Chapter Profile: The Epitome of a New Chapter

This New Chapter is Up and Running

By Holly Miller, NRL Field Coordinator

Early last summer, I turned my rental car up the driveway to the home of Nanette Hulscher. Mrs. Hulscher was a Minnehaha County contact for South Dakota Right to Life and volunteered to hold the organizational meeting for Garretson Right to Life (GRTL) in the dining room of her home.

The home she shares with her husband, children, and two puppies, Smith and Wesson, was formerly the parish rectory for St. Rose of Lima parish, the Catholic parish for this small town northeast of Sioux Falls.

Many of the dozen plus folks who attended that formational meeting seemed as interested in how the Hulschers had renovated the place as they were in forming a local right to life chapter. After all, South Dakota is one of the most pro-life states in the nation and, regardless of political or church affiliation, people are generally pro-life. Is there still a need for a local chapter?

Absolutely. And the new chapter has discovered that even the general pro-life public is woefully under-educated on the life issues. That may explain why South Dakota is represented by two ardently pro-abortion senators, Democrats Tom Daschle and Tim Johnson.

The members of Garretson Right to Life have embraced their responsibility to educate Garretson and the surrounding community. I am proud to profile GRTL in this special issue of NRL News as the epitome of a new chapter. By reading of its successes and frustrations, you will realize that you are not alone in your experiences. Hopefully you will also be inspired by GRTL's no-nonsense approach.

GRTL has established a firm foundation. It advertised in the local newspaper and church bulletins and, aided by word-of- mouth, GRTL now has eight to ten active members who attend each monthly meeting and carry out the work of the chapter. Mrs. Hulscher notes that all members contribute rather than letting the work fall on the shoulders of the four officers.

"It's a small crowd, but they realize a lot needs to get done," she says. "They realize that it is easier if the work is shared, so they pull together and get it done. If we had 30 people at every meeting, no one would do anything and the same 3-4 people would end up doing it every time." Having 8-10 people, she adds, "works really well because they all take turns and make sure the job gets done."

So, how does a new chapter first establish an educational presence? GRTL takes advantage of the free publicity offered by a local television channel seen in Garretson and nearby Brandon.

Interspersed between birthday and anniversary announcements, viewers saw information for "Project Rachel," an outreach for post- abortive women and men. Now, there is a similar ad on the channel steering pregnant mothers to Birthright for life- affirming alternatives to abortion.

Another educational campaign sponsored by GRTL centered on " Precious Feet" pins. The chapter used the "Precious Feet" to humanize the unborn child and explain fetal development. By selling the pins, the chapter was able to raise twice as much as they spent ordering the pins and, more importantly, several hundred people were educated and proudly wear a symbol of life.

The impact of such educational efforts should never be underestimated. When people wear their pins and are asked by friends what the feet represent, it's like harvest time.

Every time someone is asked what the feet mean, another person will learn of the unborn child's development.

By collecting petition signatures after church services one weekend, GRTL was able to identify its pro-life neighbors and let them know that there is now an active right-to-life chapter in the community.

More significantly, GRTL was able to educate those individuals on the Unborn Victims of Violence Act (UVVA). Since Senator Daschle, as majority leader, controls the Senate's agenda and has refused to bring up the UVVA, his constituents now know and can encourage him to reconsider. (See ad, pages 18-19.) Sen. Johnson would be between a rock and a hard place in filibustering the bill when his constituents want the UVVA passed and his senior colleague wants it to disappear.

Recently, GRTL was part of 5,000 pro-lifers praying for an end to legal abortion.

Mrs. Hulscher was interviewed and presented very positively by the local NBC affiliate. She did a great job.

Anyone who tuned into the local news saw a friendly face saying loving and commonsense things such as, "Give adoption a chance, there are beautiful families created by adoption" and "We're praying for an end to abortion."

Mrs. Hulscher was also invited to the local Catholic bishop's house on Respect Life Sunday in recognition of her local leadership in the pro-life movement.

GRTL is off to an outstanding start for a new chapter. When I approached them for the story, everyone was very reluctant. Humility and selflessness are the hallmarks of all pro-life chapters who do not think they have done "enough" to serve as an example.

All chapters struggle with gaining traction when the group is being formed, and growing a chapter is by no means easier than starting one. Hopefully by letting other chapters know they are not alone, they will stick it out through the tough times it takes to get a chapter fully operational.