Sac Central Delegation

Meeting Schedule and Pre-conference Information

2012-01-24T12:13:00.001-08:00

There will be NO meeting next Monday, January 30.

Our final, pre-conference meeting will be Monday, February 6. This meeting is MANDATORY. Delegates who do not attend will not be able to attend the conference.

(There will be no meeting on Monday, February 13 either as we will convene on Thursday, February 16 at the conference)

We will discuss the upcoming conference in more detail on February 6. But here's a preview of some things to remember:

1.) We will be guests of the Hyatt Regency Hotel from 11am February 16 (Thurs) through 10am February 20. (Mon). Delegates must be dropped off at the hotel by 11am on 2/16 IN SAC ATTIRE. They must be picked up from the hotel between 7am and 10am on 2/20.

2.) There will be 4 people in each room. Some rooms have one bed, some rooms have two beds. Please bring your sleeping bags to Sac conference. Some people will likely sleep on the floor. This is how it is.

3.) Plan to bring spending money to feed yourselves for most meals during the conference. Three meals will be provided: lunch on Thursday; dinner on Friday; and dinner on Sunday. All other meals are a delegate's responsibility. If this presents a financial hardship please contact me ASAP. We strongly encourage you to bring easy, non-perishable breakfast food with you (granola bars, instant oatmeal, bananas, applesauce, etc) since breakfast can be overpriced and hard to squeeze in during the morning rush to session.

4.) IMPORTANT NOTE: Though we will be staying in our home town, delegates (and their families) are encouraged to treat this as an out-of-town trip. What does that mean? That means delegates are absolutely prohibited from leaving the conference boundaries during the conference. Local friends may NOT visit with delegates during the conference. For all intents and purposes, we may as well be in Los Angeles or Paris.

5.) Delegates must be in Sac attire from 8am until 10pm everyday. If you have questions about the dress code, let me know. We'll go over everything one more time at our Feb 6 meeting. Ladies - watch those skirt lengths (knee-length means knee-length) and Gentlemen, you must have something covering your collared shirt and tie at all times.

And lastly - we would like to extend invitations to the annual VIP day where we show off the program to visiting supporters (and donors or would-be donors). If you received a donation from someone you think we should cultivate as a long-term delegation supporter, or if you think you know someone who may be able to help the delegation in the future through either monetary support or with our recruitment efforts, please let me know ASAP.

See you on February 6.

No Meeting on 12/19

2011-12-16T17:10:00.001-08:00

I hope everyone made it through finals and college applications (or will have done so in the next few weeks!)

We won't meet this Monday (12/19). We also won't meet on 12/26 or 1/2.

Our next meeting will be Monday, January 9.

That will be a MANDATORY pre-conference meeting. We will leave for Bob II on Saturday, January 14 (yes, another 3:30am arrival time at the YMCA. Yes, even though the buses were late last time, we're still meeting that early).

Have a happy, safe, and festive holiday season.

Best,
-Your advising team

Delegation Bulletin #7 Reminders, Applications, and Registration, Oh My!‏

2011-11-29T11:23:00.001-08:00

1.) Elected and appointed leadership applications are online and due by December 9. Let me know if you apply for a position - I need to know so I can approve your application.

Appointed: https://docs.google.com/a/phoblographer.com/spreadsheet/viewform?hl=en_US&formkey=dFNkamduRXhIc0dyNFM3X09DbjRVM0E6MA#gid=0
Elected: https://docs.google.com/a/phoblographer.com/spreadsheet/viewform?hl=en_US&formkey=dHh5Z2VLT2k5VmU4MzBQdm9iTFpNVlE6MA#gid=0

Questions about the available roles? FIRST check past bulletins and the Delegation Website - then ask an advisor. Delegation website is here.

2.) Payments were due at yesterday's meeting. Only one delegate brought a payment. The rest of you have a second chance to turn in your payments on Wednesday. Please bring them to Bill Hearing Night.

3.) Don't forget to time your bill presentations and polish your talking points for tomorrow!

3.) Here's a recap of the reminders we reviewed yesterday:

Bill Hearing NightReminders:

Date and Location

Bill Hearing Night is Wednesday, November 30 and will beheld in the Board Room (accessed via the lower parking lot)

Time

Delegates must arrive by 6pm. Parents and guests should be invited toarrive at 6:30pm. Plan for the hearing to run until 8pm

Attendance

Attendance is MANDATORY

Attire

You MUST attend in Sac attire. This means professionalattire. Young men should wear a suit ordress pants and a collared shirt, tie, and a blazer or a sweater (you musthaving something covering your shirt, but not merely an overcoat). Don’t forget to wear dress shoes (no casualshoes allowed). Young women should weara suit or dress, or a skirt (must be knee-length) or dress pants, with a dressshirt or sweater (and also appropriate dress shoes). Young women must wearhosiery with skirts and dress socks with pants (i.e. no bare legs or feet).When in doubt “church attire” may be a useful term of guidance for you. If youare unclear on Sac attire, contact your delegation or an advisor before themeeting.

Preparation

Bill sponsors should be prepared to present their bills;group members should have planned who will act in a supporting and an opposingrole. Successful bill groups will beprepared with questions (supporting and challenging the bill) and answers whichevidence your hard work and research over the course of the last few months.

Voting

Parents and guests will vote on which bill the delegationwill carry to Sac conference. Our delegation is required to bring one bill. Incertain circumstances, we may be permitted to bring an additional bill.

After Bill HearingNight

The bill(s) chosen will need to be in their final form anduploaded to the Y&G website by this Friday, December 2. Bill supplemental material will be due oneweek later, on December 9. Bill sponsorsmust be prepared to dedicate additional time outside of the meetings to meetthese deadlines. Sponsors unable to do so should withdraw their bills from considerationbefore Wednesday.

Dec 5 – regular meeting

Dec 9 – Elected & Appointed LeadershipApplications due

Dec 12 – regular meeting

Dec 19 – regular meeting

Dec 26, Jan 2 – no meeting – Happy Holidays!

Jan 9 – MANDATORY meeting; Final $240 (oryour specified amount) payment deadline.

Jan 14-16 – Bob II. Note: this conferenceruns Saturday through Monday.

Y&G Bulletin #6: Important changes to the calendar

2011-11-15T09:53:00.001-08:00

1.) We made some important changes the the Delegation Calendar last night. You can also pull it up on line here.

There will be NO MEETING on Monday, November 21. Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Monday, November 28 will be our practice bill hearing night. If you are a bill sponsor and holiday travels will keep you away through 11/28, make sure someone in your groups is prepared to present your bill.

WEDNESDAY, November 30 will be our Bill Hearing Night. Delegates need to arrive at 6pm for last-minute preparations, guests will be invited to arrive at 6:30. Our meeting will run until 8pm.

Bill Hearing Night is MANDATORY for all delegates. During Bill Hearing Night, bill groups will present their bills in a modified committee hearing format. At the end of all bill presentations, our guests (parents and whomever you would like to invite) will vote on which bill will proceed to the Sacramento conference and be presented on behalf of the delegation. Again, note that this event will take place on a WEDNESDAY night, not our normal meeting day.

We will email an invitation you can pass out to your friends, family, teachers, principal, sponsors, etc, in the next day or two.

2.) The first round of Mixed Bag orders are available for pick up at the Y. If you can't recall whether your order was in the first or second round, please contact Morgan at 916-452-9622.

3.) Role Selection: last night you filled out your Bob I survey and your program area preferences. If you change your mind about your rankings, please let me know by our next meeting. The best way to ensure you get what you want is to apply for a leadership role! Those applications will be available soon and I'll email you to let you know when they are online. Elected and appointed leadership applications are due by December 2. For more information on program areas and available positions, check out the delegate handbook here : http://calymca.org/mlc-delegates/

We'll see you again on November 28. Please keep checking email for updates and any additional changes.

In case we haven't mentioned it....

2011-10-27T16:34:00.001-07:00

Bill group work is due by 11:59pm tomorrow night - emailed to me - or we'll proceed with our Monday meeting (and you'll have to answer to a disappointed 19 month old in a cupcake costume)

I haven't received any questions from Bill sponsors so I assume everything is going well and I'll see lots of great work and bill language in my inbox by tomorrow night.

Bill sponsors: make sure you check the list of what is due: http://saccentraldelegation.blogspot.com/2011/10/bill-sponsorgroup-information-one-more.html

Delegates: check in with your bill sponsors and get them the information they need!

Parents: please check in with your delegates and ask them about their progress. There isn't much "homework" associated with Youth & Government, but the hour or so of outside research we need to prepare our legislation are very, very important to getting the most out of a program that everyone is working hard to remain a part of. Please remind them to refer to the delegation calendar and complete their tasks!

I look forward to seeing your bills and materials soon!

p.s. Don't forget that regardless of whether we meet on Monday, your payment is still due to the YMCA and all delegates' accounts must be current by November 1. Additional Mixed Bag orders and money are due by November 2.

p.p.s. Haven't sold many bags on your own? Worried about meeting your payment requirement in time to attend the first conference? There are MANY slots available on the schedule to sell Mixed Bags in the lobby of the YMCA - any time the Y is open. The weekends are busy with members coming and going through the lobby. Lots of potential sales! You should really sign up - why haven't you signed up?

Y&G Bulletin #5: Do Your Work, Enjoy Halloween

2011-10-25T11:07:00.001-07:00

1.) We WILL meet on Monday, October 31 unless all bill sponsor material is received by Friday, October 28 at 11:59pm per the information found here:
http://saccentraldelegation.blogspot.com/2011/10/bill-sponsorgroup-information-one-more.html

Plan on attending the regular meeting on Monday unless you hear otherwise. (Halloween, parties, trick-or-treating, etc, do not constitute valid absences)

I encourage delegates to stay in communication with their bill groups this week and make sure sponsors get their materials in on time. Note: all of the work we are requesting from you can be accomplished in a solid 30-60 minutes of work. This is doable. So do it.

2.) Regardless of whether we meet on Monday, a $240 payment (or amount in your letter) is due by Monday. All accounts must be current by November 1 to attend the first conference. If you still have payment concerns DO NOT JUST QUIT - call Morgan Bauer at the Y immediately: 916-452-9622. We've already paid for your slot on the bus and your bed in the barracks at this point. You should talk to us about any help you need.

3.) Mixed Bag sales have been extended through November 2. All orders and money must be turned in the Y by November 2 or your items will not be ordered. If you need more catalogs or order forms, contact Morgan.

4.) Interested delegates may sell bags in the lobby of the Y any time the Y is open. Contact Christiana to sign up for a spot so we know when to make sample bags available to you.

5.) The meeting on Monday, November 7 is MANDATORY FOR ALL DELEGATES. Delegates who do not attend will not be permitted to attend the conference. Parents are strongly encouraged to attend, especially parents of first-time delegates.

6.) The first conference is only 17 days away. We depart from the YMCA parking lot (lower) at 3:30am (not a typo) on Friday, November 11 and return between 6 and 8pm on Sunday, November 13. Don't be late.

Bill Sponsor/Group information - one more time!

2011-10-25T10:38:00.000-07:00

We WILL meet on Halloween night unless Christiana receives the requisite bill information from all bill groups by Friday, October 28, 11:59pm.

(And your payments are due by Monday regardless of whether we meet. Get them in.)

Here is what bill sponsors need to do between now and Friday:

Review this document if you're still a bit lost in the process. Pay special attention to deciding what type of legislation you are writing. Is it a bill (something that adds, repeals or amends an existing statute)? A Constitutional Amendment (something that changes the State Constitution - hint, you can find that document at leginfo.ca.gov also)? A Joint Resolution (do you want to make a national change and you'd like California to ask Congress to act)? A Concurrent Resolution (do you want a state department or board to act? Tell the Department of Education to do something with schools?)?
Complete this form and email it to Christiana. You can fill out by hand and scan (or drop off at the Y if you need to) or you can complete it on your computer or retype in an email.
Assign group member roles: who will argue for your proposal? Who will argue against it?(this goes on the form, but also needs to be communicated to your group members.
Research your bill idea. Start with www.leginfo.ca.gov and Google and move on from there. Make sure your idea doesn't already exist! If it does, can you make it better or more effective? You need to check existing code. It's also not a bad idea to search Bill Information, maybe somebody has tried your idea before and you can take a cue from that effort. Search some keywords for your bill and see what you get.
Collect your research. You should describe your efforts on the form and you can/should include links to information you have found. Include sources that support AND oppose your bill. You must learn about both sides otherwise your argument will be weak and easy to target.
If you are arguing AGAINST the group's idea, research as well! The same rules apply and you'll need to come to the next meeting prepared.
Draft language. You need to write your first draft of actual bill language.

Check out this bill template.
The first line is called "the enacting clause" - it begins "An act to ____________" - the act will either ADD, REPEAL, or AMEND (if your idea is totally new, it adds, if it erases language, it repeals, and if it changes existing law, it amends) the "__________ code" - the second blank will be the code section (Penal, Public Resources, Vehicle, Government, Corporations, etc). "Relating to _________________" - what's your bill about? And act to amend the penal code, relating to the death penalty? An act to add to the Government code, related to state employee pensions?
Don't worry about a bill abstract right now.
The language is the biggest concern. If you are amending a section, cut and paste it from the leginfo website into a new document. If you are removing language, you use the "strikethrough" option (do this by highlighting the words to strike, right-clicking on them, choose "font" and then click the box next to "strikethrough." If you are adding language, the new language should be in italics. The language that doesn't get changed just stays regular. (you don't need to worry about formatting the spacing or the line-numbering as our bills are entered online and not using this template anymore. This is just a guide to help you.)
Here is one of last year's bills as an example. (You'll need to download it to get it to open.)

So, to review, you owe Christiana, by Friday at midnight, your completed bill worksheet, bill group assignments, evidence of research, and draft language.
And you still need to get your payments and any remaining mixed bag orders to the Y by Monday whether or not we have a meeting.

Oct 24 Last Minute Reminders!

2011-10-24T08:12:00.000-07:00

Just another reminder to please, please bring your Mixed Bag orders and money to tonight's meeting.

Reasons to bring them:
1.) Help ease your next payment amount by offsetting with your sales!
2.) If you don't bring the orders, your order will be delayed and your customers will be sad!
3.) Your parents don't want to make a special trip to the Y tomorrow. Trust me, I'm sure they are very busy.

Also, next Monday (Oct 31) is a $240 payment deadline. There is NO MEETING on October 31 (Happy Halloween) so if you don't bring a payment tonight, you'll need to make a special trip to the Y between now and next Monday.

Reminder: delegates whose accounts are not current by November 1 will not be able to attend the first conference. As always, if you have questions or concerns about payments contact Morgan Bauer at the Y (916-452-9622) ASAP!

You should also be bringing bill language and research with you this evening.

See you tonight!

Y&G Bulletin #4: Bring your Bill Resarch, Your Money, And Your Order Forms

2011-10-20T15:35:00.000-07:00

1.) Money

OUR THIRD PAYMENT DATE IS NEARLY HERE: We have passed two due dates already, so you should have paid $480 in program costs so far. The next payment due date is October 31. We will not have a meeting that night. You are strongly urged to bring your payment to this coming Monday's meeting. The amount due is $240 (or the amount listed in the letter Morgan provided to you last week).

Delegates whose accounts are not current as of November 1 will not be permitted to attend the first Training & Elections Conference. Don't miss out! Get your payments in. Have your parents contact Morgan Bauer at the Y immediately if you have additional financial concerns. (916) 452-9622.

2.) More Money

Please bring Mixed Bag order forms and money to the meeting on Monday. We may extend the deadline an additional week, however, bring what you have sold so far so that we may credit your account.

3.) Calendar changes

There is a newly updated delegation calendar available here. Note that there will be no meeting on Monday, October 31 (happy halloween) and that Bill Hearing Night will be held on Monday, November 21. Please be reminded that Bill Hearing Night is mandatory for all delegates.

4.) Mixed Bag Sales at the Y

For those interested in raising more money toward their program fees, the Y will allow the delegation to set up a sales table in the YMCA lobby in the evenings and on the weekends. We have many sample bags and signs to set up an eye-catching display. If you're the only sales person working at a time, you will get credit for the bags sold during that time period. Multiple delegates will share the proceeds. Given the number of swim classes and members generally coming and going, you stand to earn some good money.

Currently, no one has expressed interest in weeknights nor for this coming Saturday. The Y is open until 10pm on weeknights, 8pm on Fridays, from 8am-6pm on Saturdays, and Sundays from 12-6pm. If you're applying for financial aid, please take advantage of this opportunity. If you're not applying for financial aid, the delegation could still use your help. Please email Christiana immediately to schedule a shift.

5.) Bills

The legislative kind.

We will select bills to move forward in the development process next week. This document will help get you in the right frame of mind. And now is the time to fill out this form (you can omit "group members" for now) and bring two copies to the meeting (if you don't have a printer, email to Christiana by 5pm on Monday). One major part of bill development is conducting some basic research into whether your proposed law exists and if it does/doesn't, where in the California codes it lives. An easy way to start looking for where you bill lives is to visit this site. You'll find a list of all the codes of California law. Click on one of them and hit "search" without entering text in the search box. That will take you to the code section's table of contents (like this one for the Penal Code - where all statutes criminalizing behavior live). You need to do this basic research or your bill will not be permitted to move forward in the process.

6.) Pen and paper

You should be bringing them to meetings. Start bringing them to meetings. Delegates without these basic supplies are hard to take seriously.

Y&G Bulletin #3: Letter-Writing and more (read carefully - there may be a bonus down there)

2011-10-05T10:37:00.000-07:00

Note: next week's meeting will feature the start of an exciting new, two-week fundraiser, so don't miss out! Also, we will return to the Teen Center in the YMCA to meet (NOT in the Board Room).

Now, a few reminders and then a whole lot of letter-writing information below the jump:

1.) Congratulations to Airayanna who created this year's sweatshirt design! They're going to look great!

