OSAGE COUNTY — Larry Hunt stepped down from his role as Osage County Democrat Club president and Cheryl Linhardt from her position as secretary; both will continue to be involved with the club.

“I’ve been at it since I came to town,” said Hunt, who has served as president for more than 20 years. “I sought out  the Democratic Club when I moved to Linn. And, of course, most of the people that were involved at that time have passed away. I was involved with the Democratic Party when I was in college, and I’m from Boone County, so it’s in my blood.”

Hunt said he’s pleased with membership growth of late, particularly those among the younger generation.

“We were down to probably four to six constant people when we were having meetings, and since the first of the year, it’s tripled,” he added. “Youth is the blood of the party. They’re an avenue of change; they see things differently.”

Linhardt agreed. “We have young people that are wanting to be involved now,” she said. She became secretary in 2006. “They have good ideas, new ideas, and I think it’s time to turn it over to them.”

Linhardt said she believes national conversations filter to the county level of governance. “The thing I am more concerned about is that when I grew up in Osage County, we were a Democrat county,” she said. “I don’t know why that has changed, but I feel like we might be on the comeback now.”

Hunt cautioned against accepting just one source of information. “Simply because it says something doesn’t necessarily mean it’s true,” he said.

Linhardt added, “I just think that we need to encourage them that what you see, you need to check to make sure it is what it looks like it is, and that it is factual, not something that somebody just made up.”

Both are highly supportive of new Club President Stacy Bax and Secretary Jenna Mitchell.

Hunt and Linhardt met the pair last fall, right after the election. “When we saw these young people, we gravitated right to them to find out who they were, because they hadn’t been to any meetings,” said Linhardt. “We weren’t sure they were from Osage County until we introduced ourselves and then found out they were.”

Bax attended her first meeting in March and was elected president, which she considered humorous. “Cheryl and Larry decided they wanted to step down, and they asked if anybody wanted to volunteer to take their jobs,” Bax said. “Nobody said anything, and I was like, I’ll volunteer for one of the positions. So, that’s how that came to be.”

“I think Stacy’s got some good ideas,” said Hunt.

“Yeah, I think she’s a go-getter, and I’m not for sure of her kids’ ages, but it’s hard for parents with little bitty kids to be involved,” Linhardt added. “Once your kids get to be teenagers, I guess you start looking further down the road in your life, and it’s a little easier to get involved with things. I’m just thankful that they have realized how important it is for our country to be involved.”

Bax knows she has big shoes to fill. “I don’t know them very well, but what I do know is they’re very dedicated,” she said of Hunt and Linhardt. “They’re hardworking. I can ask them for anything, and they’re willing to jump in and do what needs to be done. I’m just so grateful that they’re still going to work with us.”

Her biggest goals are to try to increase membership and find candidates to run for positions using community outreach. “I’m trying to get some guest speakers around to educate people and things like that,” said Bax.

Mitchell attended her first club meeting about three years ago. After Linhardt stepped down as secretary, another club member nominated Mitchell and the club voted her to the position. “I am already a note-taker so the role is a good fit,” said Mitchell, adding that Linhardt has been very supportive. “Cheryl has been gracious and supportive through my many questions. Our club is a collective with decades of combined experience and is handling the transition well.”

Moving forward, Mitchell noted, a big challenge is helping people look past party labels. “In our area, most voters choose ‘R’ candidates, even when they might agree more with ‘D’ ideas on ballot issues concerning education, healthcare, or wages,” she said. “Sometimes, strong messages in the media can make it hard to see what’s really at stake. We’re just asking folks to think for themselves, look at the issues, and not let letters drown out their own values.”