Lawrence’s Howard Dean supporters are stepping up their efforts to get the former Vermont governor into the White House.

Two meetings a month will now take place, one for introducing the Democrat’s campaign to new supporters and another for writing letters to garner support in other states as well as plan local awareness events.

About 50 people showed up Wednesday night at the East Lawrence Recreation Center for the latest monthly Dean MeetUp session.

“Bring a friend next time — or two friends,” organizer Matt Powell told the group at the end of the meeting that lasted more than an hour and touched on everything from getting Dean’s name on the Kansas caucus ballot to the Confederate flag controversy.

Last week the MeetUp group sponsored a community forum on public education, in particular the controversial No Child Left Behind Act pushed by President George W. Bush and adamantly opposed by Dean.

Lauren Sullivan, director of the MeetUp group, said the next forum, tentatively planned for January, would address health care.

In August, Dean’s national campaign urged local MeetUps to sponsor such community events but left specifics up to local groups, Sullivan said.

Supporters will not take a group stand on the issue of whether Dean should abandon public financing. Dean said Monday he wanted supporters to vote about it on the Internet.

Federal campaign limits will cap spending for Dean’s primary campaign at $45 million. But opting out of the cap would cost the campaign $19 million in federal matching funds.

Powell said he opposed going under the cap, adding that he thought more than the $45 million could be raised and would be needed against Bush.

Dean’s comments recently about reaching out to Southerners who display the Confederate flag in their trucks stirred mixed emotions among local Dean supporters.

“A lot of Dean supporters were not pleased with that either, but we aren’t going to bail out because of that,” Sullivan said. “I think he will learn from this.”

Dean apologized for the remark Wednesday in New Hampshire.