Club History
Ninety years ago, the Hawthorne Unit of the Passaic County Republican League was formed by 36 interested and dedicated people under the leadership of Raymond L. Rhodes. Its birth was likened to a pebble that was cast into a pool of water and made ripples from far and wide.
The unit was founded on firm principles, a strong belief in God and government, a keen interest in all civic projects, and a sincere desire to do all in its power to promote the cause of Hawthorne and to help elect qualified people to office on all levels.
Yes, just a small branch of the Grand Old Party, but as the small pebble cast into the water made ripples far and wide, so did the Hawthorne Unit make ripples and even waves into the political world.
Throughout the 90 years, “The Unit” has held to these principles and has continued to grow in spite of the many obstacles that have been thrown in its way. It has been successful in many campaigns and has also known the taste of defeat, but in victory or defeat, the unit has always been able to hold its head high and bring honor and respect to itself and to the Borough of Hawthorne. Those of us in the Unit credit its success not only to those farsighted people who originated the Unit and established these high principles, but also to you, the membership, that has made the Unit what it is today.
We look forward to the coming years with hope and confidence. Its members know there will be many changes, but one thing that will not change is the principles of the Hawthorne Unit. New bright and eager faces will be added, and along with them will come new ideas. The ripples caused by that pebble that was cast into the water will continue to grow, and the Hawthorne Unit will go on to greater heights than ever before.
Message From the President
We have enjoyed 90 years of service to the community and have contributed to quality of life issues, educational issues, and keeping our community and our membership constantly updated on the issues that affect all of us.
Our organization structure comprises 16 boards of directors. We meet on the first Tuesday of every month except for July & August at the Van Dyk Place at 7:00 p.m. The Executive Board meets quarterly. Our meetings are attended by our membership as well as by the governing body, the mayor, council, PBA, and most of our town’s dignitaries. We offer refreshments and/or food at our selected meetings. We invite all of you to be our guest if you choose to join; you must be of voting age and be a registered Republican.
Our Yearly Dues Are as Follows
- Life Membership ($175 one-time only)
- Regular Membership ($24 per year)
- Senior Citizen Members ($12 per year)
- Students (Free until Graduation)
Our future is based on the past foundation. We are very proud to be a progressive political club and sponsor high school scholarships, the Memorial Day float, monthly membership socials, and the yearly installation dinner dance. B.O.E., Planning Board, Board of Adjustment, Economic Development, Environmental Commission, Board of Health, and much more.
We are thoroughly entrenched in our community, and part of our mission is the following:
Promoting the health and safety of all our residents is our chief concern, and we advocate strong implementation of environmental regulations to safeguard the public’s good. We are also advocates for property values, the quality of our schools, anything and everything that affects all residents.
We Also Sponsor
- School Board of Education Candidates Night
- Mayor/Council & Freeholders Candidate Night
- Primary Election Rally
- Thanksgiving Dinner Meeting & Gift Certificate Raffle
- Christmas/Annual Club Officers Election Dinner Meeting
Our 2025 Executive Board for the Club
President
- Marco Totaro
Vice Presidents:
- Anna Marie Sasso
- Joann Fitzsimmons
- John P.L. Manke
- Danilo Ramirez
- Shirley Shortway-English
Sergeant-At-Arms:
- Pat Connolly
- Vic Terraglia Jr.
Counsel:
- Patricia Qualey, Esq.
Associate Counsel:
- Fred Roughgarden, Esq.
Financial Secretary:
- Nancy Bagli
Recording Secretary:
- Nadine DeCarlo
Treasurer:
- Gina Pontrelli
Trustees:
- Vic Terraglia Jr.
- Ted DeMaria
- Bob Maggio
Young Republican Chairman:
- Chris Connolly, Chair
Our Club Was Founded in 1935
First President & Founder Raymond Rhodes, 1935-1954
Second President Norman W. Hopper, 1955 – 1975
Third President Berd Van Den Berg Jr. 1976 – 1980
Fourth & Sixth President Raymond J. Guernic 1981 – 1994 | 1998 – 1999
Fifth President Eugene Meyers, 1995 – 1997
Seventh President, Victor Terraglia 2000 –2024
Eighth President, Marco Totaro 2024-Current
Hawthorne Republican Club
P.O. Box 440, Hawthorne, New Jersey 07507
This website uses cookies.
We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.