2.) Congrats to our newly elected delegation leadership: Alex, Vice President; Gabe, Secretary; Alberto, Treasurer; and Steven, Sgt-at-Arms. Thanks to everyone who ran for office - your dedication to the delegation is appreciated.

3.) All paperwork should be completed and submitted by now. If you are missing items, expect a follow-up email shortly. Financial Aid paperwork is due by this Friday, October 7. All forms available under the "Forms" tab at the top of the page.

4.) Next week we'll begin our exciting new fundraiser. All delegates who have applied for financial aid must participate. Any delegate, however, regardless of whether he or she is applying for aid may participate. You will be given a sales catalog. It is encouraged that you also take a sample bag to use to show potential customers the type and quality of the product we're selling. We were able to purchase samples at $2 each and so we are requesting $2 from anyone who wishes to use one. We think that's a fair and low "buy-in" price. The fundraiser will run from October 10-24.

5.) Next Monday is also a payment due date. A $240 payment is required.

6.) Bonus question - answer this (even if your math is wrong) and $1 will be donated to the delegation dinner fun: Two payments are due during October. Each payment is $240. If 50% of the money you raise from the upcoming fundraiser is credited to your account, how much do you need to sell to cover both payments completely?

7.) The Sold On Youth Auction is November 11 - we'll be at Camp Roberts, but - if anyone has items that can be auctioned, please let Morgan know ASAP. We have procurement forms available. Items can range from wine to tickets (basketball, baseball, theater, etc), restaurant gift certificates, gift baskets, etc. A portion of the proceeds generated by items our delegation puts together will go to our general scholarship fund (the rest goes to the Y's general scholarship fund to help kids participate in all programs).

LETTER WRITING INFORMATION IS AVAILABLE AFTER THE JUMP

How to turn 44-cents into $1200

At the last meeting we discussed individual effort you can put into fundraising money to put toward your program costs. This idea is available to anyone, whether or not he or she has applied for financial aid. But we expect to see delegates who have applied for aid try this method to raise money.

Developing your Contact List:
1.)    Who is your community? - School? Church? Clubs? Service Organizations? Your neighborhood? Kiwanis, Elks? Masons? Lions? Junior League? 20/30 Club? Who should you target who would be likely to support your efforts to participate in Y&G?
2.)    Who are your elected officials? - Some of them will be willing to help from their personal funds and some, like the Sacramento City Counsel, have discretionary funds to use for programs just like this. You'll never know until you ask. But make sure you ask the write elected officials. Use your home address. You can look up your representatives here.
3.)    Don’t forget your family – near and far. Instead of birthday or holiday gifts, ask them to sponsor your participation, instead. Video games come and go, but Y&G is forever!
4.)    Learn how to properly format and address a business letter - FORM MATTERS, almost as much as content, in most cases. In addition to instilling democracy into each generation, Y&G is about teaching you to act professionally. You dress professionally in Sacramento and behave professionally at all times. You should look professional on paper as well. You can google up examples (like this one) and many computer programs (like Word) will have templates ready for you. It doesn't have to be fancy, it just has to be clean and competent. Also, make sure you appropriately address elected officials. For example, if you were writing to Congresswoman Doris Matsui, the address and top of your letter would read:

The Honorable Doris Matsui
United States House of Representatives
Robert T. Matsui United States Courthouse
501 I Street, Suite 12-600
Sacramento, CA 95814-7305

Dear Congresswoman Matsui,

If you have questions about how to properly address or format a letter, ask your parents or advisors!

Developing Your Fundraising Letter:
1.)    Know your audience - where is this letter going? If you're asking a service club to sponsor you, how would your letter differ from one directed to your city council person? A lot of your letter can be standard and will be applicable to anyone. But you should always have a carefully tailored paragraph so the recipient can tell you are really paying attention and asking the recipient specifically for aid. For example, if you are asking your city council member, how might learning about civic engagement and democracy benefit the city? If you are asking a legal club (the local bar association?), maybe you are interested in the model court part of the program? No one likes a pure form letter!
2.)    Explain the program - we know this is more difficult for new delegates, however, you can still have a solid paragraph about Y&G. Pull information from the website, for example. In its most basic terms: Youth & Government is a YMCA sponsored program for California high school students to learn about democracy and civic engagement. It is a model legislature and court program that runs from September through February. We attend 3 conferences . . . etc etc. If you are a returning delegate, give concrete examples of what you've done at conferences in the past. ("Last year, I sponsored our delegation's bill to open adoptee records. As a sponsor, I spoke about my bill in legislative committees and on the floor of the Assembly." etc etc)
3.)    Draft your "ask," be specific - Don't just say "I need a lot of money." Say, "This year's program fees are $1200 and due to our financial situation, my family can afford to pay $400, so I am working hard to raise $800 myself. Would you be willing to donate $100 toward my goal?" Jordan recommends including a self-addressed-stamped-envelope and a reply sheet to make it extra easy for would-be donors to send you money. The easier the better!
4.)    Explain what participating in the program means to you - Why do you want to do this? You don't need to claim that you want to run for President someday. And its also fine to mention the social aspects of this program: it is beneficial to meet people from all over the state, to hear about the problems their legislation focuses on, to socialize with people from different backgrounds, etc. If you've been before - why are you back? If you have never been - what made you come to a meeting this year?
5.)    Draft your "ask," be specific - Don't just say "I need a lot of money." Say, "This year's program fees are $1200 and due to our financial situation, my family can afford to pay $400, so I am working hard to raise $800 myself. Would you be willing to donate $100 toward my goal?" Briefly explain the challenge posed by program fees. Jordan recommends including a self-addressed-stamped-envelope and a reply sheet to make it extra easy for would-be donors to send you money. The easier the better!
6.)    Explain what else you are doing to raise money - This may come at the start or end of your letter, but mention your other efforts. You are reaching out to community clubs. You are selling bags. You're doing something, etc etc.
7.)    SPELLING AND GRAMMAR COUNT - this should go without saying, but we'll say it anyway. And do not rely on a computer program's spell check feature. You must read what you write. You must ask at least two other people to proofread your work.
8.)    Say thank you.

The Thank-You Note:
1.)    Don’t bother taking on this project if you aren’t going to write a solid, heartfelt thank-you note and send it in a timely manner.
You can buy very inexpensive, basic thank-you-note cards at office supply stores, craft stores, Target, WalMart, etc. Prepare your thank you note at the same time you write your initial letter. Address it the same way you addressed your letter. Then, just keep your pile of prepared thank you notes handy and ready to fill-out and pop in the mail as soon as you get a response. Send a thank you regardless of the amount you receive, be thankful to the same degree for gifts of $10 or gifts of $1000, and send a thank you note even if the response you receive is "sorry, we can't contribute right now."
2.)    Thank you notes MUST be sent no more than one week after you receive a gift of funding
3.)    Thank you note should be heartfelt, sincere, and give a concrete example of what the funds will be used for (this $300 will cover my registration fees for our final conference of the year; this $100 will help to cover the hotel room in which we'll stay during our final conference, etc)
4.)    Hand write it. Write neatly. Spell correctly. Write a draft first. If you cannot write legibly, go ahead and type your letter instead.

The Follow-up:
1.)    Contact is essential to maintaining your network - you worked hard to put this list together and to cultivate this donor/recipient relationship. Don't forget about your contacts. You may need them later.
2.)    Send a follow-up thank you after each conference, especially after Sacramento - this may depend on when/if you receive a gift.
3.)    Include a photo - especially post-Sacramento - you'll have some great pictures of you in your professional attire in your program area and donors love to see proof of the good they are doing by supporting you.
4.)    Explain what you have learned from your participation and how you will use that knowledge. A donor wants to know you benefited from their gift.
5.)    Craft this and all communication with the specific recipient in mind, just like before. Avoid obvious form letters. If someone spared even $1 for you, you can spare time to be unique in your response.

So what do you do now?
1.)    Draft your “ask”
2.)    Ask someone to proofread it
3.)    Email it to Christiana for review - if you are applying for financial aid, I won't know about all your hard work unless you let me know about it. Even if you don't receive any money as a result of your letters.
4.)    Mail it ASAP - payment deadlines come quickly and delaying does you no good.
5.)    Keep a list of the people you contact and the date on which you contact them - and what the result of each letter is.
6.)    Send a copy of your records to Christiana
7.)    SEND THANK YOU NOTES (see above)

We've had several parents graciously volunteer their efforts as proofreaders and resources as well. We thank them for that offer!   Take this option seriously: past delegates have completely funded their program costs just by sending some letters. Why shouldn't you be able to claim the same?

Running For Office/Applying for Leadership Positions

2011-10-03T15:39:00.000-07:00

The deadline for nominations and applications for T&EI elected/appointed positions is OCTOBER 14.

Find some basic information after the jump, below.

Here's the link to run.

Here's the link to apply for a political party chair position.

Running for Office

We have outlined a five step process tofollow for delegates who are considering running for office in California Youthand Government. The process is an exciting one, and win or lose, the chances oflearning a tremendous amount are nearly 100%.
STEP ONE: Choose what office to runfor.
Seem like an obvious step? Well, in some ways it is, but it is still probablythe most important decision a candidate will make. Not every delegate isallowed run for every office (for example, sophomores aren’t eligible to runfor Youth Governor), and not every office will sound interesting to you. Tohelp you choose which office to run for, we have provided a listing of job descriptions and qualifications.
STEP TWO: Stop and think.
Running for office often requires a little bit of soul-searching. We simplyaren’t used to “selling” ourselves in this way, and it helps all candidates forevery office (not just in Y&G) to outline some goals and answer a fewquestions in their own heads before they get started. Here are a few that we’vecome up with:

Why am I considering running for this office?
What do I hope to learn from the campaign?
What goals do I have apart from winning?

STEP THREE: Get nominated.
Because of the HUGE size of California Y&G, delegations can only nominatefive candidates to run statewide each year. This means that your delegationmost likely will have to have some sort of “mini-election” to decide who getsnominated to run statewide. Each delegation will do this differently, but planon having to give a short talk at one of your local meetings and then beingvoted on by the other delegates in your group.
STEP FOUR: Submit your nominationform.
If your delegation does nominate you, it is your responsibility–not youradvisor’s or your delegation president’s–to make sure that the necessary formsare submitted to the Y&G office before the deadline. Ask your advisor forthe form or get it online,but GET IT IN ON TIME. Late nomination forms will not be accepted, meaning youwill be disqualified if you don’t meet the deadline.
STEP FIVE: Plan your campaign.
Spend some serious time thinking about how you want to run for your office. Doyou want to be inspirational? Thoughtful? Exciting? What aspects of your ownpersonality do you hope to communicate? How will you do this in your speech?Many delegates like to practice their speeches at other nearby delegations tostart meeting people and to work out any wrinkles before arriving at theTraining and Elections conference. Ask your advisor for help here…that’s whatthey’re there for! Running in Y&G is different than any other electionexperience you may have had–Student Council, Homecoming Court, etc. Ask the expert(your advisor) for help.
STEP SIX: Campaign Statewide.
The most important campaigning will be at the Training and Electionsconference. As soon as your delegation gets off the bus, be ready to startintroducing yourself and meeting new people. Later, you will be asked to give aspeech (probably 1-2 minutes long) about your campaign. Have it wellthought-out before arriving, and remember to have fun. The best speeches are byserious, thoughtful candidates who allow their personalities to shine while upin front.

STEPSEVEN: Cross your fingers…
The election winners will be announced at the Training and Electionsconference. Remember the goals you thought about at the beginning of yourcampaign, and think about what you’ve learned even before you find out whetheryou’ve won. Good luck!

Appointed Leadership

Leadership roles for our first conference ofthe program year, T&E 1, are selected by staff based on information fromthe T&E I Conference Leadership Application Forms. Assembly Speakers,Speaker Pro Tems and Committee Chairs are picked on their prior Youth andGovernment experience and their school and civic background. Delegations maysend in as many applications as they want for these positions, but areencouraged to select only those youth who exhibit above average leadershipskills.

Elected Officers

When ever 2000 bright motivated teensparticipate in a leadership program, the level of competition for the two dozenelected positions is intense.

Election Rules

Elections in the ML/C are either: ConventionStyle, Electronic Balloting, or Secret Ballot.
Convention Style Elections
At T&E I the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court is elected by ConventionStyle election. Each delegation will meet to caucuses and will cast itsdelegate’s votes in convention style voting.
The Youth Governor is elected through aseries of convention style votes. First delegations meet in a caucus to choosewhich candidate they wish to endorse. The top five candidates advance to thefirst election at T&E II. There the delegations caucus and choose whom toawards its votes to. Votes may not be split. The top three vote getters advanceto the final election in Sacramento.
Electronic Balloting
Most elections take place by electronic balloting. Each delegate is entitled toone vote per office. Delegates come to the polls where they can log in to thevoting computers using passwords which will be assigned when you arrive at theconference.
Secret Balloting
Secret ballots are used in the Houses and NIC for the election of theirofficers. Each delegate is allowed on vote per office. Ballots will becollected and tallied by hand. Delegates may write in votes if they wish.

Elections

Youth and Government elects officers at allthree conferences.
At T&E I NIC Presiding Commissioners, ProTems, Secretary of State, State Legislative Counsel, State Superintendent ofPublic Instruction, and Legislative Analyst are elected by secret ballot. Aconvention style primary election is held at this time for the offices ofLieutenant Governor and Speaker of the Assembly and the Chief Justice iselected at T&E I in a convention style election (following a secret ballotto select the top three candidates). Sophomore Forum members also elect threeof their officers at this conference. The Historian and the Chaplains will beselected by an application process. Each YMCA is encouraged to make a YMCABanner (like the vertical state banners used in Presidential Elections).Banners help delegates locate their group and add a lot to the ambiance of theevent.
At T&E Il we hold our “House” elections.In the Senate and Assembly the Sergeants, Secretary, and Clerks are elected andin the Court the Attorney General, Judicial Review Presiding Justice and theDistrict Attorney are elected. The National Issues Commission (NIC) will selectan Administrative Clerk. In the Forum the two top leadership roles, Speaker andLt. Governor are chosen by the Forum delegates. Caucus elections are held forSpeaker of the Assembly and Lieutenant Governor and depending on the number ofcandidates a primary convention style election will be held for Youth Governor.At Sacramentothe top three candidates for Governor will face off in a secret ballotelection.
A Candidate Handbook is sent out before theelection.

After the Election

All elected and appointed officers are askedto arrive in Sacramentothe day before the conference. The Y&G staff spend an intensive day oftraining and group building with the officers. Elected officers, Chaplains, andthe Historian are asked to arrive by 10:00 a.m. on the Wednesday before theconference. Elected officers are expected to set a high standard of behaviorfor the rest of the group to emulate.
Elected officers and cabinet members are exofficio members of all Legislative Committees and the Senate and Assembly. Theywill be recognized when visiting the chambers when these meetings are insession.
As ex officio members of these bodies, theyhave the right to ask questions and speak for or against legislation while incommittee sessions with the prior consent of the Chair. All requests to speakmust be presented to the chair in writing. Elected officers and cabinet membersmay not speak on bills while in House Sessions. Additionally, elected officersand cabinet members may not vote on any legislation, because they have theopportunity to visit any number of committee/house sessions, they could(theoretically) vote a dozen times for various bills. The only exception isthat in the event of a tie, the presiding officer may cast his/her vote to breakthe deadlock
Please read the material on the Election TimeLine, Categories, and Qualifications and Duties. If you have any furtherquestions, please contact the Y&G office.

Governor’s Cabinet

The YouthGovernor will accept applications from delegates to serve as Cabinet Members.The five members of the Governor’s Cabinet will be selected at T&E 2 andwill also arrive in Sacramentoon Wednesday for the officer training sessions. One of the cabinet members isdesignated Chief of Staff.

Delegations may have no more than five totalnominations throughout all categories. Be sure to review carefully theinformation in your Advisor Handbook on qualifications for these offices. Anyapplicant not meeting the listed qualifications will be disqualified.

Category 1: STATEWIDE LEADERSHIP
Youth Governor (Primary at T&E II,Elected at ML/C)
Secretary of State (Primary at T&E II, Elected at ML/C)
Category 2: PROGRAM LEADERSHIP
Lt. Governor (Primary at T&E I, Electedat T&E II)
Speaker of the Assembly (Primary at T&E I, Elected at T&E II)
Chief Justice (Elected at T&E I)
NIC Presiding Commissioner (Elected at T&E I)

Category 3: PROGRAM AREA LEADERSHIP
Attorney General (Elected at T&E II)
District Attorney (Elected at T&E II )
Forum Sgt-At-Arms, Assembly (Elected at T&E I )
Forum Sgt-At-Arms, Senate (Elected at T&E I )
Forum Chief Clerk of the Assembly (Elected at T&E I)
Forum Secretary of the Senate (Elected at T&E I)
Forum Speaker of the Assembly (Primary at T&E I, Elected at T&E II)
Forum Lt. Governor (Primary at T&E I, Elected at T&E II)
NIC Administrative Clerk (Elected at T&E II)
NIC Adversary General (Elected at T&E II)
Presiding Justice (Elected at T&E II )
Secretary of the Senate (Elected at T&E II)
Chief Clerk of the Assembly (Elected at T&E II)
Sgt-At-Arm, Assembly (Elected at T&E II)
Sgt-At-Arm, Senate (Elected at T&E II)
Speaker/President Pro-Tem (Elected at T&E I)
State Legislative Analyst (Elected at T&E I)
State Superintendent of Public Instruction (Elected at T&E I)

Appointed positions:

Broadcast Media Producer

Broadcast Media ChiefEngineer

Chaplain-at-Large

Chief Page

Governor’s cabinet

Governor’s Lobbyist

Judicial ReviewAttorney/Justice

Jury Trial

Legislative Committee Chair

NIC Commissions Chair

NIC Adversary Corps

Political Party Chair

Print Media Publisher

Print Media ExecutiveLeadership (T&EII)

Print Media Editorial Staff(T&EII)

Pro Tem of State ConstitutionalConvention

Deputy State Superintendentof Public Instruction

Supreme Court Attorney/Justice

For more information on all of thesepositions and more – check out the delegate handbook:

http://calymcawebmaster.files.wordpress.com/2011/09/2011-2012-delegate-handbook.pdf

Meeting location change for Oct 3 and Financial Aid Deadline is October 7

2011-10-03T10:32:00.000-07:00

We'll be holding tonight's (October 3) meeting in the Board Room (returners: that's where we met last year. New delegates: the Board room as accessible through the lower parking lot at the Y (the one by the train tracks). We'll have people outside giving directions. Please pass along this location change!)

