Chair Elliott’s Welcoming Address
Excerpt: It was young people who sparked the fire of freedom and earned our independence. It was young people who fought in the Civil War to unite a divided country and end the terrible sentence of slavery. It was young pioneers who settled the untamed wilderness of Oregon. It was young people who stormed the beaches of Normandy to free a continent and defeat fascism. It was young people from their blood, sweat, sacrifice, and tears who defied the odds and challenges to create the greatest and most successful country to ever exist. And it is young people like you here today who are going to rise up to the occasion to save Oregon.
Mr. Chairman, Vice Chair Gray, National Committeeman Bennett, Secretary Huwe, Treasurer McHaddad. Ladies and gentlemen, distinguished guests, first I'd like to say that I'm humbled and honored to be your next chairman. And I look forward to leading Oregon's comeback with all of you. I'd also like to thank my girlfriend, Maddie, for encouraging me, inspiring me to run this organization. And Calvin for all of the work you did in helping me with my campaign.
Thank you. Chairman Lloyd, I want to say thank you for making this organization become chartered again. And if it wasn't for the work that you did in getting this organization rechartered, we would not all be here today. Thank you for your service, dedication, and commitment to the young Republicans of Oregon and to the Republican Party Board. And I appreciate it if you'd all join me in giving a round of applause to Chairman Lloyd. Thank you. I look around this room and I see future legislators, members of Congress, U.S. senators, future governors, and hey, maybe even a future president.
Our organization is dedicated and to investing into your success. I want us to be a political powerhouse in this state. I want you to be excited about the future. And I want to see each and every one of you live up to your full potential. America's story was paved by people like us. 21, the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence were between the ages of 18 and 40, which is the age range to be a young Republican. It was just a 33-year-old Thomas Jefferson who wrote the most famous words in world history. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
It was young people who sparked the fire of freedom and earned our independence. It was young people who fought in the Civil War to unite a divided country and end the terrible sentence of slavery. It was young pioneers who settled the untamed wilderness of Oregon. It was young people who stormed the beaches of Normandy to free a continent and defeat fascism. It was young people from their blood, sweat, sacrifice, and tears who defied the odds and challenges to create the greatest and most successful country to ever exist. And it is young people like you here today who are going to rise up to the occasion to save Oregon.
Our organization's motto is very simple. Recruit, train, and elect the next generation Republicans. My priorities for these next two years are to recruit over 100 new members by the end of my first term.
Help train and prepare our members at want to be candidates themselves, a campaign staffer, a grassroots activist, a staffer in this Oregon capital, or a staffer in Washington, D.C. This may be the most important of my goals. I want us to hold annual funders, and by the end of this year, I want us to raise at least $20,000. And, lastly, I want us to take a full delegation to the National Young Republicans Convention in Nashville this summer. We have 13 delegates positions, and we have as many alternates as we want.
And, actually, I do have one more. I want to see some of us actually get elected. So let's make that happen. We live in one of the most taxed, oldest, and liberal states in the country. Oregon is in a state of decline. Our businesses are leaving, our people are moving, and our economy is failing. It'd be easy for any of us to move to the free state of Florida and to stand here in the people republic of Oregon. But why do we stay?
Well, I can tell you why today. I stay because I believe in my home, Oregon. Rebecca Franks, who traveled on the Oregon Trail and settled here in Oregon in 1846, had this to say, she made the difficult journey. The trail has been a trial of endurance, but we are not defeated. Our spirits are strong, and with each challenge we find new strength to carry on. Oregon calls us, and we will answer. My fellow young Republicans, let us keep our spirits strong, and let us answer the call to save Oregon. Thank you. I look forward to working with all of you. God bless you. God bless Oregon, and God bless the United States of Oregon. The view here looks bright.
Chair Lloyd’s Farewell Address
Excerpt: Every election cycle since my tenure, the Young Republicans have run candidates directly or have worked on fellow Republicans' races. We have empowered our members to work and lead within like-minded grassroots organizations and increase that ever-growing influence that we have around the state. More importantly, I feel that we have created a space for young people who stand in the opposition of the status quo of Oregon politics. We have created a place where people can learn skills that they need to be successful in a job, and in an industry that there really isn't a manual for.
I'd like to recognize a few individuals for their outstanding contributions to the Young Republicans that couldn't be here with us, or couldn't be here with us today.
From the very beginning, Dmitriy Sashchenko has always been intrinsically connected to this organization. He was actually our fourth vote for us to become reorganized. Unfortunately, he couldn't be here with us today. I really appreciate all of his help for this organization.
The next is Kristina Malimon. She was my very first National Committee woman. And she has been kind of a stalwart of the conservative movement in Oregon as long as she possibly could. She was actually arrested at the J6 event. And she has been given a full Presidential pardon. So that's something that's pretty exciting.
The next thing is a gentleman named Dennis Porter. Dennis Porter was involved with the young Republicans from the very beginning. He helped reform the organization. He was my national, or he was my vice chairman when we first started. And he was really inspirational to me about how we bring things together and how we look forward to doing this.
The next is Gabriel Braet. He was the very first Secretary that I can remember in the young Republicans in a phenomenal, phenomenal documentor.
James Heib was our National Committeeman, our State Treasurer, and Young Republicans greatest patron, as well as being a State Representative. He has always been there to support us, and I'm honored to be his friend.
Katie Hieb, his wife as well, and she was our National Committeewoman.
Sarah Phillips has stepped out of the room, but I just want to say that her work has been instrumental to this organization in so many ways, and she's been such a great support for me.
Lauren Christensen, she was our first communications chair, and she was also the vice chair of the young Republicans, and she was instrumental in doing our legislative visits and getting us closer to getting into the Capitol. So I'm very, very proud to know her.
Sheri Brady, she is a YRO alum member. We basically created that organization because we wanted to have people who were a little too old to be involved with the young Republicans, but still supported our movement and what we're doing, and everything that she had to do with the young Republicans, she did it to the absolute 10 in the 11th. And I just want to thank all of those that have helped us along the way that I didn't mention. So my friends in the future of Oregon, it has been a great honor to serve you as your chairman. We have always embraced the slogan of recruit, train, and elect, but what that truly has meant to me was to give the young Republicans and the youth of this state a voice. Over my time in office, we have grown this organization into an effective political machine. You have created a space on the state party's executive board. Many of our members have worked within the halls of the state Capitol and worked for elected representatives.
Every election cycle since my tenure, the young Republicans have run candidates directly or have worked on fellow Republicans' races. We have empowered our members to work and lead within like-minded grassroots organizations and increase that ever-growing influence that we have around the state. More importantly, I feel that we have created a space for young people who stand in the opposition of the status quo of Oregon politics. We have created a place where people can learn skills that they need to be successful in a job, and in an industry that there really isn't a manual for.
Most of all, we have created a place where we can make friends, where we have made friends that will definitely last us all of our lives. But I think it is just the beginning for the young Republicans of Oregon. As my term comes to a close, I look towards the future with excitement and hope. The young Republicans are stronger now than it's ever been, and this momentum is undeniable. A new generation of leaders is here and will carry our mission forward. And to all those who stepped up today to take the responsibility, never lose sight of why we're here. Never compromise on your principles or the principles of the people you represent.
Never settle for sitting back idly when we can do more. Oregon's future belongs to those who are bold enough to shape it. I thank you, and God bless you, and God bless Oregon.