Welcome to the Sac Central YMCA Delegations!

Tuesday, January 29, 2019

2018-19 El Dorado Youth and Government Delegation Bulletin #21

"There are basically two types of people. People who accomplish things, and people who claim to have accomplished things. The first group is less crowded."
– Mark Twain

1.) Delegation Officer Elections (72nd MLC) - Primary this Thursday (1/31): This year's delegation elections for next year's officers calendar is as follows:
- January 30: Deadline to file to run for an officer position
- January 31: Delegation Primary Elections (Narrow to top two candidates for each race)
- February 18: Delegation General Elections (Select final officers for 2019-20)
- February 27: Swearing-In Ceremony at the Annual Celebration Banquet

All delegates planning to return for next year's program are eligible to run some officer positions. All delegates should carefully review the leadership expectations and officer duty statements to determine their eligibility. Delegates self-nominate for the position in which they are interested by completing this candidate form. All candidates must complete the form by January 30. Candidate information is linked in this week's bulletin and will run in subsequent bulletins as well. 

Delegation Primary: 
The delegation primary will be held on January 31. If you qualify to run for a given position, (please see the leadership expectations statement above), and have submitted the candidate form, you will have 2 mins to deliver your candidate speech. The speech will be about why you are the best qualified delegate for the office. Delegates may ask candidates questions if time allows. The delegation will then vote on each officer race. The top two delegates who receive the most votes in their given race will advance to the general election. If there is only one candidate running for a given position, they will still need to give a speech to the delegation. Candidates will need to be in Sac Attire for the primary. Put your best foot forward!

General Election:
The final general election held on Monday, Feb 18 (last day of Sac Con). Candidates are strongly encouraged to campaign between the primary election on Jan 31 to the general election on Feb 18th. This includes speaking with the delegation, making campaign materials, and discussing why they are the best candidate for the given office. Using this time to speak with members of the delegation will benefit your race. The final morning of Sac Con, officer candidates will answer a pre-determined set of questions administered by the current officers. Then, the delegation will vote on each candidate race.

After the general election, the officers-elects will be sworn-in at our Celebration Banquet on February 27 (after Sac Conference). 

Appointed Positions for Next Year:
Additionally, if you are interested in serving as a family leader or other appointed delegation positions for next year, please review the appointed expectations and duty statements. I will send out an appointed candidate form at the beginning of next year for those who are interested.

2.) Mandatory Pre-Sacramento Conference Meeting Next Week (2/7): Next Thursday, (2/7) we will have our mandatory pre-Sacramento Conference meeting. All delegates must attend. If you cannot attend let me know in advance. Parents of returners are STRONGLY encouraged to attend and new delegate parents are REQUIRED to attend. If an adult member of your family cannot attend this meeting, please send me an email and let me know. We as advisors want to make sure that you as delegates and parents understand and are aware of all of information for the Sacramento Conference (we know it's a lot!).  

3.) Annual Campaign: Last week, we discussed the Sacramento Central YMCA Annual Campaign. Now is the time to speak with your family, friends, and network about supporting your work as a delegate and the Y's work in our community. Our Coalition giving page is here and a paper pledge form can be found here. We passed our halfway mark to our $3,000 goal. Let's keep the momentum up! To qualify for the first-to-100% and most-raised competitions, your gift or pledge must be received by Friday, February 1! 

4.) Post-Conference Survey: CalYMCA emailed a link to their post-conference survey. Please look for that email and complete the survey ASAP.  If you cannot find the email, click here to complete the survey, but make sure you correctly select our delegation. 

5.) Third Annual CapCo Celebration Banquet - Save the Date!: Our annual Celebration Banquet will take place on Wednesday, February 27, 2019 from 6:15-8:00pm at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Rancho Cordova. Purchase your tickets here. Ticket sales end Wednesday, February 20. 

