Men’s Republican Club Members from right: John Thomas, Frank Seninsky, Neil Curly, Mike Lyster and Jim Carter

The Collier County Men’s Republican Club contributed $5,000 Thursday to the Southwest Florida Council Collier County ScoutReach campership program. The campership program funds youth who would not be able to attend week long Boy Scout summer camp without financial assistance. Boy Scout summer camp is the quintessential experience in which all Boy Scouts participate to move forward in the Scouting advancement program. The fit was perfect for the Club because each boy is required to help earn his way to camp as part of the program.

John Thomas, scholarship chair stated, “We believe scouting gives young people an opportunity to invest in their own future. Perhaps we can give them a little help toward achieving that goal.” Michael Lyster, committee member concurred, “Scouting offers vast opportunities for leadership, personal growth, and career education. Boy Scout summer camps offer that and so much more. Every young man deserves the opportunity to attend.”

Scouting’s Collier Chairman Sheriff Kevin Rambosk accepted the gift and allowed youth to speak to Scouting’s value in their lives. Speaking on behalf of youth benefiting from the support, star Scout Tito R. stated, “I took the Graphics Arts merit badge class at Boy Scout summer camp and realized I would like to do this as a career. I enrolled in iTech Immokalee Technical College in Immokalee and now have my Photoshop certification. Without my leaders and support like this, I wouldn’t have found out about this.” The merit badge program has been in practice since 1910 and is one of the career education components of the Boy Scouts of America program.

Boy Scouts are aged 11 to 17 years old and are formed in Troops. The Scouting program has three specific objectives. They are character development, citizenship training, and personal fitness. The mission of the Boy Scouts of America, Southwest Florida Council is to prepare young people to make ethical and moral choices over their lifetimes by instilling in them the values of the Scout Oath and Law. Anyone wishing to contribute, volunteer, or explore the programs with their son or daughter may call (239) 207-5366 or email JamesG@Scouting.org.

The Collier County Men’s Republican Club is actively involved in raising funds to provide scholarships, endowments and contributions to local institutions and programs, such as the Boy Scouts of America, that advocate Republican ideals and principals. This gift is intended to help scouts take advantage of the valuable learning and leadership opportunities of a summer camp experience. The contribution defrays up to 75% of the cost of summer camp enrollment, with each scout endeavoring to raise their portion of the balance. By so doing, the CCRMC believes that the virtues inculcated in the Scout Oath and Law are reinforced when put into real-world practice.

Jim Carter

When you miss a meeting, you have lost an opportunity to expand your knowledge and to be better equipped to defend your values which are constantly under attack by the megaphones of the media, Hollywood and academia.

Last months speaker Dr. Gene Kopelson’s outstanding presentation on the relationship between Dwight Eisenhower and Ronald Regan was awesome.

While Republicans were struggling through the Vietnam era of Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Carter , Ronald Regan’s star bean to shine. Eisenhower saw this and became his mentor. Kopelson ‘s book: Regan’s Dress Rehearsal: Ike, RFK, and Regans Emergence as a Statesman captures an accurate account of History.

Academia will never teach history as it was. They are determined to write history as they think it should be. As I like to say the world according to them.

On Monday February 5 , I had the great pleasure of hearing Denise D’Souza tell his bone chilling story of what happened to him after producing the film 2016. Remember the film? Many of his friends told him not produce it as it was something Obama wouldn’t tolerate. He said, “it’s America” we have freedom of speech. I have a right to share my research and produce this documentary.

Well, the IRS and FBI came calling. He made one mistake on his tax return. He exceeded the limit on one political donation. He had to plea bargain in order not to spend a great deal of his life in jail. He served two years and paid $10,000. In fines. If that wasn’t enough he then had to spend 8 months in a mental health institution after his release because the powers to be said he was unbalanced.

Freedom of speech? It’s conditional. Academia holds the record for intolerance. For them we are right, the rest of you shut up and sit down. Is that what we are going to do?

Read D’Souza book The Big Lie.
Jim Carter
President

Jim Carter

Jim Carter

A big shout out to John Thomas and Eric Carter, co-chairs of the Scholarship Committee and their members for an outstanding job on developing a very comprehensive program to reach the youth and young adults in our community.

The committee’s mission was:

• Identify and visit local organizations that align with Republican ideals, CCRMC could impact positively and support.
• Evaluate and propose specific commitments for each recommended institution within available resources.

After reviewing a number of possibilities, three organizations were selected:

• Southwest Florida Council Boy Scouts of America
• The Alligator District covers all of Collier County. Our $5000 contribution will help 37 scouts have a great camp experience as we will pick up 75% of the cost. We believe every scout needs to have some skin in the game. The goal is to expand camp participation .Lorenzo Walker Technical College . $5000 to assist graduating students with certification costs. Our goal is to help pay up to 75% for those in need. Those costs may run to $500. The vast majority of these graduates stay in Collier County.
• Florida Gulf Coast University: we will establish a named Endowment Scholarship requiring $25,000 over four years.
  — provide $ 1000. Scholarship in perpetuity — $10,000 first year, $5000 for the next 3 years — CCMRC sets criteria

The Scholarship committee will establish criteria in all Three areas. If you have thoughts or suggestions please share with John and Eric. As we proceed in each area we will keep you posted. I’m proud to be a Republican. Thank you all for making this a reality. As I often have said 90% of your dues go to Scholarship. We make a difference.