Also, if you are applying for financial aid, your COMPLETED paperwork MUST be submitted by this Friday, October 7. To be considered complete, the application must be filled-out and signed and you must include a figure for the amount your family can afford to pay (we know there is no box on the back for Y&G, but that's okay, you can still fill out the rest), you must include supporting documents, and you may include a letter or additional explanation about your circumstances that you feel might be missing from the numbers in the rest of the application. The more information you give us, the better able we will be to help you. We cannot award any money to delegates without a COMPLETED application. And lastly, delegates, if you're having trouble getting documents from your family, please talk to Morgan or I about the situation. Again, the more we know, the more we can help.

So remember: tonight's meeting is in the Board Room and Financial Aid is due by Friday (but is welcome and encouraged at tonight's meeting!). Get those things in by fax, email, hand-delivery, or carrier pigeon - just get them in!

Y&G Bulletin #2: Sweatshirts, Money, and Leadership

2011-09-30T17:10:00.000-07:00

PARENTS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE TO ATTEND THE NEXT MEETING: We need to talk about financial aid, Parents. Or there won't be any money for your kids.

1.) Get that paperwork back, stat! That means completed paperwork. That means you have to read the paperwork and figure out where to sign. Get it in!

2.) Financial Aid application: must be completed. Must include amount your family can pay. Must include supporting documentation. Include a letter of explanation if you think your documents don't tell the whole story. If you turn in incomplete paperwork you will not be considered for aid.

3.) We will have a scholarship letter-writing workshop at the next meeting. Review last week's bulletin for information on gathering the names of elected officials and other possible networking connections. Bring pen and paper to the next meeting.

4.) PARENTS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO ATTEND THE NEXT MEETING: We need to talk about financial aid, Parents. Or there won't be any money for your kids. Did I say this already? I might have. But really, please come. (Delegates, bring your parents).

5.) Are you going to run for a leadership position in the delegation? I received no statements from anyone, but be ready to give your pitch on Monday. The available offices are: Vice President, Treasurer, and Sergeant-at-Arms.

There was a question last week about whether two Sergeants-at-Arms might be necessary. If you're running for an office, you should plan to fulfill your role and attend all meetings. So we should only need one.

6.) SWEATSHIRT DESIGN IDEAS! Due Monday. Our Sweatshirt will be navy blue and feature a hood and front-pocket. Designs can be up to two colors (though 3, if you are clever and use the navy background as part of the design). There can be two printing areas. Designs can be on the front or the back or both, with some technical restrictions we'll address if necessary. Here are some examples of past years' shirts:

Click to enlarge. The center pictures and the ones on the right are the fronts and backs of those years' shirts.

7.) Please Be On Time. Tardy-fees are in effect!

8.) Bring Bill Ideas! Bring freshmen and sophomores, too!

Y&G Bulletin #1: Bills, Meetings, & Stuff

2011-09-23T16:19:00.000-07:00

1.) Please bring back your complete paperwork! New? Missing forms? Click here for everything you need. We ESPECIALLY need your financial aid forms! Get them in - completed - as soon as possible.

2.) Next week, we'll begin discussing bill ideas. Where do you start? How do you come up with bill ideas? Check out this document for some quick advice on all things legislative. (If you want a sneak peak at what's coming, bill-wise, you can check this out too, but nothing to worry about for now.)

Start thinking about problems in your community that need attention. That's the root of most legislation. Inspiration can come from anywhere so be alert and take note of things. Also, it's a good idea to add this website to your list of daily reading.

3.) We'll be talking a bit more about program areas at the next meeting, too. You can have the maximum control over your eventual program area by running for office or applying for a leadership position in the program. Get a head-start on program information - flip through this handy delegate guide.

4.) Fundraising Letter-Writing Workshop: At the October 3 Meeting, we will have a letter-writing workshop for all delegates applying for financial aid. You should bring with you to that meeting:

Pen and paper
The names and address of your elected officials (state/federal/city/county)
Names and addresses of leaders in your community (church? sports teams? neighborhood councils? Get creative!)
Your best spelling and grammar skills!

5.) $1 will be donated to the delegation dinner fund for each delegate who send Christiana an email saying "I read the first bulletin!" before Monday's meeting.

5a.) $1 will also be donated to the delegation dinner fund for each delegate who brings a complete list of his/her elected representatives (see this post) to the September 26 meeting.

6.) We will begin enforcing our delegation's tardy-fine at the next meeting. You will be fined $1 per minute you are late to the meeting up to a maximum of $10 UNLESS you contact your delegation President, Jordan Feri, in advance. You can call him at Nine-One-Six 281-7068. He must hear from you prior to 6:15pm or you will be fined! Fines will go to the delegation dinner fund.

Finding your elected officials

2011-09-23T14:10:00.000-07:00

Who represents you?

Finding out couldn't be easier - all you need is your home address and these links:

US Senate - California is represented by two Senators. Who are they? Let google help you (you don't even need your address for this.)
US House of Representatives
California State Senate
California State Assembly
Sacramento County Supervisors
Sacramento City Council
Elk Grove City Council
Do you live somewhere else? I bet you can find info for your city pretty easily, too!

2011-2012 Paperwork Now Available! (Updated!)

2011-09-19T11:38:00.000-07:00

Click on the forms below to download, print, and complete the forms required to be part of this year's delegation. (NOTE: Files fixed to print out correctly!)

Parents' Meeting Agenda
Y&G Master Calendar
Delegation Calendar
Code of Conduct
Email/communication policy
Delegate Info/Medical release form
Payment and Refund Policy
2011-12 Delegate Contract
Click here for the Scholarship/Financial Aid policy.
Scholarship/Financial Aid application.

Antique Fair and Flea Market fundraiser sign-ups - now online!

2011-09-19T08:45:00.000-07:00

We have some easy money making events available to us, but we need your help. Please check out the information here and sign up to volunteer here!

First Email of the Year - Bulletins resume next week

2011-09-19T08:40:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the email list, new delegates!

We had a great turn out at last week's meeting. I hope that you enjoyed it - we know it was just a lot of information thrown at you, but now that the nuts-and-bolts are mostly out of the way, the fun can begin.

Just a few quick notes before next Monday's 6:30pm meeting:

1.) Please bring back all of your paperwork! Did you miss the meeting and the paperwork? No problem, you can download it all here: http://SacCentralDelegation.blogspot.com Click on the "Forms and Downloads" tab. (will be posted by 5pm today)

2.) If you are applying for financial aid: please return that *completed* form ASAP! You will note that there is no Youth & Government box on the back. That's okay! We know for which program you are applying for aid. Please make sure you fill in the line marked "What can you afford to pay?" Please be honest with us. And include all requested supplemental information AND any information you feel we need to know. Write a letter explaining your situation fully. The more we know, the better able we are to help you.

3.) The first $240 payment is due at next Monday's meeting. If you are applying for aid and if you cannot make the $240 payment, you must pay $100 on Monday.

4.) Parents: please review this information about our Antique/Craft Fair parking lot volunteer events. We need your help! You can sign up online!

Remember: it's not too late to join Y&G! You can stack the deck with all your friends - this program is what you make of it. We ESPECIALLY NEED UNDERCLASSMEN - please bring your friends in the 9th/10th grades! Siblings? Grab a frosh and bring him/her over!

See you Monday!

p.s. New delegates, check out this video giving a brief overview of the program. Share it with your parents and friends!
http://www.youtube.com/user/calymca#p/u/11/EMB6B9_qaRs

Welcome to the New Y&G Year!

2011-09-07T14:42:00.000-07:00

Hello All!

It's time for us to get the new year started!

Our first meeting will be next Monday, September 12 at 6:30pm at the Sacramento YMCA in the teen center (community room) in the main building of the Y (not the board room where we met last year).

Parents are strongly encourage to attend as we'll be discussing all the nuts & bolts for the year and creating our contact list and getting you all officially signed up for the coming year. It'll be an efficient and important meeting for everyone.

Please encourage your friends and classmates who might be interested in joining to grab a parent and come on down! (Bonus points for bringing us some frosh and sophomores! Help your delegation continue after you graduate!)

This year's conference dates will be:
November 11-13, 2011
Training and Elections I

January 14-16, 2012
Training and Elections II

February 16-20, 2012
Model Legislature & Court

You must be able to attend the January and February conferences to participate. While you can still participate if you miss the November conference, we strongly, STRONGLY discourage you from missing it! (This means that while Y&G may allow you to miss the conference, the delegation policy might not. Also, your program fees will not be discounted if you miss the first conference.)

Feel free to pass this email along to interested friends and families (and teachers, guidance counselors, principals, community leaders, coaches, etc).

Also worth noting, our first payment will be due at the second meeting on September 19. That payment amount will be $240.

We'll see you on Monday!

YG63 Delegation Bulletin #13 - CONFERENCE TIME!

2011-02-09T11:25:00.000-08:00

Can you believe we're just about a week away from Sac conference?!

A few things:

1.) Annual Support Campaign

You should've received an email with information about the support campaign. All delegates and their families are expected to participate. Delegates are needed to help with the kick-off dinner tomorrow, Feb 10, in the conference room. Please plan to arrive at 5:15pm to help. Parents are invited to attend.

Campaign training will be offered (and it will be brief) promptly at the start of next week's delegation meeting to parents and delegates.

Each family will be responsible for a minimum of 20 campaign calls. (What are these calls? All will be explained at the training.) The money raised by Y&G delegates and families goes back into our pot for next year.

2.) Dress Code Dress Rehearsal

If you have not yet attended a meeting in FULL, COMPLIANT dress code attire, you need to wear dress code attire to the Monday meeting. The dress code is attached to this email for your reference.

- Foot/leg coverings are required at all times (ie: female delegates in skirts/dresses must wear hosiery of some sort; female and male delegates in pants must have socks/trouser socks/knee-highs/tights/etc as appropriate as well.)

- Female delegates: anything that is a boot or boot-like shoe (ankle boots, calf, knee, whatever) - the top of the shoe MUST be covered by the bottom of whatever you are wearing: ie skirts must cover the top of boots. So no knee-length dress with ankle boots.

- Male delegates: vests alone do not count as a covering for your dress shirt and tie. You must have a suit jacket/blazer/full sweater covering you at all times between 8am and 10pm

- After 10pm, casual dress is allowed, so long as it is still in-line with general dress standards (ie: no flip-flops, no pajama pants outside of your hotel room)

3.) Parent letter slip

The parent letter is again attached to this email. Parents: please sign and return the slip. You do not need to return the signed code of conduct again. So far I have received slips from:

Sarah

Chris

Liliana

Gabe

Jordan

Jermaine

If your name does not appear above, please either return the slip next Monday or reply to this email acknowledging you have read the conference information. (If you did give me a slip and I didn't list your name, let me know)

4.) Awards, Governing Board, and CONA applications

Due at the start of the conference

http://calymca.org/mlc/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/2011CONA_Packet.pdfhttp://calymca.org/mlc/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/63MLC_AwardForm.pdf

http://calymca.org/mlc/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/63MLC_GoverningBoardApp.pdf

5.) Really, no one wants a free lunch during conference?

If you don't know what I'm talking about, you should re-read the Feb 3 Reminders email.

6.) End-of-the-Year Schedule

Monday, February 14: A Special Valentine's Day Delegation Meeting - spend the evening with the delegation you love!

Agenda:

Campaign training

Conference Q&A

Bill Sponsors will practice their sponsor speechs

Colin's Campaign To-Do list

Thursday, February 17: Meet in the Hyatt Lobby at 11am IN DRESS CODE to beging the best conference ever!

Reminders - Feb 3

2011-02-09T11:24:00.000-08:00

Just a few quick reminders:

1.) We WILL have meetings next Monday and the Monday after.

2.) Bill sponsors and NIC delegates should be prepared to present their bills/proposals. Last chances to practice before ML/C!

3.) CONA (Conference on National Affairs) applications are due on Thursday, February 17

http://calymca.org/mlc/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/2011CONA_Packet.pdf

4.) Are you a vegetarian? You need to let me know if you require a vegetarian meal at the Governor's Banquet during the conference. (I don't know what the vegetarian option is, I don't know what the meat-eaters option is.)

5.) Did you watch Governor Brown's State of the State Address this week? Watch it and send me a paragraph on what you think might help fix California's budget woes and you'll earn a free lunch during Sac Conference.

https://www.calchannel.com/channel/viewvideo/1988

6.) There are a slew of awards given each year at Sac Conference. If you think someone deserves a nomination, nominate him or her!

Charles Van Winkle “Outstanding Delegate” Award

Michael White Spirit of Youth & Government Award

The Outstanding Advisor Award
The Irvin C. Chapman Outstanding Service to Youth Award
The Outstanding Program Innovation or Development Award

http://calymca.org/mlc/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/63MLC_AwardForm.pdf

7.) Would you like to serve on the Y&G Governing Board and help craft the policies that shape the program? If so, now's your chance! http://calymca.org/mlc/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/63MLC_GoverningBoardApp.pdf

Get Your Bob II Information Here!

2011-01-03T14:53:00.000-08:00

Here's the usual rundown of important conference information!

Of particular note:

1.) Though the last conference ran Friday through Sunday, this conference runs from SATURDAY to MONDAY to take advantage of the Monday, January 17 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday.

2.) Parents please discuss with delegates/delegate please remember: also politely and quickly follow the instructions given to you by ANY advisor, not just your own delegation advisors, unless doing so will place you in immediate, physical harm. If you feel an instruction was wrongly given or that you were being blamed for something not your doing, follow the instruction and then discuss the matter with your delegation advisors when possible. Do not argue with any advisor giving you instructions. That is an inappropriate response. It is usually ineffective as well.

3.) As mentioned in previous emails, we have charter buses for this conference for the first time in the history of our program at the Sacramento YMCA. Please appreciate this and maintain your usual level of courteous behavior and be very nice to the bus drivers. This bus things is kind of a big deal.

4.) Bring clothing appropriate for the weather which will likely be very cold and potentially also rainy. A parka or ski jacket wouldn't be out of place at night. You'll need more than your sweatshirt.

5.) As ever, nothing that plugs in. You know the rules on that.

We're looking forward to a wonderful Bob II and then it's on to Sacramento which, trust us, will be just about the best thing ever. Seriously, it's that good.

YG63 Bulletin #12 - Back To Business!

2010-12-30T10:58:00.001-08:00

****Meetings return this Monday, January 3, 6pm in the Board Room!****

Notice: Noon Year's Eve event has been cancelled.

Upcoming Deadlines

Jan 10 - Final $225 payment deadline (See additional payment information below)

Jan 15 - NIC draft proposals due at Bob II

Upcoming Events

Jan 3 and Jan 10 meetings are MANDATORY!

Jan 15-17 - Bob II! Buses depart at 3:30am from the Y on SATURDAY, January 15.

Announcements and Reminders

1.) NIC program members should have ideas for their proposals. Drafts (10 copies) are due at Bob II. Don't get on the bus without one!

2.) Bill Sponsors: Are inexcusably behind on submitting supporting research materials.

3.) The January 3 and January 10 meetings are mandatory - we will be distributing information regarding Bob II and finalizing carnival plans. Please bring any carnival supplies you have to the meeting on January 3. We need candy! Do you have any Halloween candy or Christmas candy you want out of the house? Bring it to the meeting!

4.) Payment information: The Monday, January 10 meeting is the deadline for all delegates to meet their financial obligations - whether that is the full program cost or the amount indicated on your financial aid paperwork. If your family has a problem meeting that amount you must contact Sam Doffo (452-9622 ext 132) PRIOR TO THE JAN 10 MEETING or you will not be able to continue the program. As ever, we are happy to work with families who notify us of problems. But if we don't know about a problem, we expect payments.

***Missed past Bulletins? Check the delegation website http://saccentraldelegation.blogspot.com/search/label/Bulletin All are posted the same day they are sent.***

Carnival! Are you ready?!

2010-12-20T11:41:00.003-08:00

Mini Bulletin - It's like a mini holiday cupcake

2010-12-20T11:41:00.001-08:00

1.) Thanks to everyone who donated items and helped out at Swim With Santa on Friday!

2.) NO MEETING tonight, Dec 20 and NO MEETING next Monday, Dec 27.

This means only TWO meetings remain between now and Bob II: January 3 and 10. You know what's coming, right? Those two meetings are MANDATORY! :) Don't miss them, or you'll miss out on Bob II.

3.) NIC members: your draft proposal will be due at Bob II.

4.) Chris and Emma: your bill supplement material is overdue. Long, long overdue. This is a problem. How serious a problem is up to Y&G HQ. Please contact me ASAP.

5.) Check out this great promo video for the Bob II Carnival! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D_S7EjKBJ6Q

6.) Happy Holidays! See you January 3.

***Missed past Bulletins? Check the delegation website http://saccentraldelegation.blogspot.com/search/label/Bulletin All are posted the same day they are sent.***

Swim With Santa Wish List - UPDATED!

2010-12-13T10:11:00.000-08:00

Check back here - we'll be updating our list as needed.

