The greatest adventure of my life started off as a favor to a friend who didn't want to travel to Albany by herself. So I offered to take the ride, and it changed me forever.
In March of 2017 I decided to get away overnight to Albany. I had no idea what Article V or the Convention of States was about but, knowing my friend, I knew it was probably something I should be looking into.
We arrived at the capitol in the early morning and met up with a group of people I proudly call my friends today. A diverse group to say the least but all coming from different parts of New York state for one purpose: to have the Convention of States resolution sponsored and introduced into the New York State Assembly and Senate.
As I walked those hallowed halls with this group, listening to their pitch to individual representatives, I realized that this was an important project. I learned about the process of bypassing Congress to pass amendments to our Constitution, how the federal government had slowly stolen away the state powers, and how politicians, once elected, tend to stay for life.
These facts made me stop and think, "Why aren't there more people doing this?" and "How can I contribute?"
The answer was simple. I immediately signed a petition and offered my time and energy to the cause.
Under the great mentorship of my friend, I became a District Captain. She taught me the systems, explained all the processes, and walked me through all the arguments that can come up when speaking to a group of potential supporters.
It seemed like a daunting task when we first started, but I'm a quick learner and was ready to get out there and make a difference.
I learned that it really did not take a lot of my time to send out Welcome Letters and call volunteers, and I was anxious to do more. When the opportunity to do an event came up, I was ready.
My first outing was at a three-day fair held every year. I was truly amazed at how many of my neighbors never realized this process existed! Once learning of Convention of States, they were eager to sign the petition and some took the next step to volunteer. It was truly an eye-opening three days!
With that adventure under my belt, I asked what more I could do and was promptly rewarded with the position of Regional Captain for most of the New York City area.
This allowed me to contact more of my constituents, and I was again amazed at the dedication of the people I spoke with to call for the convention. This made me even more determined to help.
The day I finally was able to meet with Mark Meckler, the President of COS, was the day I realized that this was the cause I was born to champion.
His inspirational talk to our small gathering, and his speech to a local political club afterwards, forever etched in stone my dedication to Convention of States and my personal commitment to have this resolution pass not only in New York but in all of the state houses.
Even with the setback of my mentor having to step down, I continued to support Convention of States in any and every way I could.
So here I am, not even two years later, still championing the cause of liberty. I've collected many titles on my way, but none of them mean more to me than District Captain.
It was this position that opened my eyes, and it is this position I still carry out daily in hopes of making the changes necessary for our republic to stand proud long after I am gone.
If you love your freedom, liberty, and prosperity, if you love your state and country, and if you're tired of the D.C. career politicians extinguishing your rights on a daily basis, I encourage you to join me in this cause.
The more time you spend talking with your friends and neighbors, family and associates, supporters and detractors, the more you will come to understand my passion.
It is not how much time you have to spare, how much effort you put in, it's the fact that you make that time and effort, be it small or large, that will ultimately lead to what our Founding Fathers truly envisioned for our great republic: smaller government, limited terms of office, fiscal responsibility, judicial oversight, and of course, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness!
