Chapter Profile: The Epitome of a New Chapter.(Garretson Right to Life, South Dakota)(Brief Article)

Early last summer, I turned my rental car up the driveway to the home of Nanette Hulscher. Mrs. Hulscher was a Minnehaha County contact for South Dakota Right to Life and volunteered to hold the organizational meeting for Garretson Right to Life (GRTL) in the dining room of her home.

The home she shares with her husband, children, and two puppies, Smith and Wesson, was formerly the parish rectory for St. Rose of Lima parish, the Catholic parish for this small town northeast of Sioux Falls.

Many of the dozen plus folks who attended that formational meeting seemed as interested in how the Hulschers had renovated the place as they were in forming a local right to life chapter. After all, South Dakota is one of the most pro-life states in the nation and, regardless of political or church affiliation, people are generally pro-life. Is there still a need for a local chapter?

Absolutely. And the new chapter has discovered that even the general pro-life public is woefully under-educated on the life issues. That may explain why South Dakota is represented by two ardently pro-abortion senators, Democrats Tom Daschle and Tim Johnson.

The members of Garretson Right to Life have embraced their responsibility to educate Garretson and the surrounding community. I am proud to profile GRTL in this special issue of NRL News as the epitome of a new chapter. By reading of its successes and frustrations, you will realize that you are not alone in your experiences. Hopefully you will also be inspired by GRTL's no-nonsense approach.

GRTL has established a firm foundation. It advertised in the local newspaper and church bulletins and, aided by word-of-mouth, GRTL now has eight to ten active members who attend each monthly meeting and carry out the work of the chapter. Mrs. Hulscher notes that all members contribute rather than letting the work fall on the shoulders of the four officers.

"It's a small crowd, but they realize a lot needs to get done," she says. "They realize that it is easier if the work is shared, so they pull together and get it done. If we had 30 people at every meeting, no one would do anything and the same 3-4 people would end up doing it every time." Having 8-10 people, she adds, "works really well because they all take turns and make sure the job gets done."