T-L Photo/ROBERT A. DEFRANK Belmont County Recorder Jason Garczyk, left, and Board of Elections Deputy Director Kamron Chervenak have started a Belmont County Young Republicans group to assist the party and provide outreach and educational opportunities for younger voters wishing to learn more about politics.

ST. CLAIRSVILLE — Conservatives are reaching out and working with younger voters with the launch of a new Young Republicans club in Belmont County.

Belmont County Recorder Jason Garczyk and Board of Elections Deputy Director Kamron Chervenak initiated the group. They hope to keep up the momentum of an increasing number of Republican officeholders in Belmont County.

“There was a group, probably 15 years ago, that just kind of fizzled out,” Garczyk said. “I thought: ‘Let’s bring it back.’ I met with some other local, like-minded Republican folks and they said, ‘Let’s get it going.’ I talked to the executive committee.”

“Our goal primarily is to get young people involved, more politically involved,” Chervenak said. “It’s important for young people to be aware of what is going on in our community, and that is primarily our goal. … The future is our youth, and we recognize that as the young Republicans. Therefore it’s important for us to spread the awareness and overall knowledge with what’s going on in our surroundings.”

“The closest one (Young Republicans club) to us geographically is Muskingum County,” Garczyk said, adding he has been talking with the chairman of that group for advice.

“We started in February. We were chartered through the state. We’ve met a few times,” Garczyk said. “The idea, I think, is not only to get young folks in our county interested in government and politics, but also an opportunity to educate – potentially bring some statewide and local and regional officeholders and candidates to this area, and just be an arm to the executive committee at the county level.”

Garczyk said the club has 10 members so far.

“That’s a pretty good showing to start with,” he said. “We’ll see where it goes. It’s kind of hard to tell.”

They will also have a role in the party’s outreach.

“We’ll be there to staff the county fair booth,” he said.

He added this is also an opportunity for young people to be better informed.

“Hopefully we keep a nice group going and be there for any local candidates who might need it, or even statewide or regional,” he said. “What I’d like to see, at least in the beginning, are local candidates and officeholders come talk to us and tell us what they do in their office. It’s an educational tour because one of the things I’ve found, and that’s still the case, is there are very few who know what the recorder’s office does. A lot of folks, and particularly younger-minded, don’t necessarily know what the auditor’s office does, or the treasurer. You might have the basic idea of what those offices do, but there’s other aspects the public doesn’t often see, and maybe we can get a glimpse into that, especially now that Republicans are in majority here in this county. We have an opportunity to learn that and be involved potentially.

“There’s a lot of other like-minded young folks in the county. Young being 18-40, that’s our age threshold.”

Danica Haverty of St. Clairsville is the club secretary and Joe Crum, a metalworker from Bethesda, is the treasurer.

The group meets at 6 p.m. the third Thursday of each monthly, currently at the picnic shelter behind the East Richland Evangelical Friends Church west of St. Clairsville.

More information and contact opportunities can be found on the group’s Facebook page.

Phil Wallace, chairman of the Belmont County Democratic Party, said the Democrats do not have a similar local organization.