By Shannon Greathead, Guest Columnist
March 25 was the Cherokee County Republican Party’s convention, and yet there has not been any communication from the newly elected chairman, who ran on party unity.
After personally reaching out to Bill Gelert, the only replies I received were “I don’t know,” when asked about our long-standing monthly general membership meetings. It only left me and constituents with more questions about why he even ran for an office he knows nothing about.
I, too, was a new chair, so I personally know exactly what it was like, but I didn’t go into that position without a game plan, nor did I leave our membership hanging without notice, nor did I leave them without any
communications.
Immediately after convention, they were notified by email of the changes of leadership, thanked for their participation at the convention and for their time and dedication to the party, and given contact information for all the sitting four executive officers, five at-large committee members and all 16 precinct chair members, who were voted in to serve Republican constituents in Cherokee County. We also had our next meeting dates scheduled and executive meetings planned.
Without a doubt, you are being purposely ignored. As of today, it has been verified that certain members of the previous board and membership have not been receiving GOP emails. It has also been verified that the chair is evidently not wanting to be open with his contact information, nor is he wanting to address issues that he knows are going to be brought before the board immediately at the first meeting.
The question is, why? He doesn’t do social media, so exactly how are you supposed to communicate with constituents and be readily available to members if you don’t have internet services, don’t want your number given out and don’t want to be bothered with using any forms of social media to reach the bases to grow the party and unite members?
He doesn’t have reliable internet at home, so he has told me he has to use the library to communicate. So regardless of how you try to contact him, if any means at all, how do you know if or when you will get a response and if in a timely manner, heaven forbid it be urgent.
This is indeed what has become the downfall of the Cherokee County, N.C., Republican Party, with the help of the previous chair and some of the executive board at what was the most out-of-order convention I have ever witnessed.
To be continued.
Shannon Greathead, Murphy
The writer is former chair of the Cherokee County GOP.