THE REPUBLICAN WOMAN - Iowa Federation of Republican Women

T H E R E PUBLI C AN WOMAN
President’s Message, p. 4
Destination: White House, p. 7
Valuing Your Volunteers, p. 8
Fall Conference Details, p. 9
Summer 2016
Pictured right: IowaFRW
President Melissa Gesing
wrapping up a day on the
campaign trail with Percy
the Puggle. Inset: President
Gesing signing Rosie.
Get In Gear:
IowaFRW Gear!
THE REPUBLICAN WOMAN | 3
Show off your IowaFRW pride with shirts, visors,
hats, and bags! Ships directly to you. Place your
order at www.iowafrwgear.com.
Roast & Ride Volunteers Needed
Volunteers are needed for Senator Joni Ernst’s 2nd Annual Roast & Ride at the Iowa State
Fairgrounds on Saturday, August 27, 2016. Please consider helping Senator Ernst and her team.
They cannot do it without amazing volunteers and supporters! As a volunteer, you will receive
free admission to the event, catered lunch from Lynch BBQ, and a Volunteer 2016 Roast & Ride
t-shirt! Contact Ashley Hunt (who is also our IowaFRW Social Media Chair) if you are interested
in volunteering: ahunt@ls2group.com or 515.505.0459.
4 | THE REPUBLICAN WOMAN
President’s Message
By Melissa Gesing
In less than four months, we will know who our
next president is.
In less than four months, we will know if we
succeeded in re-electing Senator Grassley and our
Republican Congressmen.
In less than four months, we will know if we knocked
off a few (or several!) Democrat incumbents to
make a clean sweep in the U.S. House delegation,
retake the Iowa Senate, and keep our majority in
the Iowa House.
In less than four months, we won’t be able to do
anything more for Election Day 2016.
What we do in the next four months is critical.
Every day counts. We know we have the capability
to do a lot. Now is the time to do it.
In the last IowaFRW newsletter, we shared our 2016
Goals: Strength in Message. Strength in Numbers.
Strength in Unity. These three themes are keys to
our success in November. IowaFRW’s mission is to
elect Republicans at all levels of government. It’s
our reason for being. Our goals are simply how
we do that.
All club presidents have been emailed a list of
Republican-leaning unregistered voters in their
counties. We need to get these people registered
as Republicans and out to vote on Election Day. We
must also ask them to be involved in our organization. The worst thing that may happen when we
ask: They tell us no. And that is fine. At least we
asked and gave them the opportunity.
(Side note: If you do not have a local club and
would like your county’s list, please email me at
melissa@iowafrw.org.)
We need to help with grassroots efforts. We
provided candidate lists and contact information
to everyone at our IowaFRW Spring Conference in
Hiawatha in April. We talked about how to engage
our members with campaigns. Let’s fill up local field
offices and help in any way we are able.
In January, I challenged each of you to do one thing
you have not done before to help elect Republicans
this year. It can be big or small. Invite a friend to
a political event. Show a young girl the amazing
role models we have in OUR party. Pictured next
to this article is my niece Lucy who accompanied
me to Senator Joni Ernst’s First Annual Roast and
Ride last year. She now knows who Carly Fiorina
is and could say Carly’s last name perfectly at the
age of four. She is our future. It’s never too early
to inspire young girls – and boys.
We can also inspire others by doing. Knock on a
few doors. Make some phone calls. Help at a local
field office. Make these activities fun and invite
others to join you.
The one thing I have not done before to help elect
Republicans: leading IowaFRW. While I love working
behind the scenes, being the front person for a
statewide organization is not what I ever had in
mind. Like many of you, I have a full time job and
a life that keeps me on my toes.
I am stepping outside of my comfort zone nearly
every day in this role because this is the small
thing I can do to help elect Republicans this year.
In addition, all of you inspire me. The least I can
do is work alongside you, talk with people across
the state, give a few speeches, and give interviews
to local media. So, even if you have been involved
in politics for 17 or more years, there’s always
something new to do.
In conclusion, I will leave you with some thoughts
regarding our message. Republican women have
a unique voice in this election, as the Democrat
nominee for president claims to represent all
women. Let’s tell the other side of the story – the
Republican women’s side.
Carly Fiorina recently said, “I’m proud to be a
woman. But I also know gender is not an accomplishment. Hillary Clinton can’t run on her record:
a quarter-century of failure, incompetence and
corruption. The only way she can win is by playing
the gender card.”
Then Fiorina wrapped up her comments with,
“Hillary Clinton cannot be trusted, and she cannot
do the job of President of the United States. And it’s
up to us to make sure she never gets the chance.”
We have less than four months to go. Let’s do this!
THE REPUBLICAN WOMAN | 5
“I am proud to be a
woman. But I also
know gender is not
an accomplishment.
Hillary Clinton can’t
run on her record...the
only way she can win is
by playing the gender
card.” Carly Fiorina
pictured left with Lucy
Pictured: Dave Price from WHO-13
in Des Moines interviews IowaFRW
President Melissa Gesing at the
Iowa GOP State Convention held
May 21, 2016 at the Iowa State
Fairgrounds.
6 | THE REPUBLICAN WOMAN
Left: Armed Services Committee Chair Sarah Bowman pictured with her husband David
(l), and son Liam (c). Right: Sarah tries on David’s gear.
