New Officers Selected For Local Constitutional Group

(Lebanon, PA) – The Constitutional Organization Of Lebanon (COOL), a conservative, non-partisan political action committee registered with the Pennsylvania Department of State, has announced that new officers have been elected for 2008.

Louis Petolicchio, who had served as facilitator for COOL’s educational program, Institute On The Constitution (IOTC), and Roland Carpenter, will serve as chairman and treasurer, respectively.

“We are looking forward to an exciting year in Lebanon County,” Petolicchio said.  “In the last couple of years, people have become more and more interested in learning more about the Constitution and what inspired our Founding Fathers, and COOL will provide conservatives and constitutionalists with an avenue to network together.”

According to Petolicchio, COOL has three primary goals it would like to accomplish.

“We want to educate people about the Constitution and the history behind it, we want to enlighten voters about the various issues which are impacting them at the state and local level, and we want to encourage people to become more involved in the political process,” he said.

The original chairman of COOL, state Senator Mike Folmer, decided to step down due to his responsibilities as a legislator but remained excited about COOL and the educational opportunities it provides.

“We have this great document [Constitution] and these wonderful freedoms, and they need to be taught to our children,” Folmer said. “COOL is going forward with new officers and are pursuing getting people connected with their rights again.”

Russ Diamond, chairman of PACleanSweep, concurred with Folmer’s assessment.

“Across Pennsylvania and across the nation we’re witnessing a distinct re-awakening to constitutional concepts,” he said.  “Groups such as COOL, meeting in homes and communities, will serve to nurture that movement and make it grow.”

Petolicchio noted that the chief educational tool used by COOL is the “The Institute on the Constitution”, which is a concentrated study that reintroduces students to the legal, social, and religious concepts that directly influenced the creation of the U.S. Constitution.

Carpenter, who will be taking over as Treasurer from Laurel Lynn Petolicchio, also expressed excitement about working with COOL.

“My wife Monica and I are pleased to be a part of this grassroots movement to educate the public about the principles our country was founded upon,” he said.  “We are looking forward to learning as much as we can and meeting others who share the same beliefs we do.”

Petolicchio is a former Judge of Elections and Past-President of the Kiwanis Club of Elizabethtown and resides in the Myerstown area.  Carpenter is an educator with a MS in Secondary Education and lives in South Lebanon Township.

Membership in COOL is open to everyone regardless of political affiliation for an annual fee of $15.  The cost to participate in the Institute on the Constitution is $25, and a one-year membership in COOL is included with that fee. Donations are also accepted.  COOL can be contacted at 717-228-7524.