Greg Baker and MacAllister Carver meet with Wartburg and Luther College Republicans

On Thursday, March 13^th, 2008, Greg Baker and MacAllister Carver toured the beautiful state of Iowa visiting with both the Wartburg and Luther College campuses to meet with College Republicans. Their campus visits were in an effort to create a closer IFCR by reaching out to the individual chapters.

There was discussion of the platform of which the Baker-Carver ticket would be running on. The goals of the Baker-Carver platform consisted of new policies within the IFCR such as the ability to apply for grants for individual chapters, and a new focus of bringing strength and stability back to the chapters.

College Republicans had the experience of meeting with both candidates personally, which was a strong intention of the Baker-Carver ticket. Current Executive Director for the IFCR, Matthew Bechstein, notes, "Even uncontested candidates deserve scrutiny, while their election may be inevitable, it’s still important for College Republicans to become familiar with the goals and agendas of new Executive Boards. Leaders should be held accountable for what they claim to represent, and the only way to do that is for us to understand their objectives and get to know them on a personal basis." Both candidates believe the campus visits to be a success and hope to continue their close relationships with both Wartburg and Luther, and other campuses as well.

“We’d like to express our sincerest gratitude to the Chairs and College Republicans of both Wartburg and Luther College for allowing us to speak, and hosting an atmosphere in which the meeting was both productive and successful”, said MacAllister Carver, candidate for Co-Chair. Both Baker and Carver will continue to travel and maintain campus visits during the next weeks leading up to the IFCR convention.

2008 Iowa Federation of College Republicans (IFCR) Convention

Countdown to Convention: 21 days!

The 2008 Iowa Federation of College Republicans (IFCR) Convention approaches quickly. This year's convention is set to take place at the Downtown Holiday Inn on March 28th. The Downtown Holiday Inn is located at:

1050 6th Avenue
Des Moines, Iowa 50314

Participants of the IFCR Convention should plan to arrive at the hotel by 5:00 pm. However, the Leadership Institute (LI) has offered to provide a Grassroots/Campaign "mini-school". The school will begin at 2:00 pm and run until 6:00 pm and is available to everyone. It's a great opportunity to gain knowledge that will be a foundation for success in the political arena!

Be sure to pack your party pants because at 8:00 pm, a night of fun, food, and friends begins on the 15th floor of the hotel. We'll be serving top-class hors d'oeuvres and providing an open bar (to those with proper I.D). The party goes until midnight so plan on singing and dancing the night away with your fellow Republicans!

Don't stay out too late though because the next morning at 8:30 am, a Candidate's Breakfast welcomes any early risers to come and mingle with the candidates! Be sure to grab a doughnut on your way to convention. The gavel drops at 9:00 am so don't be late because it’s sure to be a good one!

Convention is packed with speakers from across the country and across Iowa! After the wise words of the speakers, we'll set out to accomplish what we came to do, elect a new administration for the 2008 - 2009 year. Your voice and your thoughts matter so be sure to speak up! Candidates can be nominated the day of so think about getting involved! Leadership positions include: Chair, Co-Chair, Vice-Chair, Treasurer, Secretary, and five (5) Regional Coordinators. We'll hear from every candidate and their nominating speaker, and then we cast our vote!

Once the elections are finished, the IFCR Executive Board compiled pictures of chapters across the great state of Iowa, and together we can look back on the memories College Republicans have made over the year.

Sadly but surely, Convention will come to an end but no worries because there is always the 2009 Convention!

So head on down to the 2008 Iowa Federation of College Republicans (IFCR) Convention and prepare to have fun!