About Our Mission Statement: Liberty on the Rocks is a non-partisan, non-profit, social and educational organization that seeks to unite individuals who desire liberty: with the goal of promoting activism, education and encouragement to those who aspire to gain freedom in America. We are committed to furthering the study and discussion of America’s founding principles by raising awareness through communication and action. Using our established networks, local leaders will work to unite, educate, and activate supporters of freedom with the ultimate goal of enhancing their ability to share these enduring principles. History: In the spring of 2008 three friends sat down with the intention of discovering ways they could foster a much-needed liberty movement in their local community. They concluded that the best way to encourage unity among liberty-oriented individuals in their area was to hold social meet-ups at a local tavern so people had the chance to talk and interact with one another. They held their first meeting in May of 2008 at My Brother’s Bar in Denver. Fourteen people showed up to share their thoughts on liberty and how to best achieve it in America today. From there the grassroots movement had begun. Once Liberty on the Rocks Denver was established and deemed successful, other chapters would soon appear in other states as well as other cities in Colorado. Current Priorities: Liberty on the Rocks is currently working to assist individuals with establishing local social networks aimed at uniting liberty-oriented thinkers within their community. These social clubs also focus on providing a forum that encourages individuals to network with local freedom-based organizations and activists. Liberty on the Rocks will work with all liberty-oriented groups to help connect them with potential students, volunteers and/or members, so they may better expose their message and the educational information they produce. The overall purpose of these liberty clubs is to establish a welcoming, inclusive environment where individuals are free to share ideas, gain and disseminate knowledge and to learn new opportunities for becoming better informed and involved. Establishing a social environment such as this is the first step towards creating a powerful group of individuals motivated to work together to promote freedom and individual liberty. Future Goals: While the social networking aspect will always remain a staple component of the organization, future goals of Liberty on the Rocks include expanding the mission to increase activism and education surrounding the principles of liberty and free enterprise. This means that local networks will be established not only as centers to promote networking, but also to provide opportunities for activism and/or education. This can be accomplished in many ways, so each local club will determine their own methods for achieving their goals. However, the more opportunities offered through each club, the better the chance of obtaining greater membership and having a positive impact in the community. Once the mission is expanded to include these components, LOTR National will work with local clubs to provide tips, strategies and monetary resources. There will be two additional elements added to the Liberty Clubs alongside the social component. These two elements include activism and education. The following are descriptions of all three aspects: Social The social clubs establish a welcoming atmosphere that allows for discussion, collaboration and networking among members of the liberty movement, regardless of official political affiliation or ideology. Each social network or “club” welcomes all individuals (but also reserves the right to ban offenders) and seeks to create a sense of community and belonging for those who attend. The clubs create an entryway into the liberty movement by providing opportunities to become acquainted with representatives of free market groups both locally and nationally, and by allowing guests to share information about upcoming events and happenings. Education The educational aspect of the clubs can be applied in numerous forms, including anything from providing educational materials at a social meet-up to hosting educational debates and/or speakers. One purpose of the educational side of the club is to provide platforms for both local and national free market groups to promote their research as well as their organization to members of communities nationwide. This is meant to introduce a larger number of individuals to both local and national free market think tanks and action groups, including such organizatios as the Cato Institute or Americans for Prosperity. Another goal of the educational component is to offer issues debates that attract all sides of the political spectrum, with the goal of attracting the median voter, as opposed to just “preaching to the choir”. Chapters are also encouraged to work with other groups to co-host events, such as movie nights, rallies, trivia game nights, etc. The national organization will assist local clubs in organizing educational events, including helping them locate local and national groups to coordinate speaking engagements. Activism Like the educational component, a number of opportunities exist for local clubs to promote and encourage activism among members. This component could include organizing and mobilizing members of the club in spreading the message of liberty or can be as simple as introducing members to free market organizations that provide opportunities for involvement. When engaging in action-oriented activities, local clubs are also encouraged to share their stories (whether successful or learning experiences) with others within the network, utilizing the national website, email list and/or monthly webinars. More information regarding future goals of the organization will be available as we come closer to reaching our goal. Please stay tuned for further details and be on the lookout for an invitation to sign-up for our new e-newsletter that will provide updates on events and other Liberty on the Rocks activities. Does Liberty on the Rocks Support a Specific Political Party? Absolutely not. The concept behind Liberty on the Rocks is that it shouldn’t matter what an individuals political affiliation is, if they support the concepts of individual rights and free markets. The fact is we all have different opinions on many things, but what we do agree on - freedom - is so important! There are already plenty of partisan clubs. This is not one of them. Liberty on the Rocks welcomes individuals from all political parties, as long as they are willing to engage in polite civil discourse and refrain from being rude or obnoxious. Are Candidates Running for Office Welcome at Liberty on the Rocks? Our organization is open to the public and anyone is welcome to attend the meet-ups to learn more about the principles of economics and liberty and to meet other freedom lovers in their community. However, Liberty on the Rocks does not endorse or oppose candidates in any election at any time and does not promote materials that either support or oppose specific candidates. If Liberty on the Rocks chapters wish to educate members on where the candidates stand they are welcome to invite them to speak, however, they must give an equal opportunity to all candidates in all races to speak on the same day and for the same amount of time. We simply want to make it clear that we do not favor or oppose any candidate for office! We encourage citizens to learn the facts and decide for themselves.