From: rolf@calymca.org

Sent: Wednesday, March 05, 2008 12:19 PM

To: MyY&GSpace

Subject: Just when you started to miss us...Spring Bulletin #1

Attachments: Spring Chair form 2008.doc; Spring Chaplain Form.doc; Spring deposit form.doc; spring distribution formula.pdf; Spring NIC Chair form08.doc; Spring Nom form A 2008.doc; Spring Nom form B 2008.doc; Spring officer Qualifications 2008.pdf; Spring Intent to Participate.doc

Spring Bulletin #1

If you have trouble viewing this email you may download it from http://calymca.org

SPRING MODEL LEGISLATURE FORMAT                                               

Come to the "Cotton Capital of California" - Corcoran YMCA, situated in the Central Valley approximately half way between Los Angeles and San Francisco and between highways 5 and 99, is the site of the Spring Model Legislature. The Corcoran Y is a full facility Y with a cool outside swimming pool with slide.  Corcoran is a small farming community (cotton) but they do have a Taco Bell and a McDonalds plus 3 pizza parlors!

The program combines new with returning delegates in both a Senate and Assembly, and will again offer a simple "NIC - National Issues Commissions" segment.  New delegates will receive role exposure and group-building activities.  Returning delegates will receive skill development and group building.  Staff Intern Candidates will receive group building, beyond Y&G, and will assist staff with logistical support.

GENERAL INFORMATION

YMCAs intending to attend the 2008 Spring Model Legislature must return the attached Intent to Participate Form, postmarked by March 10^th. Only YMCAs submitting this form will receive subsequent mailings. We will not be mailing to Delegation Presidents or Volunteer Staff. You may fax the form to (650) 522-9626, or send an email to pam@calymca.org.

This year's program is scheduled as follows:

         Corcoran Family YMCA

900 Dairy Avenue, Corcoran                      

Friday, April 25 - Sunday, April 27

Registration:   6:00 - 8:00 p.m. on Friday, April 25^th.

First session:  8:00 p.m.

Adjournment:  Sunday at noon

Who May Participate? - YMCAs and/or Youth & Government affiliated groups may bring freshmen, sophomores, juniors and selected seniors as interns (application required and accepted) to the Spring Model Legislature.

LEADERSHIP NOMINATION FORMS AND QUALIFICATIONS

There will be officer elections for the Senate and Assembly. This will include a Lt. Governor, Speaker, Speaker Pro-Tem, Chief Clerk, Secretary of the Senate, Chaplains and Sgt. at Arms. In addition, we will elect 2 Presiding Commissioners.  A list of all candidates and the Election Process will be included in Bulletin #3.

Enclosed you will find Nomination Forms for Officers and Committee Chairs. Please refer to the Qualifications and Duties enclosure to make sure that your candidates are eligible to participate. We really encourage each YMCA to run candidates for office. Each YMCA may nominate up to 4 people for officer positions plus 3 people for Committee Chairs. Committee Chairs will be selected by Y&G staff based solely on their application forms. The list of successful applicants will be included in Bulletin #3. Elections for all offices will be held on the first evening of the Spring Model Legislature. 

QUESTIONS

Call Rolf Davidson at the ML/C office: (650) 522-9622, or email at rolf@calymca.org

FEES

The total Registration Fee for the Spring Model Legislature is $108.00.  A $58 non-refundable deposit is due on March 21^st for each delegate and advisor planning to attend. A balance of $50.00 for each person listed on the Registration Form is due on April 11^th. Your YMCA will receive a refund of $20 for any person listed on the form who is unable to attend the program.  All payments are to be in the form of checks or check requests. No scholarship assistance is available.

The $108.00 Registration Fee covers all printed materials, 2 nights deluxe sleeping accommodations (on a gym floor or outside on the lawn - bring your own tent), and Breakfast/Lunch/Dinner on Saturday and Breakfast on Sunday. Delegations need to budget for transportation costs and additional meals en-route (Friday dinner/Sunday lunch).

Staff Interns will be required to bring to the SML a check for $80 to cover their fees.  If they are traveling with the local delegation, you may want to charge them a separate transportation/insurance fee to cover your costs. Interns participate in the 61^st ML/C program my apply the $80 fee towards the program costs for that program.

POSTMARK DEADLINES

Please read the postmark requirements on all nomination forms carefully. Nomination forms cannot be accepted that do not adhere to these postmark requirements. If you fax any form to the Youth & Government office, you need to call and confirm its arrival to avoid missing faxes. The fax number is (650) 522-9626.

