Greater Houston Pachyderm Club

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Montana Kalispell Pachyderm Club Cowboy Ball - National Federation of Pachyderm Clubs Montana Kalispell Pachyderm Club Cowboy Ball

Due to Hurricane/TS Beryl and its aftermath affects including no electricity- THERE WILL BE NO MEETING TOMORROW 7/9. We will reschedule the speaker. Stay safe and hope to see you all next Tuesday.

Many thanks to Justice of the Peace Lincoln Goodwin for joining us yesterday. We appreciate the informative talk about the role of the Justice courts and the Justices of the Peace in Texas. Judge Goodwin is pictured here (center) with GHPC 1st VP - Programs Carolyn Hodges, and Programs Committee member Larry Lipton.

Please Note:
***REGISTRATION FOR THE APRIL 9TH MEETING IS CLOSED***
***ALL SEATING IS SOLD OUT FOR THIS WEEK***
***NO WALK-UP / DAY-OF ATTENDEES FOR THIS MEETING***

Thank you for your support of the Pachyderm Clubs!

MEMBERS ONLY may buy tickets for themselves for the April 9th luncheon at this time. No reservations taken without payment made online.

Greater Houston Pachyderm Club Weekly Meeting w/Mayor Whitmire. - Events - National Federation of Pachyderm Clubs

Early Voting in TX for the March 5th Primary ENDS TODAY!
Don't wait for Tuesday! TODAY!!!

Voting Location info can be found at the following links:
Harris: http://bit.ly/4bR5IgV
Ft. Bend: http://bit.ly/3TieSf1
Montgomery: http://bit.ly/433VfdR
Galveston: http://bit.ly/3Im8gpy
Brazoria: http://bit.ly/3SXKjtG
Statewide: http://votetexas.gov

Welcome to VoteTexas.gov To vote in Texas, you must be registered. Simply pick up a voter registration application, fill it out, and mail it at least 30 days before the election date. REGISTRATION INFO >

Two more great Republican Primary Candidate Forums today. Thanks to our candidates who participated in these important events. Come to Pachyderm and learn something!

DUE TO ADVERSE WEATHER CONDITIONS THERE WILL BE NO MEETING TOMORROW, TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2024.

OOPS - Pachyderms last meeting is TOMORROW not today. See you all then!!

Rice Votes hosts candidates at Houston Mayoral Forum

Rice Thresher
By Belinda Zhu 10/17/23 11:07pm

Rice Votes and the Greater Houston Pachyderm Club jointly hosted the non-partisan Houston Mayoral Forum at the McMurtry Auditorium Oct. 14. The talk was moderated by Mark Jones, a political science fellow at the Baker Institute and professor in the department of political science.

Candidates included Councilmember Jack Christie, Councilmember Robert Gallegos, Gilbert Garcia and Lee Kaplan. While all candidates were invited, Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and state Sen. John Whitmire did not attend.

Although the event was hosted in collaboration with the Pachyderm Club, a partisan Republican organization, Verónica Reyna, the associate director for the Center for Civic Leadership, said her top priority was ensuring the event would be non-partisan.

“[The Pachyderm Club’s] number one priority is voter education and civic engagement, and they approached Rice University with that mindset,” Reyna said. “As long as we can be on the same page about non-partisan voter education, then that is … our priority as well.”

The debate covered topics including crime, which is the most important topic concerning Houstonians according to a survey conducted by University of Houston’s Hobby School of Public Affairs, questions the present candidates would like to ask the absent candidates and the candidates’ views on Proposition A and B, which will also be voted on during the Nov. 7 general election

Proposition A would allow three councilmembers to add agenda items during City Council meetings and Proposition B would withdraw the City of Houston from the Houston-Galveston Area Council unless the council adopts a population-proportional voting system.

Nina Wallach, a freshman from Martel College, attended this event and said she will be voting for the first time this fall.

“It’s cool to actually hear from candidates in person rather than just reading their websites,” Wallach said.

Not all students attended with the intention to vote. Izzy Ramnath, a political science major, attended the event to learn more about local politics.

“I am registered to vote in my hometown … I didn’t attend the event with the intention of deciding upon a candidate,” Ramnath, a Sid Richardson College sophomore, wrote in an email to the Thresher. “I attended to more or less gain knowledge about the election process in Houston and what running a campaign looks like.”

The forum ended with students speaking to the candidates one-on-one.

Hong Lin Tsai, a Brown College sophomore, enjoyed the opportunity to speak to the candidates.

“Each candidate that I’ve talked to was wonderful,” Tsai wrote in an email to the Thresher. “Councilmembers Gallegos and Garcia had a professional demeanor that really attracted us … to discuss internal and external matters with them. Mr. Kaplan and Dr. Christie, while a little construed with what we’re asking them, presented a friendly yet charming manner that we couldn’t resist taking a selfie with them. I wished Congresswoman Jackson Lee and Senator Whitmire were here since they are the front runners and most in the audience were there for them.”

Despite Lee and Whitmire — the frontrunners, according to an Oct. 10 poll from the Hobby School — not being present, Reyna believes the event went well.

“We had some candidates that had to back out at the last minute, so it was a smaller group of candidates than expected,” Reyna said. “But I think that the candidates [enjoyed it]. One mentioned that they felt this was the most fair event that they’ve been to.”

Kaplan said he viewed speaking at Rice as an opportunity, as it has educated and intellectually curious students.

“College students are generally well educated and intellectually curious and not everybody is in this city so that’s a plus,” Kaplan said. “[The candidates] spoke at other campuses too, but Rice is clearly the most prominent university in the city.”

