Caucus Feb 2nd - 1pm at Husson College

Saturday Feb 2nd at 1pm at Peabody Hall, Husson College - Look for the signs as you enter the college. Things to consider:

• The committee is seeking volunteers to help set up. Those interested should arrive around 11 to assist.
• The city clerk will be on hand to register voters prior to the 1pm start time.
• The Penobscot County members will gather collectively at 1pm for the pledge of allegiance, caucus messages, and to hear from visiting speakers from various campaigns.
• Cities and towns will then break up and conduct caucus business individually:
• Elect officers of the Caucus
• Attendance sign in
• Delegate nominations
• Penobscot County membership sign up
• Seeking Election Clerks to assist on election day
  

• Bring your checkbook to the caucus.
  
• Tickets for the Bangor Republican Committee Lincoln Dinner with Susan Collins will be sold for those who do not order online;
• People interested in being delegates to the May State Convention need to be nominated at the caucus and have a $25 personal or business check on hand.
• Republican candidates seeking to run as a Clean Election candidate will be seeking $5 checks from caucus goers.

For a terrific overview of the caucus, visit www.mainegop.com.

See you there!

Cary Weston

Fantastic Meeting!

Our thanks to state senator Kevin Raye for addressing the Bangor Republican City Committee at last nights full house meeting.

It was fantastic to see so many come out and discuss the caucus, the candidates, and the upcoming election season.

Please note - the website now features a donation module as we'll need your help to ensure our candidates get the full support they deserve.

We also announced a February 20th Lincoln Dinner which will feature keynote speaker US Senator Susan Collins. Tickets can be purchased online as well. This will be a limited seat event so please order your tickets today!

Thanks again for the tremendous support and energy. I'm so proud to see the Maine College Republicans, Greater Bangor Young Republicans, the Maine Society for Young Republicans, and representatives from Fusion:Bangor in the room participating in the discussion last night. These groups are the future of our party and the essential link to ensuring we have the forces we need to be successful in the coming months.

Kudos to you all. I couldn't be prouder of what we're building here in Bangor.

See you at the caucus on Feb. 2nd!

Remember - if you think change can happen, you're RIGHT!

Cary

Young Voters Must Act

As published in the Bangor Daily News, January 19, 2008:
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Maine's young voters must act
With strong showings of young voters capturing the headlines in early primaries and caucuses, we are seeing a generation, whose attention is difficult to hold, show considerable interest in the political process and in choosing the leaders of our future.

Headlines abound on the topic of "young voters" and the Generation Y movement to get involved in this year’s elections. But will the energy carry forward to the Maine caucuses, or is it simply a reaction to the rallying cry of pop star politicians? Can it be that a generation raised on instant messaging, iPods and YouTube can be sincere in wanting to effect change the old-fashioned way?

In Maine, we are about to find out.

Over the past few years, I have been fortunate to work with and experience the growth of two organizations that are fostering the collective voice of Gen X, Gen Y — all those up-and-comers. What we are seeing right here in Maine is what other states are getting headlines for — young professionals getting together and working for the future of their cities, towns, regions and state. Young leaders are steadily building a platform of substance and making sure their voices, ideas and experiences are represented when it matters most.

Right here, FusionBangor has been a growing force in engaging and empowering young professionals to not only get out and be seen, but to be a unifying voice of change for the economic, social and recreational future of the Bangor region. Statewide, REALIZE!Maine has quietly been working with groups like Fusion all over Maine to build a growing, organized network of regional organizations, all carrying a collective mission: to enable today’s young professional to explore his or her passion and breed the future stewards of our state.

How do FusionBangor and REALIZE!Maine relate to the role of young voters? While strictly nonpartisan, both groups are planning aggressive communications campaigns to get their members involved in local caucuses, primaries and elections in 2008 and beyond. But in order to be heard, we must first be seen. And it must be done the old-fashioned way — by showing up and raising your hand.

