A Message from NYSYR Chairman, Christopher Dziedzic

We have been fond of saying for the last four years that the New York State Young Republicans and its efforts are only as strong as our constituent parts, namely the individual county chapters. Because that is certainly true, I am thrilled by the growth we have already seen, with FIVE newly credentialed county chapters in 2007 (Chemung, Ontario, Queens, Warren and Washington). I’m looking forward to continuing that growth throughout 2008. Among other things it means:

• Maintaining a commitment to travel around the state to meet with the officers of current Young Republicans county chapters and with the leaders of prospective Young Republican groups. In this age of modern media, cell phones and e-mail allow for convenient and cheap communication across the state. However, nothing can replace the proverbial road trip in establishing a good rapport with fellow YRs and showing them a commitment that the state organization exists for their benefit, and not the other way around.
• Continuing the $1,000 grant program by the State Chairman to county chapters to reimburse them for outlays towards membership recruitment activities. Over the past two years, the Young Republican clubs in Kings, Onondaga, Steuben, and Westchester counties have availed themselves of this opportunity to fund targeted mailings and hold membership recruitment events. Since our state organization is financially strong, our best use of funds is to reinvest them into our member clubs to make them stronger. We will be developing an action plan for those county chapters who are interested in utilizing this resource.
• Advertising county YR chapter events through our State YR venues to maximize outreach. The NYSYR has a variety of outlets in which we can advertise county chapter meetings and activities. We have our website, www.NYSYR.us, our listserv, NYSYR@yahoogroups.com, our blog, NYSYR.blogspot.com, and, of course, our newsletter, the GOPyr. A proven method of outreach to potential new members is posting information about upcoming county club events in these forums. Our current state officers will assist our county organizations with how best to employ these outlets to their advantage.

Christopher Dziedzic is the Chair of the NYSYR. Send your criticisms and witticisms to chairman@nysyr.us.