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By Guy Page
Jody Fewer first realized her son Seth was interested in Turning Point USA when a package arrived on her front porch about a year ago, before founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated in August. “It was a big cardboard box that said, ‘Socialism Sucks,” she recalled Friday night at the first gathering of Vermont’s first high school TPUSA Club. “‘What’s this all about? I wondered.”
So began Seth Fewer’s determined, but ultimately unsuccessful, effort to open a Turning Point USA chapter at Barre’s Spaulding High School. He and best friend and club co-founder Javion Kastner approached 10 teachers as club sponsors – a TPUSA requirement. They all said no.
Undeterred, the two freshmen worked with TPUSA to start a club outside of the high school. It met for the first time Friday night in Barre at the Canadian Club – or as Seth calls it, “the 51st State Club.”
Fewer spoke about their work to date, and about the group’s mission, and then concluded his opening remarks by quoting Paul’s admonition to young leader Timothy: “”Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity” (I Timothy 4:12).
About 100 people attended. The crowd was a smattering of friends, family, TPUSA staff and volunteers from upstate New York and New England, supporters from Washington County and beyond. One supporter was Barre City Councilor Michael Deering, who said TPUSA in Vermont will take a stand for the gospel of Jesus Christ (see video below).
VDC asked Deering what he thinks about a couple of freshmen persisting amid lack of interest among teachers and vociferous criticism on social media.
“God works in mysterious ways,” Deering said.
The news media showed up, too. Vermont Public and VTDigger both sent reporters. Hank Poytras of Planet Hank spoke. VDC covered the event (see videos), and freelancer and former VDC reporter Mike Bielawski showed up just as VDC was leaving and promised to write a story on the event.
Non-attendees included the protesters who, on social media, said they would be present. The heavy snowfall and the presence of a Washington County Sheriff, plus a muscled TPUSA person at the door, might have discouraged any activity, had they shown up to the private venue.
The event opened with a brief documentary depicting TPUSA as a Christian movement fighting for truth and liberty against truth and liberty’s enemies (including a silhouette of Bernie Sanders). Then Fewer and Kastner and TPUSA youth and staff from outside Vermont took the stage, speaking to an appreciative audience.
Riley Gaines and Erika Kirk to come to Vermont?
In an interview given to VDC before the meeting began (see video above), Fewer and Kastner were asked what’s next for the TPUSA chapter. Fewer said the chapter now can draw on the resources of the national organization, including its high-profile, popular speakers. Former Olympic swimmer and girls’ rights advocate Riley Gaines could make an appearance. So could – hey why not – Erika Kirk, widow of TPUSA founder Charlie Kirk and now the organization’s leader and chief spokesperson.
Seth Fewer (left) and Javion Kastner. All photos by Guy Page, VDC
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Categories: Society & Culture
Every teacher knows if they co sponsored this event they would get fired, so there is that. Fired for what?
What are the three basic promotions of TP USA?
1) American is the greatest country on earth (most blessed).
2) Capitalism has raised more people out of poverty than any other system.
3) That our founding documents of the constitution and bill of rights are great.
And this would get you fired in the Vermont School system.
Hell, if you are a principle and say rioting, looting, burning and killing people might not endear you to the opposing side, you’ll get canceled.
Well done sirs.
Excellent effort – Seth and Javion. I am very impressed that you carried through with your goal to get the chapter started. Being an independent thinker these days isn’t easy!
I live in Florida now after 20 years in Vermont. Where can I send a contribution to help TPUSA Vermont? Great job keeping Charlie Kirk mission going.
Friday evening in Vermont, a 2 hour drive up the Snow covered interstate highway with more than 10 visible cars that fell off the road .
Attendees from Windham County in the southern most part of the state were pleased with the turnout for these young men whose beautiful souls have taken the ball to run with it in hopes of making Vermont a better place.
I greatly appreciate the honest Vermont folks who turned out to support our youth in the Formation of Vermonts first Club America chapter.
Each person has their own ideas viewed through a filter of their own knowledge and experiences , growing, learning and changing year by year .
It’s never time to stop learning or questioning.
Willingness to examine alternate perspectives and admit when one has been mistaken takes true courage.
FYI there are only 2 Genders.
Fair, balanced and unafraid, youth in our state! Shocking still not one teacher would step away from the sheep, to stand by them. If not only as an advisor or mentor. Sad, it appears the age old question, what’s in it for me? Come first … “ask not what you can do for yourself, but ask what you can do for your students?”
Another great example why this state needs real school choice for all…where the money follows them…
A law that stops teachers from striking, requiring Binding Arbitration in negotiations, on contracts. Similar to police and fire are required too.
Legislators stop gas lighting Vermonters, stop with the maps, stop with the lists of failing schools. Make real school choice a state wide vote!
Like Mark, I was planning to come, but let snow and distance keep me safe at home. Are you the first TP USA in Vermont, or have there been others? I know there was good momentum in the Williston/Burlington area when Kirk did come to Doubleday. I sincerely hope you might stir them to come up with another TP USA to help you draw some of your national speakers. You should talk to Ellie Martin about that. She arranged a lot of that during the Covid era.
I can still remember as a child being “educated” in the Barre school system, in the early 60s, and being told by one teacher that the American national anthem had it’s roots in a warrior mentality, and as such was not as preferable as other countries’ anthems, that were not . My point being that teachers pushing anti American agendas are not new . Hopefully parents taking more interest in how their children are educated again than they seem to have of late, will get the politics out of classrooms that have turned into little more than indoctrination centers for socialism .