
Minutes of the State Convention America First Party of Mississippi July 20, 2002 BE IT REMEMBERED that the America First Party of Mississippi met in Convention on July 20, 2002 pursuant to the Call to Convention duly issued by the State Party Chairman at the request of the State Executive Committee. The Reform Party of Mississippi convention was called to order by Chairman Ryan Walters at 5:10PM CDT on July 20, 2002 at the Hilton Hotel Crowne Room in Jackson, Mississippi. The Chairman led the Pledge of Allegiance. Mr. John Hey, State Party Treasurer, led in prayer. The Secretary gave the Credentials Report. He reported that seven duly qualified delegates were then present. Mr. Hey moved for the adoption of the Credentials Report. His motion was seconded and approved by unanimous vote. The Secretary reported that there were no irregular persons asking to be seated as delegates. He also noted that there were three guests in attendance. The Chairman welcomed the delegates to the convention. He discussed briefly the need for a strong party that works to restore the Constitution and the basic values of our founding fathers. The Chairman delivered his report on the business of the party. He described the disaffiliation of the State Party from the Reform Party USA and the affiliation with the American First Party (hereafter abbreviated as "AFP"). Discussion of the need for the change of affiliation ensued. Mr. Hey moved to amend the Credentials Report to seat Harold Emerson, Jr. as a delegate. His motion was seconded and adopted by unanimous vote. The Treasurer reported on the activities of the Party since the last convention. He reported that the Party had appeared before the State Board of Election Commissioners, consisting of the Governor, the Secretary of State, and the Attorney General, and pressed its case to list Pat Buchanna and Ezola Foster as the party's nominees on the ballot in the November, 2000 presidential election. The Party was victorious in this effort, and worked hard for the ticket that year. The Treasurer passed out sample copies of various pieces of literature that the Party had prepared, printed, and distributed during the 2000 campaign and during the Flag campaign in the spring of 2001. The Treasurer reported on the 2001 National Convention and the progress that was made in the platform and officer elections. The Treasurer concluded by commenting on the disruption and misconduct that forced the State Party leadership to repudiate the RPUSA and help form the new America First Party. The Secretary reported the registration of two additional delegates, Trey and Stacy Golmon. Mr. Hey moved that the Credentials Report be amended to list the Golmons as Delegates. His motion was seconded and adopted by unanimous vote. The Secretary informed the convention that there were now ten delegates in attendance, and four guests on the convention floor. Rules Committee Chairman Hey was recognized for the presentation of the Bylaws Amendments and other Resolutions which had been distributed with the Call to Convention. The Rules Chairman moved the adoption of the following Resolution: RESOLVED, That this Convention hereby abandons the name "Reform Party of Mississippi" and adopts the name "America First Party of Mississippi"; and That this Convention hereby instructs its officers and Executive Committee to act on its behalf to file the necessary affidavits and documents to register the new party name and to establish the America First Party of Mississippi as a qualified political party in the state of Mississippi. The Resolution was seconded and there was brief discussion. The Resolution was adopted by unanimous vote. The Rules Chairman moved the adoption of the following Bylaw Amendment: RESOLVED, That this Convention hereby amends the party Bylaws by changing the title of the Bylaws to read, "Bylaws of the America First Party of Mississippi"; and That this Convention hereby amends Article I Section 1 of the party Bylaws by striking the phrase "Reform Party of Mississippi" and replacing it with the words "America First Party of Mississippi"; and That this Convention hereby strikes Article I Section 2 of the party Bylaws and replaces it with the following: "The Party shall be affiliated with the America First Party (hereinafter, "AFP")."; and That this Convention hereby amends Article IX Section 5 of the party Bylaws by striking the word "Reform"; and That this Convention hereby amends the party Bylaws by replacing each instance of the acronym "RPUSA" with the acronym "AFP" wherever it may be found. The Resolution was seconded and there was brief discussion. The Resolution was adopted by unanimous vote. The Rules Chairman moved the adoption of the following Bylaw Amendment: RESOLVED, that this Convention hereby amends Article IV Section 9 of the party Bylaws by striking all but the first sentence, and appending the following text: "A committee member is deemed recalled from office, and his office immediately declared vacant, upon presentation to the Executive Committee of a written Petition of Recall signed by two-thirds of all the Party members in good standing who were credentialed at the immediate previous State Convention; and such recalled committee member shall be ineligible for re-election to any position provided for within these bylaws for a period of two years following such recall by the Party members." The Resolution was seconded and there was brief discussion. The Resolution was adopted by unanimous vote. Mr. Hey moved that the Convention Adopt and Ratify the newly amended Party Bylaws as a whole as they were written and amended after the passage of the resolutions. After brief discussion, his resolution was seconded and adopted by unanimous vote. The Founding Principles of the America First Party were discussed by the convention delegates. Cmdr. Steve Edson moved the adoption of the Founding Principles without change: FOUNDING