The STAR Republican News November 2017 Star Republican Women is a federated member club of the Texas Federation of Republican Women, working within TFRW Region XI & Texas Senate District 24. In This Issue. . . ​ November Program Details ​ Gennie's Spotlight SRW Wins John Tower Award TFRW Convention Highlights Vote in November 7 Elections Winners of SRW Chili Cook-Off Renew Your Membership Now 2018 Slate of Officer Nominees Welcome New Members ​Red Shoe Book Club Selection Holiday Luncheon Scheduled SRW To Meet November 14 at Quail Point ​ Seating at Tables Begins at 12:30 p.m. ​ NOTE: Our November meeting is the 2nd Tuesday of the month due to the timing of Thanksgiving. CLICK HERE for Upcoming GOP Events Calendar SRW to Honor Dorothy Crockett and Past Presidents November 14 Star Republican Women will honor our fellow member Dorothy Crockett, as well as past presidents of SRW, at our annual meeting Tuesday, November 14 at Quail Point Lodge. The meeting is on the second Tuesday of the month instead of our regular third Tuesday, AND the format will be different than our regular general meetings. We will begin our program promptly at 12:30 p.m. Attendees will be seated at tables to enjoy a complimentary light lunch and desserts provided by members of the SRW Board. We hope you will make an extra effort for this special occasion to pay tribute to Dorothy, who helped found the Texas Federation of Republican Women and Star Republican Women. Texas Federation of Republican Women President Theresa Kosmoski will serve as our Mistress of Ceremonies for the Tribute to Dorothy. During the program, others will share how Dorothy made a difference in their lives, clubs and the Republican Party and examples of Dorothy's legacy of leadership. Election of 2018 Star Republican Women officers will be held at our annual meeting as well. (See more information about the slate of officers and the election near the end of this newsletter.) We kindly request that you RSVP if you plan to attend our November 14 meeting. Online RSVP instructions are provided below. Click on the red "RSVP for Tribute to Dorothy Crockett" button below, which will take you to the EventBrite site for SRW's event. Click on the green REGISTER button in the upper right area, which will take you to a second page. Adjust the number to how many reservations you want for you and your guests, and Click on the CHECK OUT button, which will take you to a third page. Enter your name and email address and then click on the COMPLETE REGISTRATION button. You will receive an email confirmation of your registration. RSVP for "Tribute to Dorothy Crockett" For newcomers to Star Republican Women and others who may not be aware of Dorothy Crockett's legacy of leadership, you can read about this wonderful women by clicking on the following link: http://www.starrw.org/uploads/2/7/0/1/27012947/crocketttribute.pdf Gennie's Spotlight The Texas Federation Of Republican Women's convention held in October in Dallas was a great celebration for Women and their accomplishments in the political arena. Republican women were heard loud and clear with no division of race, color, nationality, religion or income. We were one in spirit, in our goals, and our pursuit of standing up for our constitution. There was such a positive environment it seemed contagious. Women congratulating each other with praises and thanks was a natural thing to see, and it proved to me that we can be as successful as we inspire to be, just reach high and never look back. I do have to say that special thanks came from all the speakers, from Senator Ted Cruz, Ken Paxton, John Cornyn, Governor Abbott and Mrs. Abbott, Speaker Joe Straus, Senator Buckingham, our 3rd Court of Appeals judges and many others. All expressed gratitude for the service the TFRW provides, and they praised TFRW for helping elect our Texas Officials. They know we do the work in the trenches -- calling, walking door to door, raising funds and tirelessly helping on campaigns and elections. More help is needed in upcoming elections, for we have Democrats coming after Texas in a huge effort to turn Texas Blue. The threat is real! Money and resources from out-of-state are being sent into Texas to attempt just that. Our Star Republican Women, Burnet County Republican Women and Highland Lakes Women were well represented at the TFRW State Convention. It was an honor to accept TFRW's John Goodwin Tower Award on behalf of Star Republican Women, and I thank all our members who contributed their time and efforts toward accomplishing this award of excellence. Our Senate District 24 won several awards with our goal in two years to accomplish more. We do this for you, our membership our party and our goal to elect the best candidates for our County, State and Country. We need everyone's help and dedication to assure that Texas stays Red! God Bless you All! Gennie Ward, SRW President ​ SRW Wins John Good Tower Award At TFRW State