Galveston Republican Women Mark 71st Anniversary

Galveston Republican Women used their 71st anniversary dinner this month to pair club history with a discussion about artificial intelligence, media trust and the role of local journalism. The group, which traces its founding to May 1955, invited journalist T.J. Aulds to speak at the annual event, according to a May 19 report in The Post Newspaper. (thepostnewspaper.net) Aulds, founder and owner of Aulds Now, also known as I-45 Now, told attendees that anxiety over new communications technology has repeated across generations. The organization’s website identifies Galveston Republican Women as a member of the Texas Federation of Republican Women. (galvestonrepublicanwomen.com) ### How old is the Galveston Republican Women organization? May 1955 is the date The Post Newspaper gave for the club’s first meeting, when Pattin Swann invited friends to her home as what became the first gathering of Galveston Republican Women. The report said the group started with 28 original members and charged $1 in dues, with Swann serving as its first president. Galveston Republican Women now describes itself online as a political organization affiliated with the Texas Federation of Republican Women. Its website says the group supports Republican candidates and asks members to log volunteer hours tied to party and candidate work. (thepostnewspaper.net) ### Why was T.J. Aulds the featured speaker? T.J. Aulds was presented at the anniversary event as the founder and owner of Aulds Now, better known as I-45 Now, an online regional news outlet, The Post reported. The article described him as a longtime journalist with family ties to Galveston reaching back to the storm-era period and a family grocery store at 19th Street and Church Street. (thepostnewspaper.net) The Post also reported that Aulds used personal history to introduce himself to the audience, saying he was not born on the island and joking that he was a “B.I.T.C.” — born in Texas City — rather than a “B.O.I.”, or born on the island. (galvestonrepublicanwomen.com) That biographical detail helped frame his remarks as both local and rooted in the county’s media culture. ### What did he say about artificial intelligence? Aulds addressed what The Post described as concerns about artificial intelligence corrupting the information people receive. His argument, as reported, was historical rather than technical: he listed the printing press, radio, television, CNN, the internet and social media as earlier disruptions in how information moved through society. (thepostnewspaper.net) “We all survived the printing press!” Aulds told the audience, according to The Post. He added, “We figure it out and AI is going to get figured out as well,” placing AI in a line of technologies that had already changed public communication. (thepostnewspaper.net) ### How did he handle the question of media bias? Aulds used early American history to answer concerns about whether the press leans too far left or too far right, The Post reported. He told attendees that pre-Revolutionary America also had partisan news outlets, describing them as loyalist-leaning and patriot-leaning publications. (thepostnewspaper.net) “We have figured it out for 250 years, we will continue to figure it out,” Aulds said, according to the report. The Post said he encouraged audience members to see themselves as part of the media ecosystem because they share information through modern communications tools. (thepostnewspaper.net) ### What comes next for the group? Galveston Republican Women’s website lists May 26, 2026, as primary runoff Election Day in Texas and June 11, 2026, as a Juneteenth event on its upcoming calendar. The site also says the organization recently launched a younger affiliate group led by conservative women and continues to collect volunteer-hour reports through President Irene Henry. (thepostnewspaper.net) Irene Henry is named on the group’s website as president, while Tina Kirbie is listed in the site’s political advertising disclaimer as treasurer of the GRW PAC. Those listings, together with the posted calendar, indicate the organization is moving from its anniversary observance into election and community events scheduled later this month and in June. (thepostnewspaper.net) (galvestonrepublicanwomen.com)