Structure Change

Hoosier Whigs will continue its goal of repairing the broken social mechanism. The organization is to become a PAC/think tank for the modern Whiggery in Indiana. However, Hoosier Whigs is not affiliated with the Modern Whig Party or any other political party. We want to be a non-partisan group supporting anyone who believes in modern Whiggery, regardless of political party. For those interested in continuing their involvement with the Modern Whig Party in Indiana, please contact Brendan Galligan, new chairman of the Whig Party of Indiana at chairman@indianawhig.org.

Update March 10, 2010

Fellow Whigs:

Greetings one and all. While we are still in our infancy we believe we have some exciting developments in the works. Hoosier Whigs intends to become a non-for-profit, socionomic-political organization. Many of you may ask, "What does that mean?" First off, we intend of being more than just another "third party". Instead, we want to focus our efforts on not only political change, but social and economic reform as well. Politics, economics, and society form the three focal points of the social mechanism. This social mechanism is currently in disrepair and we want to present ourselves as a new generation of leaders intent on fixing the mechanism.

If one looks at the state of affairs in our Union the task of finding logical solutions seems overwhelming. This is why we are going to create a movement based not upon a specific ideology, but rather upon a methodology. By doing so, we can break down the social mechanism into its various functions and allow those who excel at certain skill sets the opportunity to focus their skills on a concrete game plan.

Hoosier Whigs will be divided into nine Divisions, each representing an overall function in the social mechanism. Those Divisions are currently:

1) Technology
2) Information
3) Civics
4) Natural Resources
5) Recreation
6) Security
7) Health
8) Business
9) Trades

There will be a Directorate of Whigs who will serve as the Executive branch of the organization. The Directorate will be responsible for basic operations of the organization. When enough Directors have been put in place we will elect or appoint a Moderator to oversee each of the Nine Divisions from the pool of the Directorate. These nine Moderators will have final say over the direction of the organization, using the advice of the Directors to come to their conclusions.

In additional to the Directorate there will be a Meritocracy composed of Whigs from different parts of the state. As stated earlier, we recognize that repairing the social mechanism will be a daunting task. Therefore, we will break down Indiana into several layers of leadership within the Meritocracy.

The largest unit of leadership will be the County. Beneath the County level will be a the Township level. Each Township will further be divided into Zones. Those Zones will then be divided into Sectors. Because we are in the initial stages of developing leadership, the Sector will be our focus.

At the Sector level, Whigs will be referred to as "Owls". Not only is the Owl the symbol of the Modern Whig movement, it is also an acronym for Outstanding Whig Leaders. Each Owl will be responsible for their Sector but they are also encouraged to expand beyond their Sectors in their activities.

The Directorate is currently working on a set of Guidebooks designed to help each Owl repair the social mechanism within their Sector. As each Owl begins to complete their Guidebooks they will have an opportunity to advance within the Meritocracy and take a leadership role over a Zone, then Township, etc. We want to use this system to ensure that the community leaders we are creating deserve the position they hold.

This is where we currently stand in development. We are also retooling the website (http://hoosierwhigs.org) to help facilitate our structure. The system we are creating will take time, but the Modern Whigs have always been focused on a long-term program. New leaders are not created out of thin air, they are grown through dedication, nurturing, and cooperation. These will be the leaders we will eventually present to the electorate.

This new system is very different from other systems that have been presented. If anyone has any questions, please feel free to ask. Over the next few months we will have a new website operating and the initial set of Guidebooks ready for distribution. Lastly, please remember that nothing we do is set in stone. As an organic organization we want each member to feel their input is important to our development. Suggestions are always welcome.

Sincerely,

Jeremy McShurley
Director of Party Development (Delaware County)
http://hoosierwhigs.org
info@hoosierwhigs.org
765-372-1075

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Welcome to the Jungle

Well, I've just been invited.  So I thought I'd acknowledge with a short howdy-do post.

Pete, 46, Southern Indiana, Father, IT Specialist, and recovering Scoop Jackson Democrat, Reagan Republican, and Libertarian.  I consider myself a small-government conservative and a small-L libertarian.

And by "libertarian" I mean not an anarchist, cheap-dope, capitalist hippy, Libertarian, but one of the scary ones who believes the Constitution should mean what it says, and who got weary a while back of the LP not only shooting itself in the foot, but emptying a whole clip of .45 ACP into it.

Corporate Oligarchy?

The Supreme Court has just ruled that corporations may contribute to elections with the same rights as individuals as protected by the 1st Amendment of the US Constitution. [link]

Is a corporation protected by the Bill of Rights? Will this decision shift more power towards the Corporate Oligarchy and away from the People? Has this decision allowed only Big Business and wealthy individuals the right to influence an election? Or, has the Supreme Court simply extended freedoms that are written into the law of the land?

These are questions that need to be answered. Feel free to comment.

Why Hard Cider?

This blog is called Hard Cider in reference to the Log Cabin and Hard Cider presidential campaign of 1840. Willliam Henry Harrison had won the 1840 Whig nomination after failing to win the Presidency four years earlier. Despite being from a wealthy political family, the campaign touted Harrison's "humble" roots, using the log cabin and hard cider as a symbol for his connection with the common man.

Earlier in his career, Harrison had been the governor of Indiana Territory. During his tenure he helped secure much of what is today the Hoosier State from the various Indian tribes. He was also successful in defeating Tecumseh at the Battle of Tippecanoe, where he earned his nickname and became a national hero.

Hard Cider is the official blog and newsletter of the Hoosier Whigs. Hoosier Whigs is a chapter of the Modern Whig Party based out of Washington, D.C. The Modern Whig movement is a moderate, common sense movement, based more on rational compromise rather than partisan ideology.

Hoosier Whigs can keep up to date on the activity of the Party here in Indiana and use the blog as a forum for building the Party. Feel free to submit any news or articles you would like.