Gold Country Delegation Bulletin #6

Thanks so much to those who helped out at S'moresfest on Saturday. The event was a tremendous success - We should have a # for how successful shortly! In the meantime, know that your volunteer work helped make our success possible.

NOTE SCHEDULE CHANGE: DUE TO FALL BREAK, WE'LL HOLD OUR BILL HEARING NIGHT PRACTICE THIS WEEK INSTEAD OF NEXT WEEK, AND NEXT WEEK THERE WILL BE NO MEETING. ALSO, THERE WILL BE NO MEETING ON THURSDAY, OCTOBER 31st TO ALLOW FOR ANNUAL FALL TRADITIONS WITH FAMILY/FRIENDS.

At the next meeting: We're going to hold our Bill Hearing Night Practice! We will take the time to focus on each of your group's bills, discuss them as a group, look at draft bill language, and practice persuasive speaking. We'll discuss Sac Attire, which you'll need to wear to Bill Hearing Night on 10/28. We'll also be deciding our hotel roommates for our first conference. Delegates are housed 4 to a room, split between male and female. We'll have a room of boys and two rooms of girls. Delegates of non-binary gender may choose to allow for their highest comfort level per Y&G policy. Be guided by YMCA values of Caring and Respect for this process.

What's due: Your bill group's first-draft bill language (template in folder linked below) and bill worksheet; Payment #2

Here's what you need to know this week:

1.) Bill Hearing Night: On Monday, October 28, we'll convene our annual Bill Hearing Night in Grass Valley City Council Chambers at City Hall. Delegates will wear "Sac Attire" - our professional dress code for Sac Conference. We'll review this at practice bill hearing night. We encourage you to invite parents, teachers, and friends to see what you've been working on in the program this year. Each bill group will present their bill. The audience and delegation will vote, and the top vote-getting bill will proceed to the 72nd Model Legislature & Court. (Hint: turn out your vote!)

IMPORTANT: Note that our delegation will have two non-freshman delegates in the Houses program this year. If you're one of them, you'll be representing the bill that wins the vote at Bill Hearing Night. Please be sincere and attentive with your feedback this week, on all bills.

2.) Draft Bill Language, Worksheets Due This Week:

Here's a link to the 2019 GoldCo Bill Drafts folder. Each bill group has a template for their bill language and for their bill worksheet. If you've already begun a digital version of your bill worksheet and it's not in there, let me know ASAP (send me a link to it).

This week you'll also be letting me know who will fulfill which bill group role. We'll go over the speeches you'll prepare for each role:

1. Bill Sponsor - introduces the bill and gives the opening and closing speeches on the bill (The Bill Author - the person who writes the bill and is in charge of that draft language, is usually the same person as the Bill Sponsor but not always.)
2. Lobbyist For - speaks in favor of the bill
3. Lobbyist Against - speaks against the bill
4. Legislative Analyst - gives an objective analysis of what the bill does, how much it costs, it's benefits or potential negative consequences.

3.) Schedule Overview: The next couple of weeks are instrumental. Please make sure you're at this week's meeting, and that you are in close touch with your Bill Group! Here's an overview:

• Thursday, Oct 17 - Bill Hearing Practice: going over bills one by one for feedback and finishing touches
• Thursday, Oct 24 - Fall Break -- no meeting! But if you're in town, feel free to meet to practice more. Last year over Fall Break some delegates met at a coffee shop to get some final practice.
• Monday, Oct 28 - BILL HEARING NIGHT! Please arrive as early as 6pm so that we can check-in and be sure everyone knows what they are doing and when.

REMINDERS

Bill Resources:

• Here's what a finished bill looks like, so you know what you're making. 
• Watch this video about how to start the bill idea and bill research process. 
• Watch this video about the 4 basic kinds of legislation our State Legislature can consider. 
• Want to know all the current laws? Here they are! (Get to know this site, it's a bill author's best friend!) 

Family Corner: 

Bill Hearing Night is Monday, October 28, 6:30-8pm, and You're Invited! Make sure to save October 28 for Bill Hearing Night. This annual event is a chance for delegates to show off to friends, family, and special guests all of their hard work so far this year. You won't want to miss it! 

November 7th will be our first Pre-Conference Meeting of the year! All parents are invited to attend at the normal meeting time. New delegate parents' attendance is mandatory.

-MaryJane

Lead Advisor

Gold Country Delegation stands for Advocacy, Grit, and Growth-Mindset

Helpful Links:

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Looking for forms or handouts?

Mark your calendars:

October 18 - Payment 2 Due

Oct 17 - Practice Bill Hearing Night - Bill Language and Worksheets Due

October 28 (Monday) - Mandatory Bill Hearing Night, 6:30-8pm (GV City Hall) 

November 7 - Pre-Conference Meeting (Mandatory for parents new to MLC)

November 9-11 - Training & Elections Conference I

Nov. 15, 2019 -Third Payment Due  

December 8 - California International Marathon Volunteer Event

December 13, 2019 - Fourth and Final Payment Due  

January 15 - Pre-Conference Meeting (Mandatory for parents new to MLC)

January 18-10 - Training & Elections Conference II

February 5 - Mandatory Pre-Conference Meeting (Mandatory for all parents)

February 13-17 - 72nd Model Legislature &Court

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