Meet our Armed
Services Chair
Sarah Bowman is a lifelong Iowan, born and
raised in Glidden, Iowa, near her family’s Century
Farm. She is a graduate of DMACC and Iowa
State, where her interest in politics began. She
has worked as the Communications director
for Senator Grassley’s campaign, at the Iowa
Capitol in both the House and Senate, and now
works from home as a political consultant.
She served as Secretary of the Polk County
Republicans and was elected Co-Chair for the
2008 election cycle. It was at this time, her
husband David, was deployed to Iraq with the
U.S. Army Reserves, as a medic. While his boots
were on the ground near Tikrit, her heels were
taking care of their oldest son and fighting the
good fight to elect Republicans. David returned
safely, and their family continued to grow. The
Bowmans live in Waukee and are the proud
parents of five, four boys and their daughter,
who attended her first caucus at 19 days old.
Sarah is excited to be a part of the IowaFRW
and serve as the Chair of the Armed Services
Committee. She’d like to start and coordinate
a support group for spouses of those who
serve, as there was no formal support group
for her when David was serving his country.
If you are interested in joining Sarah on this
committee, you can contact her at 515.250.9689
or sarahbowman3@gmail.com.
THE REPUBLICAN WOMAN | 7
8 | THE REPUBLICAN WOMAN
Valuing Your Volunteers
By Judy Davidson
Show them your appreciation.
• Give them praise in person.
• Send personal, handwritten thank you notes.
• Mention names and thank yous in electronic correspondence and social media outlets.
• Give public recognition and thanks at meetings and
events…..mention their names.
• Include a mention of thanks to them in an event
program or flyer.
Take an interest in them personally.
• Get to know them and ask them about personal and
individual aspects of their lives
Make it fun!
• Use bells; red, white and blue pom poms to cheer
them on (may seem corny but makes if fun.)
• Use a dry erase board and create a competition of
some sort on it and list the winners.
• Have a volunteer of the week, take pic and post it.
• Designate a special theme night for volunteers i.e.
ladies night with nice appetizers, decorations.
Never ask them to do anything you wouldn’t do,
then do it and let them see you do it.
you understand.
Make sure they know the value of what it is they are
doing for the cause, explain it in full detail.
Show them that THEY are valued by your words
AND actions.
When they have a personal crisis or issue, take an
active interest.
Assign tasks based on their strengths and interests,
don’t ask what they want to do, ask them what they
LIKE to do.
Conduct a volunteer orientation session.
Give them a volunteer packet with organization
information and contact information for leadership.
Introduce new volunteers to existing ones and
help them feel at ease on a project with returning
volunteers.
Have food/snacks available for project sessions.
Always be ready with the project on the date and
time volunteers show up; set up early.
Include volunteers in communication network of
organization.
Treat each volunteer as a treasured resource.
• Take time to talk individually and personally with
them each time you see them, know their names
and call them by their name.
Give them a volunteer buddy, assign them a partner
or put them on a “special team” especially if the
volunteer is brand new and doesn’t know anyone.
Visit with the group for a few minutes before the start
of the project. Ask for their opinion on the process.
• What do they think is best way, do they have a better
way to proceed?
• People support what they help create.
Increase responsibilities as they show they want it
and can handle it.
Give special perks that others don’t or won’t get.
• Greet candidates, drive candidates, attend special
receptions for dignitaries.
Realize they have more to their lives than just volunteering: family, church, jobs, etc.
Help them to be comfortable enough to say no to
you about doing something and show them that
When they are ready, let them run projects or be
trainers and coordinators for other volunteers.
Keep project expectations reasonable based on time
and number of volunteers.
Set an example for a positive, professional atmosphere, no gossip.
MOST OF ALL, THINK HOW YOU WOULD WANT TO BE
TREATED AS A NEW VOLUNTEER, AND TREAT YOUR
VOLUNTEERS AS SUCH.
Judy Davidson
Leadership Development Chair, IowaFRW
Chair, Scott County Republicans
State Central Committee, Republican Party of Iowa
H 563.355.8887 C 563.579.5083
williamdavidsoniii@mchsi.com
THE REPUBLICAN WOMAN | 9
IowaFRW
BOD Meeting
& Fall
Conference
Save the date!
Saturday, September 24, 2016 | We invite all members and
prospective members to attend this meeting and event.
Come hear Omaha Mayor Jean Stothert. Additional speakers
to be announced.
9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
10:30 AM - 11:30 AM
12:00 PM - 12:30 PM
12:30 PM - 3:00 PM
Executive Committee Meeting (Closed)
Board of Directors Meeting
Registration & Lunch
Speakers
Cost: $25 (Lunch Included)
Location: Barley’s
114 West Broadway | Council Bluffs, IA
Reservations requested by Thursday, September 22, 2016.
RSVP:
Cheryl Weisheit, IowaFRW Treasurer
802 NW School St | Ankeny, IA 50023
515.249.8584 | cheryl@iowafrw.org
Pay online at www.iowafrw.org/donations and mention
“Fall Conference” in the notes at check-out. Or, make checks
payable to IowaFRW.
Name ____________________________________________________________
Mailing Address_______________________________________________
City/Zip _______________________________________________________
Phone _________________________________________________________
Email __________________________________________________________
 $25 Check for Fall Conference Registration Enclosed
Pictured Above:
Omaha Mayor
Jean Stothert.
iowafrw.org
Iowa Federation of Republican Women
@IowaFRW
Kim Reem | Editor
Paid for by the Iowa Federation of Republican Women