Gold Country Delegation Bulletin #1

Tada!!! Your first bulletin of the 2019-2020 Y&G year is below. Each week, please make time to read the bulletin carefully. There's *always* important information you'll need to keep you on top of your Y&G game (and on top of deadlines). Parents, I'm counting on you also to read the bulletins, especially the "Parent Corner" at the end.

At the next meeting: You'll learn about our Lobbyist program area, and we'll welcome a rockstar guest speaker. We'll continue discussing our bill ideas and policy passions. Finally, we'll learn the four colors that El Dorado Hills and Sacramento Central have selected as finalists for Capital Coalition sweatshirts, and then vote on it. We get the final decision for CapCo this year.

What's due this week: Paperwork Packets, First Program Payment, Y-Assist Applications (last call!!!!), and a $15 Field Day Payment (which shouldn't be a surprise if you've signed up via our Fall Events link!). 

Here's what else you need to know this week: 

1.) SIGN UP FOR FALL EVENTS, PLEASE! Right here. We need you to complete this form ASAP! 

2.) Guest Speaker This Week: We'll welcome Julie Baker to our delegation this coming Thursday, September 12. Julie is the Executive Director for Californians for the Arts (and is the former ED of the local Center for the Arts). She will be discussing her experiences advocating for the arts nationwide as well as how organizations use their values and priorities to decide what legislative proposals to support (or oppose!). 

3.) Staying Informed: Y&G is all about community engagement. To be engaged, you first need to be informed! Current events will be discussed at each meeting. Stay informed by checking out the news each day. We recommend checking Rough & Tumble daily - a great site that aggregates the top news from around California each day. Reading the news will help you identify the issues in which you're most interested and educate you on the days most pressing problems. We can try solving those problems through the bill process! 

4.) Weekly Meetings: Delegates should be at 240 Mill Street (side door), Grass Valley, ready to get to work at 6:30pm each week. Our meetings end at 8:00pm, and I won't leave until all delegates are picked up. Delegates should bring a notebook, pen, and calendar/planner to every meeting.

5.) Recruiting: Many delegates mentioned friends who couldn't make the first few meeting. That's okay! Encourage friends to join us this week. Flyers can be found here and I'm happy to provide you with copies of flyers or brochures at your request. The sooner people join, the better!

REMINDERS

Paperwork:Thank you to all who have returned their paperwork packet to me, either at meetings or scanned/emailed. If you haven't already, make sure you email your packet to me by, bring it to, this week's meeting. 

Payments: the final step in delegation enrollment is to provide your first payment of the year. Returners may have noticed a slight change in the payment process. By September 13, you need to provide one of the following options:

• Option A: Bring a check for the full program fee for the year or pay online.
• Option B: Bring a check for the first of 4 installments of $437.50 (or make the payment online) along with your completed Bank Draft enrollment form (included in the paperwork packet). 
• Option C: Bring a $100 deposit check  (or pay online) along with your completed Y-Assist and Individual Scholarship Application with the required supporting documents. 
• Option D: (If $100 deposit is a hardship) Bring your completed Y-Assist and Individual Scholarship Application with the required supporting documents.

****All checks should be made payable to "YMCA of Superior California" with the delegate name and "Gold Country Y&G" in the memo line.****

Financial Aid: As mentioned above, financial assistance is available and information and applications are available in the paperwork packet. We cannot emphasize this enough: financial concerns should NEVER prevent a delegate from participating in Y&G. If you want to be here, we want you to be here and we'll all work together to make sure you complete the program. We can only help solve problems we know about, however, so please stay in communication with MaryJane (Lead Advisor) or Dylan (YMCA Y&G Coordinator) regarding any concerns that arise throughout the year. Don't ghost! Remember: Applications without the supporting documentation cannot be processed!

Fall Volunteer Events and CapCo Field Day: We kick off our year with a flurry of activities both at meetings and in the community. Here are some events you should add to your calendar:

• Volunteer Events:
• September 21: SYRCL Clean-Up Event (Nevada City -- flyer with details here)
• October 12: S'moresfest Fundraising Event at the YMCA (volunteer opportunity, see Fall Signup)
• CapCo Field Day:
• September 28: Sacramento YMCA - this event is an opportunity to meet delegates from our sister delegations and spend a fun day getting to know each other. There is a $15 additional fee to cover lunch, a CapCo t-shirt, and Field Day supplies. (If the cost presents a hardship, speak to MaryJane). 
• For additional details and to sign up, visit: bit.ly/falleventsignup

Family Corner:

Join us for S'moresfest 2019! Each year, the YMCA's fall fundraising gala provides us with the opportunity to meet fellow YMCA supporters as we eat BBQ and gourmet s'mores, drink beer and wine, and shoot arrows. (Yes, all of that happens). Parents are invited for a great date night out for a great cause. Early bird tickets are just $50 each and are on sale now! Sponsor opportunities are still available. And we're still on the lookout for a last couple of live-auction packages. If you have a vacation home or an interesting job/connection/idea for a behind the scenes tour or experience, contact MaryJane today! 

-MaryJane

Lead Advisor, Gold Country

415-515-4945

Helpful Links:

Need to make a payment?

Looking for forms or handouts?

YMCA Values: 

Caring, Honesty, Responsibility, Respect

Mark your calendars:

September 12- Paperwork and First Payment Due

September 21 - SYRCL Clean-Up Day & Social Event (flyer here, sign up here)

September 28 - CapCo Field Day (sign up here)

October 12 - Smoresfest 2019 (sign up here)

October 18 - Payment 2 Due

October 28 - Mandatory Bill Hearing Night (6:30pm at Grass Valley City Hall! Open to friends and family!)

November 9-11 - Training & Elections Conference 1

January 18-20 - Training & Elections Conference 2

February 13-17 - 72nd Model Legislature & Court (Sacramento)

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.