PRINCIPLES OF THE AMERICA FIRST PARTY PRESERVE AND PROTECT OUR PEOPLE AND OUR SOVEREIGNTY Support a military whose mission is to protect our nation, not police the world Strengthen our borders and promote rational immigration policies Protect English as our common language Seek friendship with all nations, but avoid entangling alliances Work to maintain our nation's sovereignty and oppose all attempts to make our nation subservient to the precursors of global government Apply American values to our foreign policy PROMOTE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND INDEPENDENCE Restore accountability and Constitutionality to budgets and taxes Promote tax policies that adhere to the Constitution, enhance individual freedom, encourage savings and investment, and promote the family Eliminate unconstitutional portions of the federal government Rebuild our manufacturing base and protect American workers Protect our right to fair trade and oppose free trade, exit NAFTA and the WTO Help American businesses stay in America Promote a Buy American policy End taxpayer bailouts of corporations and foreign governments Implement a self-sufficient energy policy ENCOURAGE THE TRADITIONAL VALUES OF FAITH, FAMILY, AND RESPONSIBILITY Protect and recognize the sanctity of all human life Defend the traditional family unit based on one man and one woman Promote the primacy of parents in the lives and education of their children Respect the free exercise of religion Recognize the Judeo-Christian heritage of our shared values ENSURE EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW IN PROTECTING THOSE RIGHTS GRANTED BY THE CREATOR Defend the self-evident truth "that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" Preserve and protect all of the Bill of Rights Oppose all quota systems. Merit and behavior must prevail End judicial tyranny and restore balance to our political system Restore property rights and restrict government land confiscation CLEAN UP OUR CORRUPTED POLITICAL SYSTEM Remove the primary source of corruption by sharply reducing the size and scope of the federal government to its limited powers under the Constitution, and return control over all other matters to the states Require that all political donations be promptly disclosed and come from voters Enforce fair, uniform standards for ballot and debate access to give voters more choice Implement clean election practices-restore paper ballots Reform the lobbying system so that the only organizations permitted to lobby are those organizations whose money is acquired strictly from voter donations. Reasonable individual voter donation amount limits must be established End lavish Congressional pensions-put them on Social Security Ban taxpayer funded Congressional campaign mailings Restore the rights of states in the manner of choosing Senators and Representatives and promote the citizen legislator His motion was seconded and adopted by unanimous vote. Mr. Golman suggested that, in the future, the Party should craft a platform tailored for state issues along with the National Platform. Mr. Jim Giles gave the keynote address to the convention. He is an independent candidate for Congress in the 3rd Congressional District. Jim Giles fielded many questions from the delegates. Suggestions for campaign strategy were also freely discussed. Mr. Golman moved the AFP endorse Jim Giles run for Congress. His motion was seconded and adopted by unanimous vote. Mr. Golman moved that the Executive Committee draft a press release supporting Mr. Giles and offer to him other assistance as the might be found proper and feasible. His motion was seconded, and after some discussion, was adopted by a vote of five "yeas", one "nay", and four abstentions. The Chairman and the Treasurer discussed the issue of the election of officers. The officers have four year terms under our Bylaws and the terms expire in 2004. Mr. Hey introduced a Resolution Ratifying and Confirming the current officers of the America First Party of Missisippi: Ryan Walters, Chairman Trey Golmon, Vice-Chairman John Goodman, Secretary John P. Hey, Treasurer The purpose of the resolution is to carry over the officers after the change of name of the state party. After some discussion, the resolution was seconded and adopted by unanimous vote. The Chairman opened the floor for nominations to the National Committee. Mr. Hey described the duties of the National Committee, which require the attendance of teleconference and in-person meetings of the Committee. Mr. Emerson, Cmdr. Edson, and Mrs. Hey all declined to be considered for the post of National Committee member. Trey Golman, John Hey, Candice Schmidt and Ryan Walters were nominated. John Hey withdrew his name from consideration. Nominations were closed, and Golman, Schmidt and Walters were elected by acclamation as the National Committee members. A discussion was held regarding delegates to the National Convention, which will be held August 8-11, 2002 in Orlando, Florida. The State Party is permitted to elect four delegates in addition to the three National Committee members who are automatic delegates by virtue of office. Mr. Hey moved that the Convention declare the four delegate positions vacant, with the understanding that the Executive Committee may fill the vacancies at a later time. His motion was seconded and adopted by unanimous vote. There was new business. The duplication of e-mails on the reflector lists was discussed, and Mr. Hey remarked that this would settle down once the National Convention was concluded and some of the Reflectors were disbanded. Another question was raised regarding talks of a merger of the AFP and the Constitution Party. There are no talks underway to effect such a merger, and most of the AFP members are opposed to the idea. There being no further business, the State Convention was adjourned at 7:19PM CDT. Respectfully submitted, John Allan Goodman Secretary

