 Haywood Christian Academy Head of School, Kelli Herbert receiving the check from High Country Republican Women. For Immediate Release
The High Country Republican Women (HCRW) presented a generous donation to Kelli Herbert, Haywood Christian Academy’s Head of School, to help update the school security system. HCRW promotes traditional American values of faith, family and country, as reflected in the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution and the values of the Haywood Christian Academy. The donation was made possible through the HCRW’s sold-out Lincoln/Reagan fundraiser dinner held at the Laurel Ridge Country Club. Guest speakers were U.S. Representative, The Honorable Chuck Edwards and N.C. Senator, The Honorable Kevin Corbin, with additional remarks from “President Lincoln.” HCRW is a part of the 64,000 member National Federation of Republican Women. Women and men interested in becoming members of HCRW should email: president.highcountryrw@gmail.com.
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 On Thursday, June 8th my husband and I traveled to Greensboro, NC to attend the 2023 North Carolina Republican Convention. We attended the welcome reception with investigative journalist and CEO of “Just the News” media, John Solomon. He stressed the need for alternative news sources. He stressed” if you own the narrative, you own the election”. Simple phrases. Five minute conversations. He said we must pay extreme attention to early voting. We must demand a fair counting of ballots. He said that emphasizing the human factor, children, mother and family issues are paramount. The fact that 85,000 children were lost at the border is truly appalling. He believes this election is crucial to America. “Our civil liberties are in the greatest danger”. If you have never attended a NCGOP convention it is worth the time and effort it takes to be a delegate from your precinct and going! There were extensive training sessions from fundraising, to campaigning, to meeting other organizations within the GOP such as the Republican National Hispanic Assembly of NC, to treasurer training and several sessions on getting out the vote and winning the Early Ballot War in 2024. Everyone there is available to help and support your efforts with information and good ideas. The heart of the convention is, of course, the formal business meetings. It is essential to know the NCGOP party rules, resolutions, platform and plan of organization. There was robust debate this year over the election of the NCGOP Chair position and the NCGOP VP Chair position which were up for election. Due to the length of the debates only credentials, rules and the resolutions didn’t get done in the first session on Friday afternoon as the delegates were keen on hearing from FL. Governor Ron DeSantis at the Friday night dinner. After briefly mentioning the former president and giving a detailed introduction of himself, Governor DeSantis covered his accomplishments in Florida which were extensive. He was energetic, passionate and stayed on topic and he puts Republican values to work. Certainly impressive! The convention met all day Saturday. The kick-off was short speeches by the NC gubernatorial candidates; Mark Walker, Dale Folwell and Mark Robinson. All very impressive in their service records and commitment to their constituency. Mark Robinson seemed to be the convention favorite from the great applause and cheers from the delegates. Then we heard from Tricia Cotham, member of NC House of Representatives, who switched parties in April 2023 giving the Republicans a super majority in the NC House of Representatives. A former school teacher and single mother of two boys, Tricia gave a stirring speech of what she and her boys have endured from the Dems after switching parties. She is a true patriot! The convention took up the business of finishing the resolutions and adjourned early to attend lunch with former Vice President, Mike Pence. Former VP gave some reference to the former president taking credit for their mutual efforts, but separated himself from the January 6th event. He did express concern over the current treatment of the former president. Mr. Pence was well spoken, measured in his comments and clear in his devotion to the US Constitution and its principles, not to personalities. He has experience in governing and a clear vision for America. His speech was met with warm affirmation from the delegates. The afternoon and last session of the convention started off with a change in rules allowed by the party plan of organization as a candidate was extremely anxious to hold the elections before hearing reports from the platform committee and the plan of organization committee. So, nominations were taken for the NC GOP State Chair position. Nominees were Michael Whatley and John Kane. There was electronic voting which was debated and contested, but determined to be in order. The vote did take place and by a credible margin Michael Whatley won the NCGOP Chair position. The convention had to adjourn as there was no quorum present for the NC GOP VP Chair election. The meeting was adjourned and the delegates rushed to attend the dinner with former president Donald Trump. Trump spoke for an hour and a half about his experiences and what faced America now and in the future. He feels he is the only candidate with the credibility and experience to stand up to the challenges ahead at home and abroad. The dinner audience gave the former president rousing applause and listened carefully to his experiences, his accomplishments and some of the resulting consequences. I bought a pin with the three presidential candidates’ faces and names on it. I believe we were seeing history being made at this past NCGOP convention. The next 18 months leading up to the 2024 US Presidential election will be momentous for America. Be part of this great moment in time. Join the High Country Republican women or get involved with the Haywood County GOP. Now is the time! Paula Eachus
