In South Sarasota County we are the
Venice Area Democratic Club
Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Monthly Meetings are via Zoom. We anticipate resuming in-person meetings and events in July so check your our Events page for a full 2021 Calendar. Join our Email List for notification of virtual and in-Person Meetings and Special Events!
Click here to Pay Your 2021 Dues or Order a Name Badge
Click here to watch and share our Democrats Care Video
About Us
Our Mission
• Stimulate active interest in political and governmental affairs
• Strengthen and further the ideals and principles of the Democratic Party
• Provide reasonable and ongoing financial support to the county Democratic party
• Promote participation among Democrats and like-minded friends
• Support and elect the duly selected nominees of the Democratic Party in national, state, and local campaigns
• Foster good fellowship among Democrats and like-minded friends
Our History
It was election year 2000. Remember Bush v Gore. There were a lot of people who felt the election was stolen from the Democrats. Some people in Venice who had worked on that election felt frustrated and wanted to do something positive about it. Jackie and Lowell Jones organized a meeting with this small group of dedicated workers to discuss starting a Democratic club in Venice. During that election many people had said that “they were the only Democrats in the neighborhood”.
Our goal was to encourage people not to be afraid to admit they were Democrats. We needed to speak up! Lowell chaired the first meeting at Pelican Pointe. He stated that bylaws would be written, and a slate of officers would be presented. Monthly meetings would attract like-minded Democratic members. One of our goals, as stated in the bylaws was to, ”foster good fellowship among Democrats”. To this day, it is a treat going to meetings knowing we will be able to express opinions freely, without worrying if one is being “politically incorrect”. A further goal was to create some interest in the community, so we could encourage Democrats to run and be elected to office.
On February 24, 2001, the VADC held its first formal meeting. We adopted our bylaws and elected a slate of officers. The picture of the initial board was printed in the Herald Tribune. In March of 2011 a 10 Year Anniversary party was held to commemorate this milestone. We are very proud of the work the VADC has accomplished. We now have almost 500 members and after moving from Pelican Pointe to the Holiday Inn to the Venice Library, we have been meeting monthly in Naar Hall, 620 Shamrock Blvd, Venice, since 2005.
Membership
Voting Membership in the Venice Area Democratic Club is available to all Registered Democrats in the State of Florida. Non-Voting Friends are also welcome to affiliate with our club. There are four dues categories as follows:
Individual Membership - Provides membership with voting privileges: $25/year
Family Membership - Provides membership with voting privileges for two adults living at a single location: $45/year
Sustaining - Includes recognition on our web site and voting privileges for two adults living at a single location: $100/year
Friend - Provides non-voting membership to Democrats not registered to vote in Florida and Non-Party Affiliated Voters: $25/year
Dues are payable January 1 for the Calendar Year. New members joining starting October 1 are considered paid through the end of the following year
For additional membership information or to ask questions please fill out the form below and we will contact you or
Call us at 941-275-3244
To Join or Renew Online go to Pay Dues
You can also join or renew by mail by downloading a Membership Form by clicking here. Send your check payable to VADC along with the completed membership form to:
Venice Area Democratic Club
P.O. Box 1743
Nokomis, FL 34274-1743
Upcoming Events
ALL MEETING WILL BE VIRTUAL OR OUTDOORS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE DUE TO THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC
February Membership Meeting
VP Election & Special Guest Speaker, Chuck Henry
Saturday, February 20, 11AM
Mark your calendars for our February 2021 Virtual Membership Meeting
Register Today at the following link:
https://www.mobilize.us/sarasotacountydec/event/373675/
After we hold a Special Election to fill a vacancy in the position of Club Vice-President, our Special Guest Speaker will be Chuck Henry, MPA, Health Officer, Florida Department of Health, Sarasota County. Chuck will update us on the COVID-19 Vaccination Program.
March Membership Meeting
Speaker, Dr. Terry L Root
Saturday, March 20, 11AM
Mark your calendars for our March 2021 Virtual Membership Meeting
Register Today at the following link:
https://www.mobilize.us/sarasotacountydec/event/374110/
We have re-booked the speaker who we were forced to cancel at the beginning of this pandemic last March! Terry L. Root is Professor Emerita at Stanford University. She was a lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change 4th Assessment Report that in 2007 was co-awarded the Nobel Peace Prize with Vice President Al Gore. Also, she was a lead author
for the 3rd Assessment Report (2001) and a Review Editor for the 5th Assessment Report (2014). In addition to other honors, Root was awarded the Spirit of Defenders Award for Science by Defenders of Wildlife in 2010. She served on the National Audubon Board of Directors from 2010 to 2019, and is on
numerous science advisory boards.
