SRWC...defending life, liberty, & pursuit of happiness since 1964

Our country's and our club's founders were strong, principled people who believed in limited government, the Constitution, and the Declaration of Independence's assertion that "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed..."

The following article, in the Milwaukee Sentinel 2/20/1967, highlights one of our club's founders and the focus and drive of our longstanding membership.

Words from Mary Grueninger-O'Leary (shown above) who founded our club.

"We had worked our hearts out for the nomination and election of Senator Barry Goldwater as President of the United States of America. He was the first Republican for a number of years to be able to explain what being a Republican is all about in his book, The Conscience of a Conservative.

It was a real shock to many of us who worked at the North Shore Republican Club Goldwater Headquarters to realize that some people who called themselves "Republicans" did not know the meaning of the word, nor why they were Republicans.

Several women, Fran Courtney, Pat Pfeifer, Gloria Johnson, Nancy Ethier, and Harriet Kenyon, asked me to join them to go to Washington to the NFRW Women's Conference. We were inspired to do something about educating women, because at that time, men were busy making a living for us and our children.

We returned to Milwaukee to do something new. We got 10 members together, as required by NFRW bylaws, to start a new club, dedicated not only to education, but to combine it with fun!

Isn't it fun to learn while enjoying socializing with other women who share our Republican values while recruiting more? It proves we are right to be celebrating our 47th anniversary, doesn't it? It never could have been done without those who continued to carry the torch.

I, personally, am thrilled that my daughter, Toni, who "cut her teeth" on GOP principles at the dinner table with her late father, Jim Grueninger and yours truly is involved with the SRWC.

Our club has come a long way in the past 45+ years, and we should be proud of our accomplishments. While much as changed in the world since the Goldwater days, the SRWC continues to promote our tried and true Republican values (as paraphrased from the Blue Book):"

• Individual States Rights. We believe the states need to reclaim all power not expressly given to the federal government.
• Traditional Family Values. Faith, family, personal responsibility and a belief in the dignity of human life.
• Limited Government. Governments should exist only to serve the needs of their citizens and must continue to be accountable to them. They must act with fiscal responsibility to prevent unnecessary taxation, regulation, and interference in the lives of our citizens.
• Education. We believe education should be controlled by parents and teachers.
• An end to governmental discrimination against religion.
• Lower taxes.
• Protection of private property rights.
• Free speech. The right of individuals to freely express their political opinions through their financial contributions (with full, prompt disclosure).
• Second Amendment. We believe in the Constitutional Right to keep and bear arms.
• Equal treatment for everyone.
• A strong National Defense.