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'Everything at Stake' in 2012: Leader of San Gorgonio Pass Republican Women

New president of the local organization discusses the outlook for 2012 while watching live coverage of the New Hampshire primary Tuesday evening at the Sand Trap in Beaumont.

With important local races and a presidential election looming in 2012, recruiting new members and voter registration drives will be a priority, the leader of San Gorgonio Pass Republican Women Federated said Tuesday evening in Beaumont.

Susan Scherwerts, new president of the local Republican women's organization, discussed the outlook for 2012 while watching live coverage of the New Hampshire primary Tuesday evening at the Sand Trap Sports Bar & Grill.

The San Gorgonio Pass Republican Women Federated is based on local GOP membership and more than 50 years old. Back in 1960 it was known as the Beaumont-Cherry Valley Republican Womans Club Federated, Scherwerts said.

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Local Republican organization is vital in 2012 in the Pass, and it starts with membership, Scherwerts said. She estimated there are currently more than 130 Pass Republican Women, many of whom live in the Sun Lakes Country Club community in Banning.

"We are looking for new members, and we are trying to reach out to the Latino community," Scherwerts said, adding the current membership chair is Latina. "We are always growing and trying to grow. We recently received a Presitigious Diamond Award for increasing membership in 2011."

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The group's next event is a monthly meeting and luncheon starting at 10 a.m. Wednesday Jan. 25 at , 182 W. Ramsey St. in Banning. Luncheon is $16 and the scheduled speaker is Dr. Barbara Stone, a political science professor emeritus from Cal State Fullerton.

Voter registration will be a primary goal for the Pass Republican Women this year, Scherwerts said.

"It's very important people get registered to vote," Scherwerts said. "We need to get a new president in there. Somebody who's going to promote less government, not more.

"It goes along with the spending," she said. "Everyone knows about the deficit spending, here in California and at the federal level. It's gone too far and it's time for a change."

Watching the New Hampshire primary returns Tuesday evening on Fox News at the , Scherwerts said she would not reveal her personal preference among the Republican candidates.

"As president of the club, I represent all the membership and we have a broad, diverse range of views among our women," Scherwerts said. "They have different views of the primaries so far.

"I can say that whoever the Republican candidate is, we will back that candidate 100 percent," she said. "This is an election year and everything is at stake. The economy is such a concern. We have to have someone in there who is a strong leader, running the country and in foreign affairs."

The Pass Republican Women's Jan. 25 meeting is open to the public. For luncheon reservations, call Helen Browning at (951) 845-6695.

For information about joing San Gorgonio Pass Republican Women Federated, contact membership chair Elena Enriquez at ElenaEnriquez@msn.com or (951) 849-0671.

For more information about the group, visit www.sgprwf.org.


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