittees, including Elections and Legislation.
     Art Crino reported that the 2010 Elections Subcommittee is working to:
-- Provide significant voting records of partisan candidates who are up for re-election or who have held some partisan office;
-- Provide a succinct vetting questionnaire for partisan candidates with no voting record;
-- Search for non-partisan offices that do not have candidates or the incumbent is vulnerable, since non-partisan offices can provide opportunities for members to gain experience and are a source of candidates for higher office in the future. 

Organization Liaison - Carla Pletka's committee is responsible for connecting and working with other 912 groups and kindred grassroots organizations. They are looking for someone to represent 912 at the Dorchester Conference in Seaside, March 5-7. This nearly 50-year-old group is the only grassroots political conference of its kind in the nation. Jack Blevins will attend the Hillsboro GOP Central Committee Meetings. Carla has been representing us on the Tax Referendum Coalition which is coordinating efforts to get the Tax Referendums passed.

BOARD RETREAT

On the weekend of December 11, the Board will congregate for a LONG-RANGE PLANNING RETREAT. The Board has worked very hard these past 8 months getting organized as our membership has escalated from 35 to over 400 members, arranging informative meetings, and planning and supporting events and calls to action to further the common cause of Oregon grassroots organizations. However, the most daunting work lies ahead of us as we prepare to change the composition of our federal, state and local governments. To that end, we will be mapping out a course of action for the coming year.

If you have IDEAS OR SUGGESTIONS YOU WOULD LIKE US TO CONSIDER, please contact a Board member or submit them on the CONTACT US form on the website.

BOARD VACANCIES

JOE HARPER, EDUCATION COMMITTEE CHAIR, has stepped down from the board and education committee with great regret. 

"This organization has a lot of heart and determination behind it. Keep up the faith and hard work and always remember, it took decades to get to this point and you can't change a river in a day. Keep dropping daily pebbles with an occasional boulder and one day you will see the river is flowing in a new direction. Thank you and God bless you and the United States of America."

MARK TABER, VP AND POLITICAL ACTION CHAIR, has found employment in Medford and will be moving shortly. Mark has offered:

"to do whatever is needed and serve in whatever capacity to best benefit the group and its goals"

for as long as we need him, including attending meetings and events on weekends, submitting submit alerts and other items via the website, and coordinating his committee until  someone steps up to replace him. Thank you, Mark, for your passion and commitment to Oregon 912 since its inception!

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ORDER YOUR PERSONALIZED NAME BADGE

Sign up for your personalized badge at the meeting or use the Contact Us  form to order from Lauri Hein, who makes all our buttons and badges. The badge will have your name and position in Oregon 912, i.e. Hospitality, Sales, Elections, etc. Or you can say Member or Volunteer --even Patriot. That part is up to you. Cost is $1.00.

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The News Bulletin is compiled and written by Carol Tebo.   She tries to put a Bulletin out twice a month. Please let Carol know if there is information you would like to see in it, if you are heading up an event you'd like promoted, or alert her to any other information that would interest our members and enhance our connectivity.  You can contact Carol personally (503-313-3498) or use the Contact Form on our website to make a submission.

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[end of November 9 NEWSLETTER]