Pulling the Knives Out.... Part 1

What you are about to read is the first installment in a series detailing, in real time, the improper and proper events that occurred in the Augusta County Mass Meeting on April 10, 2008. These "reconstructed minutes" were compiled from the original minutes, raw audio and video footage of the meeting, countless hours of interviews, and pages of filed reports on the incident. Each section will include an overview of the meeting followed by a report on how it stands up against many legal sources and documents. We apologize for not getting this all out sooner--but the original SWAC bloggers have been having to pull a few knives out of our backs as of late....kinda hard to multi-task.

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PART 1 - The Opening

Augusta County Republican Committee Chairman Kurt Michael called the Augusta County Republican Committee Mass Meeting to order April 10, 2008 at 7.10pm. Terry Argenbright led the invocation and Al Katz led the meeting in the Pledge of Allegiance to our country’s flag. Michael then opened the floor for nominations for Temporary Chairman of the Mass Meeting. Bill Shirley nominated Kurt Michael and was seconded by Lynn Mitchell. Jean Shrewsberry nominated Jim Bailey for Permanent Chair of the Mass Meeting but her nomination was ruled out of order (1).

Another woman from the floor nominated Jim Bailey as Temporary Chairman of the Mass Meeting and received a second. A voice vote was called for to decide Temporary Chairman. The vote was disputed and a division of the house and hand vote was then called. After that vote outcome was disputed, David Beyeler called for a division of the house, which was granted, and Zanette Hahn made a point of order asking Bailey to remove all visitors from the room. Seeing that Jim Bailey received the most votes, Jim Bailey was elected Temporary Chairman of the Mass Meeting (2).

PART 1(a) - The Opening

1. According to the Handbook for Mass Meetings, Conventions and Party Canvasses: Second Edition the Unit Chairman calls the meeting to order until a Temporary Chairman is elected. Only after the membership of the Mass Meeting is elected can nominations be heard from and an election take place for the Permanent Chair. This is why Shrewsberry’s motion to nominate Jim Bailey as Permanent Chairman was ruled out of order. (See Article V, Section D, Parts 1 & 2.)

2. According to the Handbook for Mass Meetings, Conventions and Party Canvasses: Second Edition a mass meeting is open to all interested persons. While there are qualifications the interested parties must meet in order to run for an office or to be eligible to vote, interested persons cannot be turned away. The order by Hahn for all guests to leave the room while this portion of voting commenced could be considered out of order (See Article V, Section B.). Also the continual voting and re-voting as requested by Bailey’s supporters could be considered a dilatory action by Robert’s Rules of Order (See pg. 150).

PART 2 - Bailey Stumbles Forward....coming soon...!