Free Republic Network Conference a Roaring Success! Participants post your comments here

Free Republic | August 18, 2002 | Auntie Mame

[Auntie Mame]

Dear Freepers:

I just returned from the First Annual Free Republic Network Convention in Las Vegas.

The Free Republic Network Cruise last October was the most fun I've ever had in my whole life. The Free Republic Network Conference I just attended was the most informative and inspiring two days I've ever had in my whole life.

The Free Republic Network is stretching its muscle, not by talk, but by action. The Free Republic forum is liberty's college. The Free Republic Network is liberty's workplace.

If you attended, please use this thread to post your observations, comments and highlights of the conference. I will give mine below. But before I do, I'd like to take this time to thank Bob Johnson and the FRN board for putting on this conference. It's hard for me to find the words to adequately describe how great this experience was--and how much I learned.

[strela]

Let me know if you need help with the funding for those bullhorns.

No way. It costs our company more in warehousing fees to store stuff like that than it does to simply give them away to us loyal employees (snicker).

I'm still puzzling over how to handle the bigger stuff I want to donate as door prizes such as home theater receivers, stereos, TVs, and electronic keyboards. They're just too big to slip into your carry-on luggage and lug home. Maybe we can hand out vouchers for them at the events, and I can mail them directly to the winners or something. I'll work on it and let you know.

[anymouse]

Better to use cleaver humor and charm

Can I help it if I have a sharp wit and a dull spell checker. :)

FReepmail me with the contact details for sending a copy of the presentation tape. Just remember the quality of the duplicate will be much lower quality than what you saw at the conference.

And before anyone else asks for a copy of the presentation tape, I am only doing this for TRG because he asked at the conference. Bob J is in charge of making the presentation available along with the video of the FRN conference on a tape at some later time. FReepmail Bob J with your requests for the conference tape.

[LurkerNoMore!]

The video presentation was awesome, guys.

Freepers, these three put together an incredible montage (to music) of each chapter's activities from the election to 9/11 and its aftermath. I wish everyone could see it..........

[Interesting Times]

You aren't Faking me Out, are you?

Heck no. Have you ever had a case of borderline sunstroke?

It's like being in a really bad movie starring Pia Zadora.

Best way to cool off is to find a cold shower ASAP.

[LurkerNoMore!]

Lowbridge:
Your post was so sweet, but the pleasure was all mine! You are a special man and I enjoyed not only getting to know you, but being able to call you my friend. I also appreciate you hanging with me until it was time for me to board that plane (Lowbie discovered that as much as I like to travel, I'm pretty much a white-knuckle flyer).

As excited as you were about getting that Emergency Exit seat, I just wish I could have seen your face as you sat down in first class! LOL I hope this lucky streak of yours never ends.... You're one talented guy, surrounded by opportunities, and I wish you the best.

The Brothers Mertz:
Fred & Chris, thank you for the wonderful fellowship. I had a blast with you two nuts, and as you both saw from my empty plate, I LOVED the dinner you guys treated me to Sunday night, as well that marvelous after dinner drink. (Next time I will know to sip it :^*)
As opposite as you two appear to be (can you say Night & Day?), I was able to see a familiar thread woven between you, and I admire your brotherly bond. Thanks for making Sunday so special for me.

[Fred Mertz]

Don't get mushy on me. It was grate to see you too.

[LurkerNoMore!]

HF....How could we have never before communicated on FR, yet hit it off as if we had known each other all our lives? Oh, and thanks for cracking me & you know who up during that_particular_lecture.

Anna.... What a breath of fresh air you are. I wish I had been able to meet your sons. They have one special mom!

[LurkerNoMore!]

Okay You. I had heard through the grapevine that you were a special Freeper, but you blew me away with your wit and that quick smile of yours. I enjoyed being Barney to your Andy (lol) on the security team.

Chicagoland is in good hands, dio!

[anymouse]

Maybe Boston is a ruder venue than what many of the rest of us have to deal with, but standing up for yourself is not the same as bullying like the left does so often. We are not out for blood (at least not literally. :)

The contrast of actually being polite and attentive may actually impress the media types.

Accepting that you have to get down in the gutter with the left to win, misses the whole point of using the media to win over a larger audience than merely those within earshot of a protest.

