The Massachusetts COS team celebrated our accomplishments and rededicated our purpose and resolve during the annual planning meeting held August 13 at the American Legion in Sutton, Massachusetts.
District Captain Bill Stanney secured the venue and Mass COS State Director Michael Arnold led the meeting, immediately noting that attendance had at least tripled from last year's session.
With Regional Director Monica Sellers in attendance, we reflected upon our most significant accomplishment, which was getting the COS Resolution passed through committee -- the first "blue" state in the Union to do so.
Mark Marshall, already a Grassroots Coordinator and District Captain, announced that he is taking on the role of Legislative Liaison. He briefly shared his intentions to further establish relationships with our representatives on Beacon Hill, and encouraged everyone to contact him with questions and suggestions for his meetings there.
Sadly, our indefatigable SIA, Mike DelSanto, announced that he is leaving the team because of his move to New Hampshire. In an elegant and heartfelt statement, he praised our team and made clear how much we meant to him. The feeling is mutual.
The Commonwealth's loss is the Granite State's gain. Mike was instrumental in getting every member of the team up to speed technologically, organized and led countless meetings, and played a key role in facilitating the crucially important testimony practice sessions that began in autumn of 2021. Mike will be sorely missed, and we wish him all the best.
Mass COS Videographer Steven Tribastone delivered a thorough and informative presentation about how a bill becomes a law in Massachusetts. His PowerPoint slides will help guide us through the upcoming session and improve upon our strategy in getting our COS Resolution not just through committee, but on the floor and to a vote.
Patriot Pins were awarded to Bob Roosa, Kristy Stefano, Jane LaBorde, and Bill Matheson for their unwearying efforts on behalf of the movement. Monica honored Mike DelSanto, Michael Arnold, Mark Marshall, and Haley Shaw with gift bags in recognition of their work.
COS Action President and Co-Founder Mark Meckler joined midway through the meeting via video conference and just prior to catching a plane to Mississippi.
He congratulated the team for the victory in committee and said that he tells the story of the Massachusetts team in his travels throughout the country, dubbing Mass COS the "No Excuses" team because of our commitment despite being in the bluest of blue states.
He also noted that he has seen signs of potential support for an Article V Convention of States among younger Democrat legislators who may be amenable to our nonpartisan message due to an increased interest in states' rights and the perception of centralized power in the executive branch.
In timely fashion following Steven's presentation, he reinforced the importance of knowing the legislative process cold, and how effective establishing a personal rapport with legislators can be when discussing Article V with them in person by observing their surroundings and noting mutual interests.
The author of this post was deeply humbled and honored to be awarded a Challenge Coin from Mark, who delivered a series of extraordinarily generous compliments concerning the writing of the testimony that was presented to the General Court's Joint Committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs in January.
As with any individual accolade, the Challenge Coin is certainly a team accomplishment. The germ of our testimony strategy came from Michael Arnold following our observation of the Maryland team's coordinated effort. The team committed to constant and consistent practice, which paid off handsomely.
Without the commitment and dedication of the entire team, the testimony would be just words on paper, never seeing the light of day and, in that sense, the Challenge Coin is most assuredly a shared honor.
But as this was a planning meeting, we looked ahead to the new session of the Massachusetts legislature that will begin in January 2023. Via our annual exercise known as "Pebble/Rock/Boulder," we outlined goals both small and large.
The team resolved to increase legislative education by making statehouse trips; to fill open positions at the leadership level, to align with like-minded groups, and increase media outreach and participation at events.
District Captains also agreed to take on more than one district in an effort to increase our reach and influence.
Mass COS will also endeavor to significantly increase the number of co-sponsors when filing the COS Resolution in January.
All in all, the team has once again taken on enormous challenges and lofty goals. While heartened with our success, we are equally resolved to see it through to ultimate victory on Beacon Hill.
Michael Arnold said it best: When confronted with the old question of how can we all make time to do the things necessary to make an Article V Convention of States a reality, the answer is simple:
"Make the time because our country is worth it."