As a member of the under-40 set (at least for now), I have been part of a lot of talk about the importance of political action to improve our collective future. I’ve sat on panels with community leaders discussing both pessimism and opportunity for our state and its economic future. I’ve heard a lot of good ideas and viewpoints. But talk is not enough.

It is time to move beyond the conversation. And therein lies the challenge. It’s a challenge I am issuing to myself, my friends and colleagues, family members and community leaders. It is the challenge of engagement.

Established leaders and voters can play a significant role in encouraging young voter participation. Engage a young voter. Bring a younger colleague to a caucus. Inspire a dialogue about politics with another generation. Share your perspective, and most importantly, ask theirs. Mentor a young person getting involved in the political process, and you open up a world of opportunity for them to shape the future.

For the young voters themselves, the challenge is to stop talking and do something. The first step? Attend a caucus. If you have never participated in a caucus (and that includes me), don’t let the fear of the unknown keep you from taking part. Find a friend, mark your calendar and make your way to the regional caucus and soak in for yourself the experience of using your voice to forward your ideals.

Caucus dates, times and locations for both Republican and Democratic events can be found at the REALIZE!Maine Web site: www.realizemaine.org. Make it a point to forward this information to at least one young voter in your life.

Not enrolled but want to participate? In most cases you can enroll the same day as the caucus. Both parties are excited to welcome young voters to the process, and will eagerly accommodate newcomers. You can also make it a point to become educated so that when Election Day rolls around, you are prepared to make a statement in any race — local, state or national.

These big headlines about young voters are only the beginning. They cast light on what has quietly been a growing movement of enthusiasm, engagement and empowerment. The young voter, just like the young professional and the young leader, is the future of every region. With Maine’s older population growing rapidly, the need for youth in action is critical in our state. And now, by answering this challenge, Maine is in a unique position to move from talking about action to demonstrating it.

Can there be a more rewarding experience than personally engaging in the democratic process? One thing is for sure — participating is certainly more rewarding than watching it all happen on YouTube. Don’t let this opportunity pass Maine by — virtually or otherwise.
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Cary Weston is a Bangor native, graduate of the University of Maine and partner at Sutherland Weston Marketing Communications. He is also founding chair of FusionBangor, member of REALIZE!Maine, and serves as chairman of the Bangor Republican City Committee.

Upcoming 2008 Caucus - FEB 2nd, 1pm

Well its time again for the biennial caucus. Since we're in Bangor, we'll be participating in the Penboscot County Caucus at Peabody Hall at Husson College on Saturday, Feb 2nd at 1pm.

This will be my first caucus event and I'm thrilled to not only be participating but doing so representing the Bangor Republican City Committee. The energy, passion, and voices I've been so fortunate to be a part of over these past few months has been electrifying and I'm eager to see our momentum grow!

Now, not having participated in a caucus before, I have quite a few questions. So I did some digging online and found a fantastic reference that State Chair Marc Ellis has put together to help folks like me better understand not only what the caucus is all about but what exactly we'll be expected to do.

Here's a link the site in case you have questions or are curious yourselves. Click Here. It's really well done.

I'll be attending the upcoming county committee meeting on the 19th and will returned armed with our city's "Caucus Kit." We'll go over the caucus at the City Committee meeting on Jan 23rd at Husson College's Dyke Center for Family Business. This meeting is open to all Bangor area republicans and I encourage any and all to attend!

An update to that meeting - I spoken to State Senator Kevin Raye from Perry about joining us for the city meeting and sharing his thoughts and experiences on the upcoming caucus. Sen. Raye has graciously and enthusiastically agreed to be our speaker and I couldn't be happier to announce that.

Please - pass on our notice to any and all you might think need to hear our message and be part of the process to help shape the campaign that will decide the future stewards of our state.

Your help is imperative as we build our team to move our message forward - to Augusta and Washington!

So please, check out the Caucus information site and make a note to make contacts and bring a group to join us on Jan 23rd at 5:30 at Husson College for the Bangor Republican City Committee Pre Caucus session and Sen. Raye.

Remember - if you think change can happen, You're Right!

-Cary Weston