6.) Additional Y&G Applied Programs and OpportunitiesA range of other Y&G programs and opportunities are currently available for application. All apps are available in your Reggo account. Please contact me if you have additional questions about any of these opportunities. 
  • Conference on National Affairs (CONA): CONA is a ten-day national Y&G program that brings together delegations from all over the US for an NIC-style debate program. Twenty-five delegates from California are selected for this prestigious program. More information can be found here. Financial aid is available through CalYMCA if you are selected. Apply in Reggo. Due: February 1. NOTE: A lead advisor recommendation is required and must be requested no later than February 1. 
  • CalYMCA Governing Board, Youth Member: Applications are now open for youth member spots on the CalYMCA Governing Board. In this role you represent your fellow delegates with a vote on the Board of Directors that makes important policy decisions about our programs. This is a very important position with a lot of responsibility and the power to have a lasting impact on Y&G. Requires quarterly meeting attendance. Travel provided by CalYMCA. Apply in Reggo. Due: February 1
  • YMCA175: This summer, the YMCA celebrates 175 year of service with a global youth conference in London (Aug 4-8). For information on this exciting opportunity, check out this link. In the meantime, if you are interested in this program, please apply for the Y&G Delegation via Reggo. Due: February 1
  • Party Chair Applications: Due to limited applications received for the position, the application deadline for 72nd Party Chair has been extended to Thursday, February 8th in Reggo. I must approve your applications by Wed, February 7th at 5:00 PM. CalYMCA has decided to change this to an appointed position instead of elected. Since the Sacramento schedule does not have time in it for everyone to hear speeches from the chairs, we realize it fits better as an appointed position to get the best quality candidates. Candidates will be notified of interview times before the start of conference.
    • All delegations are now permitted to submit one candidate for the appointed position. Candidates for Party Chair must be in 11th grade. Delegates can be assigned to any program area this MLC. Party Chairs must be able to attend all MLC conferences next year. If you any questions, emailactivism@calymca.org.

    You must notify me if you apply for any of these programs so that I can approve your application. Failure to let me know means your application won't be considered by CalYMCA. 

REMINDERS:

Payment Reminder: The fourth and final program payment for the year was due by December 14. Payments can be made online here (online payment instructions found here) or over the phone by calling the YMCA Front Desk at 916-452-9622 ext 0. Checks are payable to "Sacramento Central YMCA" and should be dropped off at the YMCA as soon as possible. 

Parent Corner

- Sac Conference Meals: Unlike our first two conferences, our final conference includes only 2 provided meals (Friday and Sunday night dinners). Delegates are responsible for all other meals. We generally recommend a budget of $100 per delegate, depending on their appetite. Delegates are highly encouraged to bring non-perishable breakfast items (instant oatmeal, fruit, granola bars) to save on costs and time in the morning. If the meal budget for the conference presents a financial hardship, contact me ASAP. No one will be allowed to go hungry during the conference

- Sac Conference Attendance: Sac Conference is Feb 14-18 and constitutes an excused absence from school under the Education Code. I wanted to take this opportunity to remind you again that regular season sports or other regular, predictable, or recurring events (like homework or tests) do not constitute valid excuses for missing any part of Sac Conference. Exceptions will only be granted on a case-by-case basis for special circumstances (like state championships, meetings with the pope or president, that sort of thing). 

It may seem like no big deal to pop out for a couple of hours, but your advisors are responsible for knowing the whereabouts of 140 people at all times and tracking delegate location when every one is at conference is tricky enough. Y&G is also preparing delegates for real life in that, in life, sometimes you have to make tough choices about what activities to prioritize. 

We thank you for respecting this policy and helping us ensure a safe and positive experience for all delegates.

Verizon & Remind: Thanks to all of your support and efforts to let Version know that you want them let us continue to use Remind. Because of your help, Verizon has agreed to not charge an additional fee to Remind so our delegation will continue to use it uninterrupted. Thank you!!  


As always, thank you for reading and I will see you on Thursday!

Derek Dolfie
Lead Advisor/Delegation Dad
El Dorado Delegation

Helpful Links:
Missed a bulletin?
Need to make a payment?

Mark your calendars for these key events!
January 31 - regular meeting (delegation officer primary)
February 7 - mandatory pre-conference meeting for ALL delegates and a family member (new and returning) 
February 14-18 - 71st Model Legislature & Court (Sacramento)
February 27, 2019 - Third Annual CapCo Celebration Banquet, Old Spaghetti Factory, Rancho Cordova  

Thursday, January 24, 2019

Sac Central Delegation Bulletin #19a: Candidate Statements and Banquet Tickets

This special bulletin brings you your delegation voter guide as well as ticket information for our Celebration Banquet on February 27. Make sure you've also read this week's main bulletin!  

FOR VOTERS (which is everyone)Last week, we sent out Elections information  The filing period closed last night. Elections will be held at next week's meeting (1/30) and the Swearing-In Ceremony will be held at the Annual Celebration Banquet on February 27.

To see who is running for what position and to review the voter guide, please click here.

