As a conservative thinkers, talkers and entertainers aficionado, the 3-day Summit in Orlando was like visiting my very own “Magic Kingdom” of Convention of States. No need for Tinseltown or that other place on the other side of Orlando that claims to be so “magical”. We had it all at the Convention of States Reclaiming Liberty Summit.
It kicked off Thursday evening with James O’Keefe, founder of Project Veritas. His story is courageous and his mission is valiant. The Summit ended Saturday evening with an awards banquet featuring Mark Levin as keynote speaker. In between, the speakers' line up was the stuff that dreams are made of:
Senator Rick Santorum, Senior Advisor to COS, shared his moving personal family story which touched hearts and reminded us of God’s divine intervention. He challenged us to tell state legislators: "The most important thing you will ever do is cast a vote to restore the republic."
Lt. Colonel Alan West imparted us with the 5 Cs of Leadership:
COURAGE COMPETENCE COMMITMENT CONVICTION CHARACTER
and then challenged us to use the 5 Cs to ensure our nation doesn’t fall into the abyss: "Not on my watch!"Finally, Lt. Colonel West led us in an oath to the Constitution to make our “last full measure of devotion” to this nation.
Steve Deace reminded us that there are more of us than there are of them and closed by saying: "We are the last Hail Mary pass that will save the nation."CPAC's Matt and Mercedes Schlapp appeared on Saturday, followed by Pete Hegseth and Dave Rubin by satellite. Did you know that Dave has a “Save a Californian” fund? Every time he says “California”, he puts $5 in a jar. At the end of the year, he uses the money to help a Californian move to Florida! He owes a lot of money to the fund after our presentation!
Dr. Michael Farris closed the Saturday speaker’s series by encouraging us to re-frame the argument opposing a convention by showing them What’s In It for Me. Let them imagine the benefits of the proposed Amendments for All Americans:Mark Levin – succinct as ever – brought the house down on Saturday night, closing with this simple statement of fact: “I believe God is behind us.”
- Term Limits = less influence from lobbyists, turnover of ideas & increases citizen representation
- Limit Federal Spending = more $ in your pocket
- Limit Size & Scope of Federal Government = solutions happen closer to home, more effectively & efficiently
Mark Meckler left us with this message: “Duty is mine, the result is God’s.”
The breakout sessions were well attended and informative from “Breaking the Blue Barrier”, block walking 101, social media engagement and technology tips to leadership and legislative initiatives. In the off hours, there was plenty of time for meet & greets with COS teams from all 50 states.
The final night included awards for the best Elevator Pitch, going to Albert Torres from Texas along with Challenge Coin Awards given by each of the 8 Regional Directors. 
Maryland’s State Communications Coordinator, Maria Bedard (yours truly), received a Challenge Coin this year. What an unexpected magical moment! The best part was hearing the cheers from teammates Mike Rilee (State Director), Bob Betz (State Information Administrator), Wayne Tindle and Seth Lipko (District Captains) with Steve Patten’s trademark whistling in the background.
We gathered in Orlando to “pledge our lives, our fortunes, and our sacred honor to each other” in defense of our nation. Convention of States volunteers are the Hail Mary. Do not be afraid.
There are more of us and our like-minded neighbors than there are of “them”. We will secure our Founder’s promise of freedom with facts and faith by spreading the word of Convention of States’ goal to restore our founding principles of a limited federal government, servant leaders and fiscal responsibility.
Watch the grassroots photos stream featuring Maryland here, narrated by Mike Rilee.
