Fellow Republican Conservatives,

What an election season this has been. The election process began almost a year ago with the launch of the candidate recruitment phase. Then came the vetting sessions, the countless meeting, the filing period, the campaigning and then...the "filing fiasco" and the awful ramifications.

Unless you were directly involved in the activities above, you truly can not fathom the amount of time, stress, personal expense and emotional drain that was experienced by all fighting this atrocity to keep people off the ballot and ultimately the disfranchisement of thousands of South Carolinian voters.

The June 12th Primary Race is now behind us and the June 26th Runoff  Election is just around the corner.

Before going any further. I wish to thank and congratulate each and every candidate, campaign worker and voter who participated in the process. Whether your candidate won or lost, at least you were in the fight to make our city, county, state and country a better place.

As we enter the runoff part of this race I ask everyone involved to please remember we are all Republicans working to change the direction in which all levels of government are headed. There is no doubt our way of life, our society, our country are in trouble. To make make the drastic changes needed to correct our course will take a strong, determined and unified effort by all of us.

I am asking, no I am begging, that everyone remember we are one with a common goal. I beg everyone to remember President Reagan's 11th Commandment and run a civil and respectful race. This request is especially directed at the campaign workers of all candidates. I know how passions can run high and the spirit of the fight can overtake you. But you can control yourselves if you wish.

WARNING: Misuse of the FCGOP website and social media outlets will not be used as a battlefield where name calling, trash ads comments and such will be tolerated.

No one believes in the freedom of speech, press and assembly as much as I do. However, at the same time, I don't believe our users want to be inundated by comments and counter comments every few seconds by those who loose control of their senses of humanity and civility.

I do think it is imperative people have the ability to learn more about all candidates so they can make educated choices when they enter the voting booth.

Keeping with this belief, effective Monday, June 18th, our sites will be opened to all postings.

NOTICE: All sites will be monitored! If anyone, I repeat, if anyone post comments deemed in violation of the above request not only will that posting be deleted, the person posting it will be blocked from our site indefinitely. These decisions will be made by a three person team dedicated to our principles of freedom and civility.

Folks, if we are to clean up the political process and bring back civility it must began within our own party...it begins with you and me.



Updates:

There have been some permanent and temporary changes in you leadership team.

Julian Young has been appointed  to the Florence County Elections Board. Our congratulations are extended to Julian. As a result, Julian was required to resign his position as Executive Committman within the party.

Elijah Jones was recently elected as the 7th Congressional District Chairman. This is a very important and high profile position within the District and the SCGOP. Their win is our loss. Effective June 13th Elijah tuned in his resignation as Secretary of the FCGOP.

The Executive Committeeman is an elected position within the FCGOP. The Secretary is an appointed position. ANYONE WISHING TO BE CONSIDERED FOR EITHER POSITION NEEDS TO CONTACT ME AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. I hope to fill both positions as soon as reasonably possible.

Stephanie Rawlinson has taken a leave of absence from her office until July 1, 2012. She felt the need to work on the election team of a candidate during the runoff campaign. I accepted her request and for the sake of transparency and ethics within our party removed her access to all of our social media outlets and restricted any activity involving the duties of the 1st Chair.

Ethan Rivera, 3rd Chair, is also helping a candidate. However, our bylaws and policy does not require his removal from office.

Our next FCGOP meeting will be on July 9, 2012. Notification of details will be forthcoming.

It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the FCGOP during these trying times. I am proud of all of you and your efforts to make the political process work. More importantly, thank you for protecting our system of government and the Constitution of the United States of America.

Yours in service,

Bill Pickle, Chairman FCGOP