Oconee County Democrats Minutes from Dec. 4 meeting

Great time at the annual Oconee County Democratic Committee Christmas party last night at Becky Vaughn's Meriweather Drive home in Bogart's Jennings Mill County Club, despite a relatively small turn out. My only complaint is the lack of announcement of the second vice-chair based on the fact that this perspective candidate person is not yet even officially on the committee, and I felt like if the nominating committee is going to recommend a slate of candidates, they need to be straight up with the whole slate and not just part of the slate due to their inability to even get a firm commitment for this person to officially join the committee, yet alone be the largely ceremonial officer. It is not like there is a huge line of people wanting to be involved in the committee's inner machinations. Even though I know she refuses to be chair, Dr. Patricia Priest is once again in my humble opinion the de facto chair with her outstanding public relations work and many engaging programs involving the public.

Great efforts from long time Secretary Herb West stepping down after four years of thankless tasks and recording of the minutes.

I had some words with the incoming chair about his self-professed lack of reading blogs when he then told me he had watched portions of the Gear-Mough murder trial on the blog of the Athens Banner-Herald, as if there is any distinction between a newspaper blog and this one (or any one for that matter). Newspapers are a slowly dying beast at best, and those who do not evolve are destined to join the junk heap of history in the very near future. This blog has as big a circulation as the county organ, but you don't see me lobbying to get the legal ads here. I would well imagine there will be bike rides in our Oconee County Democratic Committee future again. I hope we can involve the community in new and innovative ways in the near future. Anytime we have a change of leadership there remains the prospects for some fresh perspective and viewpoints in how we get things accomplished.

Anyhow, no Christmas parade participation this year, no major inroads for the Oconee County Democratic Committee except a few new people like wonderful new Vice Chair Ann Stoneburner who has experienced the Democratic-majority of Oconee County of more than a decade ago and knows the major tasks we need to accomplish in the next 24 months. I also want to thank Carl McGrath for joining up with the Oconee County Democratic Committee and spearheading the Oconee for Obama movement in neighboring counties such as Greene County. The Oconee County Democratic Committee needs to become more involved and recruit candidates to take on the Bob Smiths and Paul Brouns of the world.

Minutes

Oconee County Democratic Committee meeting

December 4, 2008

Becky Vaughn’s house, Bogart, GA

 

Committee members present:  Becky Vaughn (5-3), Chair; Jonathan Veit (2-1), Vice-Chair; Bill Yarbrough (4-2), Vice-Chair Herb West (5-1), Secretary; Violet Dawe (1-1), Treasurer; Ann Stoneburner (1-3); Dan Matthews (2-2); Sarajane Love (2-3); Rita Bennett (3-2); Myrna Adams West (5-2); Robert Wyatt (6-1);  Diana Jeffreys (6-2).

 

Committee members absent (excused):  Tony Glenn (1-2); Pat Adams (6-3).

 

Committee members absent (unexcused):  Linda Elkins (3-1); Vicky Moody (4-1).

 

Becky called the meeting to order at 6:52 PM.

 

Minutes:  The minutes from the November 6, 2008 meeting were approved unanimously after a motion by Jonathan Veit and second by Dan Matthews.

 

Treasurer’s Report:  Treasurer Violet Dawe reported that the balance in the account was $XX,XXX.XX, which includes $XXXX.XX raised at the yard sale.  An expense of $250 for ads in the newspapers still needs to be paid.

 

Community Service:

o   Adopt-a-Road:  The next road cleanup was scheduled for Saturday, January 10, 2009.

 

Fundraising Opportunities:

o   Yard Sale:  There was discussion on how much and to whom to distribute proceeds from the yard sale on October 18.  Dan moved that $300 of the yard sale proceeds be split half-and-half to two different causes; Sarajane seconded the motion, which was adopted by a 10-2 vote.  Next, Sarajane moved that $150 be donated to the Northeast Georgia Food Bank, and Jonathan seconded; the vote was unanimous in favor.  Next, Becky mad a motion that Rita Bennett determine which local no-kill animal rescue organization to donate the other $150; Myrna seconded the motion, which was also adopted unanimously.

 

o   Nominating Committee:  Becky, Sarajane, and Jonathan presented the following slate of officers for 2009-2010:  Chair, Jonathan Veit; First Vice-Chair, Ann Stoneburner; Second Vice-Chair, TBD; Secretary, Rita Bennett; Treasurer, Violet Dawe.  There were no nominations from the floor.  The slate of officers as presented was approved unanimously, to take office effective January 1, 2009.

 

Next meeting:  Because the first Thursday in January is January 1^st, an alternate date for the regular January meeting was approved for Thursday, January 15.  Subsequent to the meeting, it was discovered that was also the regular date for the monthly book group, so the date was changed to Wednesday, January 7.  The meeting will begin officially at 7:30 pm with socializing at 7:00 pm, and will be held in the Government Annex.

 

As there was no further business, the meeting was adjourned at 7:08 pm, with the annual holiday party following.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

Herb West

Secretary

 

 

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