Presented by President Elliot H. Goodwin, 1950.
The Club faces this fall statewide and local campaigns of intense political importance. The past eight years of brilliant state administration challenge our party to nominate and elect governor Dewey for a third term or a worthy successor capable of perpetuating this record. The addition of races for the United States Senate and the mayoralty of New York City, plus the many local campaigns of significance, call for the Club to put forth its maximum effort.
Research teams under the various Affairs Committees have been hard at work since late spring developing necessary campaign material. The National, State, Foreign, and City Affairs Committees will undertake throughout the year the job of keeping the club informed on all major current issues.
Starting in the early fall, the Speakers’ Bureau and Political Education Committee will carry on, as usual, the training of our membership in practical politics. During the campaign, under the auspices of these two committees, Club members will have extensive opportunities to speak in support of Republican candidates on sound trucks and in all types of meetings and forums.
Sound truck speaking has become in recent years a political activity to which our membership is peculiarly well trained and adapted, and it is expected that the year 1950 will again see most of the sound trucks in Manhattan manned by our experienced and able speakers.
Throughout the past few years the weekly Downtown Luncheons have grown in member participation and interest, and today, each Thursday, except for a two-month summer layoff, an interested luncheon group of 50 to 150 members and guests is addressed by a speaker of importance. Uptown Luncheons will be held monthly, and perhaps more often if member interest so dictates.
The Club membership now totals 1250 and the Club’s influence continues to grow. At this time we call on our membership to participate to an even greater degree in promoting the causes and ideals for which this Club was founded some forty years ago.