The Campaign Trail

Here we are at the end of April and for most, the campaign trail has not even begun. For me however, I (we) have been at it for several months. When I decided to run for Tribal Council, I knew that the time demand of running a campaign (hopefully a successful one) would be intense. I guess I didn't know the level that the intensity would be. It is very common that I have at least two to three meetings Monday-Friday either on a personal or public level. On the weekends, there are usually at least that many meetings surrounding tribal politics. If I didn't have a cell phone and sticky notes, I honestly don't know how I would keep up. Sticky notes have become a very essential part of my campaign and sometimes I remind myself of Jim Carrey in Bruce Almighty when he is trying to figure out how to answer everyone's prayers. 3M owes me...

Now, with all of that being said, I am sure that my family feels as though they play second fiddle. Just because I have tribal and political meetings does not mean that the need for the boys to be picked up, taken to practice or my presence at their games has ceased. In fact, with my now decreasing time spent with them, those things have become even more important. Trying to balance my family and my campaign has not been an easy job. I guess nobody warns you that the time demand will be as intense as it actually is. Or maybe I wasn't paying attention. Either way, doing my schedule and assuring that my time is balanced could be a full time job.

The love of my life, Sandy, has been an absolute trooper through all of this. I don't know why she remains so supportive but I would like to think that it is because she believes in me. Whatever the reason, her intensity of support helps keep me driven and inspires me to keep pushing on. She is one of the most intelligent people I know and her help through all of this has been invaluable. If she wasn't as supportive as she has been, this campaign would be so much harder if not impossible.

Now you have a little bit of history and information as to what has been put into the "TOBY09" campaign. It has been very rewarding also, but the intensity on both ends of the spectrum has been a life changing and learning experience. I am confident that this campaign will push through the toughest of obstacles (because of my support group) and inspire those who might not be as involved as they could be.

Please join me on this journey and remember, vote "TOBY09."

New Blog

So, this is my first blog-site and I am excited to begin sharing my future endeavors with my friends, family and followers. As I mentioned in my bio, I have decided to take the ultimate leap in our Tribal Government. That is my candidacy in the 2009 Tribal Council Election. I have many reasons as to why I feel it is important that I run but I will share just a few right now and there will certainly be more to come. I have a deep-seeded passion for the Grand Ronde Tribe, one that stems 20+ years. One of my major concerns is the future of the tribe and securing it's success for many generations to come.
I grew up in Grand Ronde and have seen many changes over that last 20 years. Through my childhood I participated in the activities of our young, flowering tribe. I attended council meetings, danced at our annual pow-wow, served as an escort for our Royalty Court, stapled the pages of the Smoke Signals (back when it was still being printed on notebook paper) and served the elders coffee and pastries during Elder Movie Night. I remember the days that council strived to achieve success for our entire tribe. I remember when Spirit Mountain Casino was just a dream of of it's founding members. I could go on and on with my memories of the Grand Ronde Tribe and I will continue to share memories with you in the future.
My original point is that I have reason to involve myself and I wish to share my passion, tribal experiences and ideas with the Grand Ronde Tribal Membership. Please join me in my journey. I welcome your thoughts, concerns and ideas and look forward to making Grand Ronde as strong and prosperous as it can be.

Also, follow me @ http://twitter.com/TobyMcClary I will make daily posts and beginning in June, I will list a weekly goal and keep everyone updated on a daily basis. Thank you for reading.