LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – A fast-paced meeting of Lake County Republican Women, Federated took place at the Riviera Hills Restaurant on July 11 with many new members attending.

It was a day of celebration with the attendance of longtime member Ruby Glebe, accompanied by her nephew Dennis Reynolds.

Glebe will observe her 104th birthday on July 23. A poem composed to honor her was read and a bouquet of red roses were presented to her.

Glebe joined Lake County Republican Women, Federated in 1980, and has contributed to the organization as an active member, holding several offices over the years. She has also contributed greatly to the Lake County community and society in many ways including being president of Lake County Historical Society and Lake County Historian.

Jim McCully, representing California's Republican Northwest Region of which Lake County is a part, spoke to the group.

His career path started with enlisting in the Marines at age 17, after which followed 40 years of law enforcement including defense criminal investigator, special agent for the US Secret Service with top security and atomic energy compartmentalized clearances in the US Navy, US Department of Justice, Treasury and Labor.

With this background and clearances, he told of his associations with presidents and people in D.C., insisting even Maureen Reagan needed a proper badge to visit her father during his campaign for president in 1976.

On first meeting with Hillary Clinton he pegged her correctly as a “broad” with an attitude and had even fewer kind words for Al Gore. He described President Gerald Ford as very kind and thoughtful, for when he was on detail for him at the time his wife was extremely ill, President Ford, knowing the seriousness of her condition, stepped over to him and quietly asked about her.

McCully brought out little known facts about his investigative work in California and the apprehension of criminals that “we the people” have never heard about. He was involved in a great deal of investigation and prosecution of criminals within labor unions that was never reported by the media. His talk was fast-paced, fascinating, sometimes with humor, but very informative.

Mark Meuser, candidate for secretary of state, who is on a 5,000-mile bicycle tour to meet and talk to the people in all 58 counties in California, made a short visit to remind us the secretary of state is the chief election officer in our state, and is responsible for keeping the voter rolls clean to ensure fair elections.

Meuser is an accomplished attorney in both election law and civil litigation. When elected, as an attorney who knows how to get things done, he pledges to clean up the voter rolls in California. Meuser reminded us that in the United States it is a federal crime for a non-citizen to vote.

Gaylon Kastner, CFRW vice president north, and two members from Napa RWF presented information on a private screening of the Dinesh D'Sousa movie "Death of A Nation" to take place at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Aug. 1, in Napa. The movie opens nationwide on Aug. 3.

LCRWF will meet again on Aug. 8. Featured speaker will be Bill Kearney, known for his Wednesday morning “Health Talk” on KXBX 1270 and his community service through his two North Lake Medical Pharmacy locations. His first location opened in April of 1980 and from that time he has been serving this community not only from his business locations, but also in many otherways.

Leona M. Butts is vice president and publicity chair for Lake County Republican Women, Federated.