[HangFire]

LNM, was a real pleasure meeting you too, I'll post some pics as soon as I get some time off;-)

[HangFire]

You guys did an outstanding job!!!

[anymouse]

Lowbie,

I'm soooo jealous! :) You get to hang out with LNM, get a 1st class flight, a free future flight and win back your money. Did you play a country music song backwards or something? :)

Glad to finally meet you in person. Thanks for the help with gathering the FReeper photos. And keep up the good work with those whacky parody graphics.

[anymouse]

kristinn,

Sour grapes doesn't suit you.

Sure there are significant disagreements amoung FReepers about how we are to be organized and how we conduct ourselves, but when we loose sight of the real objective of advancing our common cause of liberty, then we all loose.

It pained me greatly to not be able to include the DC chapter in the conference slide show presentation (at your request), as I consider your hard work and dedication in "getting in the face" of our National leaders on their home turf to be an integral part of the FreeRepublic team. But I honored the agreement between the DC chapter and FRN as best I could, even when it left a huge whole in the FReeper story.

I hope that you guys can find it in your heart to work with FRN and not against it. It is far from perfect, but without it we would have one less tool to fight the good fight against liberalism and for freedom and justice.

[Dr. Zoo]

even when it left a huge whole in the FReeper story.

Hay don't you no that I am the king of tyupos....?

You should have spelled that "hole"...but the whole thing maybe is what you meant...

[RonDog]

1. Set the agenda.
2. Stay on topic.
3. Repetition of message.

Thank you, Bob J - and thank you to ALL of the members of the Free Republic Network who made such an extraordinary event as "FRiva Las Vegas 2002" possible. Without your inspiration - and PERSPIRATION - FRiva might have remained just another good idea that MIGHT have been. You (and the FRN) team made it happen.

I have never particularly liked the metaphor about "herding cats," but it is true that managing strong egos is at least as much of an art as it is a science, and YOU are in many ways a master artist.

The primary message that I took away from this weekend, however, was pragmatism.

We in the conservative movement need to focus on results. We do not always have to agree with each other. We do not even have to LIKE each other.

Chuck Muth said something about the Founding Fathers often having violent disagreements, despite the common belief that they were always such good friends. Jim Robinson added something to the effect that Alexander Hamilton probably would have been BANNED, if they had had a forum like this one then. :o)

Personally, I agree with Billy Graham's wife Ruth, who once said that if two people agree with each other about everything, ONE of them is unnecessary.

We need to remember that the most important vote that they take in the Senate each term is the FIRST vote - the one that establishes which is the MAJORITY party, and who shall be the committee chairmen. Tom Daschle has been extraordinarily effective at blocking the conservative agenda from his position as Majority Leader, and this CANNOT continue.

While we ALL might like to see fire-breathing "true believers" in public office, we may need to settle for squishy RINOs - at times - who will at least vote for the party ONE TIME - at the beginning of the term, until we can find a way to elect more conservative candidates.

We who post on this forum need to find COMMON GROUND more frequently, IMHO.

That which DIVIDES us pales before that which UNITES us.

[anymouse]

Sorry for infringing on your territory Dr. Zoo. I guess it was a Phreudian slip. ;) The hole left kept it from being a whole story.

Las Vegas induces sleep deprivation, which leads to typo proliferation. Good think they don't make you spell "Black Jeaques," to win. :)

[uglybiker]

Relax and enjoy in that Desert Heat?

Thank goodness for air conditioning! (and the fact it really wasn't that hot)

You shoulda seen me riding up Las Vegas Avenue with my riding jacket on (no place to pull over and yank it off). Next time I'll swipe those little soaps out of the motel room and stash 'em in my jacket and be able to take a 'shower on the go'. :^P

[uglybiker]

Freepers, these three put together an incredible montage (to music) of each chapter's activities from the election to 9/11 and its aftermath. I wish everyone could see it..........

Well, here's a little snippet. HIghlighting my own Arizona chapter, of course.

Looks like Dittomom and Dittokid on the screen.

[Snow Bunny]

Hi diotima, it was so neat to get to meet you and so many Freepers.
I am looking forward to the next one.

God bless all of you.

[uglybiker]

It was nice gettin' a real hug from you for a change.

Wish you could've spent more time with us.