April Membership Meeting
Speaker, Dr. Kameron P Hodges
Saturday, April 17, 11AM
Mark your calendars for our April 2021 Virtual Membership Meeting
Register Today at the following link:
https://www.mobilize.us/sarasotacountydec/event/374451/
Our Special Speaker is Dr. Kameron P. Hodges, Ph.D., Executive Director/CEO
The Glasser/Schoenbaum Human Services Center
Kameron will be presenting “The Tale of Two Counties: Income & Wealth Inequality in Sarasota County”
June Membership Meeting
Speaker, Author Janisse Ray
Saturday, June 19, 11AM
Register Today at the following link:
https://www.mobilize.us/sarasotacountydec/event/375022/
Ray is an American writer whose subject most often falls into the borderland of nature and culture. She has published five books of nonfiction and a collection of eco-poetry. Ray has won an American Book Award, Pushcart Prize, Southern Bookseller Awards, Southern Environmental Law Center Writing Awards, and Eisenberg Award, among others. Her first book, Ecology of a Cracker Childhood, was a New York Times Notable Book. The author has been inducted into the Georgia Writers Hall of Fame. She lives on an organic farm near Savannah. Red Lanterns, Ray's second book of poetry, is forthcoming in Spring 2021.
4th of July Picnic
Sunday, July 4, Noon-3pm
Get ready to come out of lockdown with our July 4th COVID Safe Picnic at Maxine Barritt Park, 1800 Harbor Dr. S. on Venice Island. Music and Guest Speakers to be announced. We hope to see a very large group of fully vaccinated members and guests!
Stay tuned for additional information!
July Membership Meeting
Back at NAAR Hall to Talk Politics!?
Sunday, July 17, 11am
Our tentative plan is to resume in-person meetings at NAAR Hall in July, pending of course the status of the Pandemic and confirmation of re-opening by the Venice United Church of Christ.
Stay tuned for additional information!
Photos & Videos
Please share our Democrats Care Video!
Democrats Care!
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Vote By Mail
We encourage all Democrats to Vote By Mail because it is easy, it is Secure, it Guarantees that last minute unforeseen events do not prevent you from voting, it makes the Party's Get Out the Vote efforts more efficient. It is easy to Register to Vote by Mail. Simply click on the seal below to be connected to the Supervisor of Elections Office.
Formulario Para Votar Por Correo
Bylaws
Download the Bylaws of the Venice Area Democratic Club
Officers & Directors
President - Mike Shlasko
Vice-President - Gillian Beck
Treasurer - Kevin Johnson
Secretary - Susette Bryan
Parliamentarian - Ed Farrell
Director - Gillian Beck
Director - Drew Ermelin
Director - Greg Gannon
Director - Maureen Graybill
Director - Michael Gruenberg
Director - Madeleine Havlick
Director - James Hickerson
Director - Scott Hughes
Director - Mark Lutsky
Director - Marilyn Taylor
Director - Norman Wirtz
Thank you to our 2021 Sustaining Members!
Ardis Boch
Susette Bryan
Barbara Brydan & Michael Gruenberg
Elaine Carson
David Chivas
Leslie Curley
Rosalie Danbury
Bruce & Norma Dayton
Ron Feinsod & Denise Gastineau
Beth Feldman
Joanne Feldman
Patricia Fjetland
Maureen Graybill
Karen Hoffschmidt
Henry & Carol Jorgenson
Harry & Judy Kaplan
Liz & Philip Kramer
James Lees
Matt & Maureen Leugers
Gretchen Lienhop
Ed & Peggy Martin
Carol Newnam
Tom O'Donnell
Edward & Dorothy Segowski
Andrea & Mike Shlasko
Frances Storey
Joe Wernet
Contact Us!
Tell us how we can help you and we will respond promptly!
Copyright 2019, Venice Area Democratic Club
P.O. Box 1743, Nokomis FL 34274-1743
941-275-3244