Conference HighLights

January 22-23, 1999
Salt Lake City, Utah

Hansen, Bangerter, Stringer

Our first National Conference was a great success with featured speakers Dr. Phil Stringer, Executive Vice President of Landmark Baptist College, Haines City, Florida, and Dan Hansen, State Chairman of the Independent American Party of Nevada, from Sparks, Nevada.

Dinner/Open Forum

We kicked off our National Conference with a Friday evening dinner and Open Forum event at Archibald’s restaurant in Historic Gardner Village, West Jordan, Utah. After a fine dinner of "Gardner Chicken," Phil Stringer addressed us with a timely topic, "The Sacred Oath -- Basis for our Legal System." We then heard from Dan Hansen on National Politics. Gary Van Horn, recent US Senate candidate from Utah also spoke to.

News Conference

Saturday morning, USIAP Chairman Bruce Bangerter, Phil Stringer and Dan Hansen held a joint news conference at Murray City Hall, Murray, Utah. We had reporters from KSL-TV, KBYU-TV, Deseret News and Salt Lake Tribune, with some reporters asking questions for more than an hour. Besides the television coverage, the two newspapers gave us great Sunday morning articles with titles and sub-titles "New Party Blasts Abortion, Clinton, Demos and GOP" ("Respect for life is a prime issue, chairman says") and "Alternative Political Parties Talk About Joining Forces" ("Third-party activists meeting in Murray sense Americans’ frustration with Republican, Democratic parties").

Business Meeting

Our National Committee Business Meeting (following the news conference) was . . . busy. We modified the party’s official name to "Independent American Party of the united States," enhanced our Mission Statement, chose the Colonial flag as our party Symbol, refined the USIAP Principles, adopted a Constitution and Bylaws, elected national officers, elected members to the Executive Committee, listened to several speakers, considered various proposals, and discussed business of the Standing Committees.

Pro-Life Forum

Saturday afternoon we held our Pro-Life Forum event, just one day after the 26th anniversary of the infamous Roe v Wade Supreme Court decision. Dan Hansen addressed us with "Choose Life." Two little girls sang "I am a Child of God" -- a song that originated in Utah but has since been adopted by many faiths. Phil Stringer addressed us with "The Myths of Abortion."

Freedom Forum

Saturday evening we held our Freedom Forum as the last event of the National Conference. Dan Hansen addressed us with "Freedom Equals Distrust." Chris Hopkins, our webmaster, gave a video presentation of our USIAP web site on a projection screen. Phil Stringer addressed us on "The Vision of the Founders." USIAP Chairman Bruce Bangerter gave closing remarks and spoke of the future of the USIAP. The National Conference then adjourned until July.