Fellow Freepers, we are proud to present the new Free Republic Network!
We have been working for several months to plan and implement a greatly expanded version of the Free Republic Network, which will feature a new array of services for Network Chapters, and new relationships with some of the most successful conservative organizations.
The new Network is dedicated to providing services for two types of organizations, Affiliates/Chapters and Strategic Partners, and to training and supporting individual conservative activists.
Affiliates are independent grassroots organizations for which the Network will provide key services, such as information on setting up a corporation, organizational development, public and media relations, fundraising, networking, event planning, and a turnkey web site within the Network structure that supports registering members and collecting donations. Affiliates may be defined by geographic area or by a political issue. Affiliates must agree to abide by the Network code of conduct, but are otherwise free to select and implement their own activities.
The initial set of Affiliates consists of the 45 Chapters from the former all-volunteer Network.
These groups have been granted Affiliate status in the new Network at no expense through December 31, 2002. After that time the Network will consider requiring Affiliates to have a minimum number of dues-paying Network members to continue to receive services and information. All Affiliates are represented on the Leadership Council, a group of Affiliate leaders who meet regularly to provide feedback and advice to the Network about Network topics and operations.
Strategic Partners are successful, established conservative organizations which share our goals. The Network will exchange services and information with Partners to the benefit of both organizations.
Our first and most important Partner will be the Free Republic Forum, for which the Network will develop a professional organization to support and expand the Forum's spontaneous political activities.
Network members have access to information about the activities of the Network and its Affiliates. Membership in the Network is available at no cost through December 31, 2002, after which time we will consider charging a small membership fee for our services.
Affiliate Development Plans
The Network will work closely with Affiliates and help them to recruit members, while seeking Partners willing to provide Affiliates with needed information and services. Next, we will contact conservative organizations at colleges and Universities across the country and ask them to join the Network. Our experience in organizing protest events will be a key selling point here, as will our ability to give their activities a much larger audience. Finally, we will identify and recruit grassroots conservative organizations that currently operate in isolation.
As Network Affiliates, we can provide these organizations with useful services, connect them with similar interest groups, and help them plan and publicize their activities.
Strategic Partner Development Plans
Our early Strategic Partners will be selected from among the conservative organizations attending CPAC 2002. We will offer prospective Partners the ability to quickly and effectively deliver their messages to a national audience of motivated, experienced activists. In return, the Network will seek services and funding that allow us to more effectively support our Affiliate organizations in their work.
The Network at CPAC
CPAC 2002, the Network's "coming-out party", runs from Thursday, January 31 through Saturday, February 2. The Network is signed up as a CPAC co-sponsor and has also arranged to host an exclusive cocktail reception for the senior executives of all other CPAC co-sponsors, to whom we will present our plans. There are only two such events at CPAC, and they are normally hosted by major players in the conservative movement -- for example, this year the NRA is giving the other reception. The Network's own Radio Free Republic has the broadcast rights for CPAC, and will be interviewing conservative luminaries throughout the convention. The principals of the Network will also take this opportunity to describe our plans to a wider audience. Finally, Jim Robinson is a leading candidate to receive CPAC's prestigious Reagan Award at the President's Banquet on Friday night. In addition to being a well-deserved honor for Jim, this has the potential to greatly raise the visibility of both the Forum and the Network in the professional conservative community.
Organizational status and staff:
The Network is currently applying for 501(c)4 status as a non-profit, political corporation. The Network's Executive Team consists of the following individuals:
Chairman: Bob J
I. Treasurer (acting): Ms AntiFeminazi
II. Secretary: Diotima
III. Executive Director: Skeet
1. Director of Development: The Shrew
1a. Member and Client Services: Diotima
1b. Policies, Procedures, Standards and Practices: Interesting Times
1c. Fundraising: to be determined
2. Director of Communications: IronJack
2a. Website: Nick Danger
2b. Newsletter: Seeking the Truth
2c. RadioFR: Bob J
3. Director of Media & Public Relations: ReaganGirl
4. Director of Advertising and Marketing: Nick Danger
5. Director of Projects and Community Services: LurkerNoMore!
5a. CPAC 2002: LurkerNoMore!
