Attending the Conference On National Affairs:

The Conference on National Affairs was started in 1968 to provide a follow up to the statewide Model Legislature and Court programs. The Conference is an assembly of more than 450 Youth and Government and Model United Nations participants from around the country. All delegates are selected by their home states to write and debate proposed solutions to problems which are national and international in their scope.

Delegates discussing proposals.

Each delegate participating in the Conference is required to write a two page (maximum) typed proposal on a matter of importance to our nation. The proposal may be either national or international in scope. However, all proposal topics must be cleared by the Executive Director. In addition, there is a mandatory requirement that each delegate within a State write on a different topic. Therefore each candidate will submit a list of at least three topic ideas. One of the topics will be assigned to the delegate once they are accepted. (Note: Any delegate who is serving on the National Affairs Conference newspaper editorial staff does not have to write a proposal. Only those delegates who served in the California ML/C media program are eligible to apply for the editorial staff. Editorial staff members are not allowed to debate proposals at National Affairs.)

In order to participate in National Affairs each delegate will have to submit an application, a resume, three topic areas of interest, two letters of reference, and pay a $80 non-refundable deposit. (The deposit is due within seven days of being selected to attend the Conference.) Applications will be available at the T&E II Conference for interested delegates and advisors.

Each application will be reviewed by an impartial team of judges. Selected candidates will be announced at the Closing Convention of the 58th ML/C. A list of 3 alternates will be announced.

The full cost of the Conference is $850 which includes round trip air and ground transportation, lodging, and most meals. Depending on airfares we will spend two or three days as a group traveling together either in the Carolinas or neighboring states.

California delegates arriving at The Hermitage in Tenn.

Some scholarship help is made available by the Governing Baord. Scholarship applications should be submitted only by those in critical need. The next Youth Governor receives a full scholarship to attend and the 2 Youth members of the Board of Governors are offered a 50% scholarship.

We would suggest that all interested candidates be encouraged to apply regardless of their ability to pay for the program. Any needy candidate who submits a scholarship application, is selected to attend the Conference, and pays a $80 deposit, will receive their money back in full if they are unable to attend because of financial reasons. All other deposits are considered non-refundable.

California delegates at the Opryland Hotel Nashville, Tennesee

The applications and other materials for the National Affairs Conference will be available to interested delegates and advisors at T&E II each year. They will be due by 8:00 p.m. in the Y&G hotel headquarters office at the ML/C in Sacramento on February 16, 2006.

In the last several years many delegates attending National Affairs have gone on to assume major leadership roles at the Model Legislature/Court.

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