Boone Pickens Homepage           Electronic Publishing Center
	T.B. PICKENS, JR. FITNESS CENTER MESA STOCKHOLDERS GET-OUT-THE-VOTE RALLY NOVEMBER 1, 1982

AGENDA

5:30	I. "TEXAS MEDLEY" SING-A-LONG DEAN KELLEY

(AT CONCLUSION OF SING-A-LONG, LIGHTS DIMMED—SPOTS ON PODIUM)

5:40	II. WELCOME T. BOONE PICKENS, JR.

A. LADIES AND GENTLEMEN AND FELLOW MESA STOCKHOLDERS, I WANT TO WELCOME YOU TO OUR NON-PARTISAN GET-OUT-THE-VOTE RALLY.

B. OUR INVOCATION TODAY WILL BE GIVEN BY DR. WINFRED MOORE, PASTOR OF FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH.

C. FOLLOWING THE INVOCATION, MOLLY CECIL AND TOBY HUBBARD WILL LEAD US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

D. TO HELP CARRY OUT OUR TEXAS THEME TODAY, WE WILL JOIN DEAN KELLEY AND THE WT BAND, LED BY GARY GARNER, IN SINGING "THE EYES OF TEXAS."

E. NOW, DR. MOORE.

5:42	III. INVOCATION DR. WINFRED MOORE

(FOLLOWING THE INVOCATION, MOLLY CECIL AND TOBY HUBBARD WILL BE ESCORTED TO THE FRONT OF THE PODIUM—ONE SPOT ON AMERICAN FLAG AND ONE SPOT ON MOLLY AND TOBY)

5:44	IV. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE MOLLY CECIL TOBY HUBBARD

(FOLLOWING PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, DEAN KELLEY APPROACHES PODIUM—SPOTS OUT—SLIDES BEGIN WHEN MUSIC STARTS)

5:45	V. "THE EYES OF TEXAS DEAN KELLEY WT BAND

(SPOTS ON PODIUM AFTER MUSIC ENDS AND SLIDES OFF)

5:47	VI. REMARKS T. BOONE PICKENS, JR.

A. WHY ARE WE HERE TODAY ATTENDING A GET-OUT-THE-VOTE RALLY?

B. PERHAPS THERE ARE TWO ANSWERS TO THIS QUESTION:

1. TO ENCOURAGE OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILIES TO VOTE TOMORROW, AND
2. TO CELEBRATE ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FREEDOMS WE ENJOY IN THE UNITED STATES AND IN TEXAS—THE RIGHT TO VOTE.

C. VOTING IS MORE THAN A PRIVILEGE—IT'S A DUTY—IT IS OUR OPPORTUNITY TO PARTICIPATE IN GOVERNMENT AND TO SELECT OUR POLITICAL LEADERS.

D. UNFORTUNATELY, MANY IN OUR STATE AND NATION FAIL TO EXERCISE THEIR RIGHT TO VOTE.

1. IN RECENT YEARS, AMERICA HAS HAD ONE OF THE LOWEST VOTER TURNOUT RATES IN THE FREE WORLD. COMPARE THESE PERCENTAGES OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS WHO CAST BALLOTS IN THE 1980 ELECTIONS:
   a. ICELAND - 90%
   b. WEST GERMANY - 89%
   C. CANADA - 84%
   d. JAPAN - 75%
   e. SWEDEN - 75%
   f. UNITED STATES - 53.9%
   g. SWITZERLAND - 42%
2. IN 1978, THE NATIONAL TURNOUT DURING THIS OFF-YEAR ELECTION WAS EVEN WORSE—ONLY 34% OF ELIGIBLE VOTERS ELECTED MEMBERS OF CONGRESS, GOVERNORS AND LOCAL OFFICIALS.
3. IN TEXAS, ONLY 24% OF OUR STATE'S 6.6 MILLION ELIGIBLE VOTERS CAST A BALLOT IN THE MAY PRIMARY THIS YEAR.

E. MANY DON'T VOTE BECAUSE THEY HAVE THE ATTITUDE THAT THEIR VOTE DOES NOT COUNT—THAT THEIR BALLOT WILL NOT MAKE A DIFFERENCE.

1. YOUR VOTE DOES COUNT AND DOES MAKE A DIFFERENCE—I CAN ILLUSTRATE THIS BY TWO ELECTIONS CONDUCTED IN TEXAS IN 1978:
2. OUR GOVERNOR WAS ELECTED BY A MARGIN OF THREE VOTES PER PRECINCT; AND
3. OUR U.S. SENATOR WAS ELECTED BY A MARGIN OF ONLY ONE VOTE PER PRECINCT.