The other members of the Network's Board of Directors are:
RightOnline
Abner
Doughtyone
BadJoe
Dittomom
MinuteGal
Angelwood
All members of the Board are both freepers and FAB members.
We have retained the services of two consultants to help us build the Network:
Jeff Taylor (skeet) -- Operations and Planning Consultant:
Jeff Taylor has over 18 years combined experience in operations, project management, and training. He served as a political consultant on grassroots presidential campaigns in 1992 and 2000. Mr. Taylor received a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Relations from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and served as a nuclear launch officer for the United States Air Force.
Pattye Meagher (ReaganGirl) -- Media Consultant
Patricia Fava Meagher is President of The Meagher Company, a public relations and political consulting firm in Alexandria, Virginia. She previously served as Senior Policy Advisor to Congressman Walter B. Jones (R-NC) and as Legislative Director for the American Conservative Union. Mrs. Meagher holds a Bachelor of Science in Radio, Television and Film from the University of Southern Mississippi at Hattiesburg and studied British Television and Media at Kings College, London.
one_particular_harbour is serving as the Network's acting corporate attorney.
How you can help
1. Join the Network -- just go to www.freerepublic.net and follow the prompts. If you're already a member of an FR Network Chapter, please check to see that your ID is still active. Your first year's membership in the new Network is free.
In addition to local area Affiliates we also have issue-oriented groups in which you can get involved, such as:
Operation America
Education Watch
Election Reform
Land Grab
Media Bias
Second Amendment (2A)
For information on forming a new Affiliate contact Diotima.
2. Donate. We need funds immediately to cover web site construction, CPAC expenses, professional consultant fees, the construction of Affiliate packages and so on. You will be able to contribute when you register with the Network -- this service will be available within the next day or two. One of our primary expenses will be in setting up a state-of-the-art activist web site to replace the current, temporary site.
3. Pitch in. In addition to the items listed below, the Network Board members will be posting requests for various kinds of assistance to this thread. Feel free to volunteer for anything that interests you, or to make your own suggestions. Don't delay -- we have a lot to accomplish before CPAC, and we need to move fast.
One area of immediate need is in the construction of the 'packages' that the Network will provide to Affiliates. We plan to provide information on how to incorporate and legally set up their organizations, how to attract and motivate members, a sample charter, business plan and bylaws, the Network code of conduct, a member agreement, and instructions on how to do effective grassroots activism, including protest guidelines and how to deal with the media.
-- To work in these areas, please contact Diotima via freepmail.
We also plan to provide Affiliates with individual web sites that connect to the Network site through a portal. So we'll need writers, layout folks, HTML gurus and graphic designers with experience working on commercial web sites.
-- contact Nick Danger
We'll need news pros, artists and writers for the Network newsletter.
-- contact Seeking the Truth
We're looking for a Chief Financial Officer -- a professional with a CPA.
-- contact Skeet
We can use assistance in recalling and documenting some of FR's many successful freeps, such as the instant boycotts of financial institutions that offered the Bent One big bucks to speak, or melting down the phone lines of the Democrat Congresscritter who described the Administration's September 11 concern about a possible terror attack on Air Force One as "just spin", and other events where we forced retractions or apologies. We'd like to set up a repository on the new Network site containing short descriptions and links for a number of these events.
Also, we can use some help in tracking down noteworthy quotes about FR -- for example, Bob Barr saying that without FR, there could have been no impeachment of Clinton.
-- contact Reagan Girl
We'll need people with professional experience in writing fundamental business documents, such as Charters, Bylaws and Business Plans.
-- contact Interesting Times
To help build other areas of the Network, freepmail the Network Director responsible for the area in which you are interested, or send email to frn@freeper.org. Note: Bob J is out of town until the end of the month. Please contact The Shrew or diotima to work on RadioFR.
Free Republic has made a real impact on the political scene over the past few years.
Now we're going to turbocharge it.
Thanks and FRegards,
The Free Republic Network Board of Directors