FOR CANDIDATES: All candidates, whether or not they are running opposed, must deliver a speech next week. Candidates will have 2 min and 30 seconds to deliver their speech. Delegates may ask candidates questions. Within your speech you must answer the question presented below that is specific to the position for which you are running:
  • President: How will you encourage delegates to build friendships throughout the delegation and ensure that we have an inclusive delegation culture? 
  • Vice President: What one thing would you implement next year that would improve the bill development experience for delegates? 
  • Secretary: What concrete steps will you take to motivate delegates to read their emails and messages and meet deadlines? 
  • Sergeant-At-Arms: Rather than waiting to yell "decorum" when the delegation is already rowdy, what steps will  you take as Sgt-at-Arms to encourage and maintain decorum from the start?
  • Chaplain: Give an example of a typical invocation that you would deliver at next year's delegation meetings. 
  • Media Manager: How can the role of Media Manager help us recruit more delegates? 
Third Annual CapCo Celebration Banquet Tickets Now Available: Our annual Celebration Banquet will take place on Wednesday, February 27, 2019 from 6:00-8:00pm at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Rancho Cordova. Tickets are now available:
https://capcobanquet2019.brownpapertickets.com/

Sales end February 20.

BTW: if you missed it before > Reminder: Keep your Delegation of Distinction lanyard in a safe place and remember to bring it to Sac Conference! 



Sac Central Delegation Stands For RespectResponsibilityand Purpose
Helpful Links:

Mark your calendars:
January 19-31: Capitol Coalition Annual Campaign (Give online or return this form)
January 30, 2019: Delegation Elections
February 6, 2019: Mandatory pre-conference meeting
February 13, 2019: No meeting
February 14-18, 2019: 71st Model Legislature & Court, Sacramento
February 27, 2019: Third Annual CapCo Celebration Banquet, Old Spaghetti Factory, Rancho Cordova

We are committed to equal program access for all and are dedicated to ensuring the benefits of Y&G are available to every student in our community without regard to financial need. No delegate should ever drop out or refrain from joining because of financial concerns. If you want to do this program, we want you to do this program. 

SacC MUN Bulletin #1: Welcome to Model UN!

Each week, you'll receive a bulletin with important information to help you Ambassadors and parents stay informed about the program. Most weeks will include an Online Scavenger Hunt that will help Ambassadors learn more about the United Nations we'll be modeling in this program. Ambassadors can print these if they wish, but don't need to - jotting down answers on scratch paper or in a notebook is fine!

Ambassador Notebooks: This week, Ambassadors will receive a notebook they can use to record information at meetings or jot down Scavenger Hunt answers (see below) each week. Ambassadors are encouraged to bring this notebook and a pen each week to our meetings.

Scavenger Hunt #1: Click here to check out this week's Scavenger Hunt that will take you to the United Nations' website, www.un.org.

Weekly Universal Declaration of Human Rights Article: Each week, the bulletin will include 1-3 articles from the UN's Universal Declaration of Human Rights. We may use these as discussion or debate topics at meetings from time to time. You can learn more about the Declaration here.

  • Article 1: All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. 

Next Week's Meeting: At next week's meeting, we'll practice parliamentary procedure again and learn about "Resolutions" - documents the United Nations uses to consider ideas.

Parent Corner

- Paperwork Packets Due:  Please make sure that you bring completed paperwork with all required signatures to this week's meeting. The required packet can be found here and you'll see "please sign and return" or "keep this form" at the bottom of each page. A checklist of registration documents is also included for your convenience.

- Deposit Due and First Payment Due February 8: If you have not yet provided your $100 program fee deposit, please bring that to this week's meeting (check payable to "Sacramento Central YMCA" with your Ambassador's name and "MUN" in the memo.) You can also pay online here. Please note that while it looks like you are asked for the entire program fee, when you click through you will see just the deposit charged.

- Y-Assist Application: If you would like to apply for Y-Assist Financial Aid, please return the application with all required supporting documents to the next meeting. It is vital that we receive these as soon as possible.You can find the applications on page 12-17 of the paperwork packet.

- Reggo Conference Registration: The start of the program year is full of forms! Here is one last item to do so your Ambassador can attend our conferences. This registration reserves their spot at our training conference in March and Summit in April and is required for all delegates. Please visit Reggo to register and set up a Reggo account (free). Ambassadors will need to access Reggo later in the program to apply for leadership or other special programs, so keep the log-in and password handy!

- First Fundraiser of the Year: This week we hope to discuss our first fundraiser of the year, Mixed Bag catalog sales. Mixed Bags is a line of eco-friendly recycled bags, travel accessories, and kitchen items. Orders can be taken in person or an online site shared with family and friends. Ambassadors who participate have the option of applying 50% of their pre-tax sales (40% for online sales) to their program fee balance or donating that amount to our scholarship fund. More information will be available on Tuesday.

