Florida was the third state to pass the Convention of States resolution. We have continued to grow our support ever since and have made an application to the feds for an Article V convention to propose term limits, fiscal restraints, and limits on federal power.
The fire is raging in D.C., and the Convention of States Florida Team is prepared to help put it out!
We are 157,000 strong in Florida, all supporting the Convention of States Project as of July 2021. In fact, we are one of the largest state groups in the country! We all believe COS has the solution.
As State Director of the COS Florida group, I am dedicated to helping every individual in the State of Florida step up, sign the petition, and volunteer to help the cause. I am joined by our new State Grassroots Coordinator, Jean Borden. We are on the same page.
Our job is to inspire the Sunshine Brigade to do the right thing and help educate everyone on how to best spread our grassroots movement. Our mission is to grow the largest grassroots army of engaged, self-governing citizens since 1776.
Jean and I both believe activism is the key. That’s why we were on an east coast tour the last two weekends, showing up at numerous district and regional meetings.
The inspiration for this was the prior State Grassroots Coordinator Brenda Karlin showing up at a public meeting I was speaking at without a personal invitation. She made my belief in our cause so much more profound, and it warmed my heart.
The first weekend, I drove to the east coast of Florida. Jean and I attended a street fair in House District 54 (Vero Beach) where District Captain Chuck Connely and his wife had a booth. It was a fun event, and we had 50 petitions signed in the street that night!
The next morning, we drove to Jacksonville where DC 16 Barbara Zimmerman and DC 17 Steve Henrickson teamed up for a dual-district live meeting.
They had a great turnout and had three--yes, three--Florida House representatives attend the meeting. All three are COS supporters!
It was an interesting meeting, and the reps held a Q&A session about any issue we at COS were concerned over. What followed was an open and truthful dialogue with their constituents. It was a breath of fresh air.
right here in District 52!
The next day we were off to a lunch meeting in Melbourne Florida with DC 52 Mary Roslonowski at her home. She made the best eggplant parm. We had a lively discussion about COS and our future as a movement. We absolutely DO have the answer!
A week went by while our old, seasoned bodies recovered. Then, it was off to Orlando to work the American Legion Conference at the Marriott World Resort. Veterans Coalition Director Terry Walker organized the event, while Regional Director Brenda Karlin and Follow Up Tool Leader (FUT) Donnie Rutherford showed up to lend a helping hand.
A high-five goes out to Jerry Halstead for making the trip from Pinellas County. The vets are a great, like-minded group. Everyone I talked to had either already signed the petition or did right then! Awesome.
This time around I was in my land yacht, so I headed southeast after the conference to join Jean Borden again. 
We headed south to a Campground in Hobe Sound so we could attend the Region 9 Independence Day Celebration with Region Captain 9 Ed Bender.
I had some mechanical troubles, but with the help of Region 9 Volunteer Bill Corbett--who I now believe is an electrical genius--I was up and running again. Jean did have to leave early, so I am grateful for her effort of driving a near 150 mile roundtrip to support the Regional Captain in the region next to her. She's a real trooper.
We held our monthly Statewide Virtual Hall from the July 4th celebration. Ed and his District Captains had some inspiring words for the crowd after our virtual meeting concluded. Kudos to Ed Bender, Bill and Bonnie Corbett, and Larry Jennings for all they did to make everything happen.
Let's not leave out DC 85 Lady Ellen Lowe, who showed up with a DC candidate in tow and gave out American flag scarves to everyone!
It was a very happy Independence Day!
All in all it was a great time. Meeting with the Sunshine Brigade inspires me every time. And I don’t mind hearing differing opinions as I am learning every day. I picked up a gold nugget of information from each leader I spoke with. Now, our job is to turn those golden nuggets into a fortune of support for the Convention of States Project.
Onward n' upward, Florida patriots!
