History of the West Stokes TARS
In 2006, Misti Holloway, English teacher and wife of state house representative Bryan Holloway, formed a new student-run club at West Stokes High School for young conservative students, the West Stokes High School Teenage Republicans. In consistency with the National Teenage Republican organization, the club held its first meeting in August with twenty members present and began to form this new club by electing students to leadership positions, setting guidelines and rules of order, give updates to political events in the area, and discuss ways of getting more young people involved in government.
At that first meeting, the club unanimously elected junior Kyle Hall the club's first-ever chairman, junior Brittney Palmer as vice-chairperson, sophomore Haley Watts as secretary, sophomore Megan Culler as treasurer, senior Allyn McVannel as publicist, and senior Kylie Holthusen as historian. These members made up what would later be called the Executive Board. In the first year, the West Stokes TARS organized a very successful food drive for the King Outreach Ministry, raising over 14,000 food and personal care items, held a dinner with Congresswoman Virginia Foxx and other elected officials as guest speakers, visited local nursing homes in their community, and organized a mock election at West Stokes High School.
In August of 2007, the West Stokes TARS met for the second year with even more new members. Senior Kyle Hall was re-elected as chairman, junior Megan Culler was elected as vice-chairperson, junior Kelsea Fox was elected as secretary, sophomore Katie Montgomery was elected treasurer, and junior Phillip Lawson was elected as publicist (the Executive Board vetoed the historian position). One of their first order of business was to create an official constitution, which was ratified on October 25, 2007.
Under Kyle Hall's leadership, the second year for the West Stokes TARS was even more successful than their previous year. The second year alone, the club organized a second food drive for King Outreach Ministry, participated in Operation Wounded Soldier, raising over 2000 minutes worth of phone cards for military hospitals overseas, organized a student primary poll on "Super Tuesday" (February 5, 2008), organized West Stokes High School's first voter registration drive, with 55% registering as Republican, visited local nursing homes during the Christmas holiday, participated in a debate with a democrat club and independent club, and organized a very successful fundraiser dinner with Bob Crumley, candidate for North Carolina Attorney General, as guest speaker.
On July 25th, 2008, in Alexandria, Virginia, during the National Teenage Republicans Leadership Conference, the National TARS organization acknowledged the hard work of the West Stokes TARS by awarding them the "Outstanding Teenage Republican Club in the Nation" award. They also recognized Chairman Kyle Hall with the "Outstanding Teenage Republican in the Nation" award.
Now is time for the third session of the West Stokes Teenage Republicans. Join their cause to get more young people involved in politics, government, and the conservative cause! To see more of the first two years of the West Stokes TARS and Kyle Hall's leadership, watch the two YouTube presentations:
Past Chairmen
K Y L E H A L L
Chairman from 2006 - 2008
Kyle Hall (Class of 2008) served as the West Stokes Teenage Republicans' first chairman from 2006-2008 and is one of the originial planners and organizers of the West Stokes TARS. Under his leadership, the West Stokes TARS participated in numerous activities such as a food drive for the King Outreach Ministry, Operation Wounded Soldier, two "Dinner and a Conversation" fundraisers, two student polls, the first voter registration drive at West Stokes, a debate between the municipal candidates in King, which he moderated, and he helped organize a debate between the TARS, Young Democrats, and the Teen Independents at West Stokes.
In his high school career, Kyle served as a delegate to the 2007 National Teenage Republicans Leadership Conference, delegate to Tar Heel Boys' State, North Carolina House of Representatives Page, treasurer of Future Teachers of America, and vice-president of the Student Government Association. Kyle volunteered many hours for the Stokes County Republican Party at the party's headquarters and at the GOP tent at the Stokes County Fair. He has been featured on WXII-12 TV, FOX 8 WGHP, MTV, The Winston-Salem Journal, The Stokes News, and has been a guest speaker at many local and statewide Republican Party events.
With the help of his hard work, the West Stokes Teenage Republicans was named "Outstanding TAR Club in the Nation" in 2008. Kyle was also named "Outstanding TAR in the Nation" that same year. Without his leadership, the West Stokes TARS would not have been as successful the first two years. Kyle now attends North Carolina State University in Raleigh where he plans to major in Political Science with a concentration in Social Studies Teacher Education.
P H I L L I P L A W S O N
Co-Chairman 2008-2009
Phillip Lawson (Class of 2009) was elected as co-chairman of the West Stokes Teenage Republicans in the fall of 2008, alongside Megan Culler. Phillip was first elected as the West Stokes Teenage Republican's publicist in 2007. In 2008, Phillip attend the Teenage Republican Leadership Conference in Washington, DC, when the club was awarded two awards, the "Outstanding TAR Club in the Nation" and "Outstanding TAR in the Nation" (for Kyle Hall) awards. After attending the conference, Phillip was featured in "The Stokes News" two times that summer. Phillip volunteered numerous hours for the Stokes County Republican Party at their headquarters in King during the 2008 Election cycle. He was also a member of the golf team and was employed at Stokes Pharmacy in King, NC. Phillip graduated from West Stokes High School in 2009 and currently attends the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
M E G A N C U L L E R
Co-Chairperson 2008-2009
Megan Culler (Class of 2009) was the first female elected to the position as chairman of the West Stokes Teenage Republicans in the fall of 2007. She served as co-chair alongside Phillip Lawson. Megan was one of the original members of the West Stokes Teenage Republicans and served as treasurer from 2006-2007 and vice-chairperson from 2007-2008. Megan volunteered numerous hours for the Stokes County Republican Party and other civic functions. Megan was also a member of the West Stokes High School volleyball team. Megan graduated from West Stokes High School in 2009 and currently attends East Carolina University.