Did you know that the Republican Party has been around for about 150 years? In the 1850s, the name "Republican" was selected because it reflected Thomas Jefferson's ideas of protecting individual liberties. During the Civil War, the Republican President Abraham Lincoln sought to increase the personal liberty for slaves in the United States. It was the "Grand Old Party" who worked tirelessly to pass the Thirteenth, Fourteenth, and Fifteenth Amendments which banned slavery, ensured equal protection, and helped former slaves to obtain voting rights. Other milestones accomplished by the Republican Party are women's suffrage, ending the Cold War, and freeing millions of people from the tyranny of Saddam Hussein.

As homeschooling families, we can help further the freedoms for which we have fought and hold so dear by volunteering for the Republican Party. Mrs. Diana Alessi, a former homeschool mother and current Republican precinct committeeman, says:

"The Republican Party most closely aligns with the conservative values that the majority of homeschoolers hold. Anyone who is old enough to make phone calls and distribute flyers can volunteer for the Republican Party. Homeschool students and their parents should want to volunteer to assist the candidates who will best protect their right to homeschool. Also, as candidates have more and more interaction with homeschool families, they will be better equipped to defend the homeschool option."

Teens that are schooled at home generally are independent students and can easily relate to the Republican idea of individuals being responsible for themselves. This is one of the reasons I was interested in volunteering. This past October, a group of homeschool teens, including myself, volunteered for the "Grand Old Party." Our chapter of Eta Sigma Alpha Home School Honor Society (ESA) volunteered to help the Republicans as one of our community service projects. The Republican Party Headquarters was a small, rented space that was dismantled after the presidential election. Although I was ready to volunteer, I was still nervous because I didn't know how detailed or difficult it was going to be. The first thing we did was help clean up the room a little. I vacuumed the carpet while another member emptied trash cans. Then the students and parents divided up the day's duties; some of us called the Republican residents of that precinct to make sure they had an absentee ballot or asked for volunteers while another scanned bar codes on slips of paper.

I was handed a script that told me what to say on the telephone, a sheet of phone numbers, names to call, and a cell phone. I was nervous before my first call, but I took a few deep breaths and dove in. After the first couple of calls, I got more comfortable with calling, and before I knew it, it was time to leave. I worked for three hours and made around 150 calls. About half the time, I just left messages on answering machines, and the other half I spoke briefly with whomever was at home. There were surprisingly few hang-up calls, and one person even thanked me for volunteering! I did have a few mess-ups and I feel bad about those, but I think volunteering was worth it, and I definitely plan on doing it again. John Bailey, vice president of ESA, had this to say about volunteering:

"The debates and speeches seen on television are only the tip of the iceberg of a candidate's campaign. There are thousands of people working at the grass-roots level to ensure their candidate's election. This is the level where you can easily volunteer your time to educate potential voters about your candidate. It is also a perfect opportunity for parents to teach their elementary-aged and older children about the election process, being active in their community, and having a giving attitude toward others. I enjoyed volunteering for the Republican Party very much. Giving your time to a cause that you believe in is very satisfying. The people who ran the office were very friendly and helpful, and the work was not difficult. I would definitely volunteer again."

In a presidential election year, it's very easy to find out about the important issues of the day because it seems everyone is talking politics. However, it's also important to find out about your local issues in a non-presidential election year, and there are several ways to become involved. "Visit the party's website or headquarters. Ask to view the party platform. Get email addresses or phone numbers for candidates and ask them the questions that interest you the most. When you find one who shares your views, you will want to work to see that they are elected so that they can truly represent you. You will be amazed at how easy it is to get to really know your representatives. They actually like hearing from you," says Mrs. Alessi.

Although most teens who volunteer aren't old enough to vote yet, it's still very important to begin to understand how our political system works. This is the first step to exercising civic responsibility and it is the key to protecting the freedoms we all enjoy. When it is time for me to vote, I hope my vote will be an informed one. I would like to give special thanks to Mrs. Diana Alessi and John Bailey for giving their time to be interviewed and for their valuable contributions to this article.