Teen Age Republicans or "TARs" is a political youth organization that is an official auxiliary to the United States Republican Party

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

. 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 has membership in the tens of thousands. Clubs are organized on and off campus into middle school, high school, home-schooled, county and city clubs. The oldest recorded Teen Age Republican Federation is in South Dakota. This Federation was formed in 1960.

TAR provides support to the Republican party and its candidates. TAR members work across the United States to perform community service, develop leadership skills, gain first-hand knowledge of practical political process and apply all these to sway elections in the favor of the Republican Party.

Organization

TAR is organized in chapters across United States. There are federations in most states, and clubs in counties and high schools. The organization structure consists of:

• National TAR office - serves only two main functions:
  1. provide information on existing clubs and/or provide resources and advice on starting a club in areas that do not already have one
  2. organise the national Teenage Republican Leadership Conference (TLC) and awards ceremony

• State and Regional TAR federations - similar to the Republican Party, the majority of TAR activity takes place on the State level:
  • sometimes receive some financial support from their state Party
  • most have an elected executive board with its own constitution
  • organize statewide events (e.g. summer camp, mock legislative sessions)

• County and Local Clubs - sub-ordinate to state organizaions
  • formed at county, city or school level
  • similar structure and activities to state federations, albeit at a more local level

Teenage Republican Leadership Conference

Every year since the 1970's, National TARs has hosted the TeenAge Republican Leader Conference (aka TLC) for TARs to come and meet members of Congress, learn club and federation development, and to meet other TARs from across the country. During TLC, National TARs also hosts its annual Awards Ceremony where TARs can apply and win awards such as "Outstanding TAR In the Nation", "Outstanding TAR Club in the Nation", as well as many other awards.

TARs State and Regional Federations

• Arizona Federation of TeenAge Republicans
• Florida Federation of TeenAge Republicans
• Kansas Federation of TeenAge Republicans
• Michigan Federation of TeenAge Republicans
• Minnesota Teenage Republicans
• New England Federation of TeenAge Republicans
• North Carolina Federation of TeenAge Republicans
• South Dakota Federation of TeenAge Republicans
• Utah Federation of TeenAge Republicans

Notable Alumni

• Lee Atwater
  Lee Atwater
  Harvey LeRoy "Lee" Atwater was an American political consultant and strategist to the Republican Party. He was an advisor of U.S. Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush and Chairman of the Republican National Committee.-Childhood and early life:...
  
  - Former Chairman of the Republican National Committee
• Karl Rove
  Karl Rove
  Karl Christian Rove was Senior Advisor and Deputy Chief of Staff to former President George W. Bush until Rove's resignation on August 31, 2007. He has headed the Office of Political Affairs, the Office of Public Liaison, and the White House Office of Strategic Initiatives...
  
  - Former Deputy White House Chief of Staff
• David Schweikert
  David Schweikert
  David Schweikert is the U.S. Representative for . He is a member of the Republican Party. He previously served two terms in the Arizona State House of Representatives , was chairman of the state Board of Equalization , and was the elected Maricopa County Treasurer . He ran for the U.S...
  
  - US Representative from Arizona
  Arizona
  Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
  
  
• Joe Wilson- US Representative from South Carolina
  South Carolina
  South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
  
  

See also

• College Republicans
  College Republicans
  The College Republican National Committee is a national organization for college and university students who support the Republican Party of the United States...
  
  
• College Republican National Committee
• Georgia Teen Republicans
  Georgia Teen Republicans
  The Georgia Teen Republicans is one of two major partisan youth organizations in the U.S. state of Georgia. In the 1990s, GATRS was sponsored by the Georgia Republican Party, but today the group assists the Georgia GOP without sponsorship....
  
  
• Republican National Committee
  Republican National Committee
  The Republican National Committee is an American political committee that provides national leadership for the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican political platform, as well as coordinating fundraising and election strategy. It is...