November 5, 2004

Republican Club at the Villages keeps members informed

Members of the Republican Club at the Villages called in an expert on Oct. 26 to help them wade through the long, complicated and sometimes conflicting propositions set before voters in the Nov. 2 election.

Based on the positive feedback received from members in the past, the club invited back Dr. Gloria Hom, chairman of the Economics Department for Mission College. “This is just an inspiration to me; I love coming to the Villages,” said Hom. “Seniors always vote, and they always vote right.”

Bill Eckart, a member of the Republican Club at the Villages, takes note during Hom’s presentation on all of the propositions.

After a good dinner at the Club House at the Villages, Hom dove right in, presenting the pros and cons of each state proposition in a nonpartisan fashion. Many of the members brought their sample ballots and took diligent notes on the valuable information she shared.

“Just because we’re retired, and a lot of people here are over 80, doesn’t mean we don’t care about what’s going on in our community,” said Donna Roberson, past president for the Republican Club, before the meeting. She also noted that the Villages has an unbelievable voter turnout, typically 85 percent of the registered voters.

The Republican Club’s roots can be traced back about nine years, when many of the members were part of the Evergreen Republican Women. Membership hovered at about 120 for years, but when the organization began losing members, some felt that it had to become coed.

Roberson was new to the club at that time, and volunteered to be president. They voted and decided to open it up to men. Today, the Republican Club at the Villages is more than 300 members strong.

“Our main goal is to keep our members informed not only on national issues, but also on local issues,” said Roberson. The club donated $4,000 to local campaigns during this election and has set aside $500 for a scholarship fund that would enable a young college-age Republican to attend a future Republican Convention.

The club also donated $500 to the Second Harvest Food Bank, $500 to the Villages Medical Assistance (VMA) and $500 to install an automated door to the Club House for the handicapped.

If you live at the Villages and would like to find out how you can join the Republican Club at the Villages, contact Membership Chairperson Joan Moyle at (408) 666-3375.