NEED LIST

~~Ground Turkey - 2lbs~~ (Hellmuth)

~~2 cans kidney beans~~ (Morgan)

~~2 cans chickpeas~~ (Morgan)

~~2 cans black beans~~ (Morgan)

~~2 onions~~ (Hellmuth)

~~2 cans diced tomatoe~~s (Morgan)

~~2 cans tomato sauce~~ (Morgan)

~~chili powder~~ (Johnson)

~~shredded cheese~~ (Helmuth; Johnson)

~~2 bags tortilla chips~~ (Colin)

3 cans nacho cheese sauce (1 by Calloways)

~~3 packs -turkey hot dogs~~ (Jernigan)

~~3 packs-hot dog bun~~s (Calloways)

~~drink mix(lemonade/punch)~~ (Borelli)

~~hot chocolate mix~~ (Calloways, 3 boxes)

~~marshmallows~~ (Borelli)

baked goods (brownies by Johnson, Gingerbread by Colin)

~~3- CROCK POTS~~ (Calloway, Dominguez, Jernigan)

extension cords (1 by Hellmuth, 1 by Powell)

~~bowls~~ (Powell)

~~hot chocolate cups~~ (Kuchera)

cups (cold drink cups by Powell)

~~spoons~~ (Hellmuth, Powell)

YG63 Bulletin #10 The Super Short One

2010-12-01T15:45:00.001-08:00

Check your email at least a few more times between now and Monday's meeting.

That is all.

YG63 Delegation Bulletin #10 Bill Hearing Night Next Monday!

2010-11-23T15:53:00.000-08:00

Upcoming Deadlines

Nov 8 - $225 payment PAST DUE!

Dec 3 - Bill submission deadline

Dec 6 - $225 payment due

Dec 10 - Bill supplement deadline

Dec 10 - Leadership applications and Bob II Officer nominations Due

Upcoming Events

Nov 29 - Bill Hearing Night MANDATORY! Parents strongly encouraged to attend

Dec 17 - Swim With Santa Event and fundraising opportunity at the Y

Dec 31 - Noon Year's Eve at the Y (volunteer event)

Ongoing Events

Coupon book sales

Movie ticket sales

Announcements

Bill sponsors should email me a copy of their bill language before Monday's meeting or risk missing your opportunity to present! If you aren't a bill sponsor, check with your bill sponsor to make sure she/he got this message. $2 pizza fund donation per bill sponsor who gets the bill to me by Sunday night!

BILL HEARING NIGHT IS MONDAY - THIS IS A MANDATORY MEETING - delegates who fail to attend risk not completing the program.

Parents are invited and strongly encouraged to attend!

The meeting will begin promptly at 6pm and we will go until 7:30pm to accommodate all of our bills and allow ample time for debate and voting.

Pizza fund level: The delegation has earned $24 out of approximately $150 in pizza fund opportunity. Most of that is due to the repeated efforts of just a few delegates. We'll need to get to at least $45 or so to fund a holiday party at the December 20 meeting. Read your email! Respond as necessary!

Reminders

1.) Bill Sponsors: your info is here: http://saccentraldelegation.blogspot.com/2010/11/bill-info-central.html

2.) Consider applying for or running for a leadership position at Bob II! http://saccentraldelegation.blogspot.com/2010/11/nearly-everything-you-need-to-know.html

3.) ALL DELEGATES: You must attend Monday's Bill Hearing Night in dress code. You were provided with a copy of the dress code in your initial info packet and again last night. A third copy is attached to this email. Let us know if you have any questions on compliance.

4.) Join our Facebook page and Facebook group!

http://www.facebook.com/#%21/pages/Sacramento-CA/Sacramento-Central-Delegation/313640715062

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=91239637535

5.) The Y is hosting a Swim with Santa event on Dec 17 (see attached flyer). We have the opportunity to sell food at this event. We'll be taking sign-ups for volunteers (parents and delegates), asking for loaned crock-pots, and possibly supply donations at Bill Hearing Night. Also, if you can help us promote this event (to schools, parent groups, day care centers, etc) please let us know!

5.) Happy Thanksgiving!

***Missed past Bulletins? Check the delegation website http://saccentraldelegation.blogspot.com/search/label/Bulletin All are posted the same day they are sent.***

Additional Information About Program Areas

2010-11-17T15:26:00.000-08:00

If you missed Bob I, or if you still have questions about program areas, please review the information on each program area available at the Y&G website: http://calymca.org/mlc/program/program-areas/ If after reading the website you still have questions, contact your delegation leadership or your advisors.

Within each program area, there may be additional leadership opportunities. Make sure you check those out and note any application deadlines and requirements (ie: NIC committee chair, legislative committee chair, etc)

Distribution Formula - Who Gets What Program Area?

2010-11-17T15:16:00.001-08:00

Here are the program area slots we have this year, based on delegation size.

This assumes that everyone in the delegation currently continues in the program through Bob II.

Total delegates: 15 (delegates - forum members)

Senate - 2

Assembly - 3

Print Media - 1

NIC - 3

Lobbyist - 1

Appellate Court - 1

Trial Court - 1

Assistant Leg. Analyst - 1

Board of Education - 1

Constitutional Convention - 0

Page - 1

No one listed Constitutional Convention as a first choice, so I will not attempt to get a slot for our delegation in that program.

Also, these formulas DO NOT apply to leadership positions. This means if you apply to be a print media editor, we still have another print media slot, so we could end with two Sac delegates in print media instead of 1. Does that make sense? (Note: broadcast media is solely by application, the media slot does not apply to broadcast media)

Remember, you have until next Monday to change your preferences if you've changed your mind since the last meeting.

YG63 Delegation Bulletin #9 Bills, Bills, Bills Edition

2010-11-16T14:50:00.001-08:00

Welcome Parents! We've decided to add a parents distribution list since we want to make sure all this great information gets out to our extended delegation family . . . . Your delegate has been receiving this bulletin weekly. Information on where you can find past bulletins can be found at the bottom of this email.

Upcoming Deadlines

Nov 8 - $225 payment PAST DUE!

Dec 3 - Bill submission deadline

Dec 6 - $225 payment due

Dec 10 - Bill supplement deadline

Dec 10 - Leadership applications and Bob II Officer nominations Due

Upcoming Events

Nov 22 - Practice Bill Hearing night; dress code review

Nov 29 - Bill Hearing Night MANDATORY! Parents strongly encouraged to attend

Ongoing Events

Coupon book sales

Movie ticket sales

Announcements

We'll review the dress code at next Monday's meeting. If you're a returning delegate, please show off your Y&G style by attending in code as an example to your fellow delegates.

Reminders

1.) Bill Sponsors: Attached to this email is a Bill Worksheet. Please complete it and bring it with you to Monday's meeting, along with your bill language and supporting materials.

2.) Bill Sponsors: you also need to visit this link: http://saccentraldelegation.blogspot.com/2010/11/bill-info-central.html

BONUS ACTION ITEM: leave a comment, maybe you'll get a reward of some kind at the next meeting.

3.) Are you a delegate? Reply to this email so I know you read it. You knew this was coming - remember that time at the meeting where I said, "I'm going to ask you to respond to this week's bulletin," - well this is that request. No, there's no pizza fund contribution tied to it this week. But stuff like this counts when we're considering the application of scholarship money and program area assignments!

4.) If you change your mind regarding your program area role selection preferences, you must let Christiana know by next Monday's meeting.

5.) Consider applying for or running for a leadership position at Bob II! http://saccentraldelegation.blogspot.com/2010/11/nearly-everything-you-need-to-know.html

6.) Items for the on-line auction are still being accepted - but get 'em in soon! (see attached flier)

7.) Join our Facebook page and Facebook group!

http://www.facebook.com/#%21/pages/Sacramento-CA/Sacramento-Central-Delegation/313640715062

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=91239637535

Nearly Everything You Need To Know About Elected/Appointed Positions (T&EII)

2010-11-16T14:48:00.000-08:00

As discussed at the last meeting, if you want the maximum amount of control over your program area assignment, apply for a leadership position or run for an office! There are plenty of options available between now and Bob II. Here's some information. If you have questions, check the Y&G website (linked in the side bar) or ask an advisor!

Note: some, if not all, applications require an advisor's signature. Some require a letter of recommendation. Make sure you research the qualifications and requirements of the job in which you're interested. And don't wait until the last minute to gather everything you need!

Appointed jobs - click here for details

Legislative committee chair
NIC committee chair
Print media - Business Manager; Production Manager; News Editor; Features Editor; Opinions Editor; Entertainment Editor
Broadcast media (all participants chosen via application)
State Legislative Counsel, Assistant Leg Counsel
Chief Page
Governor's Cabinet
Permanent Pages
Governor's Lobbyist
Jury Trial

Elected jobs - click here for details
(these are elected by specific program area)
Forum Lt. Governor
NIC Administrative Clerk
NIC Adversary General
Secretary of the Senate
Sgt-at-Arms of the Senate and Assembly
Attorney General
Presiding Justice
District Attorney
Constitutional Convention Presiding Speaker
(these are elected generally)
Secretary of State (elected this year to serve next year)
Youth Governor (elected this year to serve next year)

Online Auction!

2010-11-16T10:45:00.000-08:00

It's not too late to submit items for the Online Auction - our delegation will get credited for your items selling price! Click here for more information.

Bill Info Central

2010-11-16T10:42:00.000-08:00

Here's your bill writing information:

Still need research help? Check out this doc.
You'll need to complete this form for the next meeting - it will help you present your bill and prepare your . . .
Bill supplement packet - yup, looks somewhat like the previous form, but you'll need to complete it if your bill is selected to proceed. Of course, most importantly, you'll need to actually write . . .
Your bill!

Do you have questions about how to write your bill? The format? The language? Don't wait until next Monday! Contact your advisors or your delegation leadership ASAP.

YG63 Delegation Bulletin #8 We're Off To Bob I!

2010-11-09T09:50:00.000-08:00

NOTE: If you did not return a signed parent slip from the Bob I information packet, you won't be allowed on the bus on Friday morning. The parent info packet is attached to this email. Either bring the slip on Friday morning OR avoid the consequences of forgetting the slip and have your parent send me an email indicating they have reviewed the information.

Upcoming Deadlines

Nov 8 - $225 payment PAST DUE!

Dec 3 - Bill submission deadline

Dec 6 - $225 payment due

Dec 10 - Bill supplement deadline

Dec 10 - Leadership applications and Bob II Officer nominations Due

Upcoming Events

Nov 12-14 Training & Elections Conference I (Bob) Meet at the Y at 3:30am on Friday, November 12!

Nov 14 - Community Garage Sale and parking lot fundraiser! Send your parents to help, please!

Nov 15 - Yes, we still have a meeting on Monday night

Nov 29 - Bill Hearing Night MANDATORY! Parents strongly encouraged to attend

Ongoing Events

Coupon book sales

Movie ticket sales

Announcements

All delegates are expected to help with the carnival during the conference. This is our chance to raise some money to get our scholarship fund levels up again!

We badly need parents, family, or friends to volunteer for the parking lot and sales event on Sunday. Don't leave us hanging.

Reminders

1.) The delegation and program calendars are attached to this email for your review.

2.) We need stopwatches (or watches with second hands/timers) for the conference - can you lend one?

3.) $1 donation to the pizza fund for every delegate who replies to this email by saying "I'm ready to help at the carnival!"

4.) $2 donation to the pizza fund for every delegation officer who does the same.

5.) Donations for the community garage sale should be dropped off at the Y starting Wednesday.

6.) Items for the on-line auction will be accepted through Nov 15 (see attached flier)

7.) Join our Facebook page and Facebook group!

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Sacramento-CA/Sacramento-Central-Delegation/313640715062

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=91239637535

[Nearly] Everything you'll need to know about Bob I, you'll learn in this post

2010-11-01T13:15:00.000-07:00

Get your Bob I info here! Bring back the parent sign-off slip to the November 1 meeting and earn $1 for the pizza fund!

YG63 Delegation Bulletin #7 Bills, Conferences, and Fundraisers, Oh my!

2010-10-26T16:10:00.000-07:00

Upcoming Deadlines

November 1 Ideas and materials lists for Bob I carnival fundraisers due at the meeting.

November 8 $225 payment due

November 8 Election year scholarship due

Upcoming Events

October 29 Halloween Event at the Y

November 8 MANDATORY MEETING. Miss this meeting and you'll miss the conference.

November 12-14 Training & Elections Conference I (aka: Bob I) Be at the Y at 3:30am on Fri, Nov 12!

Ongoing Events

Coupon Book Sales

Movie Ticket Sales

Announcements

Delegation Officer Meetings will be held prior to regular meetings and officers should meet Amber at the gate to the Board Room (ie: the usual place).

Reminders

1.) Bill Sponsors: Attached to this email you'll find a Bill Template and a Bill Supplement form. Check them out. Use them to help you research and draft your bills. (Hint: We'll expect you to bring some work to the next meeting)

2.) Volunteers still needed for November 14 event. Information attached.

3.) Interested delegates should meet at the Board Room at 5:30 next Monday to help our candidates make campaign signs for Bob. Have supplies to donate? Email Jordan at feri.jordan@gmail.com

4.) Check out the potential carnival games here.

YG63 Delegation Bulletin #6 - Bob's-a-comin'!

2010-10-22T17:05:00.000-07:00

One word - paperwork:

http://saccentraldelegation.blogspot.com/2010/08/new-year-new-information-get-your.html

http://saccentraldelegation.blogspot.com/2010/09/scholarship-application-available.html

Upcoming Deadlines

November 8 $225 payment due

November 8 Election Year Scholarship due

Upcoming Events

Oct 29 Halloween Event at the Y

November 8 MANDATORY meeting, parents invited, Bob I preparation meeting

Ongoing Events

Coupon Book Sales

Movie Ticket Sales

Announcements

We need parent and family volunteers for the November 14 parking lot and comunity garage sale events. Please submit sign up forms at the next meeting.

Congrats to our new delegation officers!

Gabe - Historian

Ivan - Secretary

Muktesh - Sergeant-at-Arms

Chris - Treasurer

Colin - PR

Reminders:

1.) Paperwork. Still. Is yours in?

2.) Halloween Event sign up - so far, Lili, Airayana, Gabe, Joseth, and Steven have signed up to help out on October 29. Anyone else? This counts as community service.

3.) Have you been late or absent? Do you owe the delegation pizza fund some dough? Please pay your bills!

4.) Bill groups should have some research with them for Monday's meeting! ACTION ITEM: What bill group do you want to join? You'll be joining one at the start of the meeting on Monday - give it a think.

5.) If you watched any of the gubernatorial debates and want to submit a paragraph for pizza money, please do so by the next meeting (email to me or bring it to the meeting. handwritten is fine.) Only two people have submitted something so far.

6.) DELEGATION OFFICERS: You will meet at 5:30, prior to our meeting, on Monday. PLEASE BE ON TIME!

YG63 Delegation Bulletin #5 - let's get legislatin'

2010-10-13T12:20:00.001-07:00

DELEGATES IN NEED OF FINANCIAL AID WHO HAVE NOT SUBMITTED A COMPLETED SCHOLARSHIP APPLICATION BY THE NEXT MEETING WILL NOT BE ELIGIBLE FOR SCHOLARSHIP MONEY TO COVER THE COST OF THE FIRST CONFERENCE.

We need the rest of your paperwork as well.

I have complete paperwork (excluding scholarship forms) from: Airayana, Amanda, Chris, Evan, Ivan, Lili, and Muktesh.

I am missing signed payment policies from Colin and Gabe.

I have no paperwork from: Andrew, Emma, Joseph, Joseth, Kenneth, Jermaine, Sarah, Sergio, or Trinidad.

If you turned in forms and are listed as missing forms, please contact me ASAP.

All forms are available at the website:

http://saccentraldelegation.blogspot.com/2010/08/new-year-new-information-get-your.html

http://saccentraldelegation.blogspot.com/2010/09/scholarship-application-available.html

Upcoming Deadlines

October 18 $225 payment due

October 21 Officer/Leadership Application forms due (online)

http://spreadsheets.google.com/a/calymca.org/viewform?hl=en&formkey=dEhqcDJ2UXRYbzNjR29OcWliaUNRbGc6MQ&utm_source=ML%2FC+Bulletin+List&utm_campaign=28bf9f7dea-ML_C_Online_Forms10_12_2010&utm_medium=email

November 8 Election Year Scholarship due

Upcoming Events

Oct 29 Halloween Event at the Y

November 8 MANDATORY meeting, parents invited, Bob I preparation meeting

Ongoing Events

Coupon Book Sales

Movie Ticket Sales

Announcements

We raised $327 last weekend through our fundraising events. Good work!

We need parent and family volunteers for the November 14 parking lot and comunity garage sale events. Please submit sign up forms at the next meeting.

Reminders:

1.) Paperwork. Need I say more?

2.) Besides missing the conference for lack of paperwork, you could also miss it if you don't register online.

http://cal.yigyag.net/index.html

Yes, the site is frequently down. Keep trying.

3.) Halloween Event sign up - so far, Lili, Airayana, Gabe, Joseth, and Steven have signed up to help out on October 29. Anyone else? This counts as community service.

4.) Attendance - Muktesh, Sergio, and Trini advised Jordan they would be absent at the last meeting. Unexcused absentees: Colin, Jermaine. Please contact Jordan when you're going to be late or absent!

5.) If you watched any of the gubernatorial debates and want to submit a paragraph for pizza money, please do so by the next meeting (email to me or bring it to the meeting. handwritten is fine.)

6,) Be prepared to break into bill groups next week. If you have a bill idea, you need to bring something besides just the idea to the next meeting (research, etc). Be prepared to debate the bill. This means anticipating some arguments against your bill and being prepared to respond to criticism. Check this out from the website for more guidance:

http://saccentraldelegation.blogspot.com/2009/10/bill-writing-101.html

A Quotation For The Day

2010-10-13T09:12:00.000-07:00

"Genuine politics - even politics worthy of the name - the only politics I am willing to devote myself to - is simply a matter of serving those around us: serving the community and serving those who will come after us. Its deepest roots are moral because it is a responsibility expressed through action, to and for the whole."

--Vaclav Havel

Voter Registration Deadline Looms!

2010-10-06T15:41:00.001-07:00

From the Secretary of State's website:

http://www.sos.ca.gov/elections/elections_faq.htm

What is the deadline to register to vote?

The deadline to register to vote is 15 days prior to each local and statewide Election Day.

