CLUB HISTORY

The NFRW is pleased to announce the chartering of the first club in American Samoa: the Republican Women of American Samoa.

Republican National Committeewoman Amata Radewagen founded the club after visiting with NFRW President Beverly Davis at national headquarters in August 2007.

Radewagen had long wanted to establish an NFRW club in American Samoa, a U.S. territory in the heart of Polynesia, but without partisan elections, she felt it would be difficult to sustain members’ interest in club activities.

However, earlier this year, when she discovered that the NFRW would be holding its biennial convention in Palm Springs immediately following the biennial Western Republican Leadership Conference in San Diego, she could not let the opportunity slip by. With the encouragement of President Davis, she returned home -- with NFRW materials tucked under her arm -- and set out to gather a group of Samoan women to form a club.

The newly-minted Republican Women of American Samoa held its first meeting a week before Radewagen left for the two West Coast GOP meetings.

President Tisa Faamuli, First Vice President Naijo Nomura Belford, Second Vice President Maggie Vaivao Craddick, Secretary Rhonda Satele and Treasurer Christine Fuimaono make up the slate of founding officers.

“It is difficult and expensive for people to travel to the mainland from the islands,” Radewagen says. “The club was happy I could represent them at the NFRW Palm Springs gathering.”

The group now will turn its attention to the American Samoa Republican Party convention to be held Saturday, Feb. 23, to elect six delegates and six alternates to the 2008 Republican National Convention in Minneapolis-St. Paul. In addition, members are gearing up for the 2008 elections, in which Radewagen will be running for delegate to the U.S. Congress.

"We look forward to American Samoa’s active participation for many years to come," President Davis says.

For more information on the Republican Women of American Samoa, contact club founder Amata Radewagen at amata.c.radewagen@gmail.com.