The Georgia Teen Republicans (GATRS) is one of two major partisan youth organizations in the U.S. state of Georgia

Georgia (U.S. state)

Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...

. In the 1990s, GATRS was sponsored by the Georgia Republican Party

Georgia Republican Party

The Georgia Republican Party is one of the two major political parties in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is affiliated with the United States Republican Party .-Current structure:...

, but today the group assists the Georgia GOP without sponsorship.

With over 25 chartered chapters across the state, the organization is one of the nation's largest.

Founding and expansion (1978–1990)

The GATRS were founded in 1978 at the same time as other Teenage Republican

Teenage Republicans

Teen Age Republicans or "TARs" is a political youth organization that is an official auxiliary to the United States Republican Party. There are various TAR clubs throughout the United States, at county and state levels. TAR has a presence in all 50 states, as well as the District of Columbia, and...

 chapters in the state. GATRS helped with Ronald Reagan

Ronald Reagan

Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....

's campaign for President of the United States

President of the United States

The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

 in 1980. Newt Gingrich

Newt Gingrich

Newton Leroy "Newt" Gingrich is a U.S. Republican Party politician who served as the House Minority Whip from 1989 to 1995 and as the 58th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1995 to 1999....

 was an early supporter of the organization and many of the state leaders over the next decade came from his congressional district

Georgia Republican Party sponsorship and decline (1991–2001)

In 1991, the Georgia Teen Republicans came under the direct sponsorship of the Georgia Republican Party, with then-Executive Director David Shafer

David Shafer

David J. Shafer is an American politician currently serving in the Georgia State Senate representing Senate District 48. This suburban district, located north of Atlanta, includes portions of Fulton County and Gwinnett County. Shafer is a Republican...

 serving as the State Adult Advisor. Growth continued through the 1994 elections with much enthusiasm for Gingrich's Contract with America

Contract with America

The Contract with America was a document released by the United States Republican Party during the 1994 Congressional election campaign. Written by Larry Hunter, who was aided by Newt Gingrich, Robert Walker, Richard Armey, Bill Paxon, Tom DeLay, John Boehner and Jim Nussle, and in part using text...

. Following the 1994 elections, GATRS ceased activity.

Reorganization (2003–present)

GATRS was relaunched in 2003 after teen volunteers made over 20,000 calls for Sonny Perdue

Sonny Perdue

George Ervin "Sonny" Perdue III, was the 81st Governor of Georgia. Upon his inauguration in January 2003, he became the first Republican governor of Georgia since Benjamin F. Conley served during Reconstruction in the 1870s....

's successful 2002 gubernatorial campaign.

The 2009 convention was held on June 6, 2009, in the House Chamber of the State Capitol Building in Atlanta. The 2010 convention was held on May 1, 2010 in the Senate Chamber of the State Capitol Building. The 2011 convention was held on June 4, 2011 in the Senate Chamber of the State Capitol Building.

Leadership

GATRS is governed by an Executive Board and a State Committee. The Executive Board is composed of the five elected officers and non-voting director positions. The State Committee is composed of the Executive Board (with non-voting members now being given a vote) and the county chairs who choose to opt-in. The Executive Board meets on a monthly basis while the State Committee meets quarterly.

Activities

GATRS actively volunteers for the Georgia Republican Party at events across the state. The organization also strives to help local chapters get connected with Republican campaigns in their areas so that they can contribute to Republican victories on election day. GATRS long-term goals are to focus on developing leadership and campaign seminars for teens who want to learn more about the political system.

State Convention

The organization annually hosts a State Convention. Originally, the state conventions were held in October, starting in 2003. By 2006, the typical convention month had shifted to June. Since 2009, the convention has been held in the State Capitol Building, either in the House or Senate Chamber.

• October 16, 2004: GAGOP Victory Center, Roswell, GA
• October 22, 2005: Roswell City Hall, Roswell, GA
• June 17, 2006: Roswell City Park, Roswell, GA
• May 19, 2007: Gwinnett Center, Duluth, GA
• June 14, 2008: Griffin First Assembly of God, Griffin, GA
• June 6, 2009: Georgia Capitol Building, House Chamber, Atlanta, GA
• May 1, 2010: Georgia Capitol Building, Senate Chamber, Atlanta, GA
• June 4, 2011: Georgia Capitol Building, Senate Chamber, Atlanta, GA