F. AS MESA STOCKHOLDERS, WE HAVE ENJOYED SUCCESS...A SUCCESS THAT HAS BEEN NURTURED BY THE FREE ENTERPRISE SYSTEM IN OUR COUNTRY.

1. WE ARE STRONG BELIEVERS IN THE FREE ENTERPRISE SYSTEM—AND WE WILL DO ALL THAT WE CAN TO PROTECT IT.
2. THIS INCLUDES STUDYING CANDIDATES FOR PUBLIC OFFICE AND CASTING "INFORMED BALLOTS" FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ALSO SHARE OUR CONVICTION ABOUT THE FREE ENTERPRISE SYSTEM.

G. TOMORROW, WHEN YOU GO TO THE POLLS, YOU WILL BE FACED WITH MANY CHOICES—(HOLD UP POTTER COUNTY SAMPLE BALLOT). FOR EXAMPLE, IF YOU ARE VOTING IN POTTER COUNTY, YOU WILL HAVE 73 CHOICES—67 CANDIDATES IN 34 RACES AND 6 PROPOSED STATE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS.

H. IF YOU HAVEN'T STUDIED THE ISSUES AND CANDIDATES, WE URGE YOU TO DO SO TONIGHT AND TOMORROW—AND THEN GO TO THE POLLS AND CAST YOUR BALLOT.

I. THIS IS A SO-CALLED "OFF-YEAR" ELECTION—WE ARE NOT ELECTING A PRESIDENT, AND INTEREST IS USUALLY LOW DURING THESE ELECTIONS.

1. HOWEVER, THE ELECTION TOMORROW IS CRUCIAL FOR OUR STATE BECAUSE WHAT WE VOTERS "SAY" AT THE BALLOT BOX TOMORROW WILL, TO A GREAT EXTENT, DETERMINE WHAT OUR OPTIONS MAY BE WHEN WE GO TO THE POLLS ON NOVEMBER 6, 1984.

J. THE POLLS ARE OPEN FROM 7AM UNTIL 7PM—AND REMEMBER, IF YOU ARE IN LINE AT 7PM WHEN THE POLLS ARE TO CLOSE, YOU ARE STILL ENTITLED TO CAST YOUR BALLOT.

K. WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO GO TO THE POLLS TOMORROW -AND TO SEE TO IT THAT YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS ALSO PARTICIPATE IN ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT FREEDOMS WE HAVE.

L. BEFORE OUR PROGRAM CONCLUDES:

1. I WANT TO THANK DR. MOORE FOR JOINING US TODAY;
2. I WANT TO THANK DEAN KELLEY FOR LEADING OUR SINGING;
3. TOBY AND MOLLY, THANK YOU FOR LEADING US IN THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.
4. AND, I WANT TO THANK GARY GARNER AND MEMBERS OF THE WEST TEXAS STATE BAND WHO ARE WITH US TODAY FOR THEIR CONTRIBUTION. SPEAKING OF CONTRIBUTION, THE WEST TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY SYMPHONIC BAND HAS BEEN INVITED TO APPEAR IN CARNEGIE HALL IN NEW YORK ON MAY 18. WE KNOW THAT THE BAND IS MAKING AN ENTHUSIASTIC ATTEMPT TO RAISE THE $45,000 NEEDED FOR THE TRIP. THEY HAVE ALREADY RAISED MORE THAN $25,000. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK DIRECTOR OF BANDS, GARY GARNER, TO JOIN ME AT THE PODIUM. GARY, ON BEHALF OF THE SHAREHOLDERS, OFFICERS AND EMPLOYEES OF MESA, I AM PLEASED TO PRESENT TO YOU THIS $2,000 CONTRIBUTION TO HELP SEND YOUR FINE BAND TO CARNEGIE HALL. (AFTER GARNER EXITS STAGE)
5. I ALSO WANT TO CALL YOUR ATTENTION TO THE LARGE CAKE ON DISPLAY AT THE SOUTH END OF THE GYM. IT IS A REPLICA OF THE LONE STAR FLAG. FOLLOWING OUR RALLY, THIS CAKE WILL BE GIVEN TO GIRLSTOWN NEAR BORGER.

M. I WOULD NOW LIKE TO CALL UPON DEAN KELLEY TO LEAD US IN THE SINGING OF "GOD BLESS AMERICA," AFTER WHICH WE INVITE YOU TO ENJOY THE REFRESHMENTS.

N. THANK YOU FOR COMING AND FOR YOUR PARTICIPATION.

5:54	VII. "GOD BLESS AMERICA" DEAN KELLEY WT BAND

(SPOTS PAN AUDIENCE—WHEN MUSIC ENDS, SPOTS OFF AND GYM LIGHTS ON)

5:56	VIII. REFRESHMENTS