To be eligible to vote in the November 2, 2010, Statewide General Election, you must register to vote by October 18, 2010.
How do I register to vote?
To register to vote you must obtain and complete a voter registration form. Voter registration forms can be obtained by:

Downloading a voter registration form and mailing it to your county elections official; or
Calling your county elections official and requesting a form; or
Calling our toll-free voter registration hotline at (800) 345-VOTE and requesting a form.

YG63 Delegation Bulletin #4

2010-10-05T14:24:00.000-07:00

ALL PAPERWORK DUE NEXT WEEK AT THE START OF THE MEETING.

This includes:

Emergency Medical Form

Delegation Contract

Code of Conduct

Payment and Refund Policy

Y Scholarship Application (if applicable)

Upcoming Deadlines

October 11 - Final sweatshirt design deadline. We'll vote for our winning design on Monday!

October 15 - T&EI officer nomination forms due (via the website)

October 18 - $225 payment due

November 8 - Election Year scholarship due

Upcoming Events

Oct 10 - Parking lot fundraiser, 8am, lower parking lot. Thanks to Lili, Airayana, Evan, Emma, Sarah, Jordan, Joseph, Ivan, Jermaine, Muktesh, Joseth, and Colin for volunteering to help.

Oct TBA - Halloween Event at the Y.

Ongoing Events

Coupon book sales

Movie ticket sales (see below)

Announcements

We'll be adding discount movie ticket sales to our on-going fundraisers. Tickets can be used at Regal, Cinemark, or AMC theaters. Tickets cost $10, $2 of which will be credited to your program fees. We'll have order forms available at the next meeting.

Reminders:

1.) Paperwork. Seriously. Get. it. in. now. All available on-line if you need it. http://saccentraldelegation.blogspot.com/2010/08/new-year-new-information-get-your.html

http://saccentraldelegation.blogspot.com/2010/09/scholarship-application-available.html

2.) Please register at the Y&G website. Click the big red "conference registration button" on the home page, or click here http://cal.yigyag.net/index.html

3.) Financial Aid policy available here - http://saccentraldelegation.blogspot.com/2010/09/scholarship-application-available.html

4.) Attendance: we expect to see you at every meeting, but we know things come up. To avoid making the $10 late/no-show pizza fund donation, let me or Jordan know if you're going to be absent. If you're going to be late, let Jordan know. At Monday's meeting, we had 11 delegates present, 4 delegates we knew would be absent . . . leaving 8 delegates unaccounted for and we missed you!

5.) If you are interesting in learning how to write a good personal fundraising letter and developing a personal fundraising plan (ie: writing for dollars), please bring to the next meeting a list of potential contacts and a draft letter. Check the website later this week for more information on how to develop a list and how to draft the letter. Leave a comment on the website post and that's another $1 in the pizza fund.

YG63 Delegation Bulletin #3 - One fundraiser down, many more to go

2010-10-03T20:50:00.000-07:00

Meetings are Mondays from 6-7pm

September 22 was a payment due date. The first $150 payment was due at the last meeting. If you did not turn in your payment, please bring it to the next meeting. If you have financial concerns, please let me know ASAP.

Upcoming Deadlines
October 4 - Sweatshirt ideas due (color: Ash gray. We can have up to two colors on the shirt)
October 4 - Debate Watching paragraph (pizza fund-raiser) due at meeting
October 15 - T&EI Officer nomination forms due; leadership applications due (via the Y&G site - form not yet active)
October 18 - $225 payment due
November 8 - Election Year Scholarship Due

Upcoming Events
Oct 10 - Parking lot fundraiser
Oct TBA - Halloween Event at the Y (volunteer opportunity)

Ongoing Events
Coupon book sales

Announcements
In case you missed it above, we now meet on MONDAY NIGHTS! At 6pm. Still in the same place.

The on-time-or-fine policy will officially kick into effect at the Monday, October 4 meeting. What policy am I talking about? If you do not contact Jordan to advise him you'll be late/absent, you will owe $1/min (up to $10) you are late to the pizza fund. It's easy to avoid this fine. Don't be late. Or call Jordan. Easy Peasy. See previous email for his contact information.

Thanks to your efforts, we raised $650 at the Spaghetti Feed. A big thank you to all who sold tickets, volunteered to help at the event, and to Morgan and Sam for cooking up a storm!

The Scholarship application and scholarship policy are available at the website:
http://saccentraldelegation.blogspot.com/2010/09/scholarship-application-available.html
Let us know if you have questions about the application or the policy.

Friend us on Facebook! We have a group and a page. Why? Because we do. Join one and like the other. :)

Reminders

1.) BRING BACK YOUR SIGNED PAPERWORK. No seriously. This includes: Delegation Contract; Medical Release Form; Code of Conduct; Payment Policy. (Note - several people have turned in all the forms except the payment policy. Please return that too, even if you have financial concerns, we still need that on-file.) Lost your forms? Get them here!

2.) Please return Y scholarship applications ASAP. Remember, the more information you include, the more context we have about your family's financial situation, the better help we can provide.

3.) Please visit the Y&G Website, click on the "Conference Registration" button, create your account, and register online. $1 per delegate who completes this before ~~Monday~~ Tuesday at noon will go to the delegation pizza fund. See previous email for detailed instructions.

5.) Remember to check the delegation website after and between meetings for updates and announcements. We'll also post downloadable versions of forms in case you lose any after a meeting.

***Missed past Bulletins? Click here.***

First Fundraiser - Success!

2010-09-30T13:30:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the tremendous efforts of our delegates, their families, and the Y, we're pleased to announce our first Spaghetti Feed fundraiser netted the delegation scholarship funn [drumroll!] $650!

Congratulations, Sac Central!

Scholarship Application Available

2010-09-28T09:36:00.000-07:00

Click here to download the Y's Scholarship Application.

Read and follow the directions on the first page. The second page is blank and the application begins on page 3.

Things to remember:

All delegates may apply for scholarship money.
No delegate will be considered for scholarship money without a completed application on file.
Scholarship applications should be returned to Christiana or Morgan at a weekly meeting.
There's no box on the form for Youth & Government - we know - that's okay, we know for which program your applying.
Scholarships will be awarded based on several criteria including, but not limited to:

Demonstrated financial need
Demonstrated dedication to the delegation

Weekly meeting attendance (including timely arrival and departure or notifying delegation president in cases of late arrivals or absences)
Meeting participation (positive contributions to discourse, bill or proposal ideas, respect for fellow delegates, etc)

Demonstrated fundraising efforts

Attending fundraisers, selling tickets, selling coupon books, etc
Effort will be every bit as important as results
Participation in scholarship opportunities

Timely return of required forms (medical release, delegation contract, etc), completion of requested actions (online registration), requested replies to emails, etc.
Effort at making incremental payments when possible (i.e.: if you/your family can afford $10/week toward program costs, bring us $10/week; bring whatever portion of a payment you can on a payment due day, etc)

The bottom line: need isn't the only or most important factor, participation isn't the only or most important factor - we'll take a holistic view of your participation in the program and your need for aid and do our best to equitably distribute available funds. Please provide us with as much context as possible about your family's situation - especially if you feel the numbers don't tell us the whole story about your level of need. We can do a lot to help, but only if we have all the information necessary.

If something comes up that changes your family's situation, come talk to us about it before you quit the program or anything crazy like that.

Earn Your Delegation Some Money!

2010-09-28T09:18:00.000-07:00

Watch (or listen to) tonight's debate between gubernatorial candidates Meg Whitman and Jerry Brown (on KCRA at 6pm or Capitol Public Radio 90.9 or streaming on-line), write a paragraph about what you observed, who won, who was funny, who you agreed with or disagreed with, etc, email it to your advisor and - presto! - $2 per participant to the delegation pizza fund!

Earn Yourself Some Scholarship Money!

2010-09-28T09:10:00.000-07:00

Sacramento Central Delegation Election Year Scholarship

What is it?
A way for you to earn money, learn about the political process, and engage in your community.

Who is eligible?
All Sacramento Central Delegates who have completed the Y’s required financial aid documents.

How do I participate?
1.) Find a candidate, political party, interest group, or ballot measure that interests you. Volunteer to work on its campaign for a minimum of 10 hours between now and Election Day on Tuesday, November 2, 2010 (that’s about 5 weeks from now).

2.) On Election Day, take a photo of yourself visiting your local polling place – yes, even if you can’t vote, you can still take time to figure out where you’ll be voting in a few years.

3.) Finally, write a 2 page paper (that’s only about 500 words) on your volunteer experience. What did you do? What did you learn? What surprised you? How did your candidate or cause do on Election Day?

What do I get?
You get $50 credited to your program costs.

Can you explain this some more?
Sure, here’s the deal: It’s an election year and you’ve chosen to participate in a model legislature and court program, so we’re hoping you’ll find the elections more interesting than you might’ve before. We hope you watch a least a little news and read a newspaper each day and know the basics of who is running for which office, what groups are supporting what candidates and what causes, and what proposals are before voters in November.

We don’t care what campaign you volunteer for: Jerry Brown, Meg Whitman, Barbara Boxer, Carly Fiorina, your local nominee for School Board, your local Assembly nominee (Democrat or Republican), or a third party that is working on behalf of a candidate or cause (for example, if a labor union is making calls on behalf of a candidate for State Senate). There is some group or some person you can learn about and care about, go volunteer to help ensure victory.

You must volunteer for at least 10 hours on the campaign of your choosing. To validate your time, have a campaign manager or some in-charge person sign-off on your time and provide and email address and phone number at which we can reach them.

What kind of work to campaign volunteers do? All sorts – walk precincts, make telephone calls, stuff envelopes, make copies, pour coffee, clean the campaign headquarters, assembly yard signs, answer phones, there’s always something to do.

I don’t have any idea who to work for, can you give me some ideas?
Of course!

I don’t need the scholarship money, but I’d like to participate – can money go to the Delegation fund?
Again, of course! And great idea.

YG63 Delegation Bulletin #2 - We're Moving to MONDAYS! (read this carefully and completely! hint hint)

2010-09-24T14:07:00.000-07:00

Meetings will now be held MONDAY at 6pm (note: that is different than Wednesdays at 6:30pm) Mondays at 6pm. Mark your calendars!

September 22 was a payment due date. The first $150 payment was due at the last meeting. If you did not turn in your payment, please bring it to the next meeting. If you have financial concerns, please let me know ASAP.

Upcoming Deadlines

September 29 - Spaghetti Feed fundraiser! Sell those tickets!

October 4 - Sweatshirt ideas due (color: Ash gray. We can have up to two colors on the shirt)

October 15 - T&EI Officer nomination forms due; leadership applications due (via the Y&G site - form not yet active)

Upcoming Events

September 29 - Spaghetti Feed Fundraiser

Oct 10 - Parking lot fundraiser

Ongoing Events

Spaghetti Feed ticket sales

Coupon book sales

Announcements

In case you missed it above, we now meet on MONDAY NIGHTS! At 6pm. Still in the same place.

We need YOUR ideas for fundraisers! All ideas are good ideas - but the best ideas won't require much up-front money! Have you had a successful fundraiser at school or in another activity? Think it will work for us? Let us know!

The on-time-or-fine policy will officially kick into effect at the Monday, October 4 meeting. What policy am I talking about? Check your delegate contract for more details.

Reminders

1.) BRING BACK YOUR SIGNED PAPERWORK. This includes: Delegation Contract; Medical Release Form; Code of Conduct; Payment Policy. (Note - several people have turned in all the forms except the payment policy. Please return that too, even if you have financial concerns, we still need that on-file.) Lost your forms? Get them here!

2.) Arrive on time, depart on time - it's essential that you arrive by 6:30 and that your ride is there to pick you up at 7:30!

3.) Bring your calendar or planner to meetings so you can be aware of potential conflicts when we schedule additional fundraisers and events. Want a calendar in digital format? You can download versions of the main program calendar here - http://calymca.org/mlc/conferences/program-calendar/

4.) Check out the new Y&G website - www.calymca.org/mlc there's lots of good info there for new and returning delegates alike.

5.) Remember to check this delegation website after and between meetings for updates and announcements. We'll also post downloadable versions of forms in case you lose any after a meeting.

6.) Check out the updated calendar and payment policy (reflecting the changed meeting dates).

***Missed past Bulletins? Click here. All are posted the same day they are sent.***

($1 toward the Delegation Pizza Fund for every delegate who replies to this email with "Wohoo Pizza" in the message body. Yes, this is your test for the week.)

A Whole New Reason To Like Mondays!

2010-09-23T10:12:00.000-07:00

Sac Central is moving its meetings to Mondays at 6pm! You'll never have to wait until Wednesday again to get your Y&G fix for the week.

See you next Monday at 6pm!

YG63 Delegation Bulletin #1

2010-09-21T16:36:00.000-07:00

Greetings, Sac Central Delegation! Here are some notes and reminders for the coming week:

Upcoming Deadlines

September 22 - $150 payment due

October 6 - Sweatshirt ideas due

October 15 - T&EI Officer nomination forms due; leadership applications due

Upcoming Events

September 29 - Spaghetti Feed Fundraiser

Oct 10 - Parking lot fundraiser

Ongoing Events

Spaghetti Feed ticket sales

Coupon book sales

Announcements

This year, our delegation will choose the sweatshirt color for the coalition. Start thinking about your preferences!

Reminders

1.) Arrive on time, depart on time - it's essential that you arrive by 6:30 and that your ride is there to pick you up at 7:30!

2.) We'll continue to talk about bill ideas at the next meeting. Take a few minutes to watch the news or read the paper tomorrow.

3.) Bring your calendar or planner to meetings so you can be aware of potential conflicts when we schedule additional fundraisers and events.

4.) Remember to check the delegation website after and between meetings for updates and announcements. We'll also post downloadable versions of forms in case you lose any after a meeting. http://SacCentralDelegation.blogspot.com

5.) BRING BACK YOUR SIGNED PAPERWORK. Registration for the first conference is due next week. We cannot register delegates who have not turned in their signed: Delegation Contract; Medical Release Form; Code of Conduct; Payment Policy. Don't get left behind!

First Meeting September 8!

2010-08-26T11:37:00.000-07:00

2010-2011 Kick-off Meeting
and Parents' Night

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

at 6:30pm

Sacramento YMCA Board Room

(accessible via the lower parking lot at the Y)

All are invited and encouraged to attend. Meet former delegates and learn about the program. Get your questions answered and sign up for the program. Learn about scholarship and fundraising opportunities. Don't miss out! Join us for our first meetnig of the year!

New Year, New Information! Get your parent packet here!

2010-08-26T11:32:00.000-07:00

Our first meeting is coming up quickly. Here are some forms and info we'll be discussing there - in case you want to get a jump on filling things out or your parent can't make it.

Questions about the forms? Problems downloading? Let us know! We'll discuss everything at our first meeting: Wednesday, September 8 at 6:30pm in the Board Room at the YMCA!

Summer Mixer - Date Change and . . . Now Free!

2010-08-02T14:25:00.000-07:00

(click to enlarge!)

Join us on Wednesday, August 18th for a River Cats game. We'll enjoy some summer weather, and answer questions about the Youth & Government program. But mostly, it'll just be about the game. And maybe Merlino's? Or Big Spoon! Let us know if you'll be joining us. Tickets are now free! Regularly $13 tickets!

Delegation Bulletin 16

2010-02-08T15:16:00.000-08:00

NOTE: If your name does NOT appear in the following list, you owe me the signed parent slip from the info packet handed out two weeks ago. Please bring it when you check-in with me on Thursday: Michael, Paige, Colin, Rohith, Maribel, Ashley. Everyone else owes me that form!

***Also - Please check your email every day this week in case there is more information I need to get to you before Thursday***

DEADLINES:

February 11 - CONA application due
February 13 - Premier Delegation Application Due (Talk to Patrick to help with this project) (5pm)
- Awards and Recognition Nominations due (5pm)

UPCOMING EVENTS:

February 11-15: 62nd Model Legislature & Court - the big conference, the one you've been waiting for!

REMINDERS/NEWS FOR THE WEEK:

1.) BILL SPONSORS and NIC COMMISSIONERS: Spend a few minutes practicing before Thursday! Know your stuff and - more importantly - know the procedure for bill/proposal presentations and debates. Speak with confidence! Convince others they have no need to question you :)

2.) Arrive at the Hyatt at 11:00am on Thursday. Find me. I'll check you in and give you your materials. Arrive in dress code! Label you luggage - ALL OF IT! Don't forget sleeping bags. If you have not decided with your roommates who needs to bring one, then EVERYONE brings one.

3.) I've attached to this email a copy of the schedule for the conference. (see email) You do NOT need to print it out, you will be given a copy when you check-in. There may be changes in times or room assignments after we get there, as well, so be prepared to be flexible.

WHAT COMES NEXT?

We still have several events in the works:

- YMCA Community Support Campaign 2010 - kicks off Thursday, February 18 with a dinner at the Y at 6:30pm. The first Y&G Call Night will be Thursday, February 25. To sign up for a team, contact Patrick.
- End-of-the-year party! We'll have a get together sometime shortly after Sac Conference to celebrate our accomplishments!
- Summer event planning and recruiting - we'll plan some fun events for the end of the school year and through the summer so we can keep in touch and - importantly - so we can introduce new people to the program! You'll be full of stories and enthusiasm after Sacramento conference - don't forget to tell your friends so they can join next year!
- Summer fireworks booth fundraiser - we'll need volunteers to help out at the first-ever Sac YMCA fireworks booth. Help tie up lose ends from this year and - for seniors - help leave the delegation in good shape for next year.

Delegation Bulletin 15 - Endings and Beginnings

2010-02-01T16:01:00.000-08:00

DEADLINES:

February 4 - Signed parents' letter slip is due at the meeting.
February 11 - CONA application due
February 13 - Premier Delegation Application Due (Talk to Patrick to help with this project) (5pm)
- Awards and Recognition Nominations due (5pm)

UPCOMING EVENTS:
February 4 - MANDATORY Last regular meeting of the year, 7pm in the Board Room, please be on time.
- Bill Sponsors/Authors be prepared to present bills and run them through a mock-hearing.
- Last Sac Conference details and preparation - bring questions if you have any.
February 11-15: 62nd Model Legislature & Court - the big conference, the one you've been waiting for.