Convention Texas Federation of Republican Women presented Star Republican Women with its John Goodwin Tower Award of Excellence at its state convention in October. (Photo to left) Texas First Lady Cecilia Abbott and Speaker of the House Joe Strauss congratulated SRW and our President Gennie Ward (center) at the Convention. Also attending the convention from SRW were: Treasurer Caron Drake, Secretary Kathy Hussey, 1st Vice President Denise Rives and Becci Mears. PHOTO to right: (From left to right) SRW Treasurer Caron Drake was joined by TFRW Deputy Regional President for Region XI Gail Teegarden from Burnet County Republican Women, along with Carolyn Richmond (BCRW treasurer) and Republican Party of Texas Chairman James Dickey (back row). Highlights from the TFRW Convention By Denise Rives, SRW 1st Vice President More than 500 delegates, alternates, and guests attended the Thirty-first Biennial Convention of the Texas Federation of Republican Women October 19-21, 2017 in Dallas. During the Opening General Session, in addition to a business meeting in which 2018-19 officers were elected, welcoming remarks were given by many elected officials. Some of the notable comments during the general session include: “Our liberty comes from God, not government. The role of government is to protect the God-given freedoms.” ~ Don Huffines, State Senator, Dist. 16 “There is NO plan to change or edit the name or the history of the Alamo,” referencing “fake news” that is out there. ~ George P. Bush, Texas Land Commissioner “As long as a judge can redefine truth, we are not free.” ~ Dawn Buckingham, State Senator, Dist. 24, Texas Victory Chair Throughout the "We Make It Happen" convention, the effort to engage women in conversations about conservatism and inspire them to activism was a major focus, especially toward engaging young women. An entertaining and informative presentation was made during the General Session on October 20 th by “Chicks on the Right,” Miriam Weaver and Amy Jo Clark, coauthors of Right for a Reason: Life, Liberty, and a Crapload of Common Sense. Their radio show on WIBC in Indianapolis as well as their popular blog Chicks on the Right in the Indianapolis Star shows why conservatism “makes sense for everyone, especially those who love their country, their families, God, rock and roll, and a well-made cocktail (not necessarily in that order).” PHOTO to Left: SRW members visited with Texas elected officials at the TFRW Convention. (From left to right) SRW President Gennie Ward, State Senator Dawn Buckingham, Texas Comptroller Glenn Heger, Secretary Kathy Hussey, Treasurer Caron Drake and 1st Vice President, Denise Rives. Another highlight of the second general session was information shared by US Senator from Texas, Ted Cruz. Senator Cruz expressed pride in how Texans stepped up during Hurricane Harvey to help fellow Texas. There were not Republicans or Democrats, but Texans. He was also proud that at the national level in allocating resources for relief, there was a common purpose in tax relief for those affected by Harvey. A number of measures for relief included: For tax purposes, the taxable value of a damaged home could be adjusted. Individuals can withdraw from their IRA without penalty to repair/rebuild homes destroyed by Harvey. Charity giving for hurricane relief is not restricted to the ordinary cap for charitable giving deductions. Employers who continued to pay employees who could not go to work during and immediately after the storm will be eligible for tax credit. Gennie Ward, President of Star Republican Women was honored to accept the John Goodwin Tower Award for accomplishments by the SRW at the Awards Luncheon on October 20, 2017. There were three choices from which to pick for each of two afternoon workshop sessions. One of particular merit was “Connecting Conservative Women” presented by Christi Craddick, Railroad Commission Chairman . Commissioner Craddick, through the organization Connecting Conservative Women: Empowering the Next Generation , works with successful women to develop one-on-one relationships with conservative women to find and spark interest in the next group of conservative female leaders, providing them with the tools they need to be successful. On the final day of the convention, a Memorial Breakfast was held to remember the TFRW members who had passed away in the past two years. Very moving special music was provided by Carla Smith from the Midland Republican Women. The keynote speaker was The Honorable Louie Gohmert, U.S. Congressman. Another highlight of the Convention was seeing the work of our fundraising efforts for the Patriot Paws project in the service dogs being trained. The dogs were magnificent and were a big hit at the Closing General Session. The Lieutenant Governor, Dan Patrick, was so impressed that he pledged to raise another $34,000 in the name of TFRW for another dog and training to be matched with a veteran. Legislative