Garcia said he enjoyed speaking at Rice due to his belief in the importance of civic engagement among young voters.

“I love coming to a college campus and I love seeing young people,” Garcia said. “The reason is this is really your city and y’all need to get involved. Y’all need to participate. Y’all need to learn the issues. It’s about empowerment because this is about y’all’s future.”

Tsai said he wishes more students attended this debate as civic engagement is important.

“There was not as much exposure and advertisement throughout campus that made students aware of the event, and most I’ve talked to wished they could come,” Tsai wrote. “Civic engagement should be an important thing [due to] how much it affects us right here in Houston. As a member of Civic Duty Rice, I felt like it is my responsibility to engage in this discussion.”

Come out Saturday morning from 9:00 - 11:00 am and help Republican judicial candidates get on the ballot for 2024 by signing their petitions. Bring your ID and a friend! Thanks!

From the Harris County Republican Party's Judicial Recruitment/Selection Committee.

Hope to see everyone at the meeting today!

Another full capacity SRO crowd at today's GHPC meeting featuring the always entertaining and informative Wayne Dolcefino of Dolcefino Consulting.

Great meeting and incredible education session today - shared via Zoom with the National Federation of Pachyderm Clubs - by our very own J.D. Joyce. Important and detailed yet understandable, J.D. walked us through the Federal Reserve - what it is, and how what it does affects the economy, the markets, regional (and local) banks, and us personally. Many thanks to J.D.!

Looking forward to seeing everyone tomorrow for a great forward on The Federal Reserve - Implications on the Economy, Markets, Regional Banks & You with J.D. Joyce.

THIS PROGRAM WILL BE RECORDED (it will be rebroadcast to the National Federation of Pachyderm Clubs soon). Due to the recording: Please arrive early and be seated and enjoy your salad; If you arrive late, you will be seated in the rear of the room; We need to minimize the cross-talk and table chatter and for this meeting, and to-go will not be available.

The National Federation of Pachyderm Clubs mourns the loss of a stalwart club member, Joanne Phelps. Joanne and her husband of 47 years, the late Bill Phelps (fmr. Lt. Gov. of Missouri), were instrumental in bringing the Pachyderms to Texas, and were among the founders of the Greater Houston Pachyderm Club. .... As part of Joanne's continuing legacy to the NFPC, she has asked that In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the National Pachyderm Foundation. (2726 Bissonnet St, Suite 240-215, Houston, Texas 77005 or online at www.pachyderms.org/donations)

Joanne Phelps Obituary Celebrate the life of Joanne Phelps, leave a kind word or memory and get funeral service information.

Greater Houston Pachyderm Club updated their address.

All Pachyderms and Republican friends are welcome to the Grand Opening of the Westside Republican Party headquarters this Saturday from 11 am to 1 pm. Come by and meet candidates, get candidate information and signs, sign up to volunteer, etc., etc., etc. And enjoy some tasty BBQ, too!

Happy New Year, Pachyderms and friends! Looking forward to seeing you TOMORROW, Tuesday, January 4th for the first meeting of the year. Congressman Kevin Brady will join us for an update from Washington, and will swear in our new 2022 President Jason Fuller and his officers and directors. Tony's lunch is always fantastic. Meeting fee is $25 and includes lunch. No RSVPs taken - just show up at the door with cash, check, or credit card for the meeting fee in business attire, please. Valet parking available for $5.

No meetings in December! Enjoy your holidays and we'll see you back at Tony's on Tuesday, January 4th for our first meeting of 2022.

Well - sometimes people make mistakes, and we made one yesterday during our Homecoming presentation at our last 2021 meeting. We are happy to report that Ed Chen, one of our Club's former presidents, was put on the wrong list for the presentation and we "memorialized" Ed Chen way too early. As Mark Twain said, reports of his death were greatly exaggerated. We did mean to and do honor Ed Chen's life and legacy, and his great service to our club and the Republican party. We truly regret the error, and hope to see Ed soon in person when we start back up our meetings in January.

Here's a little sneak peek at a few of slideshow photos for tomorrow's Homecoming and Look Back last meeting of 2021. You don't want to miss it - it's going to be so fun!

Get to know our most local representatives! We're looking forward to hearing from all of the runoff candidates in the HISD and HCC Trustee Board races this Tuesday. These positions are SO important! A major part of your property taxes fund these education districts, and who is on the board really matter. Join us at 11:30 am Tuesday 11/23 at Tony's for a great program and lunch. Always $25 meeting fee includes lunch. Pay at the door - no RSVP required. Business attire.

There's a very important election going on right now - 8 proposed amendments to the Texas Constitution, and trustee positions for all local school boards and the Houston Community College system.

The Pachyderms don't endorse candidates or issues, but you can find recommendations and endorsements on the county party's website and by other conservative and business groups. Do your homework and get out and vote!

GHPC is looking forward to welcoming our friend Ed Emmett this Tuesday, and a full-house, sell-out crowd. If you are planning to attend, please arrive early as seating will be first come and paid, first seated.

No saving seats for others who will pay upon arrival - and any seats saved by the saver paying for the seat will nevertheless be released at 11:50 a.m. if the person for whom saved has not arrived. Thank you for your understanding.

Meeting fee is $25 and includes a 3-course lunch. Business attire. Valet parking $5.

Update on what's going on at City Hall with At Large Position 1 Councilman Mike Knox.

The GHPC meeting tomorrow 2/16 is cancelled due to 🌡️☁️. See you next week!