An exciting meeting this month. Author Gene Kopelson joins us-with great insight on the relationship between Eisenhower and Regan. See you at the-meeting! REGISTER NOW.

Jim Carter

As we begin a new year, I hope all of you had a joyous Christmas season with family and friends. Whatever your faith, it gave us all time to pause and remember how blessed we are to live in a free country.

A great gift I received was Bill O’Reilly’s book, Killing England: The Brutal Struggle for American Independence. A must read. History as it was, not some convoluted rewrite by a leftist elite trying to change History to fit his own political ideology. History is what it was not something that changes on the whims of a political movement.

Many have paid the ultimate price to keep us free. It is our job to do our part in sustaining this Republic for those who follow.

Our program line up for 2018 will be jam packed with outstanding presenters covering a wide variety of topics. You don’t want to miss a single meeting. Some of our future speakers are already posted. Check future programs.

Also it’s an election year. We will be electing a Governor, Senator( time to get rid of Bill Nelson) and send Congressman Rooney back to Congress. State house seats are up as well as local officials. Keeping Florida red is a big challenge.

Please renew your membership and play a big effort in keeping America Strong! Remember your dues fund our Scholarship program. Our investment in our youth will help them carry the torch for freedom. See you at our January meeting.

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS,
HE LIVED ALL ALONE,
IN A ONE BEDROOM HOUSE MADE OF
PLASTER AND STONE.

I HAD COME DOWN THE CHIMNEY
WITH PRESENTS TO GIVE,
AND TO SEE JUST WHO
IN THIS HOME DID LIVE.

I LOOKED ALL ABOUT,
A STRANGE SIGHT I DID SEE,
NO TINSEL, NO PRESENTS,
NOT EVEN A TREE.

NO STOCKING BY MANTLE,
JUST BOOTS FILLED WITH SAND,
ON THE WALL HUNG PICTURES
OF FAR DISTANT LANDS.

WITH MEDALS AND BADGES,
AWARDS OF ALL KINDS,
A SOBER THOUGHT
CAME THROUGH MY MIND.

FOR THIS HOUSE WAS DIFFERENT,
IT WAS DARK AND DREARY,
I FOUND THE HOME OF A SOLDIER,
ONCE I COULD SEE CLEARLY.

THE SOLDIER LAY SLEEPING,
SILENT, ALONE,
CURLED UP ON THE FLOOR
IN THIS ONE BEDROOM HOME.

THE FACE WAS SO GENTLE,
THE ROOM IN SUCH DISORDER,
NOT HOW I PICTURED
A UNITED STATES SOLDIER.

WAS THIS THE HERO
OF WHOM I’D JUST READ?
CURLED UP ON A PONCHO,
THE FLOOR FOR A BED?

I REALIZED THE FAMILIES
THAT I SAW THIS NIGHT,
OWED THEIR LIVES TO THESE SOLDIERS
WHO WERE WILLING TO FIGHT.

SOON ROUND THE WORLD,
THE CHILDREN WOULD PLAY,
AND GROWNUPS WOULD CELEBRATE
A BRIGHT CHRISTMAS DAY.

THEY ALL ENJOYED FREEDOM
EACH MONTH OF THE YEAR,
BECAUSE OF THE SOLDIERS,
LIKE THE ONE LYING HERE.

I COULDN’T HELP WONDER
HOW MANY LAY ALONE,
ON A COLD CHRISTMAS EVE
IN A LAND FAR FROM HOME.

THE VERY THOUGHT
BROUGHT A TEAR TO MY EYE,
I DROPPED TO MY KNEES
AND STARTED TO CRY.

THE SOLDIER AWAKENED
AND I HEARD A ROUGH VOICE,
“SANTA DON’T CRY,
THIS LIFE IS MY CHOICE;

I FIGHT FOR FREEDOM,
I DON’T ASK FOR MORE,
MY LIFE IS MY GOD,
MY COUNTRY, MY CORPS.”

THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER
AND DRIFTED TO SLEEP,
I COULDN’T CONTROL IT,
I CONTINUED TO WEEP.

I KEPT WATCH FOR HOURS,
SO SILENT AND STILL
AND WE BOTH SHIVERED
FROM THE COLD NIGHT’S CHILL.

I DIDN’T WANT TO LEAVE
ON THAT COLD, DARK, NIGHT,
THIS GUARDIAN OF HONOR
SO WILLING TO FIGHT.

THEN THE SOLDIER ROLLED OVER,
WITH A VOICE SOFT AND PURE,
WHISPERED, “CARRY ON SANTA,
IT’S CHRISTMAS DAY, ALL IS SECURE.”

ONE LOOK AT MY WATCH,
AND I KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
“MERRY CHRISTMAS MY FRIEND,
AND TO ALL A GOOD NIGHT.”

This poem was written by a Marine. The
following is his request. I think it is reasonable…..