You are invited to Conservative Christian Center York Chapter meeting to decide on Monday, August 22
Should State Senator Doug Mastriano be named “Statesman of the Year” of Conservative Christian Center, York County Chapter (and York County Acton eNewsletter) to join our “hall of fame” of past awardees, such as Congressman Scott Perry, State Rep. Seth Grove, former PA Rep. Will Tallman, Former County Commissioner Chris Reilly, author Michael Anthony?
Conservative Christian Center invites you to attend a “working group” meeting on Monday, August 22 at 6:30 PM to decide this question and determine whether we have enough volunteers willing to step up at this meeting to help organize such an event.
York County Conservative Christian Center (York County ACTION eNewsletter)
Meeting of “Working Group” (please join us!!!) on Mon. 8/22 at 6:30 PM
Praise Community Church, 703 S. Ogontz St., York, PA 17403.
RSVP: York@ConservativeChristianCenter.org
If the decision is a YES then an immediate invitation will be sent to Senator Mastriano to attend such event and receive the award. A popular choice to present him the award and be asked to be Honorary Event Chairman is State Representative Mike Jones.
Representative Jones actually reported to the first meeting of the new Southern York County Republican Club, that he first met their keynote speaker, Senator Mastriano, at the annual “Heritage Fiesta” summer picnic cosponsored by Conservative Christian Center several years ago.
That Heritage Fiesta just celebrated its 10th annual picnic last month. Senator Mastriano’s Campaign for Governor purchased a full page ad in the Souvenir Journal of this event and had 5 volunteers come, set up a literature booth and had a speaker for the campaign. Candidates from both parties and officeholders are always invited to speak at this annual event and other CCC functions.
Past “Statesmen of the Year” Awards have been presented at a Saturday morning breakfast attended by from 100 to 150 CCC members and supporters. Because of his busy schedule as a candidate for Governor visiting all parts of Pennsylvania, if Mastriano is asked to accept this award, it will be on a date of his choosing to coincide with a visit to York County. There is also the possibility of a weeknight hotel meeting room event (with a private VIP dinner preceding it).
If you wish to express your opinion about whether or not GOP nominee for Governor, State Senator Doug Mastriano, should be nominated for and asked to be the next “Statesman of the Year” of Conservative Christian Center, York Chapter (with York County Action eNewsletter) please mark your calendar right now to attend the “working group” meeting next Monday, August 22 at 6:30 PM. CCC urgently needs volunteers to carry on its work.
The meeting will be at Praise Community Church, 703 S. Ogontz St., York, PA 17403.
Already committed to attend and speak are the CCC National Project Director, Professor Kevin Peterson (Major, USAF, Ret. coming from VA), CCC South-Central PA Coordinator Ross Cleveland (coming from Cumberland County), CCC York County Chairman Emy Delgaudio, CCC York County Chapter Board member Bob Cosgrove, former York County Action and CCC Board member Gina Myers, the executive director of US Public Policy Council (the parent non-profit and “fiscal sponsor” of CCC) Ronald Wilcox (coming from VA) and at least 3 new “working group” members.
Professor Peterson is the author of the paperback, “A Review of the Book Dark Agenda: the War to Destroy Christian America by David Horowitz” with an introduction by former State Representative Gary Giordano (R-AZ). Free copies of this handy pocketbook will be provided to those who attend the Monday meeting.
Originally expecting 5 to 7 attendees, CCC is now expecting a minimum of a dozen and possibly 15 to attend and participate in this “working group” meeting, since discussions about this first began (literally) just a few days ago. How about you joining us on Monday, 8/22?
Consider: there may be no CCC in York County if you say no. While that would delight hack Republicans and their RINO friends, is that what you want? With two key leaders of CCC moving to Florida, that’s what could happen if you don’t step up. Don’t “leave it to George.” Remember the old saying, “if it is to be, it is up to me.”.
