Former John Birch Society Executives Launch New Organization
On the weekend of October 20-21, a small group of concerned men and women met in Colorado Springs to launch a new organization — the Freedom First Society.
CEO G. Vance Smith notes: “As our name indicates, our organization’s focus is on freedom first — the principles of freedom need to be considered before accepting either the collectivist planning of the State or the seductive promises of ambitious power-seekers.”
“We forget too easily an important lesson of history,” Mr. Smith emphasizes. “Freedom is hard won, but too easily lost.”
The leaders claim that today freedom is seriously threatened by a group of power-hungry internationalists seeking to ensnare the independent nations of the world, first in regional governments and then in a totalitarian world government.
Freedom First Society has been started for the immediate purpose of providing leadership to an organized body of patriotic Americans who will do everything in their power, moral and legal, to stop that conspiracy and preserve freedom.
The Freedom First Society will continue on the path laid down by the late Robert Welch, who founded The John Birch Society (JBS) in 1958. Vance Smith took the helm at The John Birch Society in mid-1991 and led the Society for 14 years. He became the Society’s longest serving CEO since Robert Welch relinquished the leadership in 1983.
Nevertheless, in October of 2005 G. Vance Smith and VP Tom Gow resigned from their leadership positions at The John Birch Society when they realized that the Society would fall victim to an imminent coup orchestrated from within. Three key members of the Executive Committee of the Society’s Council joined Smith and Gow in handing in their resignations.
Two years later, Vance Smith observes: “We all felt terrible about what happened at JBS. So many good people had contributed their energies into helping The John Birch Society provide busy Americans with some desperately needed principle-based leadership.”
“At the time [2005],” continued Smith, “we believed that those leading the coup were not committed to Mr. Welch’s solution of building a membership organization with members working together locally to expose the Conspiracy. Developments at JBS during the past two years have confirmed our fears.”
“Our mission with Freedom First Society,” notes Mr. Smith, “is to fill the vacuum that had arisen because The John Birch Society’s leadership is off track.”
Freedom First Society Vice President Tom Gow says “Freedom First Society will be far different from virtually every other organization concerned about the same problems we are. There are already thousands of organizations in existence that tell Americans in effect ‘just send us money and we’ll solve your problem for you.'”
“But that doesn’t work,” insists Mr. Gow.” The problem is simply too big for patriotic Americans to expect to be able to delegate their responsibilities as good citizens to an office staff somewhere in Washington.”
Mr. Gow quotes Edmund Burke, the 18th Century British statesman who stood up for the American colonists: “When bad men combine, the good must associate, else they will fall one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle.”
“Freedom First Society,” says G. Vance Smith, “will be guided by the values and vision of America’s Founding Fathers and the great patriot Robert Welch.”
“In seeking to implement Robert Welch’s solution,” points out Mr. Smith, “Freedom First Society will nevertheless be using modern technology — particularly the internet — to reach out to and involve a younger age group.”
Smith continued: “Membership is open to individuals of good will, good conscience, and religious ideals who will apply dedication and integrity to the organization’s purposes, consistent with its principles. A list of our founding principles can be found on our website, www.freedomfirstsociety.org.”
Although Freedom First Society will be based in Colorado Springs, the leaders plan for the organization to reach nationwide. Beginning in January, Â G. Vance Smith will be crisscrossing the nation with a “Reclaiming America Seminar,” looking for volunteers to help set up chapters.
Those who are interested in learning more about the Freedom First Society are invited to visit the organization’s website. Visitors can apply for membership online or just stay plugged in by adding their email address to an alert list.
* * *
For more information on this story, please contact G. Vance Smith at (719) 380-6962.