Defenders of Liberty to mark fifth year Monday with Schneider appearance

On the second Monday of November 2009, a group of about 90 concerned citizens gathered in the dining room of Autumn Glen for the first meeting of the Greencastle Defenders of Liberty.

The local Tea Party group was formed to educate the public on important issues concerning the present and future of the U.S. Word about the initial meeting was spread by flyers circulated around Greencastle and personal invitations.

Attendance at the next few meetings grew too large for the facility and an offer was made by Art Evans for the group to meet in the Dixie Chopper hangar at the Putnam County Airport. And the group has met there the second Monday of every month since.

Five years and 60 meetings of speakers with quality information to share with the public have included conservative candidates running for state or congressional offices, legislators, businessmen and women, pilots, members of the military, authors, leaders in the community, all offering their expertise and experience to help citizens make good decisions and take action on issues that affect our country.

The mission statement of the Greencastle Defenders of Liberty is: To restore limited government, fiscal responsibility and accountable representation through citizen activism and education, in order to preserve the Constitution of the United States of America.

The fifth anniversary meeting is set for Monday, Nov. 10 at 6:30 p.m. at the Dixie Chopper Business Center at the Putnam County Airport, 102 Ballard Lane, Greencastle. Guest speaker will be District 30 Indiana State Sen. Scott Schneider.

Sen. Schneider was vocal against Common Core State Standards, the federal takeover of the educational system. Schneider, a small businessman, campaigned in 2012 for fiscal responsibility in government by passing balanced budgets, cutting spending, and creating an environment where businesses can prosper and create jobs without government interference to put Hoosiers back to work.

Schneider lives in Indianapolis with his wife and five children.

Also participating in the celebration will be State Rep. Jim Baird (R-Greencastle) and State Sen. Rod Bray (R-Martinsville).

The public is invited to join in the festivities and to attend all future meetings.