How You Too Can Influence Public Policy as a Conservative Volunteer

Conference Event Coordinator Richard Buck (left) and Richard Conn (right) present "Honorary Membership" Certificate to Christopher Carmouche after his remarks at the February Freedom Leadership Conference sponsored by Grasstops USA, where he is President.

Conference Event Coordinator Richard Buck (left) and Richard Conn (right) present “Honorary Membership” Certificate to Christopher Carmouche after his remarks at the February 2013 Freedom Leadership Conference sponsored by Grasstops USA, where he is President.

Tell your Story in 1 Minute at the “Conservative Volunteers Lightning Round” of Freedom Leadership Conference June 24 in Northern Virginia

Regardless of whether you can attend and stand up to share your own idea on “How I Volunteered to Influence Public Policy as a Conservative Volunteer” most recently in the 1-minute “Lightning Round” at the June 24 Freedom Leadership Conference, we want to hear your story – in person or by reply email or at our Facebook page.

 

RSVP for Complementary Conference 7:30 PM
(doors open 7 PM)
or to Order Dinner 6 PM (doors open 5:30 PM
http://VETSvsVA.eventbrite.com

Most of the monthly conferences started and continued through 2013-2014 of the 15 year old Freedom Leadership Conference have had this 10 minute panel with up to 10 one minute speakers – each sharing with the conservative conference audience what they did as a volunteer to help conservatives win in the public policy arena.

Conference Flyer (PDF)

It is an opportunity to both recognize and thank the volunteers who form the backbone of the conservative cause, as well as to give everyone else ideas on what all of us can do.

Richard Buck, the Event Coordinator of the Freedom Leadership Conference, announced today that he is also looking for those who might not be able to attend the June 24 conference at the Hilton Garden Inn on Route 50 near I-66 in Fair Oaks, to simply send him an email (EventCoordinator@FreedomLeadershipConference.org) and share their own recent experience.  If it is easier for you, the Facebook Page of Freedom Leadership Conference can also be used to share your experience.

“We recognize that some of our friends like you, seek to influence public policy by their choice of which organizations to financially support, said Richard in an email letter to conference members and subscribers.  “Others of us volunteer our time for worthy causes we think are important, or in supporting candidates we like,” he continued.

Buck, who has attended every conference since the monthly series started in late 2013, is a perfect example of a consistent volunteer – and he was asked to serve as “Event Coordinator” for the conference as a result of his consistence.

In fact, Richard Buck attended the last annual conference in 2012 and was part of a small group that gathered late night afterwards to brainstorm the idea of experimenting with the then annual conference and try it out as a smaller, less expensive monthly conference, which happened the following year.

Richard is one of the small number of conservative volunteers who has donated both his time as well as occasional donations to support the conservative cause and has been active (as far as we can tell) for more than 25 years.

The “Lightning Round” idea came about some time after the monthly series started and has been one of the popular parts of the conference.

The main part of every monthly program is the presentation made by that month’s sponsor.  For example, two organizations which are very interested in promoting issues of interest to America’s military veterans and all those who wish to support them, are responsible for the largest segment of the June 24 conference.

Concerned Veterans for America and Uniformed Services League each have a speaker for the June conference that is free and begins at 7:30 PM (doors open at 7 PM) for those who reserve a seat (strictly enforced – RSVP required).  In addition, both speakers and the Conference Leadership will also have dinner together, inviting those conservatives to join them who wish to become members of the conference or who are already members (sign up for dinner HERE).

The CVA Speaker is Marine veteran Dan Caldwell while USL presents Army veteran Dr. Johnny L. Simpson, Jr. for the sponsor segment of the June 24 conference.  But there will also be several other segments including this popular “Conservative Volunteers Lightning Round” for volunteers from the audience to get 1 minute each with up to 10 speakers.

For the first time at this conference, those who might not be able to attend are being invited to participate in this segment to focus attention on volunteer activities.  As Richard Buck asks conference members and subscribers, “can you write back to me to tell me what you have done to influence public policy as a conservative recently?  And be sure to let me know whether I can mention your idea with your name, or anonymously?”

Buck plans to read some of the emails to the June 24 conference – whether those who write in wish to be named or to have their name withheld – and then publish the responses in a future e-newsletter and blog post here.

He said in his email appeal for “Lightning Round” volunteers to step forward, “we need more help, more people like you who volunteer their time or their money to help our cause.”

In summarizing his appeal, he says he is paraphrasing one of the other conference leaders’ frequent sayings: “Money is not the mother’s milk of politics, volunteers are.”

We thank our conference members and subscribers for volunteering their time and/or money for our cause and hope that some of you will be willing to share what you have done, which causes or organizations or candidates you have supported most recently to influence public policy, either in person on June 24 or by immediate reply email to EventCordinator@FreedomLeadershipConference.org.

The Freedom Leadership Conference has a statement of principles which summarizes the philosophy of the conservative cause called “The Thurmont Statement” (adopted in conference in Thurmont, MD in 2009).

While this conference focuses on ideas, it is also very important that we always remember, it is our purpose to influence public policy to enact these ideas.  This will only happen when enough of us spend enough time and money to influence public policy.

To become a Conference subscriber (complementary Freedom Digest e-newsletter) or member (to be able to attend the pre-conference private dinner with the speakers and conference leadership – also complementary) you may sign up online HERE.

We hope all of our readers – members and subscribers – will either attend the June 24 conference or write back to us to share your own recent experience doing that.  And if you haven’t got something to write to us about yet – stay tuned for when we share what we learn on June 24 while hoping you will hear something you too can do – and then tell us about some day at a future conference.

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