Chair Report - June 13, 2013

May Chairman’s Report….Due to computer problems last month I was not able to submit a Chairman’s Report for the month of May. Please accept my apology for this problem. It turns out that an automatic update from Microsoft for Windows 7 caused my computer to lock up. Since there was no fix, a technician required three days to solve the problem. My computer is back to its old self now. I've got my fingers crossed that it stays that way.

Resignation….At our Executive Board Meeting on June 6 Robert Sullivan announced his resignation as our Vice Chairman and from the Executive Board. Robert was also our Membership Committee Chairman and he said he would be stepping down from that assignment as well. He stated his reason for resigning as personal commitments. Robert’s resignation came as a surprise and we will miss his expertise and commitment to our party. I extend my thanks to Robert from the board and our membership for a job well done.

Raffle tickets….Our treasurer, Audrey Costerisan, sent the renewal request and payment for our raffle licenses to the Walker Administration Office on May 14. The renewal process can take 4-6 weeks. Once the licenses are approved for another year, we’ll be ordering 2,000 tickets for our annual Brat & Bean Feed raffle. The board has agreed to support the same prizes offered last year. The prizes included $300, $150, a Wild River Outfitter’s canoe/kayak trip ($100), $50, and $50. The raffle is an important part of our largest fundraiser and last year, thanks to everyone’s help, we sold all 2,000 tickets. Look forward to selling or purchasing tickets as soon as they are available.

Canoe trip….As we look forward to the Grantsburg Fair this coming August 22-25 one important focus for our party will be to attract visitors to our booth to hear our message, purchase a raffle ticket or meet our democratic representatives. One way we attract them is to offer a free drawing. Getting a visitor to stop and talk while having them sign up for a drawing, gives us another name to contact at election time. This year Executive Board member and owner of Wild River Outfitters, Jerry Dorff has donated a canoe/kayak trip worth $100 as a draw. We will also be offering a drawing on a US flag.

Campaign signs….There won’t be an election soon but we are already thinking ahead to campaign signs. As part of our Annual Plan, we will be making up blank signs ahead of the elections so we are better able to support our candidates. As soon as a sale occurs, I’ll be purchasing some plywood and asking for volunteers to paint the blank 2x4 foot signs. We will eventually accumulate 75 blank signs by the fall of 2014.

Dems County Party Strategy Group….On June 12 a meeting was held by our DPW Regional Director Jeff Smith in conjunction with Democracy for America Midwest Regional Field Organizer Karli Wallace in the Cumberland Public Library. Hosting the event was the Barron County Democrats. Attendees included representatives of Barron, Burnett, and Washburn county Democrats. The objective of the meeting is to begin preparing for the next elections now. We want to be ready to go when it counts. We also want our plan to be interlocking so we present a solid front. At this point the representatives have agreed to look for 10 volunteers in their respective county parties wanting to take a leadership role by participating in training that will be offered on Saturday, July 20^th beginning at 9:00 a.m. in Rice Lake. This will be a 3-hour training session preparing you with the latest campaign strategies and how to implement them in the next 6 months – Starting Now! If you are up to the challenge and really want to be at the center of our next election cycle, let me know. I want your help. Please call me! We’ll be getting more information on this training soon. Get in the loop by getting on board.

Democrats United….On June 25 the Western Wisconsin Democratic Counties United will be holding their 2^nd meeting. Our last meeting was held in Roberts during the month of April. This is a group dedicated to turning the 10^th Senate District from Red to Blue. That means Sheila’s got to go! Included in this effort will be the three assembly districts of the 10^th. For us, that means Eric Severson. In addition, we are looking at and sharing ideas on increasing membership of our county parties and raising funds. A lot of good ideas are in the works. You’ll be hearing more about them soon.

June Meeting….The June membership meeting will be held next Tuesday, June 18, 2013 at the Whitetail Wilderness Restaurant & Bar located approximately one mile north of the village of Webster along Hwy. 35. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. Come at 5:30 and share dinner with your fellow democrats and enjoy talking to someone that understands what you are talking about. We will have a special guest attending the meeting. Marilyn Kooiker, representing Citizen’s Against Poverty in Burnett County, will enlighten us on the organization’s efforts to help bring Burnett County residents out of poverty. This is a very challenging effort and Marilyn will share her stories and tell us how we can help.

Chairman’s Picnic….On Saturday, July 13, 2013 I will be holding our 2^nd Annual Chairman’s Picnic for members at my home located at 23328 Nyren Rd. Siren, WI 54872. This is a freebie you won’t want to miss. Yes, the party is on me. I’ll be serving up the picnic lunch of burgers and beer while you swap stories and just enjoy yourselves. Our elected friends and some of our expected candidates will be invited and may show up. This will give you a chance to rub elbows and get to know them on a personal level. Last year we had a great event. We had 40 people show up. This year I’d like to see 50 people. Bring your spouse, bring a friend – just come! Everything starts at 3:00 p.m. and the food gets served at 5:00 p.m. This picnic substitutes our July membership meeting. We will resume our monthly meetings in August at the Whitetail Wilderness Restaurant & Bar.

Richard Costerisan