The Maryland LP and Montgomery County LP Holiday Party will be Sun. Dec. 18, 2005, 6:00 pm to midnight.

Libertarians from Maryland and the Washington area, their guests, and those who are interested in meeting libertarians are invited. It is suggested that those who receive this email announcement pass the news along
to other libertarians they know locally who might wish to attend, but who might not have received the original email announcement.

NEW THIS YEAR!!!! There will be catered platters to include: Roast beef, Turkey, and Ham sandwich wraps: assorted cheeses: assorted fruits: assorted vegetables with dips; deviled eggs; and an array of cookies. In addition, a variety of soft drinks will be provided. Should you have a favorite holiday dessert, or certain "more festivity inducing" drinks you'd like to bring and share, please feel free, (but not pressured) to do so. There will be a container available for those who wish to financially support these efforts at making potluck dish preparations optional, and hopefully, the holiday season a little less stressful.

Business meeting: There will be a Montgomery County LP business meeting, scheduled to start at 7 pm. On the agenda for the business meeting are election of new officers and planning for the upcoming year.

Wrapped Gift Blind Auction: If you have one or more new or used items such as interesting books, knick-knacks, curios, etc. to contribute to the blind auction, please wrap them and bring them along, and it's fine to bring more than one item. We suggest that each package contain an item or items with a total value of about $5 or $10. The blind auction is fun, whether you bid a little or bid a lot. Bid a little, and you may end up with a bargain.
Bid a lot, and you may get a chance to switch with a lower bidder for what you really want. Proceeds from the auction will be donated to the MDLP and the MCLP.

Location: Doris Gordon's home (phone 301-460-4141) 13424 Hathaway Drive, Wheaton MD 20906 (near the intersection of Layhill Rd. and Hathaway Drive)

Directions:

By car: From the Washington I-495 Beltway, exit 31 north on Georgia Ave (MD97). Go 3 and 4/10 miles north on Georgia Ave. to Layhill Rd. (MD 182). There is a traffic signal at Layhill Rd. Bear right (a 45 degree turn) on Layhill Rd. and proceed north one and 1/10 miles to Hathaway Drive on left. There is no traffic signal at Hathaway Dr. Turn left onto Hathaway Dr. The first house on the right, 150 feet from the intersection, is 13424 Hathaway Drive. There is ample space for parking on both sides of Hathaway Drive, as well as in the court across the street.

Metro: The nearest Metro station is Glenmont (Red Line), which is about 500 feet northwest of the intersection of Georgia Ave. and Layhill Rd. Ask the station master for the shortest and safest route to walk that intersection.

It would be about a 20 minute fast walk (one mile) north on Layhill Rd. to Hathaway Dr. There is no bus service north on Layhill Rd. from the Metro Station on weekends. Most of Layhill Rd. is poorly lit at night, but there are sidewalks; it is advisable to bring a flashlight if you try to walk that route.

When you get to the Glenmont Metro Station, you may try calling 301-460-4141 and ask if someone can drive down from the party to pick you up. If you are being picked up by someone unfamiliar with the Glenmont station, it may be easier to meet in front of the 7-11 store which is 400 feet southeast of the Metro station on Georgia Ave., in the space between Georgia Av. and Layhill Rd., especially if the person who is driving knows where that 7-11 is located. That 7-11 parking lot is easily accessible from Layhill Rd. driving
southbound and from Georgia Ave. driving northbound. If driving southbound on Layhill Rd., turn right into the laundromat parking lot just before the Georgia Ave. intersection to get to the 7-11. If driving northbound on Georgia Ave., turn right into the 7-11 parking lot just after passing the Georgia Ave. intersection with Layhill Rd.

If you wish to meet someone at the Metro station, the best place is the Kiss-and-Ride parking area on the east side of Georgia Ave, which is accessible by car from Glenallen Ave., and which is just at the top of the
escalators which exit the metro platform on the east side of Georgia Ave. There is another Kiss-and-Ride zone on the other side of Georgia Ave, the west side.

If you have questions, suggestions, or would like to help, please feel free to email me at libertarian@sarwark.org .

Yours truly,
Nick Sarwark

Chair, Libertarian Party of Montgomery County

Dear Fellow Montgomery County Libertarians,
As you may know, Steve Wilson resigned as Treasurer of the county party after a long and successful tenure as Treasurer. This means two things: (1) That you should thank him next time you see him for all the work he's done for the county party and (2) that you should consider volunteering to serve as interim Treasurer.

This begs the question, what does a Treasurer have to do? It's easier than you think. The Treasurer:
(a) Writes checks for Party expenditures (usually less than 10/year).
(b) Deposits checks from contributors (while we'd like more than 10/year, it's not typical).
(c) Keeps a record of the expenses and contributions.
(d) Files an annual report of contributions and expenses with the State Board of Elections.

All told, it's not a major time commitment, but it is a position that needs to be filled in order for our party to spend money. Please send me a short note if you are able to do this job in support of our party.

Yours truly,
Nicholas J. Sarwark

Chair, Libertarian Party of Montgomery County

Dear Fellow Libertarians,
Happy New Year!

My apologies for not organizing a Holiday Party this season. When I last solicited volunteers to help with the logistics I was met with a deafening silence (except for Doris Gordon who graciously offered the use of her home again). Given my other commitments I do not have the time to cajole people into helping out with events, so no Holiday Party materialized.

As most of you are aware, I'm balancing my duties as County Chair on top of a full-time job and going to law school. I'd be more than happy to had the reins over to someone who has more time to devote to being Chair, but the last two times I've asked, nobody volunteered.

The Montgomery County Libertarian Party in its present form is akin to a sleeping giant. We have great resources in people and the tools to communicate with those people. However, without a shared vision of what we should be doing with those resources, we've gone into hibernation. What will it take to wake us up?

In closing, I have a request to make. I'd like each and every one of you to take 15 minutes to think about where we're at as a party, where you'd like to see us as a party, and how you'd like to help in getting there. Then please email me what you've come up with or post it on the website.

Yours truly,
Nick Sarwark

Chair, Libertarian Party of Montgomery County