Opening:
- An invocation was given by President, Tim Wyld.
- Tim Wyld acknowledged that today was Holocaust Remembrance Day.
- The Pledge of Allegiance was led by Vice-President, Joel Powell.
- Announcements:
- If anyone has anything to add to our Group’s list of Principles (which were posted on the wall), please let Tim Wyld or another Board member know.
- Thursday, April 16, from 12:30 until 3:00, there is an ice-cream social in the Pavillion, to meet new members. Everyone in our Group is invited. In addition to emails previously sent, sign-up sheets were distributed at the meeting for those who would like to attend.
Guest Speakers:
- Probate Judge Candidates: Heather Galvin (Beaufort County) and Dixie Ford (Jasper County)
- Presenting together, each candidate outlined their work experience and accomplishments in the probate courts. Heather Galvin, the current Beaufort County Judge, discussed her work with the mentally ill, predatory marriages, and elder abuse, among others, in Beaufort County. Dixie Ford, Associate Probate Judge, discussed the need for WIFI, electronic records, and back-up files in the Jasper County probate offices.
- They also discussed the responsibilities of probate courts, such as marriage licenses, estate settlements, conservatorships, guardianships, mentally ill arrangements, and trust litigation.
- Questions for them from the group were around estate plans from other states, DNR’s, living wills, budgeting and funding for updating files in Jasper County, and a plan proposal for the needed updates in Jasper County probate offices.
- Dan Brown, CD 1 Candidate
- Dan Brown, a resident of Bluffton, described his education, family, background, and experience working on Capitol Hill, before returning to Bluffton to reside, where he graduated from high school.
- He discussed the need for more doers in Washington, greater transparency, the national debt, working together in Congress, and pledged his accountability for people in the district, if elected. He invited people to call his cell phone with questions and comments at 843-321-9608.
- Questions for him were around which committees he would like to work on, if elected, his perspective on term limits, his ideas for funding DHS, congress working together to pass legislation, and his perspective on Trump’s action towards Iran.
Closing Announcements:
- Sheriff, PJ Tanner (in attendance), who is retiring this fall, was acknowledged and thanked for his service, and was given a standing ovation. Sheriff Tanner thanked everyone for their support over his 46-year career, of which 27 were as Sheriff. He also introduced Doug Seifert, Candidate for Sheriff, whom he is endorsing as the next Sheriff; both will be attending the ice-cream social this Thursday.
- June 9 is the primary election. Everyone was encouraged to vote.
- Karen Wyld relayed that the next Jasper County Republican Committee meeting is at 6:00pm on the second Tuesday of May (May 12). All local candidates will be attending.
- Everyone was encouraged to check out the new website and Facebook page for the Republicans of Sun City Group.
Adjournment:
The meeting concluded at 8:08.
Minutes respectfully submitted by Chris Viney, Secretary