Heard on the Tom/Toms
Stephen Frank, Exclusive to the California Political News and Views, 8/18/23 www.capoliticalreview.com
UPDATE ON THE REMAINS OF THE CALIFORNIA FEDERATION OF REPUBLICAN WOMEN
Recently the Rogue Nine, holding the name California Federation of Republican Women, had a statewide conference in Paso Robles. After speaking to a few attendees this is what I found out: At the morning sign in, 59 people attended. By lunch 29 were still at the event. After lunch they had 21 people in attendance. One of the more interesting items was the Treasurers report. They spent $15,000 to have an attorney write TWO cease and desist letters. Then they raised the money available for legal fees to $50,000. Why is this important.
How bad is the accounting for the Rogue organization? Mary Erwin has been calling club presidents asking if their club paid the per capita. Doesn’t the Treasurer know? Didn’t the Treasurer provide the information. How bad is it? The CFRW club that has Martha House as a member, Past CFRW President and an icon in the organization, received a notice that they were no longer in good standing!
They started the year with over 10,000 members. Per the Mary Erwin report they are down to 5124—and that number is vastly inflated. Thanks to the great growth of the California Republican Assembly, it is possible that the CRA will be larger than the CFRW by next Spring!
In a couple of months, the CFRW is going to hold it State convention, election of new officers and pass changes in the by-laws. Normally, these conventions have several hundred attendees. But this time they are planning for very few attendees. The hotel, Four Points by Sheration only has 100 rooms and the CFRW has not reserved all of them. The ballroom holds about 125 people. But then, you have to look at the membership.
In January, the CFRW listed on its website 120 clubs. In the packet the Rogue Nine Chair Mary Erwin sent, she only listed 66 clubs. But, I notice that some of the clubs listed are no longer members of the CFRW—and clubs that paid dues, and have the cancelled checks to prove that, are NOT listed. In fact, they are down to approximately 30 clubs—and when per capita dues are to be paid in January, many less clubs.
I noted they will be holding elections. Their by-laws are clear. To be considered for the Board you have to have been on the Executive Committee for at least two years. Almost NONE of the proposed slate qualify, under the by-laws to be officers.
The Rogue Nine have done their job—the CFRW is an *asterisk in the history books. This once proud, successful organization is no longer.
To complete the history, I will report on the October convention, the last one of the California Federation of Republican Women.
(Periodically the California Political News and Views will publish tidbits of political news, to keep you in the loop of what the pooh bahs know. The phrase “tom/tom’s” comes from my mentor, Lorelei Kinder who never passed a rumor, just called to tell me what she heard on the “TomTom’s”. This column is named in her honor.)