Minutes of the State Convention

America First Party of Mississippi
July 20, 2002

BE IT REMEMBERED that the America First Party of Mississippi met in Convention on July 20, 2002 pursuant to the Call to Convention duly issued by the State Party Chairman at the request of the State Executive Committee.
The Reform Party of Mississippi convention was called to order by Chairman Ryan Walters at 5:10PM CDT on July 20, 2002 at the Hilton Hotel Crowne Room in Jackson, Mississippi.
The Chairman led the Pledge of Allegiance. Mr. John Hey, State Party Treasurer, led in prayer.
The Secretary gave the Credentials Report. He reported that seven duly qualified delegates were then present. Mr. Hey moved for the adoption of the Credentials Report. His motion was seconded and approved by unanimous vote. The Secretary reported that there were no irregular persons asking to be seated as delegates. He also noted that there were three guests in attendance.
The Chairman welcomed the delegates to the convention. He discussed briefly the need for a strong party that works to restore the Constitution and the basic values of our founding fathers.
The Chairman delivered his report on the business of the party. He described the disaffiliation of the State Party from the Reform Party USA and the affiliation with the American First Party (hereafter abbreviated as "AFP"). Discussion of the need for the change of affiliation ensued.
Mr. Hey moved to amend the Credentials Report to seat Harold Emerson, Jr. as a delegate. His motion was seconded and adopted by unanimous vote.
The Treasurer reported on the activities of the Party since the last convention. He reported that the Party had appeared before the State Board of Election Commissioners, consisting of the Governor, the Secretary of State, and the Attorney General, and pressed its case to list Pat Buchanna and Ezola Foster as the party's nominees on the ballot in the November, 2000 presidential election. The Party was victorious in this effort, and worked hard for the ticket that year.
The Treasurer passed out sample copies of various pieces of literature that the Party had prepared, printed, and distributed during the 2000 campaign and during the Flag campaign in the spring of 2001.
The Treasurer reported on the 2001 National Convention and the progress that was made in the platform and officer elections.
The Treasurer concluded by commenting on the disruption and misconduct that forced the State Party leadership to repudiate the RPUSA and help form the new America First Party.
The Secretary reported the registration of two additional delegates, Trey and Stacy Golmon. Mr. Hey moved that the Credentials Report be amended to list the Golmons as Delegates. His motion was seconded and adopted by unanimous vote.
The Secretary informed the convention that there were now ten delegates in attendance, and four guests on the convention floor.
Rules Committee Chairman Hey was recognized for the presentation of the Bylaws Amendments and other Resolutions which had been distributed with the Call to Convention.
The Rules Chairman moved the adoption of the following Resolution:
RESOLVED, That this Convention hereby abandons the name "Reform Party of Mississippi" and adopts the name "America First Party of Mississippi"; and
That this Convention hereby instructs its officers and Executive Committee to act on its behalf to file the necessary affidavits and documents to register the new party name and to establish the America First Party of Mississippi as a qualified political party in the state of Mississippi.

