This was the oft-stated quote when I served as an infantry officer. It was derived from the infantry officer’s leadership guide which contained the motto “Follow Me”.
I was reminded of this when I was a visitor to the Oklahoma State Republican Party State Committee meeting on January 27th. Of all such meetings I have attended as a volunteer for the State Party Headquarters or grassroots activist, I have never seen so much business being conducted. Too bad the Chairman, Treasurer, Counsel and Secretary were absent.
Power struggles have been ongoing for years between the grassroots and Party insiders. The divide became even more severe after the 2023 State Convention which elected a Chair and Vice Chair whose relationship has degraded beyond repair. Having been Volunteer Coordinator at Party Headquarters daily for four months, I witnessed the dysfunction firsthand. I agree with the Vice Chairman’s version of what went wrong.
To be fair, Party Chairmen have generally viewed themselves as having more power than granted by the Rules. But, in my opinion, this Chairman tops the list. After announcing the date of a State Committee meeting for January, the Chairman decided not to officially call the meeting. He said he had a scheduling conflict. Did he therefore ask the Vice Chairman to step in and conduct the meeting? He did not. He and his supporters want total control.
The Vice Chairman asserts that he sent an email to the Chairman to join him in making a call for January 27th. The Chairman denies receiving it; and says the meeting was not legitimate. That is exactly what he said about a Budget Committee meeting he failed to call after multiple requests. His attitude is clear. If he does not want a meeting, he just does not call one. Then he finds a reason to say a meeting called by someone else is not legitimate.
At the 1/27 meeting, a friend of the Chairman said not every member had been notified of the meeting. One of the meeting organizers stated that is difficult to do when the Chairman refuses to share the contact list or website with the Vice Chairman. I can attest to the truth of that statement while I was at the State HQ. The Vice Chairman was not to have the lists or any access to utilizing the Website to communicate on projects he and the Chairman had agreed he would be leading.
Over the past three years that I have been observing and participating in the Party I have seen the steady rise of the grassroots in their ability to learn, organize and
adapt. They have gotten better and better. This progress culminated on the 27th with the State Committee achieving a quorum, and requiring the Chairman to “Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way.”
By attempting to seize total control, the Chairman is losing control.
Vince Scoufos
Chairman, Precinct 550342 in Oklahoma County
State Budget Committee Member At Large