El Dorado Youth and Government Delegation Bulletin #23 (Sac Edition)

This is what you need to know for our best and last conference of the year:

"Hide not your talents, they for use were made, What's a sundial in the shade?” 

― Benjamin Franklin”

You are not anonymous. You matter. The choices you make matter - for worse or for better. You have more power than you think. You can change the world if you want to. And you can start today. Your advising team is so proud of you and we know you're going to do GREAT THINGS this week.

1.) Pre-Conference Letter: Please carefully review this letter. If you have questions, ASK! If a parent/guardian did not attend last week's meeting, make sure to ask me any questions you have.

2.) Conference Prep Info: here's the presentation from the pre-con meeting.

Top 6 things to bring:

Besides Sac Attire (and some casual clothes and shoes) make sure you bring:

- Food money & snack foods

- Delegation of Distinction Lanyard

- Band-aids for blisters

- Pen and Highlighter

- Delegation sweatshirt

- Rain jacket & umbrella

- Your "A" Game!

3.) And here's the MLC Schedule. You will be provided a hard copy of the schedule when you check-in on Thursday. Take a look at it now to familiarize yourself with your schedule. As ever, things may change, so watch for updates. The days in Sac are LONG! Get some extra sleep between now and Thursday if you can!

4.) Arrival Info: The conference begins this Thursday, February 14. Your check-in window is 10:15-10:45am. Head for the Sacramento Convention Center entrance on J past 13th Street. Take your luggage to Exhibit Hall C and then find the El Dorado advisors/Christiana for your registration materials and badge. LABEL YOUR LUGGAGE (Name, Delegation, Hyatt Hotel) Don't forget to arrive wearing Sac Attire!

Once delegates are checked-in, they are expected to remain within conference boundaries for the duration of the conference. Guests and Visitors are not permitted. Delegates must attend all assigned sessions. No sessions are optional except for evening social events.

Delegates must be picked up from the Hyatt Hotel between 9:45am and 10:00am on Monday, February 18.

5.) Program Area Specific News:

- Bill Sponsors (primary, secondary, and author) should make sure you meet up between now and Sac conference to make sure each has everything needed for a successful bill presentation. Primary Sponsors need to have your 2 min sponsor speech ready for committee and the floor (if your bill passes committee. Secondary Sponsors need a floor speech ready if the bill makes it over to their house.

- NIC Delegates need to have a 2 minute sponsor speech ready to go on your proposals. Keep in mind the criteria used for evaluating your proposals. Make sure you're ready!

- Court delegates should be preparing their cases.

- DOF and LegAn delegates should be preparing to present their proposals

- Court delegates should be preparing their cases 

- This list is not exclusive! If you have stuff to do before Sac conference, make sure to get it done!

6.) 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: https://capcobanquet2019.brownpapertickets.com/  Ticket sales end Wednesday, February 20. 

7.) Deadlines Extended - Last Chance for A Lot of Stuff!

• New: I&A Party Chair Application - Deadline Extended. Applications are available in Reggo and are due February 8th in Reggo. You don't need to be in I&A currently to apply.

The below are all due FEBRUARY 11 (except award nominations):

• New: Cal YMCA Awards Season! Via google form, available here: nominations can be made here, Due by 11:59 PM on Thursday, February 14th. For a list of all awards and a description of each, click here.
• MUN Secretariat Application Extension. Applications are available in Reggo and are due February 11 in Reggo. More info in previous bulletins
• Conference on National Affairs (Extended). Application in Reggo. Due Feb 11. Must request my recommendation by the end of tomorrow night's meeting. More info in previous bulletins.
• Youth & Government Governing Board Position. Applications are available in Reggo and are due February 11. More info in previous bulletins.
• YMCA175: we are waiting on some additional information before we know whether a Capitol Coalition Delegation to this London conference is possible. In the meantime, if you are interested in this program, please apply for the Y&G Delegation via Reggo. Due: February 11
• New: National Judicial Competition Apps Extended. Due in Reggo by Feb 11: The National Judicial Competition (NJC) is a nationwide YMCA Appellate Court and Mock Trial competition program, taking place in Chicago, IL each summer and is hosted by the YMCA of the USA in partnership with the American Bar Association. Interested delegates should complete the application available in Reggo now and tell me no later Feb 11 for approval. The conference takes place between approximately July 25 and August 2, 2019.

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.

If you apply for special programs, make sure that you read your email regularly between now and the conference and review the conference schedule when it is released next week to check for interview times and locations or other requirements.

Parent Corner

- Communication is Key! There will be additional information emailed between now and the conference. Please remind your delegate to check their email, Groupme, and Remind texts frequently (read: daily) between now and the conference. If your delegate will not have a cell phone at conference or if you need to update their number, please email me ASAP so I know. 

- Conference Transportation: Because we're the home team, delegates are responsible for their own transportation to and from downtown Sacramento for the conference. Delegates may not, under any circumstances, drive themselves to or from the conference. It is a violation of the CalYMCA Code of Conduct and delegates found to have driven themselves to conference will be sent home. 

- 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.

As always, thank you for reading and I will see you in Sacramento!

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!

February 14-18 - 71st Model Legislature & Court (Sacramento)
February 27, 2019 - Third Annual CapCo Celebration Banquet, Old Spaghetti Factory, Rancho Cordova