The Resolution was seconded and there was brief discussion. The Resolution was adopted by unanimous vote.
The Rules Chairman moved the adoption of the following Bylaw Amendment:
RESOLVED, That this Convention hereby amends the party Bylaws by changing the title of the Bylaws to read, "Bylaws of the America First Party of Mississippi"; and
That this Convention hereby amends Article I Section 1 of the party Bylaws by striking the phrase "Reform Party of Mississippi" and replacing it with the words "America First Party of Mississippi"; and
That this Convention hereby strikes Article I Section 2 of the party Bylaws and replaces it with the following:
"The Party shall be affiliated with the America First Party (hereinafter, "AFP")."; and
That this Convention hereby amends Article IX Section 5 of the party Bylaws by striking the word "Reform"; and
That this Convention hereby amends the party Bylaws by replacing each instance of the acronym "RPUSA" with the acronym "AFP" wherever it may be found.

The Resolution was seconded and there was brief discussion. The Resolution was adopted by unanimous vote.
The Rules Chairman moved the adoption of the following Bylaw Amendment:
RESOLVED, that this Convention hereby amends Article IV Section 9 of the party Bylaws by striking all but the first sentence, and appending the following text:
"A committee member is deemed recalled from office, and his office immediately declared vacant, upon presentation to the Executive Committee of a written Petition of Recall signed by two-thirds of all the Party members in good standing who were credentialed at the immediate previous State Convention; and such recalled committee member shall be ineligible for re-election to any position provided for within these bylaws for a period of two years following such recall by the Party members."

The Resolution was seconded and there was brief discussion. The Resolution was adopted by unanimous vote.
Mr. Hey moved that the Convention Adopt and Ratify the newly amended Party Bylaws as a whole as they were written and amended after the passage of the resolutions. After brief discussion, his resolution was seconded and adopted by unanimous vote.
The Founding Principles of the America First Party were discussed by the convention delegates. Cmdr. Steve Edson moved the adoption of the Founding Principles without change:
FOUNDING PRINCIPLES OF THE AMERICA FIRST PARTY
PRESERVE AND PROTECT OUR PEOPLE AND OUR SOVEREIGNTY

Support a military whose mission is to protect our nation, not police the world
Strengthen our borders and promote rational immigration policies
Protect English as our common language
Seek friendship with all nations, but avoid entangling alliances
Work to maintain our nation's sovereignty and oppose all attempts to make our nation subservient to the precursors of global government
Apply American values to our foreign policy
PROMOTE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND INDEPENDENCE

Restore accountability and Constitutionality to budgets and taxes
Promote tax policies that adhere to the Constitution, enhance individual freedom, encourage savings and investment, and promote the family
Eliminate unconstitutional portions of the federal government
Rebuild our manufacturing base and protect American workers
Protect our right to fair trade and oppose free trade, exit NAFTA and the WTO
Help American businesses stay in America
Promote a Buy American policy
End taxpayer bailouts of corporations and foreign governments
Implement a self-sufficient energy policy
ENCOURAGE THE TRADITIONAL VALUES OF FAITH, FAMILY, AND RESPONSIBILITY