Thank you!
-Amanda Levy & Christiana Dominguez
Co-Lead Advisors, Sacramento Central MUN Delegation


Helpful Links:

Mark your calendars:
January 19-31: Sacramento Central YMCA Annual Campaign (Give online or return this form)
February 4, 2019: Reggo Conference Registration Due
February 8, 2019: Payment #1 Due
February 12, 2019: No meeting
March 22-23, 2019: MUN Training Conference, Camp Jones Gulch
April 25-28, 2019: 18th MUN Summit, Los Angeles

We are committed to equal program access for all and are dedicated to ensuring the benefits of Y&G MLC and MUN are available to every student in our community without regard to financial need. No delegate should ever drop out or refrain from joining because of financial concerns. If you want to do this program, we want you to do this program. Please talk to us if your financial circumstances change during the program year. We're here to help. 

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

2018-19 El Dorado Youth and Government Delegation Bulletin #20

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter."
– Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

Wow! What an amazing Fresno 2 conference. On behalf of the whole advisor team we want to say great job! The spirit, energy, and dedication was the best I have seen in three years. Keep up the positive momentum and let's have an amazing Sacramento Conference! 

1.) Meeting on Thursday (1/24): Reminder, we do have a meeting this Thursday. We will be going over the delegations election system and elaborating on what each officer position entails. We will also be discussing the conference and getting ready for the Sacramento conference in three weeks!

2.) Post-Conference Survey: CalYMCA emailed a link to their post-conference survey yesterday afternoon. Please look for that email and complete the survey ASAP.  If you cannot find the email, click here to complete the survey, but make sure you correctly select our delegation. 

3.) Annual Campaign: Last week, we discussed the Sacramento Central YMCA Annual Campaign. Now is the time to speak with your family, friends, and network about supporting your work as a delegate and the Y's work in our community. Our Coalition giving page is here and a paper pledge form can be found here. To qualify for the first-to-100% and most-raised competitions, your gift or pledge must be received by Friday, February 1! 

BREAKING NEWS: We have our first Donor Match event of the Campaign. Donations received on the CapCo page between now and Friday, January 25, will be matched dollar for dollar up to $500! That means your donation is twice as powerful this week! 

4.) Delegation Officer Elections (72nd MLC): This year's delegation elections for next year's officers calendar is as follows:
- January 30: Deadline to file to run for an officer position
- January 31: Delegation Primary Elections (Narrow to top two candidates for each race)
- February 18: Delegation General Elections (Select final officers for 2019-20)
- February 27: Swearing-In Ceremony at the Annual Celebration Banquet

All delegates planning to return for next year's program are eligible to run some officer positions. All delegates should carefully review the leadership expectations and officer duty statements to determine their eligibility. Delegates self-nominate for the position in which they are interested by completing this candidate form. All candidates must complete the form by January 30. Candidate information is linked in this week's bulletin and will run in subsequent bulletins as well. 

Delegation Primary: 
The delegation primary will be held on January 31. If you qualify to run for a given position, (please see the leadership expectations statement above), and have submitted the candidate form, you will have 2 mins to deliver your candidate speech.. Delegates may ask candidates questions if time allows. The delegation will then vote on each officer race. The top two delegates who receive the most votes in their given race will advance to the general election. If there is only one candidate running for a given position, they will still need to give a speech to the delegation. Candidates will need to be in Sac Attire for the primary.

General Election:
The final general election held on Monday, Feb 18 (last day of Sac Con). Candidates are strongly encouraged to campaign between the primary election on Jan 31 to the general election on Feb 18th. This includes speaking with the delegation, making campaign materials, and discussing why they are the best candidate for the given office. Using this time to speak with members of the delegation will benefit your race. The final morning of Sac Con, officer candidates will answer a pre-determined set of questions administered by the current officers. Then, the delegation will vote on each candidate race.

After the general election, the officers-elects will be sworn-in at our Celebration Banquet on February 27 (after Sac Conference). 

Appointed Positions for Next Year:
Additionally, if you are interested in serving as a family leader or other appointed delegation positions for next year, please review the appointed expectations and duty statements. I will send out an appointed candidate form at the beginning of next year for those who are interested.

4.) Third Annual CapCo Celebration Banquet - Tickets Now Available: Please join us for this year's celebration banquet on Wednesday, February 27, at the Old Spaghetti Factory in Rancho Cordova. We'll enjoy guest speakers, delegate speeches, program area presentations, hand out this year's awards, and watch the always-popular CapCo slideshow. Purchase your tickets here: https://capcobanquet2019.brownpapertickets.com/  Ticket sales end Wednesday, February 20.