Additional speakers have been invited to attend the Monday meeting and will be announced within the next 1 to 2 days, so stay tuned and don’t miss the chance to “open” the next York County Action eNewsletter for the latest info.
In the event that you cannot attend next Monday and wish to express your views on the possibility of inviting State Senator Doug Mastriano to be the 2022 “Statesman of the Year” you may write: York@ConservativeChristianCenter.org. Please let us know if you do opt to express your opinion, whether you would be willing to serve on the “working group” to help put on the event. We place more stock in the view of those willing to help implement their views, not just stand on the sidelines. Although all views will be considered.
While future seats on a York County Action Board will be drawn from the ranks of a “working group,” we call it that to make clear. We are not looking for “decision makers.” We are not looking for people who want to be leaders but are not real good at being workers and followers. We seek those to join us who will have a servant-leadership mentality to help get things done for our cause by volunteering their time, or their funds, or both, to make their views really count.
The original ACTION of PA, the acronym for Americans for Christian Traditions in our Nation, was formed as a non-partisan, state Political Action Committee and operated as a chapter here under the name York County Action. In 2016 it became moribund.
Even the local mailing list could no longer be accessed because the parent PAC corporation had not paid its bills to the service bureau in 5 months. With the sickness of its county chairman Jay McKiernan and the collapse of the parent corporation, a new group created as a non-profit (thru having a fiscal sponsor) was launched, Conservative Christian Center. No mailing list or funds of the old group was ever used by the new.
From the start, the old group’s name was honored with the slogan “because faith without ACTION is dead” (a take off – for our rare reader not a Bible-reader, to the biblical admonition, “faith without works is dead.”). If you don’t take action your views won’t be counted – in plain English.
In the weeks before the 2016 November election, the original under-200-member York County Action Facebook page, controlled by a never-Trumper posting their own anti-Trump hate posts every day or two, came under intense criticism from the handful of still-active York County Action subscribers. She reacted by shutting down the page, rather than turn it over to active, pro-Trump conservatives. Within two weeks of her shut down, a new, first time York County Action eNewsletter was launched and recruited over 300 members on Facebook. Today there are over 408 eNewsletter subscribers (up from less than 50 in 2016) and 9,000 Facebook subscribers (yes, up from less than 200 in 2016) of York County Action of Conservative Christian Center.
The old York County Action, despite being a PAC, able to endorse candidates, issued a “Voter Guide” to show the position of candidates for local office on various issues of interest to faith-based, conservative voters and did not issue actual candidate endorsement newsletters. It was several pages of 8 1/2 by 14 sheets typed, turned sideways. It got the info out.
With the new Conservative Christian Center, a new “Value Voters Guide” brochure was created, based upon the answers to 10 questions asked of candidates for local office. The guide has reached as many as 25,000 voters in York County per election thru a very professionally designed brochure which also for the first time gave a “score” to candidates – “A” for best and “C” for worst (or “D” for “did not respond).
Plus for the last two elections a half page ad in the York city newspaper, read throughout the county, was posted with the Value Voter rankings and showing how each candidate had answered our 10 survey questions. Mailings have gone out to GOP “super voters’ (those who voted in 4 consecutive elections), especially influential in GOP primaries.
The CCC “Value Voter” Guide has also been handed out at churches by our members and supporters. The guide is usually first handed out at the annual “Candidate Forum” and “Statesman of the Year” annual breakfast events (which is also a “candidate forum” at which both Democrats and Republicans running as their party standard bearer speak).
Especially popular has been the announcement of the ratings of the candidates at these functions. In providing this “score” CCC followed what other notable organizations relied upon by conservatives for 50 or or more years have done, such as the National Rifle Association, Heritage Action, American Conservative Union. Moderate Republicans, RINO’s and “hack” Republicans have always hated these scores. They don’t like to be pinned down to issue and policy questions.