On Memorial Day, Monday, May 30th, 2023, Effie Atkinson (representing the DAR), Paula Eachus (representing High County Republican Women), and the Veterans Council of Haywood County gathered the Veterans of Haywood County to celebrate this Memorial Day's "3pm National Moment of Silence Observance" on the physical site of the pedestals for the Charters of Freedom in Canton, NC. After nine years of negotiations between Foundation Forward, the Haywood County County Commissioners, and towns of Haywood County, we are thrilled to see the foundations poured for the easily accessible, outdoor permanent display of our Founding documents! This display is being erected between the handsome WWII monument in Canton and the Canton Area Historical Museum. The veterans were delighted to visit the Charters of Freedom construction site. We all brought flags and enjoyed visiting and speaking to a member of the Canton Area Historical Museum. We are honored to be part of this great community effort and to watch the Charters of Freedom being built. We look forward to celebrating future national holidays among the documents that made our country great. Canton is building back strong on the durable tenets represented in these documents. Congratulations to the town of Canton and Haywood County.
 58th Convention, 18th Biennial Convention REMINDER: MAY 26th is NATIONAL POPPY DAY to commemorate those soldiers fallen in battle. Please wear a Red Poppy on your left lapel! A small, but important and relevant tidbit of information in the tidal wave of information to be learned at a state convention of the North Carolina Federation of Republican Women.(Your full membership in HCRW gives you access to these conventions and websites.) Besides learning about other clubs’ activities from around the entire state of North Carolina, we also learn from the NCFRW board the legislative focus of the club on family issue: abortion no longer allowed after 12 weeks instead of 20 weeks; the need to keep the pressure on our legislators to save Title IX to keep biological women competing against biological women in women’s sports and School Choice. We are also advocating for Photo IDs to vote. We were asked to support Tricia Cotham who is being heavily attacked by the Democrats and keep our legislators in prayer as the governor called out the names of the legislators who voted on the abortion bill which isn’t ever done. Our speakers were NC Treasurer, Dale Folwell and A.P. Dillon from the North State Journal. NC Treasurer Folwell gave a glowing report of the financial status of our state. He is doing a great job. Economically we are in excellent shape. A.P. Dillon gave a chilling report of the number of child molestations and exploitation in our schools by school staff members. She cited the statistic that 1 in 10 children are molested or exploited by a school staff member. She said the state needs to hire more help in prosecuting these matters. NC has only 1 paralegal sorting through the reports. She cited several bills in legislation now we need to support like HB 142: Protect our Students Act to increase penalties on certain sex offenses. A GREAT SUCCESS!  After enjoying a lovely, relaxing lunch at Laurel Ridge Country Club, a group of 16 women and men attended a “Preparation, not Paranoia,” Personal Safety & Situational Awareness class at the Laurel Ridge Country Club Pro shop/exercise room area taught by longtime law enforcement teacher, Harry Katt. Everyone participated, taking notes in their individual Training Guides which Harry provided and in small groups, where Harry asks you to take action in an actual crime scenario. Mental awareness or vigilance was stressed as most criminals are opportunists. Always be on the “look-out” for anomalies in your surroundings. Always assess and reassess your surroundings looking at behaviors, not the person. Harry packs a ton of helpful information and hints into the three-and-a-half hour course. He has a wealth of stories from his own experience as a 30 year veteran of the police and teaching in the military, to help everyone with situations that are common in our daily lives. HCRW thanks Harry for his excellent, highly informative class and encourages anyone who is concerned about their personal safety in this day and age to take one of Harry Katt’s many classes. Harry can be reached at website: 4rceOptions@gmail.com or call 828.926.8265   On Tuesday, March 21st the High Country Republican Women enjoyed an informative evening featuring speaker, Marla Morris, a newly elected Haywood County School board member. Marla spoke to HCRW regarding the status of the Haywood county schools.
