This post, this entire thread, should be required Freeper reading. Our Southern California chapter, such as it is, is losing its president (I had no idea how much work he must have done.... ocflyfish, thank you) and we didn't do anything anyway, but we know we're all around, ready to muster if something really important arises......
I've flagged some of the people involved with the Free Republic Network, so I'm sure the essay will be widely circulated. I've put a lot of good info into it, and you might want to re-start the chapter using some of those ideas.