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And done it all, from running storefront campaign headquarters to acting as hostesses at presidential inaugural balls to encouraging its members to run for office themselves.

For its 50th anniversary, the club celebrated at an April 27 dinner held at the place where it all began: the Normandie Farm restaurant in Potomac.

‘‘I attended that luncheon,” said club historian Madeleine Sigel, 84, of Bethesda, of the first-ever luncheon. ‘‘It was so exciting to hear Eleanor Roosevelt speak.”

The club was born out of the excitement of the presidential election of 1956. Women staffing the Bethesda campaign headquarters of ill-fated presidential candidate Adlai Stevenson decided the election may have been lost, but not their unstoppable interest in politics.

‘‘These women had been very active in the campaign — going door to door, stuffing and addressing [campaign literature] envelopes ... raising funds,” Sigel said. ‘‘They wanted to stay involved.”

And the club of 250 founding members did just that by organizing forums, seminars, panel discussions and monthly guest speakers that over the years ranged from county executives to former presidents.

When a need arose, the club responded. During the Clinton administration, members headed over to the White House to help with a backlog of mail that covered a library floor. But usually, the demands were more mundane.

‘‘I remember when Jimmy Carter came [to speak at the club], he asked for a private area so he could pray before he spoke,” Sigel said.

Up through the late 1970s, members worked long hours staffing storefront campaign offices in Bethesda and Chevy Chase.

‘‘We were the physical presence of a candidate,” said Natalie Bouquet, of Friendship Heights, a club member since 1964. ‘‘It was a much more personal time, when people dropped by to ask questions and chat.”

Bake sales may have helped support those storefront operations, but otherwise the club was forging a new role for women.

‘‘When we started this, we were something new. Women doing the decision-making was new. Now, we’re at the heart of it,” Bouquet said, adding several members, including current state Del. Marilyn R. Goldwater (D-Dist. 16) of Bethesda, have gone on to hold political office.

During those slow in-between election times, the club maintained member interest and raised funds by sponsoring fashion shows, bi-annual auctions and cooking lessons.

At its peak in the mid to late 1960s, members numbered close to 500, Sigel said.

It now has around 300 members.

‘‘This has been a major issue,” Bouquet said. ‘‘Working women don’t have the luxury of...doing volunteer work on a large scale basis.”

A change in campaign laws spelled the end of the storefront campaign offices, and members no longer lick envelopes or host fundraising auctions.

But politicians still beat a path to speak at the club, especially during election years.

‘‘This is a group of highly articulate, educated and involved women that are interested in the important issues of the day,” said club Vice President Carole Brand of Chevy Chase.

While the club does not take sides during a primary, after the results are in, it hosts a Kiss and Make-up Party to help the party’s candidates move forward.

‘‘People back different candidates so it can get tense during a primary,” Bouquet said. ‘‘The [party] definitely soothes the situation.”

And as it did from its founding, members work closely with the Montgomery County Democratic Central Committee, help register voters, work the polls and generally get the word out about issues important to the club.

The energy and commitment of its founding members set a high standard over the years, a legacy that new members value.

‘‘This generation has been such an inspiration to us,” said member Julie Noble, 53, of Bethesda. ‘‘They’re so tough and feisty.”

To learn more

The Woman’s Suburban Democratic Club hosts monthly luncheon meetings or Saturday teas with guest speakers, including elected officials, candidates, authors, journalists and leading political activists. It also offers educational forums, a political book club and volunteer opportunities.

It next meets from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 16 on Capitol Hill with U.S. Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D).

Go to www.mcwsdc.org for more information.