REMINDERS/NEWS FOR THE WEEK:

1.) Bring the signed parent slip to the meeting.

2.) BILL SPONSORS: Be prepared to present and debate your bills. This is your last chance to practice.

3.) There are several deadlines occurring during Sac Conference including Premier Delegation applications; various award nominations; and the CONA application. Don't let these go until you get to the conference if you want to complete them.

WHAT COMES NEXT?

The 62nd Model Legislature and Court may end in just a little over a week, but our time as a delegation doesn't!

We still have several events in the works:

- YMCA Community Support Campaign 2010 - kicks off Thursday, February 18 with a dinner at the Y at 6:30pm. The first Y&G Call Night will be Thursday, February 25. To sign up for a team, contact Patrick.

- End-of-the-year party! We'll have a get together sometime shortly after Sac Conference to celebrate our accomplishments!

- Summer event planning and recruiting - we'll plan some fun events for the end of the school year and through the summer so we can keep in touch and - importantly - so we can introduce new people to the program! You'll be full of stories and enthusiasm after Sacramento conference - don't forget to tell your friends so they can join next year!

- Summer fireworks booth fundraiser - we'll need volunteers to help out at the first-ever Sac YMCA fireworks booth. Help tie up lose ends from this year and - for seniors - help leave the delegation in good shape for next year.

Delegation Bulletin 14 - A review of Bulletin 13

2010-01-25T17:01:00.000-08:00

(Note: You received a Bob II evaluation form and a preview of Sac Conference preparation materials. If you haven't responded to the evaluation yet, please do so.)

DEADLINES:

January 29 - Final NIC proposals due for NIC participants.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

January 28 - MANDATORY Meeting at 7pm in the Board room - please be on time.
- NIC Delegates be prepared to present your (nearly) final proposals.
- Sac Conference preparation. Parents welcomed (but not required) to attend)
February 4 - MANDATORY Last regular meeting of the year, 7pm in the Board Room, please be on time.
- Bill Sponsors/Authors be prepared to present bills and run them through a mock-hearing.
- Last Sac Conference details and preparation.
February 11-15: 62nd Model Legislature & Court - the big conference, the one you've been waiting for.

ONGOING EVENTS:

If you have "homework" for your program area - don't forget to devote some time to it between now and Sac conference!

If there are still coupon books out there, get them back to the Y.

REMINDERS/NEWS FOR THE WEEK:

1.) Meeting this week!

2.) If you owe any payments or parts of payments, please get them in to the Y as soon as possible.

3.) Thank you for a successful Bob II. I hope everyone had a great weekend! How 'bout that weather?!

4.) Conference on National Affairs (CONA) applications are due at Sac Conference. If you have questions about the conference or are interested in applying, check out the website: http://saccentraldelegation.blogspot.com/2010/01/2010-conference-on-national-affairs.html If you still want some more information, let me know, and I'll put you in touch with someone who has attended CONA before to answer your questions.

5.) A note about conference attendance: Though the final conference is held here in Sacramento and it's tempting to try to schedule other events around town between February 11-15, you are NOT PERMITTED TO LEAVE THE CONFERENCE for any reason. This includes sporting events, family events, Valentine's Day dates, or because you forgot something at home. For our purposes, you may as well pretend we're in Los Angeles, Texas, or on Mars for the duration of the conference. It might seem weird to you since it's your hometown - but that's the way it works. Period.

Delegation Bulletin 13 - No meeting this week!

2010-01-19T11:40:00.000-08:00

DEADLINES:

January 29 - Final NIC proposals due for NIC participants.

UPCOMING EVENTS:

January 21 - NO MEETING
January 28 - MANDATORY Meeting at 7pm in the Board room - please be on time.
- NIC Delegates be prepared to present your (nearly) final proposals.
- Sac Conference preparation. Parents welcomed (but not required) to attend)
February 4 - MANDATORY Last regular meeting of the year, 7pm in the Board Room, please be on time.
- Bill Sponsors/Authors be prepared to present bills and run them through a mock-hearing.
- Last Sac Conference details and preparation.
February 11-15: 62nd Model Legislature & Court - the big conference, the one you've been waiting for.

ONGOING EVENTS:

If you have "homework" for your program area - don't forget to devote some time to it between now and Sac conference!

If there are still coupon books out there, get them back to the Y.

REMINDERS/NEWS FOR THE WEEK:

1.) No meeting this week.

2.) If you owe any payments or parts of payments, please get them in to the Y as soon as possible.

3.) Thank you for a successful Bob II. I hope everyone had a great weekend! How 'bout that weather?!

4.) Conference on National Affairs (CONA) applications are due at Sac Conference. If you have questions about the conference or are interested in applying, check out the website: http://saccentraldelegation.blogspot.com/2010/01/2010-conference-on-national-affairs.html If you still want some more information, let me know, and I'll put you in touch with someone who has attended CONA before to answer your questions.

5.) A note about conference attendance: Though the final conference is held here in Sacramento and it's tempting to try to schedule other events around town between February 11-15, you are NOT PERMITTED TO LEAVE THE CONFERENCE for any reason. This includes sporting events, family events, Valentine's Day dates, or because you forgot something at home. For our purposes, you may as well pretend we're in Los Angeles, Texas, or on Mars for the duration of the conference. It might seem weird to you since it's your hometown - but that's the way it works. Period.

Mini Bulletin

2010-01-15T11:00:00.001-08:00

1.) We leave TOMORROW MORNING! Be at the Y at 3:30am.

2.) Pack for RAIN and COLD.

3.) Don't forget your delegation sweatshirt.

4.) Bring your ID (school, drivers license, etc, something with a photo)

5.) Bring some pocket money or snacks for breakfast and the ride tomorrow. And some pocket money for lunch on the way home. Food items and things will be for sale at Camp Roberts - totally optional - but bring money if you want any of that, too. All meals will be provided at the conference, so won't need too much cash, regardless.

Reminders for the coming week(s):

There are only a few weeks between Bob II and our final conference!

We will NOT meet on Thursday, January 21 (next week).

However, skipping next week means that attendance is required for the two remaining meetings: January 28 and February 4.

On January 28, NIC program members will present their proposals and we'll have a mock debate. Their final proposals are due (through an online submission process) on January 29 (the day after the meeting.)

We will also spend part of the meeting discussing the final conference, dress code, etc.

On February 4, we'll answer any last minute conference questions and have a mock hearing for our legislative bills (sponsors need to be ready to present).

On February 11 - we'll meet at the hotel for the final conference!

2010 Conference on National Affairs (CONA) Application Available!

2010-01-12T08:31:00.001-08:00

No, it's not in Hawaii . . .

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 500 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.

Here are the application materials. Applications are due upon arrival to Sac Conference on February 11. You'll need an advisor signature and recommendation - so if you're interested, don't delay in getting started and letting your advisor know!

CONA General Info flyer
Packet Contents
Calendar
Application Instructions
Application
Reference Form
Scholarship form

Note: all documents open in Microsoft Word. If you cannot open the application or would like a printed copy, please let your advisors know and one will be provided to you at the next meeting.

Delegation Bulletin 12

2010-01-11T11:03:00.000-08:00

The super condensed bulletin for the week:

Upcoming Events: Bob II is THIS SATURDAY, January 16 through Monday, January 18. You will need to be at the Y at 3:30am. Please get some sleep on Friday night.

REMINDERS/NEWS FOR THE WEEK:

1.) This week's meeting is MANDATORY. If you don't show up, on-time, and don't contact Christiana or Patrick or Chelsea with a verified, legitimate excuse (and there won't be many for this week's meeting), then don't bother coming on Saturday morning because you won't be permitted to board the Bob II Express.

2.) Bob II is a MANDATORY conference. You cannot continue the program if you do not attend the conference.

3.) The conference runs from SATURDAY to MONDAY (for the last conference, we left on a Friday. We don't do that this time.)

4.) You should be fully paid up at this point unless you are on a pre-approved alternative payment schedule. Please make sure you bring your final payment to the meeting this week (it was due last week) or you will not be permitted to board the bus on Saturday.

4a.) For those on alternative payment schedules, I will do my best to have an updated account statement to you by this afternoon or tomorrow morning.

5.) This is the last week of coupon book sales. All money collected and all coupon books themselves MUST BE RETURNED TO THE MEETING THIS THURSDAY. If you don't return the books you took to sell, we will charge you for them.

6.) NIC delegates must bring a draft proposal to Bob II, plus 10 copies. We are happy to make the copies for you, but you must bring a hard copy of your draft to the meeting or email me no later than noon on Friday, January 15 with your draft. Otherwise, you're responsible for your own copies.

7.) Don't forget to work on your applications if applying for a position at Bob II. Also - let me know if you applied for the Broadcast Media program and have an interview scheduled at Bob II so we can make sure you are where you need to be on-time.

See you on Thursday at 7pm. PLEASE BE ON TIME. Too many people are late too often. You know when meetings start. Plan accordingly.

Delegation Bulletin 11

2010-01-04T10:07:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had a great holiday season! Now it's time to get back to work for this last stretch of the Y&G year!

If you received an individual scholarship from the Y&G scholarship committee, you should have received from me a blank thank-you note at Bill Hearing Night. The completed thank-you note was due back to me several weeks ago. If you have not returned the note, please bring it on Thursday - or plan to stay a few minutes after the meeting to complete a new one.

(Also note: I'm including as many parent emails as I have for all bulletins from now on. Welcome, Parents!)

DEADLINES:

January 8 - Final $200 payment deadline. Please bring your payment to the Thursday meeting - then you won't need to make a special trip to the Y on Friday.
January 20 - Final NIC proposals due for NIC participants. (You should have some ideas to kick around and mock-debate at the meeting this week and next week.)

UPCOMING EVENTS:

January 7 - meetings resume - 7pm, Board Room, just like usual. Please be on-time.
January 9 - benefit comedy show. See Reminders section below.
January 10 - Antique Fair Parking lot. Please email me if you are interested in doing this. It's the last month for us to hold the event.
January 14 - Mandatory regular meeting to prepare for conference.
January 16-18 (Saturday-Monday): BOB II at Camp Roberts. Attendance at this conference is mandatory. No exceptions.
February 11-15: 62nd Model Legislature & Court - the big conference, the one you've been waiting for.

ONGOING EVENTS:

If you are on an adjusted payment schedule, I expect you to be pulling out all the stops for the end of the program year - sell coupon books, sell comedy show tickets. Make these last few weeks count and put in the effort. The final conference is a great reward!

REMINDERS/NEWS FOR THE WEEK:

1.) Meetings resume this week - see you this Thursday, January 7, at 7pm in the Board Room, just like usual. Be on time. Anyone who emails to ask if there is a meeting this week must bring me a $1 fine for failing to read his/her bulletin. ;)

2.) Get your payments in. If you're on an adjusted payment schedule, get whatever you can in, as often as you can get it in. If you're on the regular payment schedule YOU MUST BE ON-TIME WITH YOUR FINAL $200 PAYMENT THIS WEEK. Bring it to the meeting to avoid making a special trip on Friday. Or have your parents call the Y with a credit/debit card number and then you don't even need to bring a check.

3.) COMEDY SHOW: The benefit comedy show is scheduled for this Saturday, January 9. You received an email about it. Check your inbox - it's there along with all the details. I expect everyone to participate in this event either by attending, volunteering, or selling tickets. Patrick has 30 tickets with him for sale (if you're a West Campus student, talk to him to get some to sell). If you are a student elsewhere, I can get you tickets to sell, if you contact me ASAP. This is basically free money for us IF WE SELL TICKETS. If we have not sold 40 tickets by Wednesday, I will cancel the event. Let's not let that happen. Remember, YOU and your family do NOT need to buy tickets (though you're welcome to do so, of course). You can sell them to other people. Contact me if you'd like to volunteer for the show. And in case you missed it when I said it earlier, I expect everyone to participate in this event somehow, so if you don't think you'll be able to sell tickets, then I better hear that you'll be there to volunteer.

4.) A note about conference attendance: Though the final conference is held here in Sacramento and it's tempting to try to schedule other events around town between February 11-15, you are NOT PERMITTED TO LEAVE THE CONFERENCE for any reason. This includes sporting events, family events, Valentine's Day dates, or because you forgot something at home. For our purposes, you may as well pretend we're in Los Angeles, Texas, or on Mars for the duration of the conference. It might seem weird to you since it's your hometown - but that's the way it works. Period.

[DELEGATES: In case you didn't finish reading the subject line: REPLY SO I KNOW YOU READ THIS EMAIL]

Enjoy A Night Of Entertainment And Support Our Delegation At The Same Time!

2009-12-18T12:56:00.001-08:00

To purchase tickets call Samantha Doffo at the YMCA at 916-452-9622 ext 132 or email Christiana at cdominguez [at] cslea [dot] com

See you there!

Delegation Bulletin 10 - No Meeting This Week!

2009-12-14T14:45:00.001-08:00

If you received an individual scholarship from the Y&G scholarship committee, you should have received from me a blank thank-you note at Bill Hearing Night. The completed thank-you note was due back to me this past week. You need to make arrangements to drop the completed note off at the YMCA as soon as possible.

DEADLINES:

The December payment deadline has passed for both regular and alternative payment schedules. If you have not met your obligation, you must make arrangements to do so/drop off a check at the YMCA BY WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 16 or risk you position in the program. Email me or call Sam Doffo at the Y if you have questions about the amount you owe. (The standard payment due was $200 by last Friday)

January 8 - Final Payment Deadline ($200)

Upcoming Events:
December 17 - NO MEETING
December 19 - Holi-Day Camp at the Y Fundraiser. So far Tucker, Jordan, Airayana, Lawrence, Maribel, Emily, Kymeshia, and Daija have signed up. Want to sign-up? Email me ASAP. If you have signed up already, your attendance is expected or a phone call is required no less than 24 hours in advance.
December 31 - Noon Year's Eve Volunteer event. Jodran, Maribel, Emily, Kymeshia, Lawrence, and Tucker have signed up for this. If you can help, please call Sam at the Y at 916-452-9622 ext 132. Again, if you have signed up already, your attendance is expected or a phone call is required no less than 24 hours in advance.
January 7 - next meeting, 7pm, Board Room. Bring your payments ($200)
January 10 - Antique Fair parking lot fundraiser

Ongoing Events:
Coupon books can still be sold. Sam should be receiving more at the Y today or tomorrow - including additional sales order forms. If you would like to sell more books (and you should be pushing these for the holidays), contact Sam Doffo at 916-452-9622 ext 132

Door to door sales attempts? Have you tried to sell these books to your neighbor? I would suggest that you - accompanied by your parent(s) and NEVER ON YOUR OWN - put on your best dress-code attire and practice your public speaking skills by presenting the product and talking about the program to your neighbors. Heck, you can even adopt an entirely new neighborhood if you'd like. These books won't sell themselves - you need to get out there. Be safe.

Reminders/New for the Week:

1.) I've sent out many individual updates and messages so far today. Please read all of your email and respond/act when required.

2.) Forgetfullness doesn't excuse non-payment of program fees. If you have no expressed financial need and are behind in payments, your grace period for catching up expires at the close of business on Wednesday, December 16. Get your payments in. Yes, you'll need to make a special trip to the Y if you missed last week's meeting or attended the meeting but forgot your payment.

3.) Thank you to the six (out of 15) delegates who signed up for an attended the parking lot fundraiser on Sunday, despite terrible weather and terrible results. Your dedication is noted and appreciated.

4.) See you at our next meeting on January 7. Please watch your email between now and then.

Delegation Bulletin 9

2009-12-07T13:25:00.000-08:00

IMPORTANT: If you have any coupon books, or money collected from the sales of coupon books, in your possession - BRING THE BOOKS/MONEY TO THE MEETING THIS WEEK. We need to figure out where a lot of outstanding books are or else we can't get more from the company. You can take them away with you again after the meeting, but we need to know FOR SURE where they are.

Upcoming Deadlines:
December 11 - December $200 payment is due (be smart: bring it to the meeting on Dec 10)
December 11 - Bill Supplement packets due (again, be smart, if you're a bill sponsor, and bring to the Dec 10 meeting)
Various appointed leadership deadlines - see applications. Note any advisor signature requirements.

Upcoming Events:
December 7 - Big Spoon fundraiser
December 9 - alternative Big Spoon fundraiser day for at least the East Sac location
December 13 - Antique Fair parking lot fundraiser/bake sale/etc
December 19 - afternoon childcare fundraiser(? - see below)

Ongoing Events:
Coupon book sales (note reminder at the top of this bulletin)

Announcements:
We're considering organizing an afternoon of childcare at the YMCA as a fundraiser. Parents would pay a set amount for up to 4 hours of supervised activities for their kids so they can go Christmas shopping, etc. Money raised by the event would benefit those delegates who volunteer to work the event. We don't have details yet. Who is interested in helping with this? (Assume it will be an afternoon event. There are no set hours yet). We're looking at Saturday, December 19.

Reminders/News for the Week:

1.) KEEP FUNDRAISING! Coupon book sales are still going on and can through at least Bob II - maybe longer. This is money you can be earning. So go get it. Also, I sent a good number of you information on how to contact elected officials for help with sponsorships. So far, no one has shown me a draft letter.

2.) Thanks to the efforts of your advisors, we have secured an additional $500 in scholarship money. This money will ONLY be distributed to those who have a) completed the YMCA's need application (given out so many times now, I've lost count) AND b) to those who demonstrate fundraising efforts and participation in delegation meetings and events.

If you have not turned in this form yet - it is due at the December 10 meeting. NO EXCEPTIONS.

3.) Thanks for a mostly successful bill hearing night. It was great to see so many parents there and I think our other special guests were impressed by your efforts. We're almost there on getting everyone to show up for meetings on time. As far as I know, only Angelik and Joseth let Patrick or Christiana know about delays in getting to the meeting on time. Other latecomers: you need to let Patrick or Christiana know if you're going to be late.

