2020-21 El Dorado Youth and Government Delegation Bulletin #8

"Not everything that is faced can be changed. But nothing can be changed until it is faced." - James Baldwin

Thanks for attending yesterday's first conference of the year! While the technical difficulties during our breakouts were the pits, hopefully, our guest speakers during our policy panels left you inspired, challenged, and curious about our four policy areas and ready to put forward your own ideas for tackling California's biggest policy challenges. 

At our next meeting: We'll continue with the Advocacy & the Legislative Process module. 

What's due: Lots of stuff - see #3, below

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

1.) Role Selection: On Sunday, you learned about this year's program areas and leadership opportunities. I'll be matching each of you with a program area for this year based on several factors including delegation engagement (do you come to meetings, task completion, etc). Those in higher grade levels (who have been engaged in Y&G so far this year) have priority claim to a program area. I do my best to match folks with their first or second choice. For returners, please know that there's no swap process this year, so the spaces we have are the spaces we have. This is our allotment this year: Advocates - 35 (7 groups of 5); Legislators - 9; Analysts - 3; Courts - 7; Communications - 2. There are no bad program areas and, this year, each offers an opportunity to build a better program through your input. I will have roles assigned by Thursday.  Click here to review program areas and roles. 

2.) Elected & Appointed Leadership: A maximum of 5 delegates from our delegation can run for elected office (and only 1 person per elected office). A maximum of 2 delegates from our delegation can apply for any given appointed leadership role. There are elected and appointed opportunities in all program areas as well as region-wide. We strongly encourage folks to run for/apply for leadership! It's a great opportunity to practice interview skills and public speaking and whether you're [s]elected or not, you'll have fun. Review leadership information here.  A list of available positions can be found here. 

• Your deadlines: While the regional program application deadline is November 20, your deadline is earlier. CapCo Delegates must complete leadership applications by Tuesday, November 17 at 11:59pm so that we can have delegation-level primaries, if needed, so that we don't exceed our candidate/applicant cap. To apply/run for a leadership position in-program, you must be assigned to that program area. Region-wide candidates/applicants will still be assigned to a program area in which they will serve if not [s]elected. The leadership application can be found here. Delegation level primaries will be held at our November 19 meeting, if necessary. 

3.) How to maximize your chances of getting your first or second choice role: Part of engagement is responding to all those forms and such that go out. So, if you haven't yet, now is the time to complete the following. If you've done these already, don't do them twice. 

• Completing the program area preference survey(otherwise I won't know what your first or second choices are to begin with!) Due tonight! (if your name appears on this list, you still need to do this.)

• Confirming your zoom email address (if your name appears on this list, you still need to do this)

• Completing the pre-program survey (if your name appears on this list, you still need to do this)

• Completing the Scavenger Hunt (see Reminders below)

4.) Zoom Link: here's this week's Zoom meeting link. Officers should log on at 6pm. All other delegates will be admitted to the meeting at 6:30pm.  CHECK EMAIL FOR THE LINK.

5.) Conference Materials: Keep watching for conference wrap up materials - we expect those to go out on Wednesday or Thursday. 

6.) Post-Conference Bulletin: Did you receive and read this post-conference email bulletin from program@norcalyg.org? Check your spam! Make sure you add that address to your safe-senders list so you don't miss important conference information. 

REMINDERS:

Complete this scavenger hunt and you might win a prize! Yup, you still need to do this:

• Check out this list of websites that you'll be using this year to write and research bills and stay informed about California policy and politics. 

• Join our CapCo google classroom. Note: you may need to use a personal email address rather than your school email address if your school uses google classroom! 

• Complete the Scavenger Hunt assignment before Sunday!

• It's okay if you don't get all the answers right. We'll be reviewing this at an upcoming meeting. Just try it now. 

Join our Remind Text Group: If you haven't already, text @saccentral to 81010 to join our remind text group.

-Derek 

Helpful Links:
Weekly meeting overview
Missed a bulletin?
Looking for forms or handouts?
Payments can now be made only by phone - call the YMCA at 916-452-9622.

Mark your calendars:
Tuesday, November 17 11:59pm: CapCo Leadership Application Deadline 1
Thursday, November 26 - NO MEETING, Happy Thanksgiving
Thursday, December 3 - Meetings Return
Sunday, December 13 - Conference 2; 10am-3pm
Sunday, January 10 - Conference 3
Sunday, February 28 - Conference 4

Sat-Sun, March 6-7 - Final Conference Weekend

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.