On Saturday, June 18, the COS Action Maryland Team hosted our annual strategy session. State leaders and volunteers worked together at Greenmount Station in Hampstead.
State Director Mike Rilee led with the Pledge of Allegiance and Regional Captain Jim McQueen from southern Maryland opened the meeting with Psalm 1:
Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers.
Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff
that the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked leads to destruction.
Several new volunteers like Nancy, Dan and Fred attended for the first time and their observations were invaluable. Take Mikhail, an immigrant from Ukraine who said he came to Convention of States to save America, which he called the last stop on his train. He said...
Convention of States is not a Republican agenda. It's not a Democrat agenda. It's an American agenda. We're all Americans here. Right now, we are (at risk of being) like Russia.
Team Maryland mapped out a strategy going into the fall - what we call pre-game and leading into game time (aka the 2023 legislative session). The strategy will include ways to reach, teach and activate greater awareness and support for COS Action.
Takeaways include:
- Growing and nurturing our grassroots activists – builds everything else
- Creating an "Under 30" coalition is important
- Training and using our impressive available resources is needed
- Harnessing the passion and dedication of the Maryland team as servant leaders is the way forward
- Expressing how COS benefits individuals in their daily lives is key
- Empowering targeted "local outreach" like block walking, car parades, and event strategies can help in key districts
- Spreading the word about where candidates stand on COS
The Maryland team is looking forward to forging ahead with multiple efforts that make up our grassroots and legislative missions by:
- Building out district and regional organizations throughout Maryland
- Attending as many events as possible to get the word out
- Continuing our excellence in testimony efforts
- Sponsoring a student essay contest
- Serving our neighbors by speaking at clubs and other venues
- Building relationships with legislators
- Hosting Citizen Action Day 2023 in Annapolis
District Captain Seth Lipko observed that "we have so much influence at the individual level. Let's meet our neighbors where they are." Regional Captain Rick Bibbee reminded everyone to emulate our Founders by "pledging our lives, fortunes and sacred honor to each other."
All in all, it was a productive day guaranteeing busy pre-game and game time seasons ahead for the Convention of States Action Maryland Team.
You're invited to join us for all the action!
It's your ideas and your influence that will attract the attention of our state legislators. A Convention of States is coming! The only question is whether YOU will help Maryland be one of the 34 states needed to make it a reality.