Important Reminders for the Week!

2009-11-30T10:21:00.000-08:00

Short and to-the-point:

1.) California Pizza Kitchen fundraiser tomorrow. See attached flyer [Download it here]: Hope you told everyone you know and encouraged them to enjoy pizza for a good cause!

2.) Big Spoon fundraiser next Monday (Dec 7). These are hard-copy flyers, not electronic ones. They are available at the Y for anyone who would like to grab some to distribute. We'll also have them at the meeting on Thursday.

3.) DRESS CODE MANDATORY FOR THE MEETING ON THURSDAY. If you don't know what this means, you better email me to find out. Don't show up in jeans and sneakers.

4.) BILL HEARING NIGHT IS THIS THURSDAY, DECEMBER 3. Bill Sponsors owe me copies of their bills by 8pm this evening or they will not present their work on Thursday. They may also jeopardize their roles for the conference.

5.) If you have not made your November, $250 payment (and are not on an alternative payment schedule) you better bring a check on Thursday or we will not be able to register you on-time for Bob II and the Sac conference. This will also jeopardize your position in program areas.

6.) If you are on an alternative payment schedule, you should have received an individual update email from me last week. If you can make ANY AMOUNT of payment on Thursday you are HIGHLY ENCOURAGED to do so (be it $20 or $100).

7.) Parents are encouraged to attend Bill Hearing Night. Please invite your parents.

Bill Hearing Night is mandatory. Anyone failing to attend without talking to Christiana beforehand (24 hours in advance, barring extreme medical emergency) will NOT be registered for the rest of the program and may not be able to participate any more. We don't want this to happen! We value all of you and want you to complete the program. Please be on time (That's 6:30pm not our usual 7pm!), in Dress Code, and ready to present your best work to our guests.

Questions? Attendance concerns? Call Christiana at 916-508-3299.

More Leadership Opportunities!

2009-11-24T16:25:00.000-08:00

Are you ready to REALLY take on a challenge? Here are some more chances to demonstrate your leadership skills and really shine in Y&G!

There are two categories of offices on this nomination form (one link for everything listed below)

(Oh, and these are ELECTED positions, so get ready to run. You can totally do this.)

First, statewide leadership - that means Youth Governor or Secretary of State. You'll need to be around next year to pursue these offices, so no seniors. :(

Second, some great program area leadership roles:
Attorney General (10,11,12 - prior Y&G)
Presiding Justice (10,11,12 - prior Y&G)
District Attorney (10,11,12 - prior Y&G)
NIC Adversary General (yeah, I think they have two forms for this - if you're interested, we'll sort it out. See the other post for qualifications.)
NIC Administrative Clerk (10,11,12 - no prior experience required)
SGT-AT-Arms (Senate/Assembly)(10,11,12 - no prior experience required)
Secretary of the Senate (10,11,12 - no prior experience required)
Chief Clerk of the Assembly (10,11,12 - no prior experience required)
SIP Presiding Commissioner (not sure - contact Christiana if you're interested in this position)

All of these are due December 4 and all require an Advisor signature! Don't delay!

(Note: there are limits on how many people from a delegation can run for particular categories. I don't think we'll hit them, so unless that becomes an issue, it's nothing to worry about.)

Delegation Bulletin 8

2009-11-24T12:40:00.000-08:00

NOTE: Many of you have received individual payment updates from me via email today. If you did not receive one from me it is because you are on-time and ahead of schedule.

If you DID receive an update from me please be aware that our registration for the remainder of the conference is due December 4 - one week earlier than our next payment deadline. It would be vastly, seriously, and I'm-not-kidding-ly better for you to attempt to meet payment goals by Bill Hearing Night on December 3.

Everyone can and should be taking advantage of holiday get-togethers to sell coupon books and hit up your relatives for lose change. ;) Wait until after dinner when their defenses are down.

If you need a coupon book as an example or some to sell, contact me by 10 AM WEDNESDAY NOVEMBER 25.

Upcoming Deadlines
December 4 - Bill deadline
December 4 - Registration for the remainder of conference due - if you need to fundraise, keep this date in mind.
December 4 - MANY applications for leadership positions due - check this website for more info.
December 11 - Bill supplemental information due

Upcoming Events
Dec 1 - Fundraiser at California Pizza Kitchen - flyers here
Dec 3 - Bill Hearing Night. Delegate attendance mandatory
Dec 7 - Fundraiser at Big Spoon - several locations.

Ongoing Events
Coupon Book sales
Distribute flyers for the California Pizza Kitchen fundraiser!

Announcements
Bill sponsors have assignments from me via email. I expect you to get some work done even if it's a holiday week!

Reminders/News for the Week

1.) FUNDRAISE! Promote fundraisers! Do it for you, for your delegation, for America.

2.) Our next meeting is Bill Hearing Night on December 3. We will begin at 6:30, not at 7pm. Do Not Be Late. Period.

4.) Meeting attendance is required. In the event you cannot attend due to circumstances beyond your control (and you CAN control homework and general studying), you MUST contact Patrick (595-4191) or Christiana (508-3299) prior to the start of the meeting. If you have lost your contact list, pick up a new on at the meeting. Don't assume someone has called on your behalf if you carpool or included your name if they have identified themselves as unable to attend.

Download the CPK Fundraiser flyer here!

2009-11-20T09:16:00.000-08:00

Pass this to your friends and family and facebook friends!

Just remember, no mass, anonymous handing-out of flyers or you'll invalidate the fundraiser and that would be :(

Get promoting, y'all!

Live Links to Leadership Applications!

2009-11-20T08:04:00.000-08:00

Here are the live links and some important details for upcoming leadership applications. Feel free to email Christiana with any questions. HOWEVER, if you ask a question that would be answered by carefully reading the application, you will not get an answer. Make sure you READ CAREFULLY the entire application!

Permanent Page Form (keep checking back, this one not yet updated)

Governor's Lobbyist Application Form: Due December 4 - Advisor Signature Required! For seniors who were Lobbyists last year.

Governor's Cabinet Application Form: Due December 4 - Advisor Signature Required! Prior Y&G OR proven leadership skills required (hint: that means prior Y&G experience not required if you have an already impressive resume - which I'm sure many of you do).

National Issues Chair Application: Due December 4 - Advisor Signature Required! Note: our delegation can only have one Commission Chair nominee for every 30 delegates - that means our delegation can only have one Commission Chair nominee. If you are interested in applying for this position, you must submit your application to Christiana on or before Bill Hearing Night.

NIC Adversary General Nomination: Due January 8, 2010 - Advisor Signature Required! NIC AG is responsible for either coordinating or delivering the first Con speech for every proposal in the NIC General Assembly. NIC AG will research and prepare or delegate responsibility for reseaching and preparing the Con statements. Also responsible for coordinating four District Adversaries. No prior NIC experience required.

Broadcast Media Application: Due December 4 - Advisor Signature Required! Applicants must also register in another program area because over 100 delegates apply for about 28 spots (this doesn't mean you shouldn't try, however!). Applicants will interview at Bob II. Applicants will not be considered for Broadcast Media if they also apply for another leadership role selected at Bob II. Note: parental signature also required for this application.

Jury Trial Application (note you cannot apply for both Jury Trial Attorney and Supreme Court/Judicial Review - you have to pick one!) Due December 4 - Advisor Signature Required!

Supreme Court/Judicial Review Application: Due December 4 - Advisor Signature Required!

Chief Page Application: Due December 4 - Advisor Signature Required! The ML/C Chief Page will work with the Page Program staff and implement the duties of their office. The Chief Page will create opportunities for fellow delegates to see and participate in every facet of the Youth and Government Program. The Chief Page will plan, organize, assign, manage and appraise their fellow Pages throughout the Y&G Conferences. Prior Y&G experience not necessary.

T&E II Press Corps Application: due at noon at Bob II - to be hand-delivered by you. Advisor Signature Required. Some positions require that you be a senior, some require past Y&G experience, some require past publications/journalism experience - check the description by each position. Lastly - my guess is they have swapped the application requirements for artist and photographer - I would assume photographers must have samples of photos, not drawings. If anyone is interested in those positions, we'll find out.

Most of these forms will open as a Microsoft Word download (Press Corps opens as a pdf). If you cannot open a document, let me know, and I will email one to you in pdf form. You can always download a free Adobe Acrobat pdf reader here. Some also ask for letters of recommendation. If you want an advisor letter of recommendation for an application due December 4, you must request one by November 30 (that's the Monday before the Friday on which applications are due).

Most of these forms require an advisor's signature or other advisor information. Most of them are also due by December 4. This means if you need an advisor signature, you must bring your COMPLETED APPLICATION to Bill Hearing Night on December 3. We can send in your application for you as well.

Congrats to Daija Williams - Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Sunday Magazine

2009-11-17T16:17:00.000-08:00

Sacramento Central Delegation congratulates delegate Daija Williams on her selection as co-Editor-in-Chief of the Print Media program's Sunday Magazine. Daija continues our delegation's proud history of accepting the challenge of leadership and diving into Y&G with both feet!

Can't wait to read your magazine, Daija!

Delegation Bulletin 7

2009-11-17T15:54:00.000-08:00

The Calendar mistakenly lists this week's meeting as Wednesday. It is NOT on Wednesday. It is at its normal time on its normal day - Thursday at 7pm.

Upcoming Deadlines
December 4 - Bill deadline
December 4 - Registration for the remainder of conference due - if you need to fundraise, keep this date in mind.
December 4 - MANY applications for leadership positions due - see website for details. http://SacCentralDelegation.blogspot.com
December 11 - Bill supplemental information due

Upcoming Events
Nov 18 - Mock Bill Hearing Night.
Dec 1 - Fundraiser at California Pizza Kitchen
Dec 3 - Bill Hearing Night. Delegate attendance mandatory
Dec 7 - Fundraiser at Big Spoon (tentative)

Ongoing Events
Coupon Book sales
Distribute flyers for the California Pizza Kitchen fundraiser!

Announcements
Bill sponsors should be ready to present their bills this week and answer questions from the rest of the delegation. This means bringing your research and other background material with you. This, in turn, means you should HAVE some research and background material.

A big THANK YOU to all delegates for arriving on-time on Friday and for being picked up on-time on Sunday. Your advisors appreciate it!

Reminders/News for the Week

1.) Bill groups should be writing actual language this week and should know roughly where in California Code their proposals would live. A hint for most groups: look up the Penal Code.

2.) Bring your calendar or planner to all meetings!

3.) Would you like to invite a VIP to our Bill Hearing Night? A principal, school counselor, advisor, teacher, or community leader? If so, please provide names and addresses by November 18.

4.) Meeting attendance is required. In the event you cannot attend due to circumstances beyond your control (and you CAN control homework and general studying), you MUST contact Patrick (595-4191) or Christiana (508-3299) prior to the start of the meeting. If you have lost your contact list, pick up a new on at the meeting. Don't assume someone has called on your behalf if you carpool or included your name if they have identified themselves as unable to attend.

Bob I Packing List And Parent Letter

2009-11-12T15:25:00.000-08:00

Did you lose yours? Need to double check what to pack?

Click here for the Bob I survival guide.

Click here for the parent letter.

Control your role assignment, add leadership to your college applications

2009-11-10T08:54:00.000-08:00

UPDATE: Use the live links found here instead of below!!!!!!

Apply for these leadership positions! You'll learn more about them at Bob I. All are due December 4 (some of the links below will be updated - so check back if your desired job isn't listed in the drop-down menu).

Permanent Page Form
Governor's Lobbyist Application Form
Governor's Cabinet Application Form
National Issues Chair Application
NIC Adversary General Nomination
Broadcast Media Application
Jury Trial Application
Supreme Court/Judicial Review Application
Chief Page Application

Delegation Bulletin 6 - Ready to Meet Bob?

2009-11-10T08:51:00.000-08:00

Remember: this week's meeting is mandatory for delegates. Please be on time. We will run an efficient meeting from 7pm to 8pm so that everyone can get home to finish packing and get a good night's sleep (especially your advisors).

Upcoming Deadlines

November 12 - $250 payment deadline

(mandatory for conference attendance without prior Y approval for alternate plans. NO EXCEPTIONS)

December 4 - Bill deadline

December 4 - Registration for the remainder of conference due - if you need to fundraise, keep this date in mind.

December 4 - MANY applications for leadership positions due - click here for details.

December 11 - Bill supplemental information due

Upcoming Events

Nov 12 - Last regular meeting before Bob I - Attendance is mandatory.

Nov 18 - Mock Bill Hearing Night.

Dec 1 - Fundraiser at California Pizza Kitchen

Dec 3 - Bill Hearing Night. Delegate attendance mandatory

Dec 7 - Fundraiser at Big Spoon (tentative)

Ongoing Events

Coupon Book sales

Distribute flyers for the California Pizza Kitchen fundraiser!

Announcements

As a delegation, we raised over $1200 last weekend between the Auction and the Antique Fair. Well Done! We appreciate everyone's participation. Did you miss out on fundraising opportunities? There are still coupon books to sell - which make great holiday gifts!

Tentative upcoming meeting agendas:

Nov 12 - Prepare for the first conference; full bill debates and final preparation for Bill Hearing Night!

Reminders/News for the Week

1.) Bill groups should be writing actual language this week and should know roughly where in California Code their proposals would live. A hint for most groups: look up the Penal Code.

2.) Bring your calendar or planner to all meetings!

3.) Last week, we offered prizes to those who read the Bulletin and replied. Out of 22 delegates, only 5 replied. Not good. This week - do better. This week, reply by telling me what time you should arrive at the YMCA on Friday morning. Your prize? You get a sweatshirt and you get to go to a conference.

4.) Departure time for Friday morning is 3:30am. Do not, however, wait until 3:30 am to arrive. Plan to arrive at 3am. An El Dorado advisor will be at the YMCA to check you in (your advisors have luggage duty in El Dorado Hills). Your parents must remain at the YMCA until you have been checked in by an advisor. Please do not park in the lower parking lot as the buses need room to maneuver.

5.) Don't forget to pack some pens and a highlighter for the conference. A notebook or pad of paper can be helpful as well.

6.) The buses will stop for breakfast on the way to the conference and stop for lunch on the way home. We recommend you bring some pocket money to buy food. Of course, you can always pack a breakfast to bring with you on Friday

7.) Other delegations will be selling items at the conference (like food, sodas, t-shirts, tote bags, etc). These are optional for purchase and certainly not required. If you might want to buy anything, however, bring some extra pocket money for that. You do NOT, however, need money for anything at the conference - all meals there will be provided to you. See your schedule for menus. Vegetarian food is available.

8.) Would you like to invite a VIP to our Bill Hearing Night? A principal, school counselor, advisor, teacher, or community leader? If so, please provide names and addresses by November 18.

9.) Meeting attendance is required. In the event you cannot attend due to circumstances beyond your control (and you CAN control homework and general studying), you MUST contact Patrick (595-4191) or Christiana (508-3299) prior to the start of the meeting. If you have lost your contact list, pick up a new on at the meeting. Don't assume someone has called on your behalf if you carpool or included your name if they have identified themselves as unable to attend.

Meeting Location And Time Changes for Nov 5!

2009-11-04T15:14:00.000-08:00

The meeting will be start at 6:45pm tomorrow instead of 7pm.

The meeting will also be held in the TEEN CENTER in the main building of the YMCA (ask the front desk for directions) instead of our usual Board Room location due to last minute Auction preparations taking place there.

YMCA Financial Need Application: Required for Grant Awards

2009-11-03T11:38:00.000-08:00

Our departure for the first conference is swiftly approaching. We've had tremendous success this year already by adding more delegates and running more productive, and I hope more fun, weekly meetings. Sam, Rob, and I are very proud of what we've accomplished so far this year and we expect it to continue and improve (we have really high expectations, have you noticed?)

I'm pleased to inform you that the Y&G Scholarship Committee has awarded our delegation $250 towards the fees for the first conference and $1700 towards the fees for the remaining conferences in grant money to support our mission of ensuring that everyone who puts in the work and demonstrates the dedication is able to participate in Y&G.

Many of you have also taken advantage of the program's individual scholarship program. The committee deciding that award does not meet until November 20 - so if you have applied, expect to hear back at the end of November or beginning of December.

As we have discussed previously, everyone has the opportunity to participate in delegation fundraisers regardless of demonstrated financial need or financial hardship.

In awarding the grant money given to us by the Y&G scholarship committee, however, it is important for us to also take into account demonstrated financial need - along with meeting attendance and participation, fundraising attendance and efforts, and dedication to the delegation as a whole.

Available here to download is the YMCA's standard financial need application. Note: This is NOT a separate award for which to apply. This is a generic application we would like to collect from those wishing to demonstrate eligibility for the grant money we have received. You'll note that some of the application's information or questions may not apply to our program - you can leave those areas blank. Clearly, we're not using this information to determine membership discounts, nor do you need to be concerned with the "what programs are you applying for" section on the back, since this isn't about camp, sports, or swim lessons.

You do need to fill out the family member and income information and provide the requested documents.

You have until Friday, November 6 at 5pm to submit this information. If you are attending the Auction, you may submit it to Christiana at the Auction until 7pm. I will have extra copies of the application at the meeting on Thursday as well if you cannot print out the attachment. That won't leave you much time to complete it, however, so keep that in mind.

We encourage you, however, to bring this to the meeting on Thursday.

If you have questions or concerns about this application YOU or a parent MUST CALL CHRISTIANA ASAP at 916-508-3299. Otherwise, I will expect to see applications from those who have expressed financial need and requested accommodations thus far this year.

Thank you for a great year and a great program.

Delegation Bulletin 5 - Countdown to the first conference!

2009-11-02T13:52:00.000-08:00

Remember: this week's meeting is mandatory for delegates and encouraged for parents. The meeting this week STARTS AT 6:45PM not at 7pm. Please arrive on time. We will not wait for late-comers and you'll miss important information. The second half of the meeting we will continue to work in bill groups. Bill sponsors and group members should be bringing in outside research and information this week: we're past the brain storming stage now!

