DelawarePolitics.net

By Evan Queitsch

We unveiled some really exciting new plans for Founders Values. Founders Values, as many of you know, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, tax deductible organization which means that private funding is critical to our success. That means that every single dollar you donate to Founders Values will go towards providing the type of action through education that we need to take and every dollar can be claimed on your year-end tax forms. In order to achieve and maintain that allowance, we must adhere to the standards of the IRS and our charter. Our charter states that we are an educational organization and not a political group.

That is why Founders Values will continue to educate citizens and children on the Constitution and founding fathers. That is why we have decided to hold a series of “John Adams” viewing seminars based on the HBO miniseries. We will watch the series and stop periodically to discuss some of the people, places and events. We will start the seminars in late February and we will have study guides available at the cost of $10 for non-member adults, $5 for contributing members and $5 for children (under 18) at all 3 seminars. A separate communication will be coming out in the next couple of weeks asking you to RSVP. We’re also focusing on ways to work with churches, youth groups and schools to reach our children. Our education Director Allyson Good is doing great work on grants, reaching out to local information sources and also reaching out to the inner city youth. If you’re interested in serving your community as a representative of the education committee please email her at allysongood@yahoo.com.

Our group is also restricted by federal law on what it can do politically. With that said, we are asking each of our legislators and would be legislators to fill out our candidates questionnaire which we will be posting on our website. Also, our February 26th meeting will include introductions by many of our candidates for statewide office. Founders Values does not support or oppose any candidates and we invite all candidates to speak to our group as to their support for our shared principles and values. Invitations have been sent out to several candidates for a number of elected offices. So far Fred Cullis, a candidate for U.S. House of Representatives and Christine O’Donnell, a candidate for U.S. Senate have accepted and agreed to attend. This meeting will not take place at our usual location but we are looking for a location more amenable to having candidates speak. We will of course post the location and time as soon as we can secure the location. Also, Founders Values is working on scheduling debates with the candidates for sometime in May and we’re also hoping that we will have one in October. If you would like to help with any of these events, please email PAC@foundersvalues.com.

We are also working on forming an alliance with other groups of likeminded individuals to again host the SECOND ANNUAL WILMINGTON TEA PARTY on April 15th. While the location has not been finalized we do expect it to be held once again at the Wilmington Riverfront. If you would like to be a part of planning this historic event, email us at teaparty@foundersvalues.com. Also, on 8/28 there is an event taking place in Washington, D.C. at the Lincoln Memorial called the “Restoring Honor Rally”. Currently the Cecil County Patriots are organizing buses that are leaving from Peoples Plaza. There is a nonrefundable deposit of $25.00 to book a seat for this historic trip. You can email info@cecilcountypatriots.com for more information or call 302-383-5362. If there is someone who would like to organize buses for another location, perhaps north of Wilmington please email events@foundersvalues.com.

Founders Values also announced our membership initiatives as well as Director position elections. General memberships are available to all who pledge to honor the 9 principles and 12 values. We encourage you to become a contributing member of Founders Values to help support our member. As a contributing member you will have a voice in the direction of Founders Values, you will be able to seek and hold elected office within the group and you will be entitled to special contributing member discounts and advantages. There are two ways to become a member of Founders Values. The first is to join as an individual or family member. You can sign up at the website, send in your check to our P.O. Box which is (P.O. Box 673 Bear, Delaware 19701) or you may sign up in person at any event. Annual membership for individuals is $50 and the family membership is $75 (includes spouse & 3 children under 16). Membership discounts are available for students and seniors (65 and older). You may also contribute to Founders Values through our donor clubs which provide you with other perks like discounts on educational materials, Founders Values official merchandise, and reduced admission to Founders Values events. We also announced the near term launch of the Patriot Business Alliance as another membership path. The Patriot Business Alliance will invite businesses whose owners agree with our values and principles. The Patriot Business Alliance will provide business owners Founders Values membership for their family, provide a link between our members and supporting businesses and provide advertising opportunities to those businesses. Additionally, we will have coupons to same businesses available at www.foundersvalues.com. If you are a business owner or you know someone who owns a business who would want to be a part of this, please email PBA@foundersvalues.com.

Finally, we have heard the calls out there for unity and for a group that can support the candidates we believe in, that will fight to ensure the basic principles of liberty are protected and that will transcend the political parties. While this is outside the mission of Founders Values, we believe that we must find a way to organize our communities around this Patriot movement that is being manifest by the TEA Party and 9/12 groups that have sprung up in abundance across our nation. We must support candidates who care about constitutional principles and values instead of political careers and party power. We must have an impact on the elections in 2010, 2012 and beyond. So, last night, we announced the creation of a sister organization called “Common Sense Communities Society”. CSCS is a 501(c)(4) that is able to work across grassroots groups and political parties and religious affiliations and across county and state lines. It’s designed to work by helping each individual everyday citizens connect with each other and organize in (autonomous) election precinct teams. At the highest level CSCS will develop common sense promotional materials that will reinforce our return to constitutional principles message. We will then distribute them to election precinct team leads. Common Sense Communities will not have a membership but will serve as a distribution point. Also, because it is not a tax deductible organization, CSCS will raise money to support not only it’s mission but also individual candidates that CSCS endorses. We heard the calls from many who were concerned about how to ensure that we were supporting good constitutionalists without part prejudice. Common Sense Communities is the answer to that call. The progressives are inside both political parties and it’s time to support and ensure the election of candidates who share our values and believe in the founding principles. “These are the times that try men’s souls.”Now is the time to get involved, now is the time to act and to contribute. Now is the time to make a difference. The time for watching and waiting is over. Our Republic is at a crossroads and its fate is in your hands. I am supremely confident that each of you will make a difference and I know that with your help, with all of us working together we can return America to a nation that understands where it comes from and a nation that is as prosperous as it is free. If you would like to get involved with CSCS email evanq@cscsociety.org or call 302-533-7498.

Evan Queitsch
Communications Director
Founders Values
www.foundersvalues.com