By JESSA PEASE / Staff Writer

PELHAM— The third Saturday of every month, the Republican Women of Shelby County meet at the Shelby Services Building to share information. The group hosts speakers on a variety of subjects such as the media, Common Core and the Free Market Alliance.

“We have tried to grow our membership, we have fabulous speakers, not just on the Republican side, but all sorts of different speakers,” Dee Shirley said. Shirley has been president of the organization for three years.

Nationally, the Republican Women discuss and educate the public while promoting conservative values. The Shelby County chapter is no different, with members representing a wide range of ages and backgrounds.

“What appeals to me most of all is I got aggravated sitting at home watching television, getting mad at the TV,” said Marilyn Schultz, the organization’s secretary.

“Then to find a group of women that share the conservative values that I have…is so important.”

The group has been active in topics such as Common Core and Agenda 21, and the group also works to stay informed by attending legislative sessions when they can.

When the election for District 47 was going on, the ladies hosted a candidate forum. Shirley said they always invite candidates running for office out to their meetings and plan on having all the candidates running for office in Shelby County visit before the primaries in March.

The group also helped out when Sen. Ted Cruz visited the Pelham Civic Complex in March. Shirley said many members of the organization are active in Cruz’s campaign.

“Education is a big deal for us,” Shirley said. “We like to be out in the community. We’ve been a small group for a long time because Shelby County is so diverse.”

Schultz said members can be as active or inactive as they would like and all are welcome to attend the meetings.

To recognize Veterans Day, the group’s next speaker will be Gene Hopper. The Republican Women of Shelby County meet at 1 p.m.

For more information, visit Republicanwomensc.com.