CALENDAR

The enclosed Spring Model Legislature Calendar reflects the important deadline dates for the program.  Because of the short time frame of the program, it is essential that you meet all postmark deadlines. Rally the troops early, and get your deposits in.  Last year we had about 340 participants.  We expect more this year.  The timing is very tight for everyone, but essential, in order to prepare the necessary materials.

Please note that there are only two weeks between the dates that deposits are due and dates registration forms are due. We have delayed the deposits to the last possible minute to allow you to do recruiting, but we must have your Registration Form in by the April 11^th due date!

HOW MANY BILLS/NIC PROPOSALS?

YMCAs are not required to write NEW bills for the Spring Conference, but each delegation is required to submit two bills; three for delegations larger than 20 (three or four is okay if you have delegates who are willing to sponsor them).

You may use the bill you sent to Sacramento, but we would prefer that you use a piece of legislation written by delegates that wasn't chosen to go to Sacramento. If you only wrote one bill for Sacramento you could sit down and brainstorm a "Joint Resolution" or perhaps use a bill from a former daily file.

If we don't get enough bills, your delegation will be assigned additional bills based on the size of their delegation.

Bills and proposals will be submitted using the same sites as during the ML/C. Bills may be submitted at http://bills.calymca.org. Proposals may be submitted and approved at http://nic.calymca.org.

Each member of the NIC program will need a proposal of National or International relevance. Delegates may use old proposals or can write a new one. If you are really stuck, call Pam at the Youth & Government office and she will look in the old National CONA books for you. (We don't worry so much about research at this program as we are more concerned that the delegates learn to speak in front of others and become aware of international or national issues.)  

NO “SILLY” BILLS OR PROPOSALS

The Spring Model Legislature doesn’t accept these kinds of bills or proposals.  They require no research.  They produce little constructive debate, and they don’t teach the participants anything of value.  If you are having a hard time putting a bill or NIC proposal together, let us know and we can pull one out of the archives for you.

SENIORS = STAFF INTERNS

The Spring Model Legislature is recommended as a recruitment and training tool.  Y’s that concentrated on bringing freshmen and sophomores last year found that these delegates carried their interest into the ML/C.  While we love our Seniors, we have found them counterproductive to the goals of the Spring Model Legislature. Therefore, we are only able to take 40 - 50 Seniors; ones who would like to become Staff Interns next year. 

Seniors who wish to be Staff Interns should plan on attending Spring Model Legislature.  Selected seniors will help advise committees and NIC commissions. They will also assist in leadership roles, including logistics. Only Seniors who apply and who become selected for leadership roles will be permitted to attend. 

Selected Seniors will be charged an $80 conference fee which they should bring as a separate check, made payable to “California YMCA Youth & Government”. Only Seniors who expect to work or attend college in California in the fall, and who would like to be a Staff Intern next year, should apply to participate in the Spring Model Legislature. 

Please Note: Staff Intern applicants must submit 3 references, one of which must be from the lead advisor for their delegation. A Staff Intern Application and Reference form was mailed to seniors who expressed interest in becoming interns.  If you can’t find it email johnpratt22@yahoo.com

CHAPLAINS TO BE SELECTED, NOT ELECTED

In keeping with the procedure at the ML/C, delegates interested in being a Chaplain need to complete the enclosed application form and return it to Rolf Davidson.  Rolf will pass on the applications to the Advisor to the Chaplains who will review all applications and conduct a phone interview of the finalists.

VOLUNTEER STAFF OPPORTUNITIES

We have a few Spring Staff positions open. If you would like to be a "Dean" or help out in some other way, please call Rolf Davidson and let him know you are interested.  Thanks.

LEFTOVERS FROM THE ML/C

Time is running out to claim your lost and found.  We have a couple of ties, a phone charger, garment bags, shoes, etc. Don't forget to pay your hotel bill immediately. Please do not jeopardize the ML/C's relationship with the hotel.  Please make sure that you fill out the Sacramento Survey (sent by email) right away. We will review the evaluations.

TRY US ON E-MAIL

 If we do not have a current email contact for your delegation, please send the email address (someone who checks their email daily) to pam@calymca.org.

Youth Governor A.J. Blumenfeld is also on email. He can be reached at governor@calymca.org.  A.J would like each delegation to give him an email contact. Preferably, he would like the email address of your Delegation President. Please contact him at the above mailbox. Thanks!

Looking forward to your participation at the

Spring Model Legislature

Rolf Davidson

Associate Executive Director

California YMCA Youth & Government

___________________________________________

"Democracy Must Be Learned By Each Generation"