Protect and recognize the sanctity of all human life
Defend the traditional family unit based on one man and one woman
Promote the primacy of parents in the lives and education of their children
Respect the free exercise of religion
Recognize the Judeo-Christian heritage of our shared values
ENSURE EQUALITY BEFORE THE LAW IN PROTECTING THOSE RIGHTS GRANTED BY THE CREATOR

Defend the self-evident truth "that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness"
Preserve and protect all of the Bill of Rights
Oppose all quota systems. Merit and behavior must prevail
End judicial tyranny and restore balance to our political system
Restore property rights and restrict government land confiscation
CLEAN UP OUR CORRUPTED POLITICAL SYSTEM

Remove the primary source of corruption by sharply reducing the size and scope of the federal government to its limited powers under the Constitution, and return control over all other matters to the states
Require that all political donations be promptly disclosed and come from voters
Enforce fair, uniform standards for ballot and debate access to give voters more choice
Implement clean election practices-restore paper ballots
Reform the lobbying system so that the only organizations permitted to lobby are those organizations whose money is acquired strictly from voter donations. Reasonable individual voter donation amount limits must be established
End lavish Congressional pensions-put them on Social Security
Ban taxpayer funded Congressional campaign mailings
Restore the rights of states in the manner of choosing Senators and Representatives and promote the citizen legislator

His motion was seconded and adopted by unanimous vote.
Mr. Golman suggested that, in the future, the Party should craft a platform tailored for state issues along with the National Platform.
Mr. Jim Giles gave the keynote address to the convention. He is an independent candidate for Congress in the 3rd Congressional District. Jim Giles fielded many questions from the delegates. Suggestions for campaign strategy were also freely discussed.
Mr. Golman moved the AFP endorse Jim Giles run for Congress. His motion was seconded and adopted by unanimous vote.
Mr. Golman moved that the Executive Committee draft a press release supporting Mr. Giles and offer to him other assistance as the might be found proper and feasible. His motion was seconded, and after some discussion, was adopted by a vote of five "yeas", one "nay", and four abstentions.
The Chairman and the Treasurer discussed the issue of the election of officers. The officers have four year terms under our Bylaws and the terms expire in 2004.
Mr. Hey introduced a Resolution Ratifying and Confirming the current officers of the America First Party of Missisippi:
Ryan Walters, Chairman
Trey Golmon, Vice-Chairman
John Goodman, Secretary
John P. Hey, Treasurer
The purpose of the resolution is to carry over the officers after the change of name of the state party. After some discussion, the resolution was seconded and adopted by unanimous vote.
The Chairman opened the floor for nominations to the National Committee. Mr. Hey described the duties of the National Committee, which require the attendance of teleconference and in-person meetings of the Committee.
Mr. Emerson, Cmdr. Edson, and Mrs. Hey all declined to be considered for the post of National Committee member. Trey Golman, John Hey, Candice Schmidt and Ryan Walters were nominated. John Hey withdrew his name from consideration. Nominations were closed, and Golman, Schmidt and Walters were elected by acclamation as the National Committee members.
A discussion was held regarding delegates to the National Convention, which will be held August 8-11, 2002 in Orlando, Florida. The State Party is permitted to elect four delegates in addition to the three National Committee members who are automatic delegates by virtue of office.
Mr. Hey moved that the Convention declare the four delegate positions vacant, with the understanding that the Executive Committee may fill the vacancies at a later time. His motion was seconded and adopted by unanimous vote.
There was new business. The duplication of e-mails on the reflector lists was discussed, and Mr. Hey remarked that this would settle down once the National Convention was concluded and some of the Reflectors were disbanded. Another question was raised regarding talks of a merger of the AFP and the Constitution Party. There are no talks underway to effect such a merger, and most of the AFP members are opposed to the idea.
There being no further business, the State Convention was adjourned at 7:19PM CDT.
Respectfully submitted,
John Allan Goodman
Secretary

Minutes of the State Convention

America First Party of Mississippi July 20, 2002

John Allan Goodman Secretary

America First Party of Mississippi
July 20, 2002

John Allan Goodman
Secretary