Teenage Republican organization taking root

For teens, it’s not always easy to make time for politics.

Knowing the pressures of GPAs, college acceptance letters and social lives can get in the way, members of the Shelby County Republican Party wanted to start educating teens on political topics early. So, one year ago this month, Executive Committee members Jason and April DeLuca founded The Greater Birmingham Teenage Republicans.

“When we formed this group we wanted to introduce all sides of the Party. We realize there’s a wide range of views from far right to closer in the middle,” Jason DeLuca said. “A lot of teens will go to college and join the College Republicans like April and I did. This group gives them a head start and an easy transition.”

Read Mills, the group’s president, said he benefits from the group most when he is able to swap ideas and perspectives with other teens that he may not get in a typical civics course in high school.

“We realized the political efficacy among teenagers is dismal,” Mills said. “People turn 18 and end up not voting because they don’t know the issues and don’t know what they’re voting for. This group is helping to change that and showing that votes really do matter.”

In its second year, the Teenage Republicans will be focusing on what the county party does DeLuca said. It will learn when the Executive Committee meets and what it discusses in the meetings. The group plans to take trips to Montgomery to learn about State Legislature and stay up-to-date on 2014 state elections.

Teens become members of the Teenage Republicans by attending meetings, held on the second Thursday of each month. A typical meeting is in a restaurant in the U.S. 280 area featuring either a group discussion on a popular political topic or a presentation by an elected official. Membership forms are brought to every meeting which are posted on the group’s Facebook page and website.

For more information on the Greater Birmingham Teenage Republicans, visit greaterbirminghamtr.com or facebook.com/GreaterBirminghamTeenageRepublicans.