6.) Additional Y&G Applied Programs and OpportunitiesA range of other Y&G programs and opportunities are currently available for application. All apps are available in your Reggo account. Please contact me if you have additional questions about any of these opportunities. 
  • Conference on National Affairs (CONA): CONA is a ten-day national Y&G program that brings together delegations from all over the US for an NIC-style debate program. Twenty-five delegates from California are selected for this prestigious program. More information can be found here. Financial aid is available through CalYMCA if you are selected. Apply in Reggo. Due: February 1. NOTE: A lead advisor recommendation is required and must be requested no later than February 1. 
  • CalYMCA Governing Board, Youth Member: Applications are now open for youth member spots on the CalYMCA Governing Board. In this role you represent your fellow delegates with a vote on the Board of Directors that makes important policy decisions about our programs. This is a very important position with a lot of responsibility and the power to have a lasting impact on Y&G. Requires quarterly meeting attendance. Travel provided by CalYMCA. Apply in Reggo. Due: February 1
  • YMCA175: This summer, the YMCA celebrates 175 year of service with a global youth conference in London (Aug 4-8). For information on this exciting opportunity, check out this link. In the meantime, if you are interested in this program, please apply for the Y&G Delegation via Reggo. Due: February 1
You must notify me if you apply for any of these programs so that I can approve your application. Failure to let me know means your application won't be considered by CalYMCA. 

REMINDERS:

Candidates and Leadership Applicants/Applied Program Area Applicants
  • If you are running for elected office, make sure you have reviewed the campaign rules and that you are tracking any campaign expenditures. You MUST bring to conference check-in a completed campaign finance disclosure form to be signed by your lead advisor even if you incurred no campaign expenses! Every candidate must submit a form upon arrival to Fresno, even if it's blank! 

Parent Corner

- Sac Conference Meals: Unlike our first two conferences, our final conference includes only 2 provided meals (Friday and Sunday night dinners). Delegates are responsible for all other meals. We generally recommend a budget of $100 per delegate, depending on their appetite. Delegates are highly encouraged to bring non-perishable breakfast items (instant oatmeal, fruit, granola bars) to save on costs and time in the morning. If the meal budget for the conference presents a financial hardship, contact me ASAP. No one will be allowed to go hungry during the conference

- Sac Conference Attendance: Sac Conference is Feb 14-18 and constitutes an excused absence from school under the Education Code. I wanted to take this opportunity to remind you again that regular season sports or other regular, predictable, or recurring events (like homework or tests) do not constitute valid excuses for missing any part of Sac Conference. Exceptions will only be granted on a case-by-case basis for special circumstances (like state championships, meetings with the pope or president, that sort of thing). 

It may seem like no big deal to pop out for a couple of hours, but your advisors are responsible for knowing the whereabouts of 140 people at all times and tracking delegate location when every one is at conference is tricky enough. Y&G is also preparing delegates for real life in that, in life, sometimes you have to make tough choices about what activities to prioritize. 

We thank you for respecting this policy and helping us ensure a safe and positive experience for all delegates.

Verizon & Remind: Yesterday, you received an email about Remind text messaging no longer working with Verizon phones (note this DOES NOT impact our upcoming conference. It is schedule to take effect January 28). If you are a Verizon customer, please consider calling or tweeting Verizon to ask them to reconsider. For more information, please click here

-Payment Reminder: The fourth and final program payment for the year was due by December 14. Payments can be made online here (online payment instructions found here) or over the phone by calling the YMCA Front Desk at 916-452-9622 ext 0. Checks are payable to "Sacramento Central YMCA" and should be dropped off at the YMCA as soon as possible.

As always, thank you for reading and I will see you on Thursday!

Derek Dolfie
Lead Advisor/Delegation Dad
El Dorado Delegation
Helpful Links:
Missed a bulletin?
Need to make a payment?

Mark your calendars for these key events!
January 19-31: Capitol Coalition Annual Campaign (Give online or return this form)
January 24 - regular meeting (delegation officer primary announcements)
January 31 - regular meeting (delegation officer primary)
February 7 - mandatory pre-conference meeting for ALL delegates and a family member (new and returning) 
February 14-18 - 71st Model Legislature & Court (Sacramento)
February 27, 2019 - Third Annual CapCo Celebration Banquet, Old Spaghetti Factory, Rancho Cordova