Conference HighLights
July 16-17, 1999
Salt Lake City, Utah
Our second National Conference was a great success with
featured speakers Larry Garkse, John Birch Society Coordinator, Salt
Lake City, Utah; Dan Hansen, State Chairman of the Independent American
Party of Nevada, Sparks, Nevada; and Will Christensen, State Chairman of
the Utah Independent American Party.
Executive Committee Social

We kicked off our National Conference with a Friday
evening Executive Committee social at Golden Corral restaurant, West
Valley City, Utah. We enjoyed the dinner buffet and visiting with each
other. We discussed plans for the morrow meetings. And a several of us
sparred in preparation for the morrow news conference.
News Conference

Saturday morning, National Chairman Bruce Bangerter, Nevada State
Chairman Dan Hansen, and Utah State Chairman Will Christensen held a
joint news conference in the Salt Lake County Commission Chambers. We
had a reporter and cameraman from KSL-TV, Utah’s largest television
station, covering the interview. The chairmen talked about the Sen. Bob
Smith candidacy and NAFTA, and Christensen called for Sen. Orrin
Hatch’s (R-UT) resignation for his unconstitutional votes. KSL-TV
showed the interview on the evening news and even dubbed in a response
from a stunned Sen. Hatch. Bangerter was also interviewed by KNAK and
KSL radio stations.
Business Meeting

At our National Committee business meeting we changed the official
national party name to "Independent American Party" without
"United States" as a prefix or suffix. We adopted the words
"Freedom is our Heritage and our Destiny!" as our party
slogan. We cleaned up wording in the party Principles and made minor
changes to the party Constitution and Bylaws. But the high point of the
meeting was discussion of Senator Bob Smith’s independent presidential
candidacy. We passed a resolution commending Smith for his courageous
resignation from the Republican Party because of their failure to live
up to the principles of their own platform.
Liberty Forum

Saturday mid-afternoon we held a Liberty Forum in the commission
chambers where we heard patriotic messages of vigilance, encouragement
and motivation from speakers Larry Garske, and chairmen Dan Hansen and
Will Christensen. Clair Bangerter sang two patriotic solos. Chairman
Bruce Bangerter summarized the outcome of the business meeting and our
direction for the future.
Barbecue

Saturday evening we concluded the Conference with an outdoor barbecue
in West Valley City, Utah. We all socialized as we dined on barbecued
hamburgers, chips, dips, vegetables, desserts and other food. We heard
again from chairmen Will Christensen and Dan Hansen. We were filled both
physically and patriotically. The National Conference then adjourned
until January, 1999.