Although many Democrats earned a grade of “D” many did earn a C and one even earned a “B” rating. It will hardly be a surprise to our readers and anyone paying attention to politics, that there are always GOP primary candidates who hate being asked issue questions, and some judge candidates who claim that they cannot legally, or they claim ethically, answer questions (read the old blog post by CCC South Central PA Coordinator Ross Cleveland, who reports on some candidates who cite the Supreme Court decision that gives the lie to such a claim by some judicial candidates).
Since CCC started in 2016, their events – an annual picnic which went from the old attendee count of 20 to 25, to the new annual “Heritage Fiesta” count of 100 to 200 attendees, have always welcomed ALL candidates of the two major parties to attend and to speak.
And many Democrats have availed of that opportunity. One who attended as a candidate for several different offices several years in a row (Sandra Thompson) was jokingly referred to as a prospective “Honorary Member” because she had attended more consecutive events (Statesman of the Year breakfast and Heritage Fiesta summer picnic) over the past several years than many of our members. This, despite her expressing views that most (all?) of our CCC members simply do not agree with. Sandra always gave a spirited defense of her views and was always given a hospitable and respectful hearing at the many CCC functions she and other Democrats attended.
Our simple and perhaps old fashioned idea, is that voters can decide among candidates a lot better, if they hear from them directly and hear their views on the issues we care about.
Several years ago, one candidate for the GOP nomination for a row office, blasted CCC for giving her a “C” rating, the same as the eventual Democrat nominee for the same position. While she issued unprecedented written email blasts to county GOP committeemen – both before and after she won her primary contest – warning them that CCC is not a loyal Republican party group, her Democrat opponent actually attended and spoke at the next Statesman of the Year awards breakfast.
While a few (two) CCC members wanted to capitulate and stop issuing a “score” based upon how candidates voted in the survey, the overwhelming consensus was to “double down” on providing faith based voters an easy way to tell candidates apart when they go to vote.
For information on that controversy see the “apologia” written by CCC South Central PA Coordinator Ross Cleveland (a former State Board member of the old ACTION of PA) at York County Action eNewsletter headlined “Why we Publish a Value Voter Guide.” Also Bob Cosgrove’s prepared remarks at a CCC Candidate Forum were reprinted, read it HERE.
In summary: CCC is not now or ever been a “loyal GOP” group. Nor was the original ACTION of PA. The truth is it benefits GOP candidates who run on issues of interest to conservative people of faith, to have a strong CCC helping increase participation by people of faith in public policy and elections. That’s how to arrest the decline reported by the Pew Foundation, of voter turnout by church-going Christians.
CCC closely aligns with President Ronald Reagan’s admonition to conservatives at the 1974 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC): “hold up a banner of no pale pastels but bold and vibrant colors” to win elections and defeat the radical left. He said that because doing so boosts vote turnout of conservatives and always attracts like-minded Democrats to join us.
It always bears repeating, the simple mission of CCC. Those who govern us, regardless of whether they share our Christian faith, ought to consider bible-based principles of right and wrong in every decision they make.
CCC aims to increase the involvement of church-going, people of faith in influencing public policy and electing like-minded people to office.
If you agree, then we hope you will step forward to volunteer as a member of our 2023 “working group” next Monday at 6:30 PM.
Meeting location: Praise Community Church, 703 S. Ogontz St., York PA 17403. RSVP to attend,
York@ConservativeChristianCenter.org.
Stay tuned for the announcement of other speakers at the CCC meeting seeking new members for its 2023 “working group.”
Sincerely,
The Editors
P.S. Further info about CCC, York@ConservativeChristianCenter.org. We are especially interested in those who wish to volunteer their time to fill leadership openings in the local CCC in the York County and in Cumberland County Clubs.
Visit:
ConservativeChristianCenter.org.
https://www.facebook.com/ActionYorkCounty
Vol. 7, #4 – August 14, 2022. York County Action. eNewsletter for Members & Subscribers, by Conservative Christian Center.