The schools have gone ahead and repaired some of the damage caused by the August 2021 Flood caused by T.S. Fred, but have not been reimbursed by FEMA. The Canton Paper Mill’s imminent closing has added additional stress to the school budget due to projected loss of tax base. Also, Marla stressed the need for additional funding as 500 students left the public school system during Covid due to the masking policies mandated by North Carolina. Marla said the board is currently voting on allowing the homeschoolers to attend a half day of classes, so they can join in the sports which should help with the loss of 500 students. All these events have left a “shortfall” of over a million dollars in the schools’ budgets. Marla wondered if a new and expanded jail should take priority and, though she supports parents’ rights on school choice, she said the Charter schools are proposing Bill 219 Charter School Omnibus in the general Assembly to gain access to a pool of funds the public schools have been using and need for extracurricular activities. Marla handed out several sheets of information; regarding school funding and school performance, parental rights, and the dates the schools were built and renovated. All this information is available to the public on the Haywood County schools’ website: haywood.k12.nc.us. Marla encouraged everyone to go on the website, then type in even a single word for a subject and the relevant information would come up. We thank Marla for covering many topics of concern about the schools and her gracious offer to get back to folk with specific questions. We know Marla and the school board and administration will continue to do their best for the school-age children and their families in Haywood County.  HCRW thanks Haywood County Commissioner and HCRW member, Jennifer Best, for speaking at Tuesday's Lunch and Learn hosted by Frankie's in Maggie Valley. Jennifer answered a list of questions posed by the membership and took questions from the floor. A very informative afternoon! High Country Republican Women are proud to have a strong women champion our conservative values with an eye to the future for our young folks on the Haywood County Board of Commissioners
 Tuesday, January 24, 2023 at GOP HQ High Country Republican Women hosted Haywood County Sheriff Bill Wilke, Chief Deputy Matthew Trantham and Public Information Officer, Gina Zachary.
Sheriff Wilke discussed the need for a new jail. He corrected a few errors in a newspaper article about the number of new jail beds (255 new beds versus the current 146 beds) and the costs for shipping out inmates from the overcrowded jail is $40 per day or more depending on an inmate's medical needs. He stressed the humane treatment and respect for the inmates, but didn’t want Haywood County jail to be referred to as the “Haywood Hilton” by criminals. Regarding the illegal drug activity, he believes “the needle exchange” program was not deterring but “enabling” the illegal drug community. As for “the early pre-trial release” and “low bail bond” issues, while somewhat helping the problem of overcrowding in the jail, lead many offenders to repeat previous offenses. He is asking for partnering with the other counties’ sheriffs through the Sheriffs’ Association and he is working with our legislator in Raleigh this week to find some solutions. As for criminal activity from Asheville, the homeless population tends to go to Florida in the wintertime, but the transient community in the Walmart area is being investigated. There is an uptick in public nuisance there, but fortunately, no serious problems yet. The Sheriff demonstrated several ways to ward off being targeted. Sheriff Wilke stated very clearly the differences between the non-compliant offenders and those seeking help. He believes Haywood county is a community of compassionate, loving folks, who don’t want to be taken advantage of by “non-compliant” offenders. He feels strongly in accountability for the illegal drug/ alcohol abuser community and sees there needs to be a clearer understanding of “mental health” as it applies to criminals. Lastly, Bill broached the subject of school safety officers or SROs which is a growing concern. He is implementing an emergency plan in the event of an “active shooter” event, as he wants to be proactive. Again, it seems to be a funding issue with a high price tag of over a million dollars to start-up and then the challenge of on-going funding. Sheriff Wilke, only in office for 52 days, is tackling these issues using multi-county and state legislature support. High Country Republican Women support his efforts and look forward to hearing from him later this year. We believe in law & order and justice for all Be Proud to be a HCRW Member. You make a difference in NC and the US!
