Cliff Gerich, FL HD 33, is a traveling man with ideas about how to share Florida COS talent around the country. He recognizes that our temporary residents, fondly known as snowbirds, can offer their passed-state experience to help other states gather signatures and pass a resolution.
In November of 2020, Michigan Governor Whitmore’s tyrannical lockdowns prompted Cliff to seek liberty in Florida. “I rented a villa in The Villages ‘cause I had a few friends there who said they loved it. Well, I loved it as well and made so many friends so quickly. It was amazing, so I started looking for a home.”
Although Cliff signed up for COS in Michigan, he flourished under a Florida mentor. “I then began working with Regional Captain Richard Simo and loved the whole COS concept.” Cliff learned to use Citizen Builder and became a social media warrior (SMW), a telepatriot volunteer (TPV), and joined a District Captain Team (DCT).
Later this year while visiting his home state Davenport, Iowa, Cliff was looking to stay busy so he inquired about any nearby gun shows.
He says, “Voila! I was able to take the COS message from Florida to Iowa.”
With his knowledge of Citizen Builder, Cliff connected with Tom Martens of Rock Island Illinois, HD 72, an Events Coordinator, District Captain, and Follow Up Team member. Rock Island, by the way, is right across the river from Davenport.
Tom Martens had booked the booth for COS Iowa at the Davenport fairgrounds. He had the COS flag and banner but needed help with covering the event.
Both Saturday and Sunday, Cliff hosted the show with help from Ann Hansen and other new volunteers Tom had recruited. Together, they scored over 300 new petitions.
Ann held a rocket launcher while the owner signed the petition.
Tom and Cliff felt they were on a roll, so the following weekend the pair decided to try a COS booth at a taxidermy auction in Maquoketa, Iowa. Because of their booth location at that event, it was not as wildly successful as the gun show but fun anyway according to Cliff.
This personal story shows how Iowa, Illinois, and Florida COS members helped in other states.
Cliff notes that Missouri, as a passed state adjacent to Iowa and Illinois, offers an opportunity for more neighborly assistance. Snowbirds from northern states can learn tricks in Florida to activate their non-passed home states. Cliff would like to see COS “spread like a good cancer.”
In keeping with the idea of reaching across borders, Cliff wonders about creating a website, or maybe a channel, for COS snowbirds to trade information. While busy doing his follow-up calls, he hopes to grow little teams in each town in his district. Precinct or block walking are also future goals for this enthusiastic COS supporter.
The Value of Article V
To explain the value of an Article V convention to a friend, Cliff used a creative analogy. He says, “Suppose you have a beautiful house you just love. You take good care of your home. One day you find out that a house two doors down had termites, and then the house in between got termites. Are you going to wait for them to come eat your beloved house?”
Article V of the U.S. Constitution was given to us by our founding fathers who knew that an uncontrolled government would one day eat away at our liberty. Through each one of us the Convention of States educates its grassroots army to defend against bureaucratic interference, corruption, and fiscal irresponsibility.
Please join Cliff today. If you have already volunteered and are waiting for an assignment, why not start with COS University to prepare yourself for whatever comes next?
