As covered at the GOPisForMe website by Duke Machado

Organized by Janet Jackson and Jimmie Kerr, SREC Committeewoman and Committeeman, this seminar offered six specialized courses ranging from Ballot Integrity to Hispanic Outreach.

It was great to see so many active people with a desire to learn more about the political process, volunteering their time to become proficient in the new voting requirements for 2012.  With a new Voter ID Bill, new County Chairmen and an unpredictable opposition (Democrat Party), it is imperative that we are not only prepared for anything, but armed with the knowledge of the law.

Texas Senator Brian Birdwell and U.S. Congressman Bill Flores spoke to the assembly in a casual, yet very informative setting.  

We also had the opportunity to hear a “Fired Up” 16 year old, Colton Buckley, from Coryell County, speak on the need to engage the young people of America, stating, ”When you leave here, take all the knowledge you gained and go back and talk to your kids, talk to your nieces and nephews and engage them.”

After the first session, which ended at noon, we broke for lunch.  In an adjacent “cafeteria” style room, everyone grabbed a box lunch from Subway and a glass of tea and visited with fellow Republicans from around the district.  I had an incredible conversation with Senator Birdwell on Immigration and Border Security, which is deserving of a separate blog.

After lunch, we split into Break-Out seminars. Some went to a separate classroom building, but we (Hispanic Outreach) went back to the auditorium and began our presentation of the Stepping Stones Education initiative.  It was awesome!  With a mixed group from different parts of the district, including different organizations, we got into the fundamentals of Home Meetings, Phone Team responsibilities, and explained in detail the ins and outs of Stepping Stones.

We answered questions, role played, and even made live calls to Hispanics via Voter Vault.  With everyone watching, I picked up my cell phone and started calling down the list.  Several calls were made before someone answered – it was a woman who spoke little to no English.  She transfered me to someone else, who transfered me again.  Ultimately, we made contact with a young woman who spoke fluent English.

I began with the script, “Hello, My name is Duke Machado, and I’m with the Hispanic Republican Club. We’re working on an education initiative in your area and we would love to drop some information by if you were interested. It’d only take about five minutes of your time.?”  

She listened to what I had to say and immediately asked, “Is it for all ages?”

“Yes, all ages,” I responded, ”Would it be OK to stop by and give you some information on college opportunities and education for your kids?”

“Yeah, sure you can.” she answered.

I confirmed her address, confirmed a date and time, and thanked her for her time.  As I hung up, those listening to the call in the audience began clapping.  With everyone watching, we proved how simple it is to make an effort to help our Hispanic community.   Next Tuesday at 6pm, someone from the Republican Party in Falls County will be meeting with this young lady (a registered Independent) and provide her with information and resources to advance the children in her life.  Maybe her kids need help… or maybe her nieces and nephews are searching for answers. At the end of the day, she will know Republicans made the effort and  Republicans care.

We called it a day and our Seminar on Hispanic Outreach was over.

In the classroom seminars, which included Voter Vault, Ballot Integrity, Campaign Management and more, participants gained valuable insight and training in preparation for 2012.  According to Janet Jackson, the courses were right on – exactly what was needed.

As usual, we captured the moment – videos are being edited now.  Also, my mother drove up from San Marcos to see what her son’s been up to. She couldn’t escape the long arm of the GOPisForMe camera and gave us an interview as well.  She was a former Chapter President for Raza Unida – a Leftist organization she left because they never “did” anything and never made any progress.

Special Thank you to Janet and Jimmie… also to Chris Elam, Communications Director for the Republican Party of Texas, who led the Campaign Management Session.  Today we advanced the movement and fortified relationships with fellow Republicans and Conservative Activists – not bad for a Saturday afternoon!