On November 18-19th the NCFRW hosted the 2022 Tribute to Women and NCFRW Fall Board of Directors Meeting at the Richard Childress Racing Events Center in Lexington, NC. I was fortunate to represent our HCRW among the 32 statewide clubs. There were 163 ladies and gentlemen in attendance. Michael Whatley, Chairman of the Republican National Committee, couldn’t praise our clubs enough for all the hard work all our members did state wide for the midterm elections, both in our local communities and statewide. He cited the stupendous number of door knockings, phone calling, poll greeting and poll observing we provided. He said we will have a supermajority in our state government as we now have the courts and can re-district according to the NC and US Constitutions. He recognized our clubs for the fact that “North Carolina is a solidly red state!” Our NC State Treasurer, Dale Folwell spoke on the excellent health of our state’s economy due to his conservative fiscal policies. North Carolina is rated # 1 nationally for business outlook and we maintain an AAA bond rating under Republican leadership NC going from billions in debt to billions in prudent reserves. He said, “There would be no Republican Party in NC without the Republican women of the NCFRW” of which your membership in HCRW makes you a member! He now is fighting the secret contracts of the healthcare “cartels” and their weaponizing of credit scores. He concluded his remarks by saying to check the state website: “nccash.com” to see if the state is holding any cash that is yours and you can claim. (Check it out. Folks have found varying amounts of cash due them!) The NCFRW honored 15 women for outstanding service and gave top awards to Rep. Pat Hurley, Rep. Pat McElraft and NCFRW past president, Pat C. Smith. (I will bring the meeting brochure to the next several HCRW meetings, if you want to read more about these accomplished women.) Be proud to be a member of the North Carolina Federation of Republican Women or NCFRW! Your membership in High Country Republican Women automatically gives you membership with all its privileges and recognition at the state and national levels of the Federation of Republican Women. The NCFRW Winter meeting will be held in Raleigh, NC February 3-5, 2023. Gordon Chang will be our speaker. If you want to attend, please contact Paula. The National Federation of Republican Women Biennial Convention will be held in Oklahoma City, Ok. September 28 - October 1, 2023. More information will be available soon. You make a difference! High Country Republican Women Host Inaugural Lincoln-Reagan Dinner  On Tuesday night August 30th, High Country Republican Women held our first annual Lincoln/Reagan Fundraiser Dinner at the Clubhouse in Brannon Forest. We had a total of 66 members, associates, and friends contributing to our event. During cocktail hour there were 50/50 raffle tickets for sale as well as USATrumpStore patriotic jewelry was awarded for donations to HCRW.
Before dinner service, HCRW member Pat Carr gave the Invocation. Effie Atkinson representing the DAR (our coordinator with HCRW for the Charters of Freedom Project), led everyone in the Pledge of Allegiance. We also recognized our county commissioners & candidates, Jennifer Best, Tommy Long (and his wife April) and commissioner candidate, Terry Ramey who were in attendance. Bob Persons, Elder of Hazelwood Presbyterian Church said grace over the meal. A fabulous Kanini’s buffet dinner was served by members, Bev & Charlie Boatright. During dessert, Kay Wildt, President of the North Carolina Federation of Republican Women gave a brief history of the club and urged women to join our club and get involved in this crucial midterm election year. Vice-President of NCFRW, Doris Hawkins, also joined Kay in her enthusiastic support of our dinner. Doris is tireless in her devotion to attending all her mountain region clubs’ events. We were truly honored by their attendance. After dinner, our NC Senator and candidate for U.S. Congress from NC District 11, Chuck Edwards, took the podium and gave an update on his service in the NC Senate then translated his actions into how he will implement his efforts as an US Congressman from NC. Senator Edwards stressed the need for biblically based values, accountability, and common sense fiscal responsibility. A lively Q&A from the dinner guests ensued followed by hearty applause! President Lincoln took over the podium with jokes, tall tales, and excerpts from his speeches. The dinner guests were surprised by President Lincoln with a Lincoln Trivia Questionnaire Contest. The winner was Kay Wildt, President of NCFRW! (Also, a native of Illinois.) HCRW President, Paula Eachus presented her with the highly acclaimed and much applauded book, “Abe, Abraham Lincoln in his times” by David S. Reynolds published in 2020. Our Honest Abe drew the winner of the 50/50 raffle. A very happy Terry Ramey won the drawing with over $150. The evening was enjoyed by everyone. It was a great opportunity to meet our Republican candidates and club officers in a relaxed and intimate setting. We cleared, after all donations and expenses, over $2300. These donations go directly to support our Republican candidates running in the crucial 2022 November midterm elections. Thank you all for attending. I look forward to seeing everyone at our next regular HCRW meeting Tuesday, September 20th, “Exposing Crimes of Socialism” by Jonathan Uzcatequi, Vice Chair of the NC Republican Hispanic Coalition. Please see HCRW calendar of events for details on our website: HighCountryRW.com. |
PAULA EACHUS
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