About Our Committee
The Republican voice of Bourne — from Buzzards Bay to Sagamore Beach, working for the families and taxpayers of the Gateway to Cape Cod.
Bourne’s first settlers came here to trade, and its townspeople left Sandwich to govern themselves. We’re fighting to keep Bourne a place where the people — not the bureaucracy — still decide.
Photo: Aptucxet Trading Post replica, 4300streetcar, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Who We Are
We are the Bourne Republican Town Committee — the official, elected body of the Republican Party in the Town of Bourne. Our members come from every one of Bourne’s villages — Buzzards Bay, Sagamore, Sagamore Beach, Bournedale, Pocasset, Cataumet, Monument Beach and Gray Gables — and from every walk of life, united in a shared commitment to the Constitution and to electing Republican candidates for local, county, state and national office. Bourne sends two Republicans to the State House, and seven in ten of our neighbors belong to no party at all: they are who we talk to.
The Town on Both Sides of the Canal
The seal of the Town of Bourne carries two dates. The first, Manomett 1627, marks the year Plymouth Colony opened its first trading post at Aptucxet, on the river the colonists called the Manomet, where Wampanoag traders and Dutch sailors from New Amsterdam came to do business. The second, April 2nd, 1884, is the day the villages of western Sandwich became a town of their own — named for Jonathan Bourne — so that they could run their own affairs at their own town meeting.
Thirty years later the Cape Cod Canal cut the town in two, and today every car, truck and train that reaches Cape Cod crosses Bourne on the Bourne Bridge, the Sagamore Bridge or the Railroad Bridge. Commerce and self-government built this town, and Bourne still governs itself by open town meeting, neighbors deciding the town’s business face to face. We carry that inheritance forward — the belief that power belongs to the people, not the government.
Our Mission & Vision
The mission of the Bourne Republican Town Committee is to support the work of the Republican Party, at all levels of government, and to promote the principles of freedom, equality, and justice as intended by the founders of the Constitution of the United States. In doing so, we advocate for:
- The maintenance of our role as leader of the free world and a strong sense of pride in our country and our heritage;
- One government, “of, by, and for the people,” that minimizes its intervention in the lives of its citizens by promoting individual responsibility, initiative, volunteerism, and entrepreneurship, together with corporate responsibility;
- Recognition of the need for good character and integrity, and the strengthening and defense of the institution of family.
Our vision is to be seen as protectors and advocates of freedom, equality, and justice; allies to our citizenry who enhance the potential and dignity of each individual; defenders of our country and our heritage; and advocates of the family and of sound character and integrity — the party that invites the community to discuss issues, share ideas, express concerns, and arrive at solutions.
Core Beliefs — The Republican Oath
I believe that the proper function of government is to do for the people those things that have to be done but cannot be done, or cannot be done as well, by individuals — and that the most effective government is government closest to the people.
I believe that good government is based on the individual, and that each person’s ability, dignity, freedom, and responsibility must be honored and recognized.
I believe that free enterprise and the encouragement of individual initiative and incentive have given this nation an economic system second to none.
I believe that sound money policy should be our goal.
I believe in equal rights, equal justice, and equal opportunity for all, regardless of race, creed, age, sex, national origin, or disability.
I believe we must retain those principles worth retaining, yet always be receptive to new ideas with an outlook broad enough to accommodate thoughtful change and varying points of view.
I believe that Americans value and should preserve their feeling of national strength and pride, and, at the same time, share with people everywhere a desire for peace, freedom, and the extension of human rights.
Finally, I believe that the Republican Party is the best vehicle for translating these ideals into positive and successful principles of government.
What We Do
We’re not a brochure — we’re an active committee. Among the things we do:
- Provide financial support and volunteer hours to Republican candidates at the national, state, county, and local levels;
- Hold candidate nights, sign standouts, and open community discussions, and get our message in front of Bourne voters;
- Hold regular committee meetings that are open to every Republican and Independent in town;
- Recruit and support Bourne residents willing to serve — on the ballot and on town boards;
- Work alongside the other committees in the Massachusetts RTC network so our towns speak with one voice;
- Keep our neighbors informed about what is happening in Town government — see Town Meetings.
Committee Leadership
The committee is led by an elected slate of volunteers who give their time to keep Bourne’s Republican organization strong. The committee is registered with the Massachusetts Office of Campaign and Political Finance as the Bourne Republican Town Committee (OCPF CPF ID 76070), organized in 2020.
The full slate of officers will be published here shortly. In the meantime, the fastest way to reach the committee is our contact form — it goes straight to us.
Our Meetings
The committee usually meets on Tuesday evenings at 7:00 PM at the Bourne Veterans Memorial Community Center, 239 Main Street, Buzzards Bay. Dates move around holidays and elections, so always check the events calendar or drop us a line before you come. All Republicans and Independents are welcome — come meet the team, hear what we’re working on, and find your place in it.
Get Involved
Whether you can give an hour a month or an evening a week, there is a place for you here. Find out how to join, or reach out to the committee directly.