Upcoming Deadlines

November 12 - $250 payment deadline

(mandatory for conference attendance without prior Y approval for alternate plans. NO EXCEPTIONS)

Upcoming Events

Nov 5 - First Conference planning meeting. Attendance is mandatory. Parents are invited to attend to learn more about our conferences.

Nov 6 - Sold On Youth Auction 5:30pm-8:00pm at Sac State Ballroom (BIG MONEY FUNDRAISER)

Nov 8 - Antique Fair Parking Lot Fundraiser

Nov 12 - Last regular meeting before Bob I - Attendance is mandatory.

Nov 18 - Bill Hearing Night. Parents are welcome. Delegate attendance mandatory

Dec 1 - Fundraiser at California Pizza Kitchen (tentative)

Dec 3 - POSS SCHEDULE CHANGE: we may hold Bill Hearing Night on Dec 3 instead of Nov 18 depending on room availability at City Hall. Please keep BOTH dates open.

Dec 11 - Fundraiser at Big Spoon (tentative)

*Note on Mandatory Events: Even if you think you have an ongoing exception from Patrick or Christiana about missing regular meetings, that exception DOES NOT APPLY to the Nov 5, 12, and 18 meetings. You will need to speak to Christiana separately about these meetings if you have a specific, valid reason for being unable to attend. Very few excuses will be accepted.

Ongoing Events

Raffle ticket sales (you have until Friday to sell them! Call Sam if you want to pick up tickets this week to sell: 916-452-9622 ext 132. If you have tickets you have checked out but not sold, please bring them back on Thursday)

Coupon Book sales

Announcements

Tentative upcoming meeting agendas:

Nov 5 - Prepare for the first conference; bill groups will present any changes to their bills

Nov 12 - Prepare for the first conference; full bill debates and final preparation for Bill Hearing Night!

Auction Details: Those wishing to attend the Auction on Friday must arrive at the Ballroom at Sacramento State by 5:45pm and plan to stay until about 8:15pm. If you need a parking pass, email Sam to let her know: sdoffo at sacymca dot org.

Reminders/News for the Week

1.) Bill groups should be writing actual language this week and should know roughly where in California Code their proposals would live. A hint for most groups: look up the Penal Code.

2.) Meeting attendance is required. In the event you cannot attend due to circumstances beyond your control (and you CAN control homework and general studying), you MUST contact Patrick (595-4191) or Christiana (508-3299) prior to the start of the meeting. If you have lost your contact list, pick up a new on at the meeting. Don't assume someone has called on your behalf if you carpool or included your name if they have identified themselves as unable to attend.

Absences may count against you when choosing role selection and may preclude your continued participation in the program. Last week's attendance was great - thank you!

3.) Save your self and your advisors considerable stress by getting your payments in on-time or even early. We don't want to leave anyone behind when we head to Bob I on November 13th. Remember: have a parent call Samantha Doffo at 916-452-9622 ext 132 if you have continuing or changing payment concerns. We can only assist with problems about which we are informed! It's better to make ANY payment ($50 a week? $20 a week?) than none at all.

4.) Meeting Check-in Process: Upon arriving at meetings, delegates should first check the side table for any sign-up forms, handouts, or other information. CELL PHONE POLICY: Beginning Oct 15, delegates must turn off their phones (vibrate-mode is not the same as turned-off!) and leave them on the side table for the duration of the meeting. Delegates are not permitted to make or answer calls or texts during the meeting. This policy ensures an efficient, respectful meeting and allows us to continue with an hour-format for our meetings. Exceptions to this policy are granted only in legitimate, medical emergencies. Otherwise, everyone can survive for an hour. (This policy extends to the wearing of headphones/ear pieces/or blue tooth equipment. All are prohibited during the meeting.)

4a.) Are you reading your bulletins? Reply by email saying "I read it!" and receive a prize at this week's meeting.

5.) Bring your calendar or planner to all meetings!

Press Corp Leadership Application Now Available!

2009-10-27T10:07:00.000-07:00

Do you work on your high school newspaper? Have any experience with publications in the past? Writing? Producing? Design? Want to add some extra to your Y&G experience and enhance your college applications even more?

Consider applying for a leadership position in the print media program! Most positions do not require previous Y&G experience (though some do, and some prefer it). If this is your first year in the program, don't take yourself out of the running - give it a shot!

Click here to download the application. Applications are due when we arrive to Bob I.

Delegation Bulletin 4

2009-10-26T16:32:00.000-07:00

Upcoming Deadlines

Oct 30 - Political Parties program area application due. See http://www.calymca.org/parties for more info or talk to Christiana.

November 12 - $250 payment deadline (mandatory for conference attendance without prior Y approval for alternate plans. NO EXCEPTIONS)

Upcoming Events

Nov 5 - First Conference planning meeting. Attendance is mandatory. Parents are invited to attend to learn more about our conferences.

Nov 6 - Sold On Youth Auction 5:30pm-8:00pm at Sac State Ballroom (BIG MONEY FUNDRAISER)

Nov 8 - Antique Fair Parking Lot Fundraiser

Nov 12 - Last regular meeting before Bob I - Attendance is mandatory.

Nov 18 - Bill Hearing Night. Parents are welcome. Delegate attendance mandatory

Ongoing Events

Raffle ticket sales (sell 20 tickets and meet your Nov 12 payment; sell 52 tickets and your program is paid for)

Coupon Book sales

Announcements

Tentative upcoming meeting agendas:

Oct 29 - Groups will present their first draft bills and be prepared to debate them. Need guidance on what information to gather before Thursday? Check here: http://saccentraldelegation.blogspot.com/2009/10/bill-writing-101.html

Nov 5 - Prepare for the first conference; bill groups will present any changes to their bills

Nov 12 - Prepare for the first conference; full bill debates and final preparation for Bill Hearing Night!

California Pizza Kitchen and Big Spoon fundraisers: we've contacted these businesses and they have sent us the material we need to proceed with scheduling fundraisers. We'll have more information on Thursday. These should be fun and tasty events!

Reminders/News for the Week

1.) Meeting attendance is required. In the event you cannot attend due to circumstances beyond your control (and you CAN control homework and general studying), you MUST contact Patrick (595-4191) or Christiana (508-3299) prior to the start of the meeting. If you have lost your contact list, pick up a new on at the meeting. Don't assume someone has called on your behalf if you carpool or included your name if they have identified themselves as unable to attend.

Absences may count against you when choosing role selection and may preclude your continued participation in the program. We've had great attendance so far, but last week NINE people were absent and only one person notified Christiana in advance. That's not cool.

2.) Save your self and your advisors considerable stress by getting your payments in on-time or even early. We don't want to leave anyone behind when we head to Bob I on November 13th. Remember: have a parent call Samantha Doffo at 916-452-9622 ext 132 if you have continuing or changing payment concerns. We can only assist with problems about which we are informed! It's better to make ANY payment ($50 a week? $20 a week?) than none at all.

3.) Meeting Check-in Process: Upon arriving at meetings, delegates should first check the side table for any sign-up forms, handouts, or other information. CELL PHONE POLICY: Beginning Oct 15, delegates must turn off their phones (vibrate-mode is not the same as turned-off!) and leave them on the side table for the duration of the meeting. Delegates are not permitted to make or answer calls or texts during the meeting. This policy ensures an efficient, respectful meeting and allows us to continue with an hour-format for our meetings. Exceptions to this policy are granted only in legitimate, medical emergencies. Otherwise, everyone can survive for an hour. (This policy extends to the wearing of headphones/ear pieces/or blue tooth equipment. All are prohibited during the meeting.)

4.) Bring your calendar or planner to all meetings!

Important Upcoming Events

2009-10-22T10:47:00.000-07:00

There are four MANDATORY MEETINGS/DEADLINES coming up:

November 5: Delegates are required to attend – and their parents are invited and encouraged to attend – this meeting to learn about our first conference for the year: Training and Elections Conference I. We will spend approximately 1/3 to 1/2 of the meeting discussing the conference, travel, and answering questions. The remainder of the meeting will be spent discussing and debating bill proposals.

November 12: Delegates are required to attend the final meeting before we depart BRIGHT AND EARLY the following morning for the conference. This meeting is important for two reasons: 1) notifying delegates of any last-minute changes and answering any last-minute questions and 2) continuing with our bill group work since the next meeting will be our Bill Hearing Night.

Note: November 12 is also the deadline for the next $250 payment.

Delegates who do not attend the November 5 and November 12 meetings and do not make the $250 payment WILL NOT BE ALLOWED ON THE BUS FOR THE CONFERENCE.

(Meeting absences will be excused only if signed note from a parent is provided. Alternative payment plans are granted only by Samantha on a case-by-case basis. Forgetting to attend a meeting, forgetting to provide a timely payment, or forgetting to have a parent call to make alternative arrangements will not be excused and you will not be permitted to attend the conference.)

November 18: Bill Hearing Night! This will be a special meeting at which we will select which of our bills will be presented at the final conference in Sacramento. Parents will be invited and encouraged to attend. Delegate attendance is mandatory. Delegates will also need to attend in dress code. This meetings will start at 6:30, not at our normal 7:00 pm meeting time.

Delegation Bulletin 3

2009-10-19T10:19:00.000-07:00

Lots of information here - please take the time to READ IT ALL and act on it accordingly!

Upcoming Deadlines

Oct 30 - Political Parties program area application due. See http://www.calymca.org/parties for more info or talk to Christiana.

November 12 - $250 payment deadline (mandatory for conference attendance without prior Y approval for alternate plans. NO EXCEPTIONS)

Upcoming Events

Oct 24 - Halloween Volunteer Event at the Y (Sam needs more help! Note, this is not a fundraiser per say, but participation and volunteerism will be considered when awarding limited scholarship funds.)

Nov 5 - First Conference planning meeting. Attendance is mandatory. Parents are invited to attend to learn more about our conferences.

Nov 6 - Sold On Youth Auction 5:30pm-8:00pm at Sac State Ballroom (BIG MONEY FUNDRAISER)

Nov 8 - Antique Fair Parking Lot Fundraiser

Nov 12 - Last regular meeting before Bob I - Attendance is mandatory.

Ongoing Events

Raffle ticket sales (sell 20 tickets and meet your Nov 12 payment; sell 52 tickets and your program is paid for)

Coupon Book sales

Announcements

Bill Hearing Night is currently scheduled for Thursday, November 19 from 6:30-8:00pm. This is the meeting immediately following Bob I. Bills are due on December 4 and Nov 19 is our only real shot at a meeting that leaves us time to revise before bills are due.

ATTENDANCE AT BILL HEARING NIGHT IS MANDATORY.

To prepare for this meeting, we're going to spend the meetings between now and then accomplishing a lot of work on our bills. Here's a tentative schedule:

Oct 22 - Final day to introduce new ideas - bring them all to the table! We'll divide into bill groups and go over parliamentary procedure.

Oct 29 - Groups will present their first draft bills and be prepared to debate them.

Nov 5 - Prepare for the first conference; bill groups will present any changes to their bills

Nov 12 - Prepare for the first conference; full bill debates and final preparation for Bill Hearing Night!

Reminders/News for the Week

1.) Save your self and your advisors considerable stress by getting your payments in on-time or even early. We don't want to leave anyone behind when we head to Bob I on November 13th. Remember: have a parent call Samantha Doffo at 916-452-9622 ext 132 if you have continuing or changing payment concerns. We can only assist with problems about which we are informed! It's better to make ANY payment ($50 a week? $20 a week?) than none at all.

2.) BILL IDEAS: we've had some great bill ideas discussed in our meetings already. This week, be ready to be divided into bill groups. Haven't brought up your idea yet? It's not too late! Come with something on Thursday and pitch it to the delegation. If you've already brought an idea to the table, you should spend some time before Thursday's meeting looking up some initial research. Click here for a list of questions you'll need to be able to answer and that will help guide your research.

3.) Paperwork: THANK YOU! We have nearly 100% of your paperwork submitted. Just a few stragglers to go and we'll be all set. Good work!

5.) Bring your calendar or planner to all meetings!

6.) Kudos to everyone who took the initiative to complete Individual Scholarship Applications. We appreciate your efforts and your getting everything in on time!

7.) Remember: If you are interested in the Treasurer or Secretary positions, you need to submit your statement of interest to Patrick by Tuesday evening (smithpat1992 at yahoo dot com) And be prepared to arrive at the Y early on Thursday!

Bill Writing 101

2009-10-19T09:19:00.000-07:00

Do you have a bill idea you'd like to discuss and pursue this year? If so, here's a guide for your research.

If you've already brought up an idea at a past meeting, you should be able to answer these questions this week. If you have a new idea to bring to the table, you should also be prepared to answer these questions.

Bill Writing Questions:

1. What is the topic of your bill?

2. How did you think of this bill?

3. Have you looked up legislation already written on this topic?

- www.leginfo.ca.gov

4. Is there legislation already in place on your topic?

- If so, does your legislation ADD to what exists? Does it REPEAL what exists? Does it AMEND what exists?

5. In what section of the California Code would your bill live?

- Check www.leginfo.ca.gov/calaw for a list of codes

5. Who might support your bill?

6. Who might oppose your bill? Why?

7. List the websites and other sources you used in your research.
Have questions? Leave a comment below or email your delegation leadership/advisors.

And the winner is!

2009-10-18T12:15:00.001-07:00

Meet your new sweatshirt!

Sweatshirt Design Ideas!

2009-10-13T20:38:00.000-07:00

Our delegation sweatshirt design must be to the printers by Friday at 8:00am! Time to come up with some good ideas. Here's an initial idea with two variations. Note that we're limited to two colors printed on a burgandy background, the shirt must include the Y&G and Capital Coalition logos, and must comply with the printer's technical specifications. Bring your ideas to the meeting Thursay - Last Chance!!!

School House Rock/I'm Just A Bill 1

School House Rock/I'm Just A Bill 2

License Plate - Note: Not up to full technical specification, may not be possible; would be limited to 2 colors.

Freeway Sign - Note: Not up to full technical specification, may not be possible; would be limited to 2 colors.

A Bug's Life font; Xanadu font; Collegiate font; License Plate font (click to enlarge) - Note: believed to meet technical specifications, but not confirmed.

More fun fonts (click to enlarge) - Note: believed to meet technical specifications, but not confirmed.

Be prepared to rank your choices and remain flexible due to technical requirements imposed by printer and technical limitations of your advisors.

Delegation Bulletin #2

2009-10-12T10:58:00.000-07:00

Upcoming Deadlines

Oct 15 Paperwork! (see item 4 below)

Oct 15 Sweatshirt Design due to printers (SUBMIT IDEAS NOW!)

Oct 16 Individual Scholarship Deadline (REQUIRES ADVISOR SIGNATURE)

Nov 12 $250 payment deadline (mandatory for conference attendance without prior Y approval for alternate plans. No Exceptions)

Upcoming Events

Oct 24 Halloween Volunteer event at the Y

Nov 6 Sold On Youth Auction (BIG MONEY FUNDRAISER)

Nov 8 Antique Fair Parking Lot Fundraiser

Ongoing Events

Raffle ticket sales

Coupon book sales

Announcements

Keep the bill ideas coming. Now is the time to start your preliminary research as well. Next week we will divide into bill groups.

Reminders

1.) Two payment deadlines have now passed and each delegate is responsible for having paid $300 for the program so far. Remember, you can meet that requirement in two ways: first, with a check; second, through your fundraising activities. If you have spoken to me regarding payment concerns, please remember: it is better to make ANY payment ($50?) than to make no payment at all. Making some level of payment will demonstrate to the YMCA that you are dedicated to the program. It's a "putting your money where your mouth is" showing of good faith. Again, we understand that in some cases, even $20 is impossible for some families. If this is you and your family, you MUST have a parent contact Sam Doffo at the YMCA to discuss the situation. 916-452-9622 ext 132. Don't delay!

2.) Bring your calendar or planner to meetings to record events and deadlines.

3.) If you sign up for an event but are unable to attend at the time you said you would or at all, you MUST contact Patrick, Chelsea, or Christiana at least 24 hours in advance. Unexcused absences may count against you when it comes to dividing fundraising proceeds and selecting program roles.

4.) ALL PAPERWORK is due at the next meeting. Did you lose yours? Download here. NOTE: do not return the entire parent packet. There is information there designed for your reference throughout the program. Return only forms requiring a signature. Delegates must submit the Delegation Contract, Medical Release Form, Code of Conduct, and Payment policy by Oct 15 or jeopardize their place in the program.

5.) Meeting Check-in Process: Upon arriving at meetings, delegates should first check the side table for any sign-up forms, handouts, or other information. CELL PHONE POLICY: Beginning Oct 15, delegates must turn off their phones (vibrate-mode is not the same as turned-off!) and leave them on the side table for the duration of the meeting. Delegates are not permitted to make or answer calls or texts during the meeting. This policy ensures an efficient, respectful meeting and allows us to continue with an hour-format for our meetings. Exceptions to this policy are granted only in legitimate, medical emergencies. Otherwise, everyone can survive for an hour. (This policy extends to the wearing of headphones/ear pieces/or blue tooth equipment. All are prohibited during the meeting.)

Need Forms? Click the link below!

2009-10-09T09:58:00.000-07:00

Click here for a list of forms and information to download, including the Individual Scholarship Application that is due OCTOBER 16 and that MUST BE SIGNED BY AN ADVISOR.

IMPORTANT: All forms requiring a parent signature MUST be turned in at the next meeting on October 15. Also, payments were due Sept. 25 ($100) and Oct. 9 ($200). If you have not made one or both payments, you need to contact Samantha Doffo at the YMCA (916-452-9622 ext 132) ASAP to discuss your payment situation or risk jeopardizing your place in the program.

We understand it is a difficult time for most families. You can help the Y help you by making whatever payment you can afford as soon as possible, even if it is $20. Also, coupon books and raffle tickets are available for you to sell to raise money. This will not only help you with funds but also demonstrate to the YMCA that you are dedicated to the program and fundraising efforts.