The Maine College Republicans will host the Youth Leadership School, the flagship program of the Leadership Institute, at Bates College from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 17-18. The school will be held in the Edmund S. Muskie Archives, at 70 Campus Ave.

The program is sponsored by the Maine College Republicans and the Leadership Institute, an Arlington, Va.-based organization that trains aspiring conservative leaders. The Youth Leadership School is open to high school and college students for a $30 registration fee, which includes three meals a day, course materials and optional local hotel accommodations.

To register or for more information, please contact this chairman@mainecr.org.

This is the fourth consecutive year the Maine College Republicans have hosted the Youth Leadership School at Bates. The school is expected to draw college Republicans from as far north as Aroostook County and as far south as York County.

Founded in 1979 by conservative activist Morton Blackwell, the Leadership Institute uses quick-paced multimedia presentations and experienced instructors to share with students the organizational and campaign techniques necessary for effective leadership.

“It’s a great opportunity to host the Leadership Institute in Maine,” stated Nathaniel Walton, a junior at Bates and state chair of the Maine College Republicans. “The school will provide all of the knowledge and skills Maine College Republicans will need in order to become more effective grassroots activists.”

“Furthermore, the strategy and skills that Maine College Republicans learn this weekend will motivate them to promote the positive Republican message in every corner of the Pine Tree State in the coming weeks and months,” Walton concluded.

Notable graduates of the Youth Leadership School include deputy White House chief of staff Karl Rove, former Virginia Gov. and Republican National Committee Chairman James Gilmore, U.S. Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell and Grover Norquist, president of Americans for Tax Reform.

Two Bates students are among 30 students nationwide recognized for their activism by Young America’s Foundation, a conservative outreach organization.

Nate Walton ’08 of Marblehead, Mass., and Melissa Simones ’06 of Greene were honored in April as members of the foundation’s Club 100. A campus activist rewards program, Club 100 gives points to members based on outreach activities such as bringing speakers to campus and raising money for their programs.

Students earning 100 points or more are invited to an annual retreat at Rancho Del Cielo, the ranch of the late President Ronald Reagan. Walton, who chairs the Maine College Republicans, ranked fifth in the nation, with 150 points. Simones, with 120 points, ranked 15th. The point score winner was Elizabeth Koren of the Thomas Jefferson School of Law, with 250.

Last month, Walton received the Richard M. and Helen DeVos Freedom Center Award for Student Leadership by the Intercollegiate Studies Institute.

“It was a moving experience to be at Rancho Del Cielo,” said Simones. “I not only heard about President Reagan’s accomplishments but also gained a better sense of his truly great character. Despite being the most powerful man in the world, President Reagan took great pleasure in simple pastimes such as building fences and riding horses.”

Simones served as secretary of the Maine College Republicans in 2005 and 2006 and has been involved with that organization and the Bates College Republicans since her first year at the college.

Nathaniel Walton ’08, chair of the Maine College Republicans, has received the Richard M. and Helen DeVos Freedom Center Award for Student Leadership from the Intercollegiate Studies Institute (ISI).

Walton received the award during the institute’s National Leadership Conference on Saturday, April 22, in Indianapolis. He received the award for making Maine the top state in recruiting ISI members during the 2005-06 academic year, and for his efforts in promoting the values of American freedom on Maine college campuses.

Bringing together students and faculty from across the United States, the conference was dedicated to Milton Friedman, author of the book Capitalism and Freedom (University of Chicago Press, 1962), and his insights into the role of competitive capitalism as a device for achieving economic freedom and a necessary condition for political freedom.

“I was honored by the opportunity to attend the 2006 ISI National Leadership Conference and was humbled that ISI presented me with the 2006 DeVos Freedom Center Award,” said Walton, of Marblehead, Mass.

Walton was unanimously elected to a second term as state chair of the Maine College Republicans during the organization’s state convention on April 8.

Based in Wilmington, Del., the Intercollegiate Studies Institute was founded in 1953 to promote among American college youth a better understanding of the economic, political and spiritual values that sustain a free and virtuous society. ISI has volunteer representatives at more than 900 colleges, and more than 50,000 ISI student and faculty members on virtually every campus in the country.

ISI conducts more than 300 educational programs on campuses each year, offers graduate fellowships to aspiring college teachers and circulates more than half a million copies annually of its major publications.

The Maine College Republicans will host the Leadership Institute’s flagship program, the Youth Leadership School, at Bates from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, March 11, and Sunday, March 12. The school will be held in the Edmund S. Muskie Archives, 70 Campus Ave.

The program is sponsored by the Maine College Republicans and the Leadership Institute, an Arlington, Va.-based organization that trains aspiring conservative leaders. The school is open to high school and college students for a $30 registration fee, which includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, course materials and optional local hotel accommodations.

To register or for more information, please contact Nathaniel Walton ’08, chairman of the Maine College Republicans, at 207-240-4549 or this chairman@mainecr.org.

Founded in 1979 by conservative activist Morton Blackwell, the Leadership Institute uses multimedia presentations and experienced instructors to share with students the organizational and campaign techniques necessary to effective leadership.

“It’s a great opportunity to host the Leadership Institute in Maine,” stated Nathaniel Walton ’08, chairman of the Maine College Republicans. “The two-day school will provide all of the knowledge and skills Maine College Republicans need in order to be highly effective grassroots activists during the crucial 2006 Maine elections.”

“This training will be very important as we prepare to make a historic difference in achieving great Republican victories in Maine on November 7,” he concluded.

This is the third year the Maine College Republicans have hosted the event, with this year’s expected turnout of 60 students being the largest ever. College Republicans from the other New England states are also expected to attend.

Notable graduates of the Youth Leadership School include Deputy White House Chief of Staff Karl Rove, former Virginia governor and Republican National Committee Chairman James Gilmore, U.S. Sen. Mitch McConnell and Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist.

David Horowitz and Al Franken, authors and political commentators who represent distinctly opposed social and political viewpoints, are scheduled to speak within days of each other at Bates College.

The Maine College Republicans present the conservative Horowitz, author of the Academic Bill of Rights that the Bates College Student Government adopted last spring, at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 28, in the Edmund S. Muskie Archives, 70 Campus Ave. The event is open to the public at no charge.

In conjunction with the Maine College Democrats, the Bates Democrats present Franken, a comedian, Air America Radio host and author, at 6 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 1, in the Bates College Chapel, College Street. Limited seating for the talk remains available at $10 per person, Bates Democrats President Will McElhinny said on Sept. 26. Overflow seating presenting Franken’s talk over closed-circuit television will be offered at no cost outdoors near the chapel, weather permitting.

Prior to Franken’s talk, he will be the guest of honor at a reception in Chase Hall Lounge, 56 Campus Ave. Those attending the reception will receive seats for the chapel event. Admission for the reception is $30, according to McElhinny.

For more information, call McElhinny at 207-240-6147.

Horowitz is editor-in-chief of FrontPageMagazine.com, founder and president of the Center for the Study of Popular Culture and an outspoken observer of politics and culture. A prolific author, his books include The End Of Time (Encounter Books, 2005), Unholy Alliance: Radical Islam and the American Left (Regnery Publishing, 2004) and Radical Son: A Generational Odyssey (Free Press, 1997), in which Horowitz describes his personal journey away from radical left-wing politics.

Horowitz has spoken at more than 60 colleges and universities (including Bates in 1999) and appeared on myriad leading news and commentary broadcasts. His Academic Bill of Rights has opened a national debate about the political climate prevailing in college classrooms, with advocates of the bill calling it a needed defense of intellectual diversity and opponents claiming that it would actually curtail open inquiry and free speech.

Franken first earned national attention as one of the original writers and a performer on television’s “Saturday Night Live” in the 1970s. He is perhaps best-known as a liberal political commentator and satirist in live performances, on television and in such books as the best seller Lies, and the Lying Liars Who Tell Them: A Fair and Balanced Look at the Right (Dutton Adult, 2003), Rush Limbaugh is a Big Fat Idiot (Delacorte Press, 1996) and The Truth (with jokes), scheduled for a late October release (Dutton Adult).

Franken has hosted Air America’s flagship program, the three-hour “Al Franken Show,” since the liberal broadcast service was launched in 2004. A resident of New York City, Franken frequently visits Maine because of family connections — his wife, Frannie, is from Portland.

Nathaniel Walton ’08, president of the Bates College Republicans, was elected state chairman of the Maine College Republicans on July 16.

Walton, of Marblehead, Mass., was unanimously elected by the statewide organization’s executive board during a meeting in Bucksport. He succeeds Daniel Schuberth, a rising senior at Bowdoin College, who was elected national secretary of the College Republican National Committee in June.

“I am honored to lead the nation’s finest state college Republican federation into what will surely be an exciting future for the Republican Party in Maine,” Walton said. “We remain determined to continue energizing an interest in politics among young people in Maine and helping to elect Republican candidates to office at the local, state and national levels.”

“I am proud to lead a team of officers who are committed to bringing conservative principles to college campuses and delivering great Republican victories in Maine in the months and years to come.”

Walton previously served as communications director of the Maine College Republicans and was elected president of the Bates Republicans during his first year at the college. His accomplishments in the latter capacity include organizing a lecture by Weekly Standard editor William Kristol and introducing an “Academic Bill of Rights” passed by the Bates student government.

Active in student government at Bates, he became president of the Class of 2008 during his first year.

“I am pleased to see the Maine College Republicans look to Nate’s proven leadership to ensure the continued success of their organization,” said Maine Republican Party Chairman Randy Bumps, a member of the Bates class of 1995.

Boasting a membership of more than 2,000 students on 23 campuses, the Maine College Republicans gained earned national prominence last November when the organization was recognized as the “Best State Federation in America” for 2004 by the College Republican National Committee. The organization produces Maine’s only statewide conservative student publication, The Pachyderm Press, and is the first state college Republican organization with a board of governors. Board members include Sens. Olympia Snowe and Susan Collins.

For more information on the Maine College Republicans, please visit the organization’s Web site.

The program is sponsored by the Maine College Republicans and the Leadership Institute, an Arlington, Virginia-based organization that trains aspiring conservative leaders. The Youth Leadership School is open to high school and college students for a $60 registration fee, which includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, course materials and optional local hotel accommodations for Saturday night.

Founded in 1979 by conservative activist Morton Blackwell, the organization uses quick-paced multimedia presentations and experienced instructors to share with students the organizational and campaign techniques necessary to effective leadership.

“It’s a great opportunity to host the Leadership Institute in Maine,” stated Nathaniel Walton, a Bates freshman from Marblehead, Mass. Walton is vice president of the Bates College Republicans and primary organizer of the event. “The skills we will learn will help motivate students to spread the Republican message of self-reliance and free enterprise to campuses across the state.”

Famous graduates of the Youth Leadership School include Karl Rove, senior strategist to President George W. Bush; James Gilmore, former Virginia governor and chairman of the Republican National Committee; Senator Mitch McConnell of Kentucky; and Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist.

College Republicans from Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont and New Hampshire are also expected to attend.

A Bates College junior will represent Maine’s 2nd Congressional District at the Republican National Convention in New York City starting Aug. 30.

Maine College Republicans Vice Chairman Oliver Wolf, 21, of Lewiston, was the top vote-getter for delegate from Maine’s Second Congressional District. Wolf was one of two Maine college students elected as delegates at the Maine Republican Party State Convention in May.

A political science major with a concentration in U.S. political processes, Wolf is currently serving in his second term as College Republicans state vice chairman. He also was elected unanimously as president of the Bates College Republicans in March. Wolf recently returned to Maine from Washington, D.C., where he worked for the College Republican National Committee. His duties included media relations, fund raising, campaign volunteer coordination and organizing youth events in conjunction with the Republican National Convention.

The Maine College Republicans will host the Leadership Institute’s flagship program, the Youth Leadership School, at Bates College from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 28, and Sunday, Feb. 29, in the Edmund S. Muskie Archives, 70 Campus Ave.

The program is sponsored by the Maine State College Republican Organization and the Leadership Institute, an Arlington, Va.-based organization that trains aspiring conservative leaders. The Youth Leadership is open to high school and college students for a $60 registration fee, which includes breakfast, lunch, dinner, course materials and optional local hotel accommodations.

Founded in 1979 by conservative activist Morton Blackwell, the organization uses quick-paced multimedia presentations and experienced instructors to share with students the organizational and campaign techniques necessary to effective leadership.

“It’s a great opportunity to host the Leadership Institute in Maine,” stated Oliver Wolf, a Bates sophomore from Pittsburgh, Pa. Wolf is vice-chair of the Maine College Republicans and a major organizer of the event. “The skills we will learn will help us get Republican candidates elected across the board this November.”

“We’re excited to be bringing a Youth Leadership School to Maine for the first time in a very long while,” noted Jim Eltringham, director of public relations for the Leadership Institute’s Campus Leadership Program. “It is important for young conservatives to learn to win in politics.”

Famous graduates of the Youth Leadership School include Karl Rove, senior strategist to President George W. Bush; James S. Gilmore, former Republican National Committee chair and Virginia governor; Sen. Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky; and Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist.

On Sunday morning, Jan Staples, Maine’s national committeewoman to the Republican National Committee, will address students attending the program on their efforts for the campaign season ahead. College Republicans from Connecticut, Vermont, New Hampshire and even as far away as South Dakota are also expected to attend.

Throughout the program students will have the opportunity to win free books by William F. Buckley, Dinesh D’Souza, Milton Friedman, Barry Goldwater and other notable conservatives.

For more information on the Leadership Institute